Can We Beat Together as One Heart?
I Chronicles.12.39
Times of crisis often bring us closer together — but also draw deeper divides.
At this tense time, as violent escalation reaches new peaks, all over the world, patriotic and local loyalties brush against more broad and global affinities.
Even as solidarity the with suffering of siblings stays strong, questions or polarities and priorities arise:
Were the Jewish people ever, once, a united nation, on the same page, with more binding common cause — or were we always split in some ways into rival camps with only aspirational unity?
Depends on who you ask or what you watch and read.
The Book of Chronicles claims an original united kingdom, created by David, that later split up.
But closer reading suggests that we began divided.
And still - despite historical trends - we can aspire higher - to bond in new ways, despite deep differences.
This chapter describes collaboration and united efforts between some of the tribes of Israel that even may not have happened - but still resonate as possible.
It’s hidden inside yet another list.
A list of soldiers and strategic allies of an armed resistance to the regime that would became the regime itself.
Who are these tribesmen who join David’s ranks and why do their names matter enough to be remembered?
This chapter is about the early stages of David’s military coup - a massive regime change.
This Chronicle’s version is that it was a popular national uprising against the northern House of Saul, with detailed lists of military officers defecting from Saul’s army and joining David and the strength of the south.
Whether this was true or not - this list matters. Those listed represent the northern tribes who align with the south, and each leader builds a bigger coalition. These names and details are not known from the previous books that describe this transfer of power. But they reveal this author’s agenda, even if it is likely fake news.
Even today, thousands of years after all these people whose names we now encounter have turned to dust—this list holds another piece of the puzzle - how did David take over the kingdom? Was it a popular movement of the people from across the land, disgruntled at their first king - or the takeover of one fierce tribe that subjugated the others and silenced their choice? The answer is likely somewhere in between.
According to this version, and unlike what we’ve read in the previous biblical books, it wasn’t just the men of Judah, along with some mercenaries, who joined the fight - it was the men of the northern tribes, including Saul’s tribe Benjamin, too. This coup included insiders, some of them the fiercest fighters in the land:
נֹ֣שְׁקֵי קֶ֗שֶׁת מַיְמִינִ֤ים וּמַשְׂמִאלִים֙ בָּאֲבָנִ֔ים וּבַחִצִּ֖ים בַּקָּ֑שֶׁת מֵאֲחֵ֥י שָׁא֖וּל מִבִּנְיָמִֽן׃
The men were armed with the bow and could use both right hand and left hand to sling stones or shoot arrows with the bow; they were kinsmen of Saul from Benjamin.
I Chronicles.12.2
Did Saul’s brothers join David’s revolt? Yes - according to this version with its clear agenda that wants to make it seem like all of Israel was united in the wish to remove Saul and crown David instead. Read it with a grain of salt.
The Book of Samuel devotes time to Jonathan -Saul’s princes who is also supporting David - possibly his lover. Yet even with his love for David, it was Jonathan who stayed with his father and family and died in battle alongside the king.
This chapter takes the theme of shifting loyalties further, not mentioning Jonathan but listing all the other kinsmen of Benjamin, Gad and some other tribes who defect en masse from the king’s army to the army of the rebels. They greet each other with ‘Shalom’ - some codeword for ‘which side are you now on?’
And there’s even more in this chapter - the people’s support for David is described in detail—logistical assistance and supply convoys, no longer a fringe revolt —but the mainstream. By the time David’s triumph is assured - this text tells us that the whole nation, or at least this long list of warriors from several tribes, gathered in Hebron, Judah’s hometown, to crown their new king:
כׇּל־אֵ֜לֶּה אַנְשֵׁ֣י מִלְחָמָה֮ עֹדְרֵ֣י מַעֲרָכָה֒ בְּלֵבָ֤ב שָׁלֵם֙ בָּ֣אוּ חֶבְר֔וֹנָה לְהַמְלִ֥יךְ אֶת־דָּוִ֖יד עַל־כׇּל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְ֠גַ֠ם כׇּל־שֵׁרִ֧ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל לֵ֥ב אֶחָ֖ד לְהַמְלִ֥יךְ אֶת־דָּוִֽיד׃
All these, fighting men, manning the battle line with whole heart, came to Hebron to make David king over all Israel. Likewise, all the rest of Israel was of one heart to make David king.
I Chronicles.12.39
“One heart” is repeated twice in this verse. It makes one wonder about the hyperbole. Chronicles likes to imagine that everybody lined up to celebrate the House of David. It’s a well known authoritarian tool, still used today.
But we must ask: One heart? What happened to the opposition? Were the loyalists of Saul silenced or their hearts ceased beating?
Perhaps there were some well intentioned moves towards gestures of inclusion that will lessen some of the inherited tribal tensions? Even if all people with one heart was not the story back then, and a rare occurrence today - it was and is a valid aspirational trope. Even if often used clinically and cruelly by autocrats and populist narratives - it can serve as an aspiration and guide our shared dream. One heart.. All of us together, with a shared vision of wellbeing for all. Imagine, etc.
In the middle of the global crisis we are living through - it feels good to lift up this vision of unity and trust in leadership that can forge a shared path towards collective liberation.
Maybe it’s not exactly our history, despite the fantasy that it was -- but perhaps it’s fantasy that will help us turn divisions into more unity reality? All hearts beating as one!
Start small. Heart to heart. Start with siblings. Go from there.
May it be so.
I hope we hold each other’s hand and heart through these tough times, towards healing and hope, patience and peace, for all of us, together.
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