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David’s Mighty Men

10 (A)Now these are the heads of the mighty men whom David had, who gave him strong support in his kingdom, together with all Israel, to make him king, (B)according to the word of Yahweh concerning Israel. 11 These constitute the list of the mighty men whom David had: (C)Jashobeam, the son of a Hachmonite, (D)the chief of the thirty; he lifted up his spear against three hundred [a]slain by him at one time.

12 And after him was Eleazar the son of (E)Dodo, the Ahohite, who was [b]one of the three mighty men. 13 He was with David at [c]Pasdammim. (F)Now the Philistines had gathered together there to battle, and there was a portion of the field full of barley; and the people fled from before the Philistines. 14 But they took their stand in the midst of that portion and delivered it, and struck down the Philistines. So Yahweh saved them by a great salvation.

15 Then three of the thirty chief men went down to the rock to David, to the cave of Adullam, while (G)the camp of the Philistines was camping in the valley of Rephaim. 16 And David was then in the fortress, while (H)the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. 17 Then David had a craving and said, “Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!” 18 So the three broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water from the well of Bethlehem which was by the gate, and carried it and brought it to David. Nevertheless, David was not willing to drink it, but poured it out to Yahweh; 19 and he said, “Be it far from me before my God that I should do this. Shall I drink the blood of these men who went [d]at the risk of their lives? For at the risk of their lives they brought it.” Therefore he was not willing to drink it. These things the three mighty men did.

20 Now [e]Abshai, the brother of Joab, was chief of the [f]thirty. And he swung his spear against three hundred [g]who were slain by him; and he had a name as well as the [h]thirty. 21 Of the three in the second rank he was the most honored and became their commander; however, he did not attain to the first three.

22 (I)Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, mighty in deeds, struck down the [i]two sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went down and struck down a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day. 23 He had also struck down an Egyptian, [j]an impressive man, [k]five cubits tall. Now in the Egyptian’s hand was (J)a spear like a weaver’s beam, but he went down to him with a club and snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. 24 These things Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did, and had a name as well as the three mighty men. 25 Behold, he was honored among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David appointed him over his guard.

26 Now the mighty men of the military forces were

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

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 11:11 Lit slain ones
  2. 1 Chronicles 11:12 Lit among
  3. 1 Chronicles 11:13 In 1 Sam 17:1, Ephes-dammim
  4. 1 Chronicles 11:19 Lit with their souls
  5. 1 Chronicles 11:20 In 2 Sam 23:18, Abishai
  6. 1 Chronicles 11:20 So Syr; M.T. 3
  7. 1 Chronicles 11:20 Lit slain ones
  8. 1 Chronicles 11:20 So Syr; M.T. 3
  9. 1 Chronicles 11:22 Or two lion-like heroes of
  10. 1 Chronicles 11:23 Lit a man of appearance
  11. 1 Chronicles 11:23 Approx. 7.5 ft. or 2.3 m, a cubit was approx. 18 in. or 45 cm
  12. 1 Chronicles 11:27 In 2 Sam 23:25, Shammah the Harodite
  13. 1 Chronicles 11:27 In 2 Sam 23:26, Paltite
  14. 1 Chronicles 11:29 In 2 Sam 23:27, Mebunnai
  15. 1 Chronicles 11:29 In 2 Sam 23:28, Zalmon
  16. 1 Chronicles 11:30 In 2 Sam 23:29, Heleb
  17. 1 Chronicles 11:32 In 2 Sam 23:30, Hiddai
  18. 1 Chronicles 11:32 In 2 Sam 23:31, Abi-albon
  19. 1 Chronicles 11:34 In 2 Sam 23:32, Jashen
  20. 1 Chronicles 11:35 In 2 Sam 23:33, Sharar
  21. 1 Chronicles 11:35 In 2 Sam 23:34, Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai
  22. 1 Chronicles 11:37 In 2 Sam 23:35, Paarai the Arbite

10 Now these are the chief of the mighty men whom David had, who [a]showed themselves strong with him in his kingdom, together with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of Jehovah concerning Israel. 11 And this is the number of the mighty men whom David had: Jashobeam, the son of a Hachmonite, the chief of the [b]thirty; he lifted up his spear against three hundred [c]and slew them at one time. 12 And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighty men. 13 He was with David at [d]Pasdammim, and there the Philistines were gathered together to battle, where was a plot of ground full of barley; and the people fled from before the Philistines. 14 And they stood in the midst of the plot, and defended it, and slew the Philistines; and Jehovah saved them by a great [e]victory.

15 And three of the thirty chief men went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam; and the host of the Philistines were encamped in the valley of Rephaim. 16 And David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Beth-lehem. 17 And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me water to drink of the well of Beth-lehem, which is by the gate! 18 And the three brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Beth-lehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: but David would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto Jehovah, 19 and said, My God forbid it me, that I should do this: shall I drink the blood of these men [f]that have put their lives in jeopardy? for with the jeopardy of their lives they brought it. Therefore he would not drink it. These things did the three mighty men.

20 And [g]Abishai, the brother of Joab, he was chief of the three; for he lifted up his spear against three hundred [h]and slew them, and had a name among the three. 21 [i]Of the three, he was more honorable than the two, and was made their captain: howbeit he attained not to the first three.

22 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done mighty deeds, he slew the two sons of Ariel of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow. 23 And he slew an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits high; and in the Egyptian’s hand was a spear like a weaver’s beam; and he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and slew him with his own spear. 24 These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had a name among the three mighty men. 25 Behold, he was more honorable than the thirty, but he attained not to the first three: and David set him over his [j]guard.

26 Also the mighty men of the armies: Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Beth-lehem, 27 [k]Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the [l]Pelonite, 28 Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Anathothite, 29 [m]Sibbecai the Hushathite, [n]Ilai the Ahohite, 30 Maharai the Netophathite, [o]Heled the son of Baanah the Netophathite, 31 Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite, 32 [p]Hurai of the brooks of Gaash, [q]Abiel the Arbathite, 33 Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite, 34 the sons of [r]Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Shagee the Hararite, 35 Ahiam the son of [s]Sacar the Hararite, [t]Eliphal the son of Ur, 36 Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite, 37 Hezro the Carmelite, [u]Naarai the son of Ezbai, 38 Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the son of Hagri, 39 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite, the armorbearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah, 40 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, 41 Uriah the Hittite, Zabad the son of Ahlai, 42 Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a chief of the Reubenites, and thirty with him, 43 Hanan the son of Maacah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite, 44 Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite, 45 Jediael the son of Shimri, and Joha his brother, the Tizite, 46 Eliel the Mahavite, and Jeribai, and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam, and Ithmah the Moabite, 47 Eliel, and Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 11:10 Or, held strongly with him
  2. 1 Chronicles 11:11 Another reading is, captains.
  3. 1 Chronicles 11:11 Hebrew slain.
  4. 1 Chronicles 11:13 In 1 Sam. 17:1, Ephes-dammim.
  5. 1 Chronicles 11:14 Hebrew salvation.
  6. 1 Chronicles 11:19 Hebrew with their lives.
  7. 1 Chronicles 11:20 Hebrew Abshai.
  8. 1 Chronicles 11:20 Hebrew slain.
  9. 1 Chronicles 11:21 Or, Of the three in the second rank he was the most honorable
  10. 1 Chronicles 11:25 Or, council
  11. 1 Chronicles 11:27 In 2 Sam. 23:25, Shammath the Harodite.
  12. 1 Chronicles 11:27 In 2 Sam. 23:26, Paltite.
  13. 1 Chronicles 11:29 In 2 Sam. 23:27, Mebunnai.
  14. 1 Chronicles 11:29 In 2 Sam. 23:28, Zalmon.
  15. 1 Chronicles 11:30 In 2 Sam. 23:29, Heleb.
  16. 1 Chronicles 11:32 In 2 Sam. 23:30, Hiddai.
  17. 1 Chronicles 11:32 In 2 Sam. 23:31, Abi-albon.
  18. 1 Chronicles 11:34 In 2 Sam. 23:32, Jashen.
  19. 1 Chronicles 11:35 In 2 Sam. 23:33, Sharar.
  20. 1 Chronicles 11:35 In 2 Sam. 23:34, Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai.
  21. 1 Chronicles 11:37 In 2 Sam. 23:35, Paarai the Arbite.