18 Now Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the thirty.[a] And he wielded his spear against three hundred men[b] and killed them and won a name beside the three. 19 He was the most renowned of the thirty[c] and became their commander, but he did not attain to (A)the three.

20 And (B)Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was a valiant man[d] of (C)Kabzeel, a doer of great deeds. He struck down two ariels[e] of Moab. He also went down and struck down a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen. 21 And 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. 22 These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and won a name beside the three mighty men. 23 He was renowned among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David set him over his bodyguard.

24 (D)Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, 25 (E)Shammah of Harod, Elika of Harod, 26 Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh (F)of Tekoa, 27 Abiezer (G)of Anathoth, Mebunnai (H)the Hushathite, 28 Zalmon (I)the Ahohite, Maharai (J)of Netophah, 29 Heleb the son of Baanah (K)of Netophah, Ittai the son of Ribai of (L)Gibeah of the people of Benjamin, 30 Benaiah (M)of Pirathon, Hiddai of the brooks of (N)Gaash, 31 Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth of (O)Bahurim, 32 Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan, 33 (P)Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite, 34 Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai (Q)of Maacah, (R)Eliam the son of (S)Ahithophel the Gilonite, 35 Hezro[f] (T)of Carmel, Paarai the Arbite, 36 Igal the son of Nathan (U)of Zobah, Bani the Gadite, 37 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai (V)of Beeroth, the armor-bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah, 38 (W)Ira the (X)Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, 39 (Y)Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 23:18 Two Hebrew manuscripts, Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts three
  2. 2 Samuel 23:18 Or slain ones
  3. 2 Samuel 23:19 Compare 1 Chronicles 11:21; Hebrew Was he the most renowned of the three?
  4. 2 Samuel 23:20 Or the son of Ishhai
  5. 2 Samuel 23:20 The meaning of the word ariel is unknown
  6. 2 Samuel 23:35 Or Hezrai

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