Exploits of David’s Warriors

10 The following were the chiefs of David’s warriors who, together with all Israel, strongly supported him in his reign to make him king according to the Lord’s word about Israel.(A) 11 This(B) is the list of David’s warriors:

Jashobeam son of Hachmoni was chief(C) of the Thirty;[a] he wielded his spear against 300 and killed them at one time.

12 After him, Eleazar son of Dodo(D) the Ahohite was one of the three warriors. 13 He was with David at Pas-dammim when the Philistines had gathered there for battle. There was a portion of a field full of barley, where the troops had fled from the Philistines.(E) 14 But Eleazar and David[b] took their stand in the middle of the field and defended it. They killed the Philistines, and the Lord gave them a great victory.

15 Three of the 30 chief men went down to David, to the rock at the cave of Adullam,(F) while the Philistine army was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.(G) 16 At that time David was in the stronghold,(H) and a Philistine garrison(I) was at Bethlehem. 17 David was extremely thirsty[c] and said, “If only someone would bring me water to drink from the well at the city gate of Bethlehem!” 18 So the Three broke through the Philistine camp and drew water from the well at the gate of Bethlehem. They brought it back to David, but he refused to drink it. Instead, he poured it out to the Lord. 19 David said, “I would never do such a thing in the presence of God! How can I drink the blood of these men who risked their lives?” For they brought it at the risk of their lives. So he would not drink it. Such were the exploits of the three warriors.

20 Abishai,(J) Joab’s brother, was the leader of the Three.[d] He raised his spear against 300 men and killed them, gaining a reputation among the Three. 21 He was more honored than the Three and became their commander even though he did not become one of the Three.

22 Benaiah son of Jehoiada(K) was the son of a brave man[e] from Kabzeel, a man of many exploits. Benaiah killed two sons of Ariel of Moab,[f] and he went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion. 23 He also killed an Egyptian who was seven and a half feet tall.[g] Even though the Egyptian had a spear in his hand like a weaver’s beam,(L) Benaiah went down to him with a club, snatched the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and then killed him with his own spear. 24 These were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who had a reputation among the three warriors. 25 He was the most honored of the Thirty, but he did not become one of the Three. David put him in charge of his bodyguard.

26 The fighting men(M) were:

Joab’s brother Asahel,(N)
Elhanan son of Dodo of Bethlehem,
27 Shammoth the Harorite,
Helez the Pelonite,
28 Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,
Abiezer the Anathothite,
29 Sibbecai the Hushathite,
Ilai the Ahohite,
30 Maharai the Netophathite,
Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite,
31 Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah of the Benjaminites,
Benaiah the Pirathonite,
32 Hurai from the wadis of Gaash,
Abiel the Arbathite,
33 Azmaveth the Baharumite,
Eliahba the Shaalbonite,
34 the sons of[h](O) Hashem the Gizonite,
Jonathan son of Shagee the Hararite,
35 Ahiam son of Sachar the Hararite,
Eliphal son of Ur,
36 Hepher the Mecherathite,
Ahijah the Pelonite,
37 Hezro the Carmelite,
Naarai son of Ezbai,
38 Joel the brother of Nathan,
Mibhar son of Hagri,
39 Zelek the Ammonite,
Naharai the Beerothite, the armor-bearer for Joab son of Zeruiah,
40 Ira the Ithrite,
Gareb the Ithrite,
41 Uriah the Hittite,
Zabad son of Ahlai,
42 Adina son of Shiza the Reubenite, chief of the Reubenites, and 30 with him,
43 Hanan son of Maacah,
Joshaphat the Mithnite,
44 Uzzia the Ashterathite,
Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite,
45 Jediael son of Shimri and his brother Joha the Tizite,
46 Eliel the Mahavite,
Jeribai and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam,
Ithmah the Moabite,
47 Eliel, Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 11:11 Alt Hb tradition reads Three
  2. 1 Chronicles 11:14 Lit But they
  3. 1 Chronicles 11:17 Lit And David craved
  4. 1 Chronicles 11:20 Syr reads Thirty
  5. 1 Chronicles 11:22 Or was a valiant man
  6. 1 Chronicles 11:22 Or He killed two Moabite warriors
  7. 1 Chronicles 11:23 Lit who measured five cubits
  8. 1 Chronicles 11:34 LXX omits the sons of; 2Sm 23:32

David and his warriors

10 These are the commanders of David’s warriors who continued to support him while he was king. Together with all Israel, they made him king, as the Lord had promised Israel. 11 This is the list of David’s warriors:

Jashobeam, a Hacmonite, was commander of the Thirty. He raised his spear against eight hundred, killing them on a single occasion.

12 Next in command came Eleazar, Dodo’s son the Ahohite, who was one of the three warriors. 13 He was with David at Pas-dammim. The Philistines were gathered there for battle, where part of a field was full of barley. When the people ran away from the Philistines, 14 he and David stood in the middle of the field, held their ground, and defeated the Philistines. So the Lord achieved a great victory.

15 Three of the thirty commanders went down from the rock to David at the fortress[a] of Adullam, while the army of the Philistines camped in the Rephaim Valley. 16 At that time David was in the fortress, and a Philistine fort was in Bethlehem. 17 David had a craving and said, “If only someone could give me a drink of water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem.” 18 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.

19 “God 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. Since they had brought it at the risk of their lives, David refused to drink it.

These were the kinds of things the three warriors did.

20 Abishai, Joab’s brother, was chief of the Thirty.[b] He raised his spear against the three hundred men he had slain, but he wasn’t considered one of the Three. 21 He was the most famous of the Thirty. He became their commander, but he wasn’t among the Three.

22 Benaiah, Jehoiada’s son from Kabzeel, was a hero who performed great deeds. He killed two of Moab’s leaders,[c] and on a snowy day went down into a pit where he killed a lion. 23 He also killed an Egyptian seven and a half feet tall, who was holding a spear like a weaver’s beam. Benaiah went down to him with a club, grabbed the spear from the Egyptian’s hand, and killed him with it. 24 These were the exploits of Benaiah, Jehoiada’s son; he wasn’t considered one of the three warriors. 25 He was famous among the Thirty, but didn’t become one of the Three. David placed him in command of his own bodyguard.

26 The mighty warriors:

Asahel, Joab’s brother;

Elhanan, Dodo’s son from Bethlehem;

27 Shammoth from Haror;

Helez from Pelon;

28 Ira, Ikkesh’s son from Tekoa;

Abiezer from Anathoth;

29 Sibbecai the Hushathite;

Ilai from Ahoh;

30 Maharai from Netophah;

Heled, Baanah’s son from Netophah;

31 Ithai, Ribai’s son from Gibeah of the Benjaminites;

Benaiah from Pirathon;

32 Hurai from the Gaash ravines;

Abiel the Arbathite;

33 Azmaveth from Baharum;

Eliahba from Shaalbon;

34 Hashem[d] the Gizonite;

Jonathan, Shagee’s son from Harar;

35 Ahiam, Sachar’s son from Harar;

Eliphal, Ur’s son;

36 Hepher the Mecherathite;

Ahijah the Pelonite;

37 Hezro from Carmel;

Naarai, Ezbai’s son;

38 Joel, Nathan’s brother;

Mibhar, Hagri’s son;

39 Zelek the Ammonite;

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

40 Ira from Ither;

Gareb from Ither;

41 Uriah the Hittite;

Zabad, Ahlai’s son;

42 Adina son of Shiza the Reubenite, a leader of the Reubenites, and thirty with him;

43 Hanan, Maacah’s son;

Joshaphat the Mithnite;

44 Uzzia the Ashterathite;

Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite;

45 Jediael, Shimri’s son, and his brother Joha the Tizite;

46 Eliel the Mahavite;

Jeribai and Joshaviah, Elnaam’s sons;

Ithmah the Moabite;

47 Eliel, Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 11:15 Or cave; cf 2 Sam 23:14
  2. 1 Chronicles 11:20 Syr; MT three
  3. 1 Chronicles 11:22 Heb Ariel
  4. 1 Chronicles 11:34 MT the family of Hashem