Nisan 1 – He Will Return Among the People

Nisan 1, 5785; from sunset March 29, 2025, to sunset March 30, 2025

(The first day of the first month)

Our featured image for today is from the top of the fortress Masada. We’ve chosen to use this location when remembering the men whom King David selected to protect the kingdom. As the last hold-out after Rome destroyed Jerusalem, Masada has become a symbol of Jewish resistance. In modern times, IDF recruits would complete a pre-dawn climb to its summit and, there, took an oath of allegiance to the nation of Israel. Though this practice has largely ended, Masada’s symbolism lives on.

This is the name Jashobeam as seen in the Aleppo Codex, one of the oldest, most complete Hebrew manuscripts.

It’s a new month and that means a new military commander is keeping watch over the kingdom. King David set up a military guard that rotated every month. Each month had a leader and 24,000 men. Today in the Bible, Jashobeam takes command.

And the children of Israel, according to their number, the heads of fathers’ houses, the captains of thousands and hundreds and their officers, served the king in every matter of the military divisions. These divisions came in and went out month by month throughout all the months of the year, each division having twenty-four thousand. Over the first division for the first month was Jashobeam the son of Zabdiel, and in his division were twenty-four thousand; he was of the children of Perez, and the chief of all the captains of the army for the first month. – 1 Chronicles 27:1-3

Jashobeam, whose name means something like “Let the People Return” or “He Will Return Among the People”, was one of David’s three mighty men and given the honor of presiding over the first of months. Jashobeam is thought to be one-in-the-same as Josheb-Basshebeth who is mentioned in 2 Samuel 23.

These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-Basshebeth the Tachmonite, chief among the captains. He was called Adino the Eznite, because he had killed eight hundred men at one time. – 2 Samuel 23:8

Adino the Eznite. What a nickname! The name Adino is credited as coming from the same root as Eden, meaning “pleasure, luxury, delight, finery.” I tried to find a meaning for Eznite but struck out. The Jones’ Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names treats “Adino the Eznite” as one name and renders “Whose Pleasure is the Spear.” This makes sense if Josheb-Basshebeth is the same person as Jashobeam – at least in the context of 1 Chronicles 11:10-12 which describes him as having killed 300 with the spear.

While David was encamped in the Cave of Adullam on a campaign against the Philistines who were garrisoned in Bethlehem, Jashobeam broke the Philistine lines to reach a well near Bethlehem’s gate to get David a drink of water. However, David poured the water out as a drink offering to God, saying, “Is it not the blood of men who went at the risk of their lives?” You can read the rest of the story in 2 Samuel chapter 23.

Jashobeam is listed amongst the names of…

…the men who came to David at Ziklag while he was still a fugitive from Saul the son of Kish; and they were among the mighty men, helpers in the war, armed with bows, using both the right hand and the left in hurling stones and shooting arrows with the bow. – 1 Chronicles 12:1-2

He is also mentioned in 1 Chronicles 11 when David was anointed as king over Israel.

Now these were the heads of the mighty men whom David had, who strengthened themselves with him in his kingdom, with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the LORD concerning Israel. And this is the number of the mighty men whom David had: Jashobeam the son of a Hachmonite, chief of the captains; he had lifted up his spear against three hundred, killed by him at one time. After him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighty men. – 1 Chronicles 11:10-12

As we will learn in another post dated to Nisan 1, this is the day that the Tabernacle was set up and God came to “dwell among His people.” I think it’s pretty cool that a man whose name means “He Will Return Among the People” is keeping watch over Israel starting on the day when the LORD once again dwelled among His people.

This may also bring to mind a remembrance of Eden, when the LORD dwelled among His people…

And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. – Genesis 3:8

and a hope for the future when He will dwell with us once again…

…I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.” And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.” – Revelation 21:1-7

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