## Radak on I Chronicles Chapter 12

###### Radak on I Chronicles 12:2:1
[Radak on I Chronicles 12:2:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20I%20Chronicles/r/12:2:1)

**נשקי קשת.** מזויינים בקשת ובחצים:

**The Commentary of Radak to Chronicles: A Translation with Introduction and Supercommentary, by Yitzhak Berger, Brown University, 2007:**
***Nosheqei qeshet*.**[This means]: armed with bows (*qeshet*) and arrows.


###### Radak on I Chronicles 12:2:2
[Radak on I Chronicles 12:2:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20I%20Chronicles/r/12:2:2)

**מימינים ומשמאילים.** שהיו שולטים בשתי ידיהם בין לירות **אבנים** בין לירות **חיצים**. "ומשמאילים" בנוח האל"ף:

**The Commentary of Radak to Chronicles: A Translation with Introduction and Supercommentary, by Yitzhak Berger, Brown University, 2007:**
**They could use both the right hand and the left hand (*mayminim u-masmilim* [ומשמאילים]).** They had enough control over both hands for slinging **stones** and shooting **arrows**. The *alef* in ומשמאילים** is quiescent.


###### Radak on I Chronicles 12:2:3
[Radak on I Chronicles 12:2:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20I%20Chronicles/r/12:2:3)

**מאחי שאול מבנימן.** כלומ': מקרובי שאול באו אליו לעזרו, ואע"פ שהיה שאול חי:

**The Commentary of Radak to Chronicles: A Translation with Introduction and Supercommentary, by Yitzhak Berger, Brown University, 2007:**
**They were kinsmen of Saul from Benjamin.** That is to say, relatives of Saul came to help [David] even though Saul was alive.


###### Radak on I Chronicles 12:16:1
[Radak on I Chronicles 12:16:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20I%20Chronicles/r/12:16:1)

**ממלא.** תואר, כמו "מָלֵא":

**The Commentary of Radak to Chronicles: A Translation with Introduction and Supercommentary, by Yitzhak Berger, Brown University, 2007:**
***Memallei*.**This is an adjective: it is the equivalent of *malei* (=full).


###### Radak on I Chronicles 12:16:2
[Radak on I Chronicles 12:16:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20I%20Chronicles/r/12:16:2)

**ויבריחו את כל העמקים.** הבריחו יושבי העמקים בעברם צבא גדול, וחשבו כי אויבים היו וברחו:

**The Commentary of Radak to Chronicles: A Translation with Introduction and Supercommentary, by Yitzhak Berger, Brown University, 2007:**
**And [the Gadites] drove away all the lowlanders.** When they passed through with a large army, they drove away the dwellers of the lowlands, who mistook them for enemies and fled.


###### Radak on I Chronicles 12:18:1
[Radak on I Chronicles 12:18:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20I%20Chronicles/r/12:18:1)

**ואם לרמותני לצרי.** בעבור צרי; ולפי שהיו שם מבני בנימן, היה ירא דוד. ותי"ו "לרמותני" בפת"ח במקום צר"י:

**The Commentary of Radak to Chronicles: A Translation with Introduction and Supercommentary, by Yitzhak Berger, Brown University, 2007:**
**But if to fool me (*le-rammotani*)** ***le-ṣaray*.**[This means]: for the sake of *ṣaray* (=my enemies): because there were Benjaminites there, David was afraid. The *tav* of *le-rammotani* has a *pataḥ* instead of a *ṣerei*.


###### Radak on I Chronicles 12:19:1
[Radak on I Chronicles 12:19:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20I%20Chronicles/r/12:19:1)

**ורוח לבשה את עמשי.** רוח הרצון:

**The Commentary of Radak to Chronicles: A Translation with Introduction and Supercommentary, by Yitzhak Berger, Brown University, 2007:**
**Then the spirit seized Amasai.** [This means]: the spirit of desire.


###### Radak on I Chronicles 12:23:1
[Radak on I Chronicles 12:23:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20I%20Chronicles/r/12:23:1)

**כמחנה אלהים.** רוצ' לומ': גדול; וכן דרך הלשון כשרוצה להגדיל הדבר מיחשו אל השם יתברך, כמו "כהררי אל" (תה' לו,ז), "עיר גדולה לאלהים" (יונה ג,ג), "שלהבת יה" (שה"ש ח,ו), "מאפליה" (יר' ב,לא). ואע"פ כי "שלהבת יה" מלה אחת, וכן "מאפליה", ענינם שתי מלות:

**The Commentary of Radak to Chronicles: A Translation with Introduction and Supercommentary, by Yitzhak Berger, Brown University, 2007:**
**As the camp of God.** This means that [the camp] was large. To compare something to God, may He be blessed, when one wants to indicate that something is particularly large, is a standard feature of the language, as in: “like the mountains of God” (Psalm 36:7), “a city of Godlike enormity” (Jon 3:3), “a Divine flame” (*shalhevetyah*; Song 8:6), and “Divine darkness” (*ma’peleyah*; Jer 2:31). Even though *shalhevetyah* is one word, as is *ma’peleyah*, their meaning is that of two words.


###### Radak on I Chronicles 12:28:1
[Radak on I Chronicles 12:28:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20I%20Chronicles/r/12:28:1)

**הנגיד לאהרן.** לזרע אהרן; כלומ': הוא היה הכהן הגדול. ובא אל דוד עם **שלשת אלפים ושבע מאות**. ובניהו בנו היה ראש שלשים הגבורים כמו שאמ' למעלה (יא,כד-כה):

**The Commentary of Radak to Chronicles: A Translation with Introduction and Supercommentary, by Yitzhak Berger, Brown University, 2007:**
**Chief officer of Aaron (*ha-nagid le-Aharon*).** [This means]: of the descendants of Aaron—meaning [Jehoiada] was the high priest. He joined David along with **three thousand seven hundred** men. And his son Benaiah was head of the thirty warriors, as the text says above (11:24–25).


###### Radak on I Chronicles 12:29:1
[Radak on I Chronicles 12:29:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20I%20Chronicles/r/12:29:1)

**וצדוק נער.** באותו הזמן היה עדין נער, והיה **גבור חיל**, ובא אל דוד עם **עשרים ושנים** שרים מבית אביו:

**The Commentary of Radak to Chronicles: A Translation with Introduction and Supercommentary, by Yitzhak Berger, Brown University, 2007:**
**And Zadok, a young man.** At the time he was still a young man. He was **valiant**, and he joined David together with **twenty-two** officers from his clan.


###### Radak on I Chronicles 12:30:1
[Radak on I Chronicles 12:30:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20I%20Chronicles/r/12:30:1)

**ועד הנה מרביתם.** כלומ': אלה שלשת אלפים מבני בנימן שבאו אל דוד חברונה – אחרי מות אבנר ואיש בשת, שבאו כל ישראל אל דוד חברונה (ש"ב ה,א); אז באו אלה שלשת אלפים, כי עד אותו הזמן היה מרביתם עם **בית שאול** ושומרים לו המלכות, לא כאותם שבאו אל דוד בחיי שאול לצקלג (לעיל יב,א-ב):

**The Commentary of Radak to Chronicles: A Translation with Introduction and Supercommentary, by Yitzhak Berger, Brown University, 2007:**
**Until that point, many of them.** This means that these three thousand Benjaminties joined David in Hebron after the deaths of Abner and Ish-bosheth, when all of Israel joined David in Hebron (2 Sam 5:1). It was only then that these three thousand came; for until that point, “many of them” were with the House of Saul protecting his kingship, unlike those who joined David in Ziklag during Saul’s lifetime (1 Chr 12:1–2).


###### Radak on I Chronicles 12:33:1
[Radak on I Chronicles 12:33:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20I%20Chronicles/r/12:33:1)

**ומבני יששכר יודעי בינה לעתים לדעת מה יעשה ישראל.** רבותי' ז"ל פרשו שיודעים לעבר שנים ולקבוע חדשים, וזהו שאמ' "לדעת מה יעשה ישראל"; וזהו "יודעי בינה לעתים", כלומ': לזמני העולם, שהיו יודעים לחשב בתקופות ומזלות. וזכר ענין זה בזה המקום כי צריך המלך אליהם להתיעץ עמהם בזה, כי על פי המלך היה נעשה העבור והקבוע כמו שנודע בדבר חזקיהו המלך (ב' סנה' יב,א). ור' יונה פרשו (סה"ש ע' "עות") ענין "משפטים", וכן "יודעי העתים" (אס' א,יג), כמו שאמ' "לפני כל יודעי דת ודין" (שם), וכן "עת ומשפט ידע לב חכם" (קה' ח,ה); והיה צריך המלך להתיעץ עמהם על ענין הדינין. אבל "לדעת מה יעשה ישראל" אין טעמו דבק לזה הפי', כי היה לו לומ' "לדעת מה יעשה המלך"; אבל לפי' רבותי' ז"ל יבא בטוב "לדעת מה יעשה ישראל" – היאך ישמרו המועדים ובאי זה זמן יעשו אותם:

**The Commentary of Radak to Chronicles: A Translation with Introduction and Supercommentary, by Yitzhak Berger, Brown University, 2007:**
**Of the Issacharites, men who possessed the wisdom of times (‘*ittim*), to determine how Israel should act.** Our Sages, of blessed memory (cf. Genesis Rabbah 72:5; b. Megillah 12b), explain that they knew how to calculate leap years and to determine the beginnings of months. This explains why it says “to determine how Israel should act” and “who possessed the wisdom of times”—that is, of seasons—for they knew how to make calculations based on celestial cycles and constellations. The text mentions this matter here because the king needed to consult with them on [these issues]; for the declaration of leap years and [of new months] was done by royal decree, as is apparent in the case of King Hezekiah (b. Sanhedrin 12a). But R. Jonah [ibn Janaḥ] (*Shorashim* entry **עות**) explains [‘*ittim* (עתים)] in the sense of “laws”; for the king needed to consult with them on legal matters. The same is true for “learned in *‘ittim*” (Esth 1:13)—as the text elaborates: “before all who were versed in law and precedent” (ibid.)—and for “the heart of a wise man knows ‘*et* (עת) and law” (Eccl 8:5). But according to this interpretation, [the phrase] “to determine how Israel should act” does not fit; for the text should have said, “to determine how *the king* should act.” However, according to the interpretation of our Sages, of blessed memory, [the phrase] “to determine how Israel should act”—meaning how to observe the holidays in their proper time—is entirely suitable.


###### Radak on I Chronicles 12:34:1
[Radak on I Chronicles 12:34:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20I%20Chronicles/r/12:34:1)

**מזבלון וגו' ולעדר בלא לב ולב.** פי' "ולעדר": ולערך, וכן "עודרי מערכה" (להלן פס' לט); וכן "ועדרים לאורות" (דה"ב לב,כח) פי': "מערכות". ומזה נקרא מערכת הצאן "עדר". ופי' הפסוק כי אלה היו לערך מלחמה כנגד אויבי דוד בלא לב ולב, כלו' שלא היו להם שני לבבות, כי אם לב אחד שלם אל דוד. ובבראשית רבה (ר' ויק"ר כה,ב): "בלא לב ולב" – בין במתכוין בין בלא מתכוין היו מנצחים:

**The Commentary of Radak to Chronicles: A Translation with Introduction and Supercommentary, by Yitzhak Berger, Brown University, 2007:**
**Of Zebulun … *ve-la‘ador be-lo lev va-lev*.** *Ve-la‘ador* means *ve-la‘arokh* (=and to carry out in an ordered fashion), as in *‘oderei ma‘arakhah* (=men who manned the battle lines; v. 39). Similarly, “and *‘adarim* for the troughs” (2 Chr 32:28) means orderly storage places. This is why a flock (*ma‘arekhet*) of sheep is called an ‘*eder*. The meaning of the verse, then, is that these men would carry out battles against the enemies of David *be-lo lev va-lev* (=without being of one heart [on the one hand] and of another heart [on the other]); that is, they were not of two hearts, but of one heart in full solidarity with David. But in Genesis Rabbah (cf. Leviticus Rabbah 25:2) [it says]: “*Be-lo lev va-lev* (=without heart or with heart): they would win whether or not they put their minds to it.”


###### Radak on I Chronicles 12:39:1
[Radak on I Chronicles 12:39:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20I%20Chronicles/r/12:39:1)

**וגם כל שרית ישראל.** כמו "שארית", וכן "יתן את שלתך" (ש"א א,יז) כמו "שאלתך":

**The Commentary of Radak to Chronicles: A Translation with Introduction and Supercommentary, by Yitzhak Berger, Brown University, 2007:**
**Likewise, all *sherit* (=the rest of) Israel.** This is equivalent to *she’erit*. Similarly, “shall grant you *shelatekh* (=your request)” (1 Sam 1:17) is equivalent to *she’elatekh*.