David went out to meet them, and answered them, If you be come peaceably to me to help me, my heart shall be knit to you; but if [you be come] to betray me to my adversaries, seeing there is no wrong in my hands, the God of our fathers look thereon, and rebuke it.
In view of his readers’ assumed knowledge, the Chronicler makes no attempt to record events that have little to do with his central purpose. For example, he omits all reference to the attempt by Saul’s followers to continue the rule of Saul’s family (2 Samuel 1:1-12). Instead he passes straight on to the establishment of David in Jerusalem as king over all Israel (11:1-9; see notes on 2 Samuel 5:1-10), and the important part that David’s mighty men played in establishing and maintaining his kingdom (10-47; see notes on 2 Samuel 23:8-39).