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David’s Mighty Men and Their Exploits

10 Now these are the chiefs of David’s mighty men, who gave him strong support in his kingdom, together with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the Lord concerning Israel. 11 This is an account of David’s mighty men: Jasho′be-am, a Hach′monite, was chief of the three;[a] he wielded his spear against three hundred whom he slew at one time.

12 And next to him among the three mighty men was Elea′zar the son of Dodo, the Aho′hite. 13 He was with David at Pas-dam′mim when the Philistines were gathered there for battle. There was a plot of ground full of barley, and the men fled from the Philistines. 14 But he[b] took his[c] stand in the midst of the plot, and defended it, and slew the Philistines; and the Lord saved them by a great victory.

15 Three of the thirty chief men went down to the rock to David at the cave of Adullam, when the army of Philistines was encamped in the valley of Reph′aim. 16 David was then in the stronghold; and the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem. 17 And David said longingly, “O that some one would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem which is by the gate!” 18 Then the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem which was by the gate, and took and brought it to David. But David would not drink of it; he poured it out to the Lord, 19 and said, “Far be it from me before my God that I should do this. Shall I drink the lifeblood of these men? For at the risk of their lives they brought it.” Therefore he would not drink it. These things did the three mighty men.

20 Now Abi′shai, the brother of Jo′ab, was chief of the thirty.[d] And he wielded his spear against three hundred men and slew them, and won a name beside the three. 21 He was the most renowned[e] of the thirty,[f] and became their commander; but he did not attain to the three.

22 And Benai′ah the son of Jehoi′ada was a valiant man[g] of Kabzeel, a doer of great deeds; he smote two ariels[h] of Moab. He also went down and slew a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen. 23 And he slew an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits tall. The Egyptian had in his hand a spear like a weaver’s beam; but Benai′ah went down to him with a staff, and snatched the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and slew him with his own spear. 24 These things did Benai′ah the son of Jehoi′ada, and won a name beside the three mighty men. 25 He was renowned among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David set him over his bodyguard.

26 The mighty men of the armies were As′ahel the brother of Jo′ab, Elha′nan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, 27 Shammoth of Harod,[i] Helez the Pel′onite, 28 Ira the son of Ikkesh of Teko′a, Abi-e′zer of An′athoth, 29 Sib′becai the Hu′shathite, I′lai the Aho′hite, 30 Ma′harai of Netoph′ah, Heled the son of Ba′anah of Netoph′ah, 31 Ithai the son of Ribai of Gib′eah of the Benjaminites, Benai′ah of Pir′athon, 32 Hurai of the brooks of Ga′ash, Abi′el the Ar′bathite, 33 Az′maveth of Baha′rum, Eli′ahba of Sha-al′bon, 34 Hashem[j] the Gi′zonite, Jonathan the son of Shagee the Har′arite, 35 Ahi′am the son of Sachar the Har′arite, Eli′phal the son of Ur, 36 Hepher the Meche′rathite, Ahi′jah the Pel′onite, 37 Hezro of Carmel, Na′arai the son of Ezbai, 38 Jo′el the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the son of Hagri, 39 Zelek the Ammonite, Na′harai of Be-er′oth, the armor-bearer of Jo′ab the son of Zeru′iah, 40 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, 41 Uri′ah the Hittite, Zabad the son of Ahlai, 42 Ad′ina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a leader of the Reubenites, and thirty with him, 43 Hanan the son of Ma′acah, and Josh′aphat the Mithnite, 44 Uzzi′a the Ash′terathite, Shama and Je-i′el the sons of Hotham the Aro′erite, 45 Jedi′a-el the son of Shimri, and Joha his brother, the Tizite, 46 Eli′el the Ma′havite, and Jer′ibai, and Joshavi′ah, the sons of El′na-am, and Ithmah the Mo′abite, 47 Eli′el, and Obed, and Ja-asi′el the Mezo′ba-ite.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 11:11 Compare 2 Sam 23.8: Heb thirty or captains
  2. 1 Chronicles 11:14 Compare 2 Sam 23.12: Heb they . . . their
  3. 1 Chronicles 11:14 Compare 2 Sam 23.12: Heb they . . . their
  4. 1 Chronicles 11:20 Syr: Heb three
  5. 1 Chronicles 11:21 Compare 2 Sam 23.19: Heb more renowned among the two
  6. 1 Chronicles 11:21 Syr: Heb three
  7. 1 Chronicles 11:22 Syr: Heb the son of a valiant man
  8. 1 Chronicles 11:22 The meaning of the word ariel is unknown
  9. 1 Chronicles 11:27 Compare 2 Sam 23.25: Heb the Harorite
  10. 1 Chronicles 11:34 Compare Gk and 2 Sam 23.32: Heb the sons of Hashem

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.