2 Samuel 23
23
1These are David's last words. The divine message of David son of Jesse, the divine message of the man made great by God, the one anointed by the God of Jacob, the wonderful psalm-writer of Israel:
2“The Spirit of the Lord spoke through me; my tongue gave his message.
3Israel's God spoke; Israel's Rock told me, ‘He who rules the people justly, he who rules respecting God, 4is like the light of the morning sunrise on a cloudless dawn; like the shining of raindrops on the new grass growing from the earth.’
5Isn't this how my family is with God? For he has made an everlasting agreement with me, set out in detail and with every part guaranteed. He will make sure to save me and to give me all I want.
6But evil people are like thorns to be thrown aside; they can't be held in the hand. 7The only way to deal with them is to use an iron tool or the handle of a spear. They are completely burned up right where they are.”
8These are the names of the leading warriors who supported David: Josheb-Basshebeth, a Tahkemonite, leader of the Three. Using his spear, he once killed eight hundred men in a single battle.
9After him came Eleazar, son of Dodai, the Ahohite, one of the Three leading warriors. He was with David when they defied the Philistines gathered for battle at Pas-dammin. The Israelites retreated, 10but Eleazar took his stand and went on killing Philistines until his hand stuck to his sword. The Lord saved them by granting them a great victory. The Israelite army did return, but only to strip the dead.
11After him came Shammah, son of Agee, the Hararite. When the Philistines gathered at Lehi, in a field full of lentils, the Israelite army ran away from them, 12but Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field, defending it and killing the Philistines. The Lord gave them a great victory.
13At harvest-time, the Three, who were part of the Thirty leading warriors, went down to meet David when he was at the cave of Adullam. The Philistine army was camped in the valley of Rephaim. 14At the time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was in Bethlehem. 15David was feeling really thirsty, and he said, “If only someone could bring me a drink of water from the well beside the entrance gate to Bethlehem!”
16The Three leading warriors broke through the Philistine defenses, took some water from the well at Bethelehem's gate, and brought it back to David. But David refused to drink it, and poured it out as an offering to the Lord. 17“Lord, never let me do this!” he said. “Isn't it like drinking the blood of these men who risked their lives?” So he did not drink it. These are just some of the things the Three leading warriors did.
18Abishai, Joab's brother, was leader of the second Three.#23:18. However, Jashobeam has already been mentioned as leader of the Three (11:11), and the killing of 300 by his spear has also been mentioned. Some suggest a confusion of names or alternate spelling, or that this refers to another person altogether as leader not of the Three but the Thirty, or that there was another “Three.” Using his spear, he once killed 300 men, and became famous among the Three. 19He was the most highly regarded of the Three and was their commander, though he was not one of the first Three.#23:19. Identifying a first and second Three seems to be the simplest solution to what are confusing verses.
20Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, a strong warrior from Kabzeel, did many amazing things. He killed two sons of Ariel of Moab.#23:20. Septuagint understanding; it may refer to two fighting champions of Moab. He also went after a lion into a pit in the snow and killed it. 21Another time he killed a huge Egyptian. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand but Benaiah attacked him with just a club. He grabbed the spear from the Egyptian's hand, and killed him with his own spear. 22These were the kind of things Benaiah did that made him as famous as the Three leading warriors. 23He was the most highly regarded of the Thirty, though he was not one of the Three. David put him in charge of his personal bodyguard.
24Included in the Thirty were:
Asahel, Joab's brother; Elhanan, son of Dodo, from Bethlehem; 25Shammoth the Harorite; Elika the Harodite, 26Helez the Paltite; Ira, son of Ikkesh, from Tekoa; 27Abiezer from Anathoth; Mebunnai the Hushathite; 28Zalmon the Ahohite; Maharai the Netophahite; 29Heleb, son of Baanah the Netophahite; Ittai, son of Ribai from Gibeah of the Benjamites; 30Benaiah the Pirathonite; Hiddai from the streams of Gaash; 31Abi-albon the Arbathite; Azmaveth the Baharumite; 32Eliahba the Shaalbonite; the sons of Jashem; Jonathan, 33son of#23:33. The Hebrew does not have “son of.” Shagee the Hararite; Ahiam, son of Sachar the Hararite; 34Eliphelet, son of Ahasbai, son of the Maacathite, Eliam, son of Ahithophel, the Gilonite, 35Hezro the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite, 36Igal, son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite, 37Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, the armor-bearer of Joab, son of Zeruiah, 38Ira the Ithrite; Gareb the Ithrite; 39and Uriah the Hittite; a total of thirty-seven.
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com
2 Samuel 23
23
1 Now these are the last words of David.
David the son of Jesse says,
the man who was raised on high says,
the anointed of the God of Jacob,
the sweet psalmist of Israel:
2“The LORD’s Spirit spoke by me.
His word was on my tongue.
3 The God of Israel said,
the Rock of Israel spoke to me,
‘One who rules over men righteously,
who rules in the fear of God,
4 shall be as the light of the morning when the sun rises,
a morning without clouds,
when the tender grass springs out of the earth,
through clear shining after rain.’
5Isn’t my house so with God?
Yet he has made with me an everlasting covenant,
ordered in all things, and sure,
for it is all my salvation and all my desire.
Won’t he make it grow?
6 But all the ungodly will be as thorns to be thrust away,
because they can’t be taken with the hand.
7 The man who touches them must be armed with iron and the staff of a spear.
They will be utterly burned with fire in their place.”
8 These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb Basshebeth a Tahchemonite, chief of the captains; he was called Adino the Eznite, who killed eight hundred at one time. 9After him was Eleazar the son of Dodai the son of an Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David when they defied the Philistines who were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel had gone away. 10He arose and struck the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand froze to the sword; and the LORD worked a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to take plunder. 11After him was Shammah the son of Agee a Hararite. The Philistines had gathered together into a troop where there was a plot of ground full of lentils; and the people fled from the Philistines. 12But he stood in the middle of the plot and defended it, and killed the Philistines; and the LORD worked a great victory.
13 Three of the thirty chief men went down, and came to David in the harvest time to the cave of Adullam; and the troop of the Philistines was encamped in the valley of Rephaim. 14David was then in the stronghold; and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. 15David said longingly, “Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!”
16 The three mighty men broke through the army of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate and took it and brought it to David; but he would not drink of it, but poured it out to the LORD. 17He said, “Be it far from me, LORD, that I should do this! Isn’t this the blood of the men who risked their lives to go?” Therefore he would not drink it. The three mighty men did these things.
18Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the three. He lifted up his spear against three hundred and killed them, and had a name among the three. 19Wasn’t he most honorable of the three? Therefore he was made their captain. However he wasn’t included as one of the three.
20 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done mighty deeds, killed the two sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went down and killed a lion in the middle of a pit in a time of snow. 21He killed a huge Egyptian, and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him with a staff and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and killed him with his own spear. 22Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did these things, and had a name among the three mighty men. 23He was more honorable than the thirty, but he didn’t attain to the three. David set him over his guard.
24 Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty: Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, 25Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite, 26Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, 27Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite, 28Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite, 29Heleb the son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin, 30Benaiah a Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash. 31Abialbon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite, 32Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan, 33Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Ararite, 34Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maacathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, 35Hezro the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite, 36Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite, 37Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, armor bearers to Joab the son of Zeruiah, 38Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, 39and Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.
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