Nosheqei qeshet.[This means]: armed with bows (qeshet) and arrows.

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.

They were kinsmen of Saul from Benjamin. That is to say, relatives of Saul came to help [David] even though Saul was alive.

**Memallei.**This is an adjective: it is the equivalent of malei (=full).

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.

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.

Then the spirit seized Amasai. [This means]: the spirit of desire.

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.

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).

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.

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).

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.

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.”

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.