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2 Samuel 23
Common English Bible

David’s last words

23 These are David’s last words:

This is the declaration of Jesse’s son David,
    the declaration of a man raised high,
    a man anointed by the God of Jacob,
    a man favored by the strong one of Israel.[a]
2 The Lord’s spirit speaks through me;
    his word is on my tongue.
3 Israel’s God has spoken,
    Israel’s rock said to me:
“Whoever rules rightly over people,
    whoever rules in the fear of God,
4     is like the light of sunrise
    on a morning with no clouds,
        like the bright gleam after the rain
        that brings grass from the ground.”
5 Yes, my house is this way with God![b]
    He has made an eternal covenant with me,
    laid out and secure in every detail.
Yes, he provides every one of my victories
    and brings my every desire to pass.
6 But despicable people are like thorns,
    all of them good for nothing,
    because they can’t be carried by hand.
7 No one can touch them,
except with iron bar or the shaft of a spear.
    They must be burned up with fire right on the spot!

David’s warriors

8 These are the names of David’s warriors: Jeshbaal[c] from Hachmon[d] was chief of the Three.[e] He raised his spear[f] against eight hundred, killing them on a single occasion.

9 Next in command was Eleazar, Dodo’s son and Ahohi’s grandson. He was among the three warriors with David when they insulted the Philistines who had gathered there for battle. The Israelites retreated, 10 but he stood his ground and fought the Philistines until his hand was weary and stuck to the sword. But the Lord accomplished a great victory that day. The troops then returned to Eleazar, but only to plunder the dead.

11 Next in command was Agee’s son Shammah, who was from Harar. The Philistines had gathered at Lehi, where there was a plot of land full of lentils. The troops fled from the Philistines, 12 but Shammah took a position in the middle of the plot, defended it, and struck down the Philistines. The Lord accomplished a great victory.

13 At harvesttime, three of the thirty chiefs went down and joined David at the fortress[g] of Adullam, while a force of Philistines were camped in the Rephaim Valley. 14 At that time, David was in the fortress, and a Philistine fort was in Bethlehem. 15 David had a craving and said, “If only someone could give me a drink of water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem.” 16 So the three warriors broke through the Philistine camp and drew water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem and brought it back to David. But he refused to drink it and poured it out to the Lord.

17 “The Lord forbid that I should do that,” he said. “Isn’t this the blood of men who risked their lives?” So he refused to drink it.

These were the kinds of things the three warriors did.

18 Now Zeruiah’s son Abishai, the brother of Joab, was chief of the Thirty.[h] He raised his spear against three hundred men, killed them, and made a name for himself along with the Three. 19 He was the most famous of the Thirty.[i] He became their commander, but he wasn’t among the Three.

20 Jehoiada’s son Benaiah was a hero from Kabzeel who performed great deeds. He killed the two sons[j] of Ariel from Moab. He once went down into a pit and killed a lion on a snowy day. 21 He also killed a giant[k] Egyptian who had a spear in his hand. Benaiah went against him armed with a staff. He grabbed the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. 22 These were the kinds of things Jehoiada’s son Benaiah did. He made a name for himself along with the three warriors. 23 He was famous among the Thirty, but he didn’t become one of the Three. David placed him in command of his own bodyguard.

24 Among the Thirty were:

Asahel, Joab’s brother;

Elhanan, Dodo’s son from Bethlehem;

25 Shammah from Harod;

Elika from Harod;

26 Helez from Pelet;

Ira, Ikkesh’s son from Tekoa;

27 Abiezer from Anathoth;

Mebunnai the Hushathite;

28 Zalmon from Ahoh;

Maharai from Netophah;

29 Heleb, Baanah’s son from Netophah;

Ittai, Ribai’s son from Gibeah in Benjamin;

30 Benaiah from Pirathon;

Hiddai from the Gaash ravines;

31 Abi-albon from the desert plain;

Azmaveth from Bahurim;

32 Eliahba from Shaalbon;

Jashen the Gizonite;[l]

Jonathan, 33 Shammah’s son[m] from Harar;

Ahiam, Sharar’s son from Harar;

34 Eliphelet, Ahasbai’s son from Maacah;

Eliam, Ahithophel’s son from Giloh;

35 Hezro from Carmel;

Paarai from Erab;

36 Igal, Nathan’s son from Zobah;

Bani the Gadite;

37 Zelek the Ammonite;

Naharai from Beeroth, and the armor-bearer for Zeruiah’s son Joab;

38 Ira from Ither;

Gaeb from Ither;

39 and Uriah the Hittite—

thirty-seven in all.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 23:1 Or Israel’s favorite singer or the favorite of Israel’s songs
  2. 2 Samuel 23:5 Or Yes, my house is surely with God!
  3. 2 Samuel 23:8 LXXL, OL; MT Josheb-bashebeth; cf 1 Chron 11:11
  4. 2 Samuel 23:8 See 1 Chron 11:11.
  5. 2 Samuel 23:8 LXXL, Vulg; cf 1 Chron 11:11; MT chief of the officers
  6. 2 Samuel 23:8 Cf 1 Chron 11:11; Heb uncertain
  7. 2 Samuel 23:13 Or cave; cf 2 Sam 23:14
  8. 2 Samuel 23:18 Some Heb manuscripts, Syr; MT third or three
  9. 2 Samuel 23:19 Syr; cf 1 Chron 11:25; MT Wasn’t he the most famous of the Three?
  10. 2 Samuel 23:20 LXX; MT lacks sons.
  11. 2 Samuel 23:21 MT handsome; cf 1 Chron 11:23
  12. 2 Samuel 23:32 Cf 1 Chron 11:34; MT Jashen’s sons
  13. 2 Samuel 23:33 LXX; MT lacks son.
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2 Samuel 23
English Standard Version

The Last Words of David

23 Now these are the last words of David:

The oracle of David, the son of Jesse,
    the oracle of (A)the man who was raised on high,
(B)the anointed of the God of Jacob,
    the sweet psalmist of Israel:[a]

2 (C)“The Spirit of the Lord speaks by me;
    his word is on my tongue.
3 The God of Israel has spoken;
    (D)the Rock of Israel has said to me:
When one rules justly over men,
    ruling (E)in the fear of God,
4 he (F)dawns on them like the morning light,
    like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning,
    like rain[b] that makes grass to sprout from the earth.

5 “For does not my house stand so with God?
    (G)For he has made with me an everlasting covenant,
    ordered in all things and secure.
For will he not cause to prosper
    all my help and my desire?
6 But worthless men[c] are all like thorns that are thrown away,
    for they cannot be taken with the hand;
7 but the man who touches them
    arms himself with iron and the shaft of a spear,
    and they are utterly consumed with fire.”[d]

David's Mighty Men

8 (H)These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: (I)Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite; he was chief of the three.[e] He wielded his spear[f] against eight hundred whom he killed at one time.

9 And next to him among the three mighty men was Eleazar the son of (J)Dodo, son of (K)Ahohi. He was with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel withdrew. 10 He 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.

11 And next to him was Shammah, the son of Agee the (L)Hararite. The Philistines gathered together at Lehi,[g] where there was a plot of ground full of lentils, and the men fled from the Philistines. 12 But 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.

13 And three of the thirty chief men went down and came about harvest time to David at the (M)cave of Adullam, when a band of Philistines was encamped (N)in the Valley of Rephaim. 14 David was then (O)in the stronghold, and (P)the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem. 15 And David said longingly, “Oh, that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate!” 16 Then 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 17 and said, “Far be it from me, O Lord, that I should do this. Shall I drink (Q)the 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.

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

20 And (S)Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was a valiant man[k] of (T)Kabzeel, a doer of great deeds. He struck down two ariels[l] 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 (U)Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, 25 (V)Shammah of Harod, Elika of Harod, 26 Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh (W)of Tekoa, 27 Abiezer (X)of Anathoth, Mebunnai (Y)the Hushathite, 28 Zalmon (Z)the Ahohite, Maharai (AA)of Netophah, 29 Heleb the son of Baanah (AB)of Netophah, Ittai the son of Ribai of (AC)Gibeah of the people of Benjamin, 30 Benaiah (AD)of Pirathon, Hiddai of the brooks of (AE)Gaash, 31 Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth of (AF)Bahurim, 32 Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan, 33 (AG)Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite, 34 Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai (AH)of Maacah, (AI)Eliam the son of (AJ)Ahithophel the Gilonite, 35 Hezro[m] (AK)of Carmel, Paarai the Arbite, 36 Igal the son of Nathan (AL)of Zobah, Bani the Gadite, 37 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai (AM)of Beeroth, the armor-bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah, 38 (AN)Ira the (AO)Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, 39 (AP)Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 23:1 Or the favorite of the songs of Israel
  2. 2 Samuel 23:4 Hebrew from rain
  3. 2 Samuel 23:6 Hebrew worthlessness
  4. 2 Samuel 23:7 Hebrew consumed with fire in the sitting
  5. 2 Samuel 23:8 Or of the captains
  6. 2 Samuel 23:8 Compare 1 Chronicles 11:11; the meaning of the Hebrew expression is uncertain
  7. 2 Samuel 23:11 Or gathered together as a camp
  8. 2 Samuel 23:18 Two Hebrew manuscripts, Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts three
  9. 2 Samuel 23:18 Or slain ones
  10. 2 Samuel 23:19 Compare 1 Chronicles 11:21; Hebrew Was he the most renowned of the three?
  11. 2 Samuel 23:20 Or the son of Ishhai
  12. 2 Samuel 23:20 The meaning of the word ariel is uncertain
  13. 2 Samuel 23:35 Or Hezrai
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2 Samuel 23
New English Translation

David’s Final Words

23 These are the final words of David:

“The oracle of David son of Jesse,
the oracle of the man raised up as
the ruler chosen by the God of Jacob,[a]
Israel’s beloved[b] singer of songs:
2 The Lord’s Spirit spoke through me;
his word was on my tongue.
3 The God of Israel spoke,
the Protector[c] of Israel spoke to me.
The one who rules fairly among men,
the one who rules in the fear of God,
4 is like the light of morning when the sun comes up,
a morning in which there are no clouds.
He is like the brightness after rain
that produces grass from the earth.
5 My dynasty is approved by God,[d]
for he has made a perpetual covenant with me,
arranged in all its particulars and secured.
He always delivers me,
and brings all I desire to fruition.[e]
6 But evil people are like thorns—
all of them are tossed away,
for they cannot be held in the hand.
7 The one who touches them
must use an iron instrument
or the wooden shaft of a spear.
They are completely burned up right where they lie!”[f]

David’s Warriors

8 These are the names of David’s warriors:

Josheb Basshebeth, a Tahkemonite, was head of the officers.[g] He killed 800 men with his spear in one battle.[h] 9 Next in command[i] was Eleazar son of Dodo,[j] the son of Ahohi. He was one of the three warriors who were with David when they defied the Philistines who were assembled there for battle. When the men of Israel retreated,[k] 10 he stood his ground[l] and fought the Philistines until his hand grew so tired that it[m] seemed stuck to his sword. The Lord gave a great victory on that day. When the army returned to him, the only thing left to do was to plunder the corpses.

11 Next in command[n] was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines assembled at Lehi,[o] where there happened to be an area of a field that was full of lentils, the army retreated before the Philistines. 12 But he made a stand in the middle of that area. He defended[p] it and defeated the Philistines; the Lord gave them a great victory.

13 At the time of[q] the harvest three[r] of the thirty leaders went down to[s] David at the cave of Adullam. A band of Philistines was camped in the valley of Rephaim. 14 David was in the stronghold at the time, while a Philistine garrison was in Bethlehem. 15 David was thirsty and said, “How I wish someone would give me some water to drink from the cistern in Bethlehem near the gate!” 16 So the three elite warriors broke through the Philistine forces and drew some water from the cistern in Bethlehem near the gate. They carried it back to David, but he refused to drink it. He poured it out as a drink offering to the Lord 17 and said, “O Lord, I will not do this![t] It is equivalent to the blood of the men who risked their lives by going.”[u] So he refused to drink it. Such were the exploits of the three elite warriors.[v]

18 Abishai son of Zeruiah, the brother of Joab, was head of the three.[w] He killed 300 men with his spear and gained fame among the three.[x] 19 From[y] the three he was given honor and he became their officer, even though he was not one of the three.

20 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a brave warrior[z] from Kabzeel who performed great exploits. He struck down the two sons of Ariel of Moab.[aa] He also went down and killed a lion in a cistern on a snowy day. 21 He also killed an impressive-looking Egyptian.[ab] The Egyptian wielded a spear, while Benaiah attacked[ac] him with a club. He grabbed the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. 22 Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who gained fame among the three elite warriors. 23 He received honor from[ad] the thirty warriors, though he was not one of the three elite warriors. David put him in charge of his bodyguard.

24 Included with the thirty were the following: Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem, 25 Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite, 26 Helez the Paltite, Ira son of Ikkesh from Tekoa, 27 Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite, 28 Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite, 29 Heled[ae] son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai son of Ribai from Gibeah in Benjamin, 30 Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai from the wadis of Gaash, 31 Abi-Albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite, 32 Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan 33 son of[af] Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam son of Sharar the Hararite, 34 Eliphelet son of Ahasbai the[ag] Maacathite, Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, 35 Hezrai[ah] the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite, 36 Igal son of Nathan from Zobah, Bani the Gadite, 37 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite (the armor-bearer[ai] of Joab son of Zeruiah), 38 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, 39 and Uriah the Hittite. Altogether there were thirty-seven.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 23:1 tn Heb “the anointed one of the God of Jacob.”
  2. 2 Samuel 23:1 tn Or “pleasant.”
  3. 2 Samuel 23:3 tn Heb “rock,” used as a metaphor of divine protection.
  4. 2 Samuel 23:5 tn Heb “For not thus [is] my house with God?”
  5. 2 Samuel 23:5 tn Heb “for all my deliverance and every desire, surely does he not make [it] grow?”
  6. 2 Samuel 23:7 tn Heb “and with fire they are completely burned up in [the place where they] remain.” The infinitive absolute is used before the finite verb to emphasize that they are completely consumed by the fire.
  7. 2 Samuel 23:8 tn The Hebrew word is sometimes rendered as “the three,” but BDB is probably correct in taking it to refer to military officers (BDB 1026 s.v. שְׁלִישִׁי). In that case the etymological connection of this word to the Hebrew numerical adjective for “three” can be explained as originating with a designation for the third warrior in a chariot.
  8. 2 Samuel 23:8 tc The translation follows some LXX mss (see 1 Chr 11:11 as well) in reading הוּא עוֹרֵר אֶת־חֲנִיתוֹ (huʾ ʿorer ʾet khanito, “he raised up his spear”) rather than the MT’s הוּא עֲדִינוֹ הָעֶצְנִי (huʾ ʿadino haʿetsni [Kethib = הָעֶצְנוֹ, haʿetsno]; “Adino the Ezenite”). The emended text reads literally “he was wielding his spear against eight hundred, [who were] slain at one time.”
  9. 2 Samuel 23:9 tn Heb “after him.”
  10. 2 Samuel 23:9 tc This follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew mss in reading דֹּדוֹ (dodo) rather than the Kethib of the MT דֹּדַי (doday; cf. ASV, NIV, NLT). But see 1 Chr 27:4.
  11. 2 Samuel 23:9 tn Heb “went up.”
  12. 2 Samuel 23:10 tn Heb “arose.”
  13. 2 Samuel 23:10 tn Heb “his hand.”
  14. 2 Samuel 23:11 tn Heb “after him.”
  15. 2 Samuel 23:11 tn The Hebrew text is difficult here. The MT reads לַחַיָּה (lachayyah), which implies a rare use of the word חַיָּה (chayyah). The word normally refers to an animal, but if the MT is accepted it would here have the sense of a troop or community of people. BDB 312 s.v. II. חַיָּה, for example, understands the similar reference in v. 13 to be to “a group of allied families, making a raid together.” But this works better in v. 13 than it does in v. 11, where the context seems to suggest a particular staging location for a military operation. (See 1 Chr 11:15.) It therefore seems best to understand the word in v. 11 as a place name with ה (he) directive. In that case the Masoretes mistook the word for the common term for an animal and then tried to make sense of it in this context.
  16. 2 Samuel 23:12 tn Heb “delivered.”
  17. 2 Samuel 23:13 tn The meaning of Hebrew אֶל־קָצִיר (ʾel qatsir) seems here to be “at the time of harvest,” although this is an unusual use of the phrase. As S. R. Driver points out, this preposition does not normally have the temporal sense of “in” or “during” (S. R. Driver, Notes on the Hebrew Text and the Topography of the Books of Samuel, 366).
  18. 2 Samuel 23:13 tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew mss in reading שְׁלֹשָׁה (sheloshah, “three”) rather than the Kethib of the MT שְׁלֹשִׁים (sheloshim, “thirty”). “Thirty” is due to dittography of the following word and makes no sense in the context.
  19. 2 Samuel 23:13 tn Heb “went down…and approached.”
  20. 2 Samuel 23:17 tn Heb “Far be it to me, O Lord, from doing this.”
  21. 2 Samuel 23:17 tn Heb “[Is it not] the blood of the men who were going with their lives?”
  22. 2 Samuel 23:17 tn Heb “These things the three warriors did.”
  23. 2 Samuel 23:18 tc The translation follows the Qere, many medieval Hebrew mss, the LXX, and Vulgate in reading הַשְּׁלֹשָׁה (hashelosha, “the three”) rather than the Kethib of the MT הַשָּׁלִשִׁי (hashalishi, “the third,” or “adjutant”). Two medieval Hebrew mss and the Syriac Peshitta have “thirty.”
  24. 2 Samuel 23:18 tn Heb “and he was wielding his spear against three hundred, [who were] slain, and to him there was a name among the three.”
  25. 2 Samuel 23:19 tn Or “more than.”
  26. 2 Samuel 23:20 tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew mss in reading חַיִל (khayil, “valor”) rather than the Kethib of the MT, חַי (khay, “life”).
  27. 2 Samuel 23:20 tc Heb “the two of Ariel, Moab.” The precise meaning of אריאל is uncertain; some read “warrior.” The present translation assumes that the word is a proper name and that בני, “sons of,” has accidentally dropped from the text by homoioarcton (note the preceding שׁני), so originally: שְׁנֵי בְנֵי אֲרִיאֵל (shene vene ʾariʾel).
  28. 2 Samuel 23:21 tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew mss in reading אִישׁ (ʾish, “man”) rather than the Kethib of the MT, אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher, “who”).
  29. 2 Samuel 23:21 tn Heb “and he went down to.”
  30. 2 Samuel 23:23 tn Or “more than.”
  31. 2 Samuel 23:29 tc The translation follows many medieval Hebrew mss in reading חֵלֶד (kheled; cf. NAB, NIV, NLT) rather than the MT חֵלֶב (khelev).
  32. 2 Samuel 23:33 tn The Hebrew text does not have “the son of.”
  33. 2 Samuel 23:34 tn Heb “the son of.”
  34. 2 Samuel 23:35 tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew mss in reading חֶצְרַי (khetsray; cf. KJV, NAB) rather than the Kethib of the MT, חֶצְרוֹ (khetsro).
  35. 2 Samuel 23:37 tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew mss in reading the singular rather than the plural of the Kethib of the MT.
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