1 Chronicles 11:10-47
Christian Standard Bible
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 three hundred 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 thirty chief men went down to David, to the rock at the cave of Adullam,(F) while the Philistine army was encamped in Rephaim Valley.(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 my 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 three hundred 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 staff, 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 best soldiers(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 Hethite,
Zabad son of Ahlai,
42 Adina son of Shiza the Reubenite, chief of the Reubenites, and thirty 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.
1 Chronicles 11:10-47
New English Translation
David’s Warriors
10 These were the leaders of David’s warriors who, together with all Israel, stood courageously with him in his kingdom by installing him as king, in keeping with the Lord’s message concerning Israel. 11 This is the list of David’s warriors:[a]
Jashobeam, a Hacmonite, was head of the officers.[b] He killed 300 men with his spear in a single battle.[c]
12 Next in command[d] was Eleazar son of Dodo the Ahohite. He was one of the three elite warriors. 13 He was with David in Pas Dammim[e] when the Philistines assembled there for battle. In an area of the field that was full of barley, the army retreated before the Philistines, 14 but then they made a stand in the middle of that area. They defended it[f] and defeated the Philistines; the Lord gave them a great victory.[g]
15 Three of the thirty leaders went down to David at the rocky cliff at the cave of Adullam, while a Philistine force was camped in the Valley of Rephaim. 16 David was in the stronghold at the time, while a Philistine garrison was in Bethlehem. 17 David was thirsty and said, “How I wish someone would give me some water to drink[h] from the cistern in Bethlehem near the city gate!” 18 So the three elite warriors[i] broke through the Philistine forces and drew some water from the cistern in Bethlehem near the city gate. They carried it back to David, but David refused to drink it. He poured it out as a drink offering to the Lord 19 and said, “God forbid that I should do this![j] Should I drink the blood of these men who risked their lives?”[k] Because they risked their lives to bring it to him, he refused to drink it. Such were the exploits of the three elite warriors.[l]
20 Abishai the brother of Joab was head of the three[m] elite warriors. He killed 300 men with his spear[n] and gained fame along with the three elite warriors.[o] 21 From[p] the three he was given double honor and he became their officer, even though he was not one of them.[q]
22 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a brave warrior from Kabzeel who performed great exploits. He struck down the two sons of Ariel of Moab;[r] he also went down and killed a lion inside a cistern on a snowy day. 23 He even killed an Egyptian who was 7½ feet[s] tall. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand as big as the crossbeam of a weaver’s loom; Benaiah attacked[t] him with a club. He grabbed the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. 24 Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who gained fame along with the three elite warriors. 25 He received honor from[u] the thirty warriors, though he was not one of the three elite warriors. David put him in charge of his bodyguard.
26 The mighty warriors were:
Asahel the brother of Joab,
Elhanan son of Dodo, from Bethlehem,
27 Shammoth the Harorite,[v]
Helez the Pelonite,[w]
28 Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,
Abiezer the Anathothite,
29 Sibbekai[x] the Hushathite,
Ilai[y] the Ahohite,
30 Maharai the Netophathite,
Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite,
31 Ithai[z] son of Ribai from Gibeah in Benjaminite territory,
Benaiah the Pirathonite,
32 Hurai[aa] from the valleys of Gaash,
Abiel[ab] the Arbathite,
33 Azmaveth the Baharumite,[ac]
Eliahba the Shaalbonite,
34 the sons of Hashem[ad] the Gizonite,
Jonathan son of Shageh[ae] the Hararite,
35 Ahiam son of Sakar[af] the Hararite,
Eliphal son of Ur,[ag]
36 Hepher the Mekerathite,
Ahijah the Pelonite,
37 Hezro[ah] the Carmelite,
Naarai son of Ezbai,
38 Joel the brother of Nathan,[ai]
Mibhar son of Hagri,
39 Zelek the Ammonite,
Naharai the Beerothite, the armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah,
40 Ira the Ithrite,
Gareb the Ithrite,
41 Uriah the Hittite,
Zabad son of Achli,
42 Adina son of Shiza the Reubenite, leader of the Reubenites and the thirty warriors 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 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.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 1 Chronicles 11:11 tn Heb “and these are the number of the warriors who were David’s.”
- 1 Chronicles 11:11 tc The marginal reading (Qere) has “officers;” the consonantal text (Kethib) has “the Thirty” (see v. 15).
- 1 Chronicles 11:11 tn Heb “he was wielding his spear against 300, [who were] slain at one time.”
- 1 Chronicles 11:12 tn Heb “after him.”
- 1 Chronicles 11:13 tc Some read here “Ephes Dammim.” See 1 Sam 17:1.
- 1 Chronicles 11:14 tn Heb “delivered it.”
- 1 Chronicles 11:14 tn Heb “and the Lord delivered [with] a great deliverance.”
- 1 Chronicles 11:17 tn Heb “Who will give me water to drink?” On the rhetorical use of מִי (mi) here, see BDB 566 s.v. f.
- 1 Chronicles 11:18 tn Heb “the three,” referring to the three elite warriors mentioned in v. 12.
- 1 Chronicles 11:19 tn Heb “Far be it to me from my God from doing this.”
- 1 Chronicles 11:19 tn Heb “with their lives.” The same expression occurs later in this verse.
- 1 Chronicles 11:19 tn Heb “These things the three warriors did.”
- 1 Chronicles 11:20 tc The Syriac reads “thirty” here and at the beginning of v. 21; this reading is followed by some English translations (cf. NAB, NASB, NRSV, NLT).
- 1 Chronicles 11:20 tn Heb “he was wielding his spear against three hundred, [who were] slain.”
- 1 Chronicles 11:20 tn Heb “and to him [reading with the Qere] there was a name among the three.”
- 1 Chronicles 11:21 tn Or “more than.”
- 1 Chronicles 11:21 tn Heb “of the three.”
- 1 Chronicles 11:22 tc Heb “the two of Ariel, Moab.” The precise meaning of אֲרִיאֵל (ʾariʾel) is uncertain; some read “warrior.” The present translation assumes that the word is a proper name and that בְּנֵי (bene, “sons of”) has accidentally dropped from the text by homoioarcton (note the preceding שְׁנֵי, shene).
- 1 Chronicles 11:23 tn Heb “5 cubits.” Assuming a length of 18 inches for the standard cubit, this individual would be 7.5 feet (2.3 m) tall.
- 1 Chronicles 11:23 tn Heb “went down to.”
- 1 Chronicles 11:25 tn Or “more than.”
- 1 Chronicles 11:27 tn The parallel text of 2 Sam 23:25 has the variant spelling of “Shammah.”
- 1 Chronicles 11:27 tn The parallel text of 2 Sam 23:26 has the variant spelling of “Paltite.”
- 1 Chronicles 11:29 tn In 2 Sam 23:27 this individual’s name is given as “Mebunnai.”
- 1 Chronicles 11:29 tn The parallel text of 2 Sam 23:28 has the variant “Zalmon.”
- 1 Chronicles 11:31 tn The parallel text of 2 Sam 23:29 has the variant spelling “Ittai.”
- 1 Chronicles 11:32 tn The parallel text of 2 Sam 23:28 has the variant spelling “Hiddai.”
- 1 Chronicles 11:32 tn The parallel text of 2 Sam 23:31 has the variant spelling “Abi-Albon.”
- 1 Chronicles 11:33 tn The parallel text of 2 Sam 23:31 has the variant spelling “Barhumite.”
- 1 Chronicles 11:34 tn In 2 Sam 23:32 this individual’s name is given as “Jashen.”
- 1 Chronicles 11:34 tn The parallel text of 2 Sam 23:33 has the variant spelling “Shammah.”
- 1 Chronicles 11:35 tn In 2 Sam 23:33 this individual’s name is given as “Sharar.”
- 1 Chronicles 11:35 tn The parallel text of 2 Sam 23:34 has the variant “Eliphelet son of Ahasbai the Maacathite.”
- 1 Chronicles 11:37 tn The parallel text of 2 Sam 23:35 has the variant spelling “Hezrai.”
- 1 Chronicles 11:38 tn The parallel text of 2 Sam 23:36 has the variant “Igal son of Nathan from Zobah.”
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.