2 Samuel 23:8-30

David’s Mighty Men

8 aThese are the names of the mighty men whom David had: bJosheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite; he was chief of the three.
Or  of the captains
He wielded his spear
Compare 1 Chronicles 11:11; the meaning of the Hebrew expression is uncertain
against eight hundred whom he killed at one time.

9And next to him among the three mighty men was Eleazar the son of eDodo, son of fAhohi. He was with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel withdrew. 10He rose and struck down the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clung to the sword. And the Lord brought about a great victory that day, and the men returned after him only to strip the slain.

11And next to him was Shammah, the son of Agee the gHararite. The Philistines gathered together at Lehi, where there was a plot of ground full of lentils, and the men fled from the Philistines. 12But he took his stand in the midst of the plot and defended it and struck down the Philistines, and the Lord worked a great victory.

13And three of the thirty chief men went down and came about harvest time to David at the hcave of Adullam, when a band of Philistines was encamped iin the Valley of Rephaim. 14David was then jin the stronghold, and kthe garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem. 15And David said longingly, “Oh, that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate!” 16Then the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate and carried and brought it to David. But he would not drink of it. He poured it out to the Lord 17and said, “Far be it from me, O Lord, that I should do this. Shall I drink lthe blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives?” Therefore he would not drink it. These things the three mighty men did.

18Now Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the thirty.
Two Hebrew manuscripts, Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts three
And he wielded his spear against three hundred men
Or slain ones
and killed them and won a name beside the three.
19He was the most renowned of the thirty
Compare 1 Chronicles 11:25; Hebrew Was he the most renowned of the three?
and became their commander, but he did not attain to pthe three.

20And qBenaiah the son of Jehoiada was a valiant man
Or the son of Ishhai
of sKabzeel, a doer of great deeds. He struck down two ariels
The meaning of the word ariel is unknown
of Moab. He also went down and struck down a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen.
21And he struck down an Egyptian, a handsome man. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand, but Benaiah went down to him with a staff and snatched the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. 22These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and won a name beside the three mighty men. 23He was renowned among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David set him over his bodyguard.

24 uAsahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, 25 vShammah of Harod, Elika of Harod, 26Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh wof Tekoa, 27Abiezer xof Anathoth, Mebunnai ythe Hushathite, 28Zalmon zthe Ahohite, Maharai aaof Netophah, 29Heleb the son of Baanah abof Netophah, Ittai the son of Ribai of acGibeah of the people of Benjamin, 30Benaiah adof Pirathon, Hiddai of the brooks of aeGaash,
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