2 Samuel 23:8-39

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, 31Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth of afBahurim, 32Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan, 33 agShammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite, 34Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai ahof Maacah, aiEliam the son of ajAhithophel the Gilonite, 35Hezro
Or Hezrai
alof Carmel, Paarai the Arbite,
36Igal the son of Nathan amof Zobah, Bani the Gadite, 37Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai anof Beeroth, the armor-bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah, 38 aoIra the apIthrite, Gareb the Ithrite, 39 aqUriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.

1 Chronicles 11:10-47

David’s Mighty Men

10 arNow these are the chiefs of David’s mighty men, who gave him strong support in his kingdom, together with all Israel, to make him king, asaccording to the word of the Lord concerning Israel. 11This is an account of David’s mighty men: atJashobeam, a auHachmonite, was avchief of the three.
Compare 2 Samuel 23:8; Hebrew thirty, or captains
He wielded his spear against 300 whom he killed at one time.

12And next to him among the three mighty men was Eleazar the son of axDodo, the Ahohite. 13He was with David at Pas-dammim aywhen the Philistines were gathered there for battle. There was a plot of ground full of barley, and the men fled from the Philistines. 14But he took his
Compare 2 Samuel 23:12; Hebrew they . . . their
stand in the midst of the plot and defended it and killed the Philistines. And the Lord saved them by a great victory.

15Three of the thirty chief men went down to the rock to David at the cave of Adullam, when the army of Philistines was encamped in the baValley of Rephaim. 16David was then in the stronghold, and the bbgarrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem. 17And David said longingly, “Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate!” 18Then 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 took it and brought it to David. But David would not drink it. He poured it out to the Lord 19and said, “Far be it from me before my God that I should do this. Shall I drink the lifeblood of these men? For at the risk of their lives they brought it.” Therefore he would not drink it. These things did the three mighty men.

20Now Abishai, the brother of Joab, was chief of the thirty.
Syriac; Hebrew three
And he wielded his spear against 300 men and killed them and won a name beside the three.
21He was the most renowned
Compare 2 Samuel 23:19; Hebrew more renowned among the two
of the thirty
Syriac; Hebrew three
and became their commander, but he did not attain to the three.

22And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was a valiant man
Syriac; Hebrew the son of a valiant man
of Kabzeel, a doer of great deeds. He struck down two heroes of Moab. He also went down and struck down a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen.
23And he struck down an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits
A  cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
tall. The Egyptian had in his hand a spear bhlike a weaver’s beam, 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.
24These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and won a name beside the three mighty men. 25He was renowned among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David set him over his bodyguard.

26The mighty men were biAsahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, 27Shammoth of Harod,
Compare 2 Samuel 23:25; Hebrew the Harorite
Helez the Pelonite,
28Ira the son of Ikkesh of Tekoa, Abiezer of Anathoth, 29Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite, 30Maharai of Netophah, Heled the son of Baanah of Netophah, 31Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the people of Benjamin, Benaiah of Pirathon, 32Hurai of the brooks of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite, 33Azmaveth of Baharum, Eliahba the Shaalbonite, 34Hashem
Compare Septuagint and 2 Samuel 23:32; Hebrew the sons of Hashem
the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Shagee the Hararite,
35Ahiam the son of Sachar the Hararite, Eliphal the son of Ur, 36Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite, 37Hezro of Carmel, Naarai the son of Ezbai, 38Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the son of blHagri, 39Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai of Beeroth, the armor-bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah, 40Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, 41Uriah the Hittite, bmZabad the son of Ahlai, 42Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a leader of the Reubenites, and thirty with him, 43Hanan the son of Maacah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite, 44Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite, 45Jediael the son of Shimri, and Joha his brother, the Tizite, 46Eliel the Mahavite, and Jeribai, and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam, and Ithmah the Moabite, 47Eliel, and Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.

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