· Translation: KJV

1 Chronicles 12:31Of the half-tribe of Manasseh eighteen thousand, who were mentioned by name, to come and make David king.

The setting

Hebron, Israel, ~1003 BC. Representatives from the half-tribe of Manasseh east of the Jordan River arrive to formally declare David as their king after years of civil war.

The emotion here: documenting with satisfaction at unity achieved

The original word

niqbu (נִקְּבוּ) — specifically designated, called out by name

Why it matters

The half-tribe of Manasseh lived east of the Jordan, making this a 3-day journey minimum

Read with care

What most readers miss in 1 Chronicles 12:31

These 18,000 were 'mentioned by name' — this wasn't a mob, but an organized diplomatic mission

Common misconceptionPeople think this is just a census, but it's actually a record of political courage — these tribes chose David when it was still risky.

Bible Genome reading

1 Chronicles 12:31 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerNarrator
EraUnited Kingdom
Primary emotiondeciding
Literary typenarrative

Emotional genome

Comfort power30%
Quotability20%
Memorability30%
Crisis relevance30%
Standalone30%
Themes:intentional supportkingdom transition

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open 1 Chronicles 12

1 Chronicles 12:31 comes from the book of 1 Chronicles, written during the United Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Narrator. The dominant emotion in this verse is deciding, with a comfort power of 30% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include intentional support, kingdom transition. Notable phrases: mentioned by name; make David king.

Your reflection

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