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
- 2 Samuel 23:1 Or the favorite of the songs of Israel
- 2 Samuel 23:4 Hebrew from rain
- 2 Samuel 23:6 Hebrew worthlessness
- 2 Samuel 23:7 Hebrew consumed with fire in the sitting
- 2 Samuel 23:8 Or of the captains
- 2 Samuel 23:8 Compare 1 Chronicles 11:11; the meaning of the Hebrew expression is uncertain
- 2 Samuel 23:11 Or gathered together as a camp
- 2 Samuel 23:18 Two Hebrew manuscripts, Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts three
- 2 Samuel 23:18 Or slain ones
- 2 Samuel 23:19 Compare 1 Chronicles 11:21; Hebrew Was he the most renowned of the three?
- 2 Samuel 23:20 Or the son of Ishhai
- 2 Samuel 23:20 The meaning of the word ariel is unknown
- 2 Samuel 23:35 Or Hezrai
2 Samuel 23
Holman Christian Standard Bible
David’s Last Words
23 These are the last words of David:
The declaration of David son of Jesse,(A)
the declaration of the man raised on high,[a]
the one anointed by the God of Jacob,(B)
the favorite singer of Israel:
2 The Spirit of the Lord spoke through me,
His word was on my tongue.(C)
3 The God of Israel spoke;
the Rock of Israel said to me,
“The one who rules the people with justice,
who rules in the fear of God,(D)
4 is like the morning light when the sun rises
on a cloudless morning,
the glisten of rain on sprouting grass.”
5 Is it not true my house is with God?
For He has established an everlasting covenant(E) with me,
ordered and secured in every detail.(F)
Will He not bring about
my whole salvation and my every desire?
6 But all the wicked are like thorns raked aside;
they can never be picked up by hand.
7 The man who touches them
must be armed with iron and the shaft of a spear.
They will be completely burned up on the spot.
Exploits of David’s Warriors
8 These are the names of David’s warriors:(G)
Josheb-basshebeth the Tahchemonite was chief of the officers.[b] He wielded his spear[c] against 800 men that he killed at one time.
9 After him, Eleazar son of Dodo son of an Ahohite was among the three warriors with David when they defied the Philistines. The men of Israel retreated in the place they had gathered for battle, 10 but Eleazar stood his ground and attacked the Philistines until his hand was tired and stuck to his sword. The Lord brought about a great victory that day. Then the troops came back to him, but only to plunder the dead.
11 After him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines had assembled in formation where there was a field full of lentils. The troops fled from the Philistines, 12 but Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field, defended it, and struck down the Philistines. So the Lord brought about a great victory.
13 Three of the 30 leading warriors went down at harvest time and came to David at the cave of Adullam,(H) while a company of Philistines was camping in the Valley of Rephaim. 14 At that time David was in the stronghold,(I) and a Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem. 15 David was extremely thirsty[d] and said, “If only someone would bring me water to drink from the well at the city gate of Bethlehem!” 16 So three of the warriors 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. 17 David said, “Lord, I would never do such a thing! Is this not the blood of men who risked their lives?” So he refused to drink it. Such were the exploits of the three warriors.
18 Abishai, Joab’s brother and son of Zeruiah,(J) was leader of the Three.[e] He raised his spear against 300 men and killed them, gaining a reputation among the Three. 19 Was he not more honored than the Three? He became their commander even though he did not become one of the Three.(K)
20 Benaiah son of Jehoiada(L) was the son of a brave man from Kabzeel, a man of many exploits. Benaiah killed two sons[f] of Ariel[g] of Moab, and he went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion. 21 He also killed an Egyptian, a huge man. Even though the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, 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. 22 These were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who had a reputation among the three warriors. 23 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.
24 Among the Thirty were:
Joab’s brother Asahel,(M)
Elhanan son of Dodo of Bethlehem,
25 Shammah the Harodite,
Elika the Harodite,
26 Helez the Paltite,
Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,
27 Abiezer the Anathothite,
Mebunnai the Hushathite,
28 Zalmon the Ahohite,
Maharai the Netophathite,
29 Heleb son of Baanah the Netophahite,
Ittai son of Ribai from Gibeah of the Benjaminites,
30 Benaiah the Pirathonite,
Hiddai from the wadis of Gaash,[h]
31 Abi-albon the Arbathite,
Azmaveth the Barhumite,
32 Eliahba the Shaalbonite,
the sons of Jashen,
Jonathan son of[i] 33 Shammah the Hararite,
Ahiam son of Sharar the Hararite,
34 Eliphelet son of Ahasbai son of the Maacathite,
Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,(N)
35 Hezro 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 for Joab son of Zeruiah,
38 Ira the Ithrite,
Gareb the Ithrite,
39 and Uriah(O) the Hittite.(P)
There were 37 in all.
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 23:1 Or raised up by the high [God]
- 2 Samuel 23:8 Some Hb mss, LXX read Three
- 2 Samuel 23:8 Some Hb mss; other Hb mss, LXX read He was Adino the Eznite
- 2 Samuel 23:15 Lit And David craved
- 2 Samuel 23:18 Some Hb mss, Syr read the Thirty
- 2 Samuel 23:20 LXX; MT omits sons
- 2 Samuel 23:20 Or two warriors
- 2 Samuel 23:30 Or from Nahale-gaash
- 2 Samuel 23:32 Some LXX mss; MT omits son of; 1Ch 11:34
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