1 Chronicles 11:10-47
World English Bible
10 Now these are the chief of the mighty men whom David had, who showed themselves strong with him in his kingdom, together with all Israel, to make him king, according to Yahweh’s word concerning Israel.
11 This is the number of the mighty men whom David had: Jashobeam, the son of a Hachmonite, the chief of the thirty; he lifted up his spear against three hundred and killed them at one time. 12 After him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighty men. 13 He was with David at Pasdammim, and there the Philistines were gathered together to battle, where there was a plot of ground full of barley; and the people fled from before the Philistines. 14 They stood in the middle of the plot, defended it, and killed the Philistines; and Yahweh saved them by a great victory. 15 Three of the thirty chief men went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam; and the army of the Philistines were encamped in the valley of Rephaim. 16 David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was in Bethlehem at that time. 17 David longed, and said, “Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!”
18 The three 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 David would not drink any of it, but poured it out to Yahweh, 19 and said, “My God forbid me, that I should do this! Shall I drink the blood of these men who have put their lives in jeopardy?” For they risked their lives to bring it. Therefore he would not drink it. The three mighty men did these things.
20 Abishai, the brother of Joab, he was chief of the three; for he lifted up his spear against three hundred and killed them, and had a name among the three. 21 Of the three, he was more honorable than the two, and was made their captain; however he wasn’t included in the three. 22 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 on a snowy day. 23 He killed an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits[a] high. In the Egyptian’s hand was a spear like a weaver’s beam; and he went down to him with a staff, plucked the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and killed him with his own spear. 24 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did these things, and had a name among the three mighty men. 25 Behold, he was more honorable than the thirty, but he didn’t attain to the three; and David set him over his guard.
26 The mighty men of the armies also include Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, 27 Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite, 28 Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Anathothite, 29 Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite, 30 Maharai the Netophathite, Heled the son of Baanah the Netophathite, 31 Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite, 32 Hurai of the brooks of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite, 33 Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite, 34 the sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Shagee the Hararite, 35 Ahiam the son of Sacar the Hararite, Eliphal the son of Ur, 36 Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite, 37 Hezro the Carmelite, 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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- 11:23 A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimeters. Therefore this Egyptian was bout 7 feet and 6 inches or 2.28 meters tall.
1 Chronicles 11:10-47
International Standard Version
David’s Elite Soldiers(A)
10 These are the leaders of the elite warriors who were strong supporters of David in his kingdom, along with all of Israel, in keeping with the message from the Lord concerning Israel. 11 This record of the warriors who were for David included[a] Hachmoni’s son Jashobeam,[b] leader of the platoons,[c] who killed 300 with his spear in a single encounter.
12 Next to him among the Three Warriors[d] was Dodo[e] the Ahohite’s son Eleazar. 13 He was with David at Pas-dammim when the Philistines were there to engage them in battle. There was a field planted with barley, and the army had run away from the Philistines, 14 but they took a defensive stand in the middle of the field and killed the Philistines while the Lord saved them by means of a great victory.[f]
15 Later, the Three Warriors went down to David’s hideout[g] at the cave of Adullam when the Philistine army was camping in the valley of giants.[h] 16 David was living in that stronghold at the time, while a Philistine garrison was then at Bethlehem. 17 David expressed a longing, “Oh, how I wish someone would get me a drink of water from the Bethlehem well that’s by the city gate!” 18 So the Three Warriors broke through the Philistine ranks, drew some water from the Bethlehem well that was next to the city gate, and brought it back to David. But David refused to drink it, poured it out in the Lord’s presence, and 19 said in response, “May God forbid me to do this! I won’t drink the blood of these men, will I? After all, they risked their lives to bring it to me.”[i] That’s why he wouldn’t drink it. The Three Warriors did these things.
David’s Other Valiant Soldiers(B)
20 Joab’s brother Abishai was the lieutenant[j] in charge of the platoons. He used his spear to fight and kill 300 men, gaining a reputation distinct from the Three. 21 He was more well-known than the Three,[k] but he never attained the stature of the Three.
22 Jehoiada’s son Benaiah, who was a valiant man, accomplished great things. He was from Kabzeel. He killed two men named[l] Ariel from Moab[m] and then he also went down into a pit and struck down a lion during a snow storm one day. 23 He also killed a soldier[n] from Egypt of enormous height—five cubits[o] tall. The Egyptian carried a spear comparable in size to a weaver’s beam, but Benaiah attacked him with a staff, snatched the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. 24 Benaiah did things like this and gained a reputation comparable to the Three Warriors. 25 He was well known among the platoons, but he didn’t measure up to[p] the Three Warriors. David placed him in charge of his security detail.
26 The elite forces included Asahel (Joab’s brother), Dodo’s son Elhanan from Bethlehem, 27 Shammoth from Haror,[q] Helez the Pelonite,[r] 28 Ikkesh’s son Ira from Tekoa, Abiezer from Anathoth, 29 Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite, 30 Maharai from Netophah, Baanah’s son Heled from Netophah, 31 Ribai’s son Ithai from Gibeah, controlled by[s] the descendants of Benjamin, Benaiah of Pirathon, 32 Hurai from the wadis[t] of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite, 33 Azmaveth from Baharum, Eliahba from Shaalbon, 34 Hashem the Gizonite, Shagee the Hararite’s son Jonathan, 35 Sachar the Hararite’s son Ahiam, Ur’s son Eliphal, 36 Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite, 37 Hezro from Carmel, Ezbai’s son Naarai, 38 Joel (Nathan’s brother), Hagri’s son Mibhar, 39 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai from Beeroth, who was the armor-bearer for Zeruiah’s son Joab, 40 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, 41 Uriah the Hittite, Ahlai’s son Zabad, 42 Shiza the Reubenite’s son Adina, a leader of the descendants of Reuben, along with thirty others with him, 43 Maacah’s son Hanan, Joshaphat the Mithnite, 44 Uzzia the Ashterathite, Hotham the Aroerite’s sons Shama and Jeiel, 45 Shimri’s son Jediael and his brother Joha the Tizite, 46 Eliel the Mahavite, Elnaam’s sons Jeribai and Joshaviah, Ithmah the Moabite, 47 Eliel, Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 1 Chronicles 11:11 The Heb. lacks included
- 1 Chronicles 11:11 Or Jashobeam son of a Hachmonite; cf. 2Sam 23:8, where this individual is named Josheb-basshebeth the Tahkemonite
- 1 Chronicles 11:11 Lit. thirties; i.e. a military unit roughly analogous to two or more squads; and so throughout the chapter; or a group of distinguished officers who served David; cf. 2Sam 23:8
- 1 Chronicles 11:12 Lit. the three valiant ones; i.e. a group of three distinguished officers who served David, and so throughout the chapter; cf. 2Sam 23:8
- 1 Chronicles 11:12 Cf. 2Sam 23:9, where this individual is named Dodai
- 1 Chronicles 11:14 Or deliverance
- 1 Chronicles 11:15 Lit. rock
- 1 Chronicles 11:15 Or the Rephaim Valley
- 1 Chronicles 11:19 The Heb. lacks to me
- 1 Chronicles 11:20 Lit. chief
- 1 Chronicles 11:21 So MT; the Syr reads thirty
- 1 Chronicles 11:22 The Heb. lacks men named
- 1 Chronicles 11:22 The Heb. name Ariel means lion
- 1 Chronicles 11:23 Lit. man
- 1 Chronicles 11:23 I.e. about seven and a half feet; a cubit was about eighteen inches
- 1 Chronicles 11:25 Or never attained the stature of
- 1 Chronicles 11:27 Or Shammoth from Haror; also cf. 2Sam 23:25, where he is named Shammah from Harod
- 1 Chronicles 11:27 Cf. 2Sam 23:26, where he is named Helez the Paltite
- 1 Chronicles 11:31 The Heb. lacks controlled by
- 1 Chronicles 11:32 I.e. seasonal streams or rivers that channel water during rain seasons but are dry at other times
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