Thematic Bible




Thematic Bible



BOOK II
(Psalms 42–72)
For the choir director. A Maskil of the sons of Korah. As a deer longs for streams of water,
so I long for You, God.

the deer, the gazelle, the roe deer,
the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope,
and the mountain sheep.

The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel was a fast runner, like one of the wild gazelles.

He makes my feet like the feet of a deer
and sets me securely on the heights.

Some Gadites defected to David at his stronghold in the desert. They were fighting men, trained for battle, expert with shield and spear. Their faces were like the faces of lions, and they were as swift as gazelles on the mountains.

A loving doe, a graceful fawn—
let her breasts always satisfy you;
be lost in her love forever.

Escape like a gazelle from a hunter,
like a bird from a fowler’s trap.

Then the lame will leap like a deer,
and the tongue of the mute will sing for joy,
for water will gush in the wilderness,
and streams in the desert;

Even the doe in the field
gives birth and abandons her fawn
since there is no grass.


The following were the men who came to David at Ziklag while he was still banned from the presence of Saul son of Kish. They were among the warriors who helped him in battle. They were archers who, using either their right or left hand, could [throw] stones [with a sling] or [shoot] arrows with a bow. They were Saul's relatives from Benjamin: Their chief was Ahiezer son of Shemaah the Gibeathite. Then there was his brother Joash; Jeziel and Pelet sons of Azmaveth; Beracah, Jehu the Anathothite; read more.
Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a warrior among the Thirty and [a leader] over the Thirty; Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, Jozabad the Gederathite; Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, Shephatiah the Haruphite; Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam, the Korahites; and Joelah and Zebadiah, the sons of Jeroham from Gedor. Some Gadites defected to David at his stronghold in the desert. They were fighting men, trained for battle, expert with shield and spear. Their faces were like the faces of lions, and they were as swift as gazelles on the mountains. Ezer was the chief, Obadiah second, Eliab third, Mishmannah fourth, Jeremiah fifth, Attai sixth, Eliel seventh, Johanan eighth, Elzabad ninth, Jeremiah tenth, and Machbannai eleventh. These Gadites were army commanders; the least of them was a match for a hundred, and the greatest of them for a thousand. These are the men who crossed the Jordan in the first month when it was overflowing all its banks, and put to flight all [those in] the valleys to the east and to the west. Other Benjaminites and men from Judah also went to David at the stronghold. David went out to meet them and said to them, "If you have come in peace to help me, my heart will be united with you, but if you have come to betray me to my enemies even though my hands have done no wrong, may the God of our ancestors look on it and judge." Then the Spirit took control of Amasai, chief of the Thirty, [and he said]: [We are] yours, David, [we are] with you, son of Jesse! Peace, peace to you, and peace to him who helps you, for your God helps you. So David received them and made them leaders of his troops. Some Manassites defected to David when he went with the Philistines to fight against Saul. However, they did not help the Philistines because the Philistine rulers, following consultation, sent David away. They said, "It will be our heads if he defects to his master Saul." When David went to Ziklag, some men from Manasseh defected to him: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, chiefs of thousands in Manasseh. They helped David against the marauders, for they were all brave warriors and commanders in the army. At that time, men came day after day to help David until there was a great army, like an army of God.


The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel was a fast runner, like one of the wild gazelles.

Some Gadites defected to David at his stronghold in the desert. They were fighting men, trained for battle, expert with shield and spear. Their faces were like the faces of lions, and they were as swift as gazelles on the mountains.

Escape like a gazelle from a hunter,
like a bird from a fowler’s trap.

Then the lame will leap like a deer,
and the tongue of the mute will sing for joy,
for water will gush in the wilderness,
and streams in the desert;

W Hurry to me, my love,
and be like a gazelle
or a young stag
on the mountains of spices.


Some Gadites defected to David at his stronghold in the desert. They were fighting men, trained for battle, expert with shield and spear. Their faces were like the faces of lions, and they were as swift as gazelles on the mountains. Ezer was the chief, Obadiah second, Eliab third, Mishmannah fourth, Jeremiah fifth, read more.
Attai sixth, Eliel seventh, Johanan eighth, Elzabad ninth, Jeremiah tenth, and Machbannai eleventh. These Gadites were army commanders; the least of them was a match for a hundred, and the greatest of them for a thousand. These are the men who crossed the Jordan in the first month when it was overflowing all its banks, and put to flight all [those in] the valleys to the east and to the west.

From across the Jordan-from the Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh: 120,000 men equipped with all the military weapons of war. All these warriors, lined up in battle formation, came to Hebron with wholehearted determination to make David king over all Israel. All the rest of Israel was also of one mind to make David king.


Some Gadites defected to David at his stronghold in the desert. They were fighting men, trained for battle, expert with shield and spear. Their faces were like the faces of lions, and they were as swift as gazelles on the mountains. Ezer was the chief, Obadiah second, Eliab third, Mishmannah fourth, Jeremiah fifth, read more.
Attai sixth, Eliel seventh, Johanan eighth, Elzabad ninth, Jeremiah tenth, and Machbannai eleventh. These Gadites were army commanders; the least of them was a match for a hundred, and the greatest of them for a thousand. These are the men who crossed the Jordan in the first month when it was overflowing all its banks, and put to flight all [those in] the valleys to the east and to the west.


Some Gadites defected to David at his stronghold in the desert. They were fighting men, trained for battle, expert with shield and spear. Their faces were like the faces of lions, and they were as swift as gazelles on the mountains.

Listen! My love is approaching.
Look! Here he comes,
leaping over the mountains,
bounding over the hills.


Some Gadites defected to David at his stronghold in the desert. They were fighting men, trained for battle, expert with shield and spear. Their faces were like the faces of lions, and they were as swift as gazelles on the mountains.


Some Gadites defected to David at his stronghold in the desert. They were fighting men, trained for battle, expert with shield and spear. Their faces were like the faces of lions, and they were as swift as gazelles on the mountains.


Some Gadites defected to David at his stronghold in the desert. They were fighting men, trained for battle, expert with shield and spear. Their faces were like the faces of lions, and they were as swift as gazelles on the mountains.

Asa had an army of 300,000 from Judah bearing large shields and spears, and 280,000 from Benjamin bearing regular shields and drawing the bow. All these were brave warriors.

Then Amaziah gathered Judah and assembled them according to ancestral house, according to commanders of thousands, and according to commanders of hundreds. He numbered those 20 years old or more for all Judah and Benjamin. He found there to be 300,000 choice men who could serve in the army, bearing spear and shield.

From Naphtali: 1,000 commanders accompanied by 37,000 men with shield and spear.

From the Judahites: 6,800 armed troops bearing shields and spears.