The Second Book of Samuel

⭑ Berean Study Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 23 -

These are the last words of David: “The oracle of David son of Jesse, the oracle of the man raised on high, the one anointed by the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel:(a)

The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me; His word was on my tongue.

The God of Israel spoke; the Rock of Israel said to me, ‘He who rules the people with justice, who rules in the fear of God,

is like the light of the morning at sunrise of a cloudless dawn, the glistening after the rain on the sprouting grass of the earth.’

Is not my house right with God? For He has established with me an everlasting covenant, ordered and secured in every part. Will He not bring about my full salvation and my every desire?

But the worthless are all like thorns raked aside, for they can never be gathered by hand.

The man who touches them must be armed with iron or with the shaft of a spear. The fire burns them to ashes in the place where they lie.”

David’s Mighty Men

(1 Chronicles 11:10–47)

These are the names of David’s mighty men: Josheb-basshebeth the Tahchemonite (b) was chief of the Three.(c) He wielded his spear against (d) eight hundred men, whom he killed at one time.

Next in command was Eleazar son of Dodo (e) the Ahohite. As one of the three mighty men, he went with David to taunt the Philistines who had gathered for battle at Pas-dammim. The men of Israel retreated,

but Eleazar stood his ground and struck the Philistines until his hand grew weary and stuck to his sword. The LORD brought about a great victory that day. Then the troops returned to him, but only to plunder the dead.

And after him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines had banded together near a field full of lentils, Israel’s troops fled from them.

But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field, defended it, and struck down the Philistines. So the LORD brought about a great victory.

At harvest time, three of the thirty chief men went down to David at the cave of Adullam, while a company of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.

At that time David was in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was at Bethlehem.

David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!”

So the three mighty men broke through the Philistine camp, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem, and brought it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out to the LORD,

saying, “Far be it from me, O LORD, to do this! Is this not the blood of the men who risked their lives?” So he refused to drink it. Such were the exploits of the three mighty men.

Now Abishai, the brother of Joab and son of Zeruiah, was chief of the Three,(f) and he lifted his spear against three hundred men, killed them, and won a name along with the Three.

Was he not more honored than the Three?(g) And he became their commander, even though he was not included among the Three.

And Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a man of valor (h) from Kabzeel, a man of many exploits. He struck down two champions (i) of Moab, and on a snowy day he went down into a pit and killed a lion.

He also killed an Egyptian, a huge man. Although the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club, snatched the spear from his hand, and killed the Egyptian with his own spear.

These were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who won a name alongside the three mighty men.

He was most honored among the Thirty, but he did not become one of the Three. And David appointed him over his guard.

Now these were members of the Thirty:(j) Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan son of Dodo of Bethlehem,

Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,

Helez the Paltite, Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,

Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai (k) the Hushathite,

Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,

Heled (l) son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai (m) son of Ribai from Gibeah of the Benjamites,

Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai (n) from the brooks (o) of Gaash,

Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite,

Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen,(p) Jonathan

son of Shammah 23:33 Some LXX manuscripts (see also 1 Chronicles 11:34); Hebrew Jonathan, 33 Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam son of Sharar 23:33 Hebrew; some LXX manuscripts Sachar; see 1 Chronicles 11:35. the Hararite,

Eliphelet son of Ahasbai the Maacathite, Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,

Hezro the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,

Igal son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite,

Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, the armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah,

Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,

and Uriah the Hittite. There were thirty-seven in all.

Footnotes

(a)23:1 Or the hero of the songs of Israel or the favorite of the Strong One of Israel

(b)23:8 Tahchemonite is probably a variant of Hachmonite; see 1 Chronicles 11:11.

(d)23:8 Some LXX manuscripts (see also 1 Chronicles 11:11); Hebrew He was called Adino the Eznite because of

(e)23:9 Dodo is a variant of Dodai; see 1 Chronicles 27:4.

(f)23:18 Most Hebrew manuscripts (see also 1 Chronicles 11:20); two Hebrew manuscripts and Syriac the Thirty

(g)23:19 Hebrew; Syriac the Thirty

(h)23:20 Or Benaiah son of Jehoiada was the son of Ishhai

(i)23:20 Or two sons of Ariel

(j)23:24 Literally In the Thirty (were):

(k)23:27 Hebrew; some LXX manuscripts Sibbecai; see 2 Samuel 21:18 and 1 Chronicles 11:29.

(l)23:29 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Vulgate (see also 1 Chronicles 11:30); most MT manuscripts Heleb

(m)23:29 Ittai is a variant of Ithai; see 1 Chronicles 11:31.

(n)23:30 Hiddai is a variant of Hurai; see 1 Chronicles 11:32.

(o)23:30 Or from the ravines

(p)23:32 Jashen is a variant of Hashem; see 1 Chronicles 11:34.

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:

“The LORD’s Spirit spoke by me. His word was on my tongue.

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,

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.’

Isn’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?

But all the ungodly will be as thorns to be thrust away, because they can’t be taken with the hand.

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.”

David’s Mighty Men

(1 Chronicles 11:10–47)

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.

After 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.

He 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.

After 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.

But he stood in the middle of the plot and defended it, and killed the Philistines; and the LORD worked a great victory.

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.

David was then in the stronghold; and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.

David said longingly, “Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!”

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.

He 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.

Abishai, 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.

Wasn’t he most honorable of the three? Therefore he was made their captain. However he wasn’t included as one of the three.

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.

He 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.

Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did these things, and had a name among the three mighty men.

He was more honorable than the thirty, but he didn’t attain to the three. David set him over his guard.

Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty: Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,

Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,

Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,

Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite,

Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,

Heleb the son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin,

Benaiah a Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash.

Abialbon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite,

Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan,

Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Ararite,

Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maacathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,

Hezro the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,

Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite,

Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, armor bearers to Joab the son of Zeruiah,

Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,

and Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.