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2 Samuel
Chapter Twenty-three
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO SECOND SAMUEL 23
In
this chapter are recorded the last words of David under a divine inspiration, 2 Samuel 23:1; and
an account is given of his great men, famous for warlike exploits, particularly
of three mighty men who did very marvellous things, 2 Samuel 23:8; and
of two others next unto them, which belonged to another class of three, 2 Samuel 23:18; and
then of thirty one more, 2 Samuel 23:24; who
are all mentioned by name.
2 Samuel 23:1 Now
these are the last words of David. Thus says David the son of
Jesse; Thus says the man raised up on high, The anointed of the God of
Jacob,
And the sweet psalmist of Israel:
YLT
1And these [are] the last
words of David: -- `The affirmation of David son of Jesse -- And the
affirmation of the man raised up -- Concerning the Anointed of the God of
Jacob, And the Sweetness of the Songs of Israel:
Now these be the last words of David,.... Which
refer not to the psalm in the preceding chapter, but to what follows; not the
last words he spoke, for he said many things afterwards; for the advice he gave
to Solomon, and the instructions to him about building the temple, were delivered
after this time; but these were the last after he had finished the book of
Psalms; or the last that he spoke under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, or
that he delivered out by way of prophecy; though the JewsF6Maimon.
Moreh Nevochim, par. 2. c. 45. will not allow him to speak by the spirit of
prophecy; they own he spoke by the Holy Spirit, which they distinguish from
prophecy; but the Targum calls these words a prophecy, and takes them to be a
prophecy of the Messiah, and of things to come, as undoubtedly they are,
paraphrasing them thus;"these are the words of the prophecy of David,
which he prophesied concerning the end of the world, concerning the days of
consolation that should come;'this is observed to excite attention, the last
words of dying men being usually regarded and remembered:
David the son of Jesse said; he began with his
descent, which was comparatively mean, in order to illustrate the
distinguishing goodness of God to him in his exaltation:
and the man who was raised up on high; from a low
estate to an high one, from the sheepfold to the throne, to be king over all
the tribes of Israel, and a conqueror, and head of the nations round about him:
the anointed of the God of Jacob; who was anointed king by
Samuel by the order of the God of Jacob; and which was an instance of his being
the God of Jacob or Israel, and of his care of them, and regard unto them, that
he anointed such a man to be king over them, as well as it was an honour to
David:
and the sweet psalmist of Israel; who composed most of the
psalms and hymns of praise for the people of Israel; invented and set the tunes
to them to which they were to be sung, and the instruments of music on which
they were sung; and appointed singers to preside, and lead them in that part of
divine worship, singing psalms and hymns; and very sweet were the psalms he
composed as to the matter of them, and very sweet and delightful to the ear was
the music in the manner of singing them: it may be rendered, who was
"sweet" or "pleasant in the songs of Israel"F7נעים זמרות "jucundus
psalmis", Montanus; "suavis in canticis", Vatablus;
"amoenus psalmis", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator. , his warlike
exploits and victories being the subject of them, 1 Samuel 18:6,
said; as follows; for all that goes before are the words of the penman
of this book, drawing the character of David; in which he was a type of Christ,
a branch out of the root of Jesse, highly exalted, and chosen from among the
people, anointed to be prophet, priest, and King; and who sweetly expounded the
psalms concerning himself, and ordered them to be sung in the churches, and of
which he is the subject, and may be said to be sweetly held forth in them, see Luke 24:44.
2 Samuel 23:2 2 “The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me, And
His word was on my tongue.
YLT
2The Spirit of Jehovah hath
spoken by me, And His word [is] on my tongue.
The Spirit of the Lord spake by me,.... The psalms and songs
he composed were not the fruits of his own genius, but were written by him
under the inspiration of the Spirit of God; by whom holy men of God, the penmen
of the Scriptures, spoke, even as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, of whom
David was one, being a prophet; see Acts 1:16 Acts 2:30; so the
Targum here,"David spoke by the spirit of prophecy of the Lord:'or spake
"in me"F8בי "in me",
Montanus, Junius & Tremellius. ; what he spoke was first internally
impressed upon his mind by the Spirit of God, and then he expressed it with his
tongue, as follows:
and his word was in my tongue; not only the
matter of his psalms was indited by the Spirit of God, and suggested to his
mind; but the very words in which they are delivered were given to him, and he
was directed to make use of them, and did.
2 Samuel 23:3 3 The God of Israel said, The
Rock of Israel spoke to me: ‘He who rules over men must be just, Ruling
in the fear of God.
YLT
3He said -- the God of
Israel -- to me, He spake -- the Rock of Israel: He who is ruling over man [is]
righteous, He is ruling in the fear of God.
The God of Israel said,.... To David, or by him;
he who was the covenant God of Israel literally considered, and is the covenant
God and Father of the whole spiritual Israel, and who is owned, believed in,
and worshipped by them:
the Rock of Israel spake to me; the same with the God of
Israel in other words, who is the strength and security of Israel; or the
second divine Person, the Son and Word of God, is meant, who is often called a
rock in Scripture; and is the rock on which the Israel or church of God is
built, and in whom it remains safe and firm, the gates of hell not being able
to prevail against it; and so here is an instance and proof of a trinity of
persons in the Godhead; the God of Israel, Jehovah the Father; the Rock of
Israel, Jehovah the Son; and the Spirit of Jehovah, as in 2 Samuel 23:2, who
is Jehovah the Spirit: now what was said by these three divine Persons to
David, and by him, and concerning himself as a type of the Messiah, follows:
he that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of
God; which is a character every king among men ought to have,
administering justice to their subjects; ruling not only according to the laws
of the land, but according to the law of God; having his fear before their
eyes, and acting with a view to his honour and glory, whose vicegerents they
are, and to whom they are accountable; they should rule with gentleness and
humanity, considering they are men, and not brutes, they rule over. Agamemnon
in Homer is often called "king of men". This character, in all
respects, was found in David, 2 Samuel 8:15; and
may be here given as an instruction to his son and successor, Solomon; and is
in all respects applicable to the Messiah, who is a "ruler" or King
by the designation of his father; a ruler "over men", even over all
men, yea, over the greatest of men, King of kings, and Lord of lords, and especially,
and in an eminent sense, King of saints; and he is "just", a King
that reigns in righteousness, righteous in all his ways and works, and
particularly just as a King, as well as in all his other characters, see Jeremiah 23:5; and
upon whom, as man and Mediator, the Spirit of "the fear of the Lord"
rests, and under the influence of which, as such, he has acted, Isaiah 11:1; so the
Targum applies these words to the Messiah thus,"the true Judge said, he
would appoint to me a King, who is the Messiah, who shall arise and rule in the
fear of the Lord:'and they may be rendered, there shall be "a ruler over
men, just, ruling in the fear of God"; or ruling, appointing, ordering,
and directing the worship of God, and the ordinances of it under the Gospel
dispensation, as Christ did, see Matthew 28:18.
2 Samuel 23:4 4 And he shall be
like the light of the morning when the sun rises, A morning without
clouds, Like the tender grass springing out of the earth, By
clear shining after rain.’
YLT
4And as the light of morning
he riseth, A morning sun -- no clouds! By the shining, by the rain, Tender
grass of the earth!
And he shall be as the light of the morning, when
the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds,.... That is,
such a ruler that rules in righteousness, and in the fear of God; he is the
light and glory of his people, who guides and directs them, makes them cheerful
and comfortable; his administrations are pleasant and delightful, and promise a
growing and increasing happiness to them, like the morning light and rising
sun; and there are no clouds, nor forebodings of dark times, affliction and
distress, coming upon them, but all the reverse: and with Christ these
metaphors well suit, who is the true light that shines, John 1:9; the
morning star, Revelation 22:16;
the dayspring from on high, Luke 1:78; the sun
of righteousness, Malachi 4:2; and
light of the world, John 8:2; his going
forth or appearance in human nature, at his incarnation, was as the morning, Hosea 6:3; the
first discovery him to Adam, after sin had brought a night of darkness on the
world, was as the dawn of the morning; and this light like that of the morning
increased, fresh and clearer discoveries of him being made to the patriarchs
afterwards; and though as yet the sun was not up, and it was not a morning
without clouds, yet the discoveries then made brought joy with them, as to
Abraham and others, and were a sure sign of the sun rising. When Christ
appeared in the flesh, the sun of righteousness then arose, and scattered the
darkness of the night, both in the Jewish and Gentile world; introduced the
light of the Gospel to a greater degree than it was under the legal
dispensation, and made the Gospel day; which was not only like the morning
light, growing and increasing, but was as a morning without clouds, without the
darkness of the ceremonial law, the shadows of which now disappeared; and
without the storms and tempests of the moral law, its curses being bore and
removed by Christ; and without the frowns of divine wrath, reconciliation and
satisfaction being made by him: and this is all applicable particularly to the
government of Christ, which is delightful and grateful to his people,
serviceable and beneficial to them, under which they enjoy great peace and
prosperity; and which will more and more increase, and stilt be more glorious
and illustrious, see Psalm 72:7. A
learned writerF9Dr. Kennicott's State of the Hebrew Text, Dissert.
1. p. 468. has observed, that in an ancient manuscript the word
"Jehovah" is inserted and read thus,"and as the light of the
morning shall arise Jehovah the sun,'which clearly points to Christ the sun of
righteousness; and be it an interpolation, it gives the true sense of the
words: a glorious, beautiful, and illustrious person is described in OvidF11"Talisque
apparuitilli", &c. Metamorph. l. 14. Fab. 16. ver. 767. by the same
figure as here:
as the tender grass springing
out of the earth by clear shining after rain; which springs up the
faster, and is more flourishing after a shower of rain, and when upon that the
sun breaks out and shines clearly: or "from clear shining from rain"F12מנגה ממטר "a splendore, a
pluvia germen de terra", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus. ; that is, the
springing of the tender grass out of the earth is owing partly to the rain
which falls in the night, and partly to the sun rising in the morning, and the
clear shine of it: this may denote the fruitful and flourishing estate which a
good and righteous ruler over men is the happy instrument of bringing his
people into; and may be applied both to the incarnation of Christ, when he grew
up as a tender plant, or as the tender grass, mean in his original and descent,
weak in himself as man; and yet this fruit of the earth was excellent and
comely, beautiful and glorious, and the springing of it owing to the favour and
good will of God, and his coming was as the latter and former rain to the
earth, Hosea 6:3; and to
the government of Christ, and the benefits of it to his church and people; who
flourish under it the light of his grace and favour, and through rains of
Gospel doctrines they are blessed with: or "than clear shining, than
rain"; Christ is more beneficial to his people, who are comparable to
grass for their meanness, and weakness, and number, than the sun and rain are
to the grass in the field.
2 Samuel 23:5 5 “Although my house is
not so with God, Yet He has made with me an everlasting covenant, Ordered in
all things and secure. For this is all my salvation and all my
desire; Will He not make it increase?
YLT
5For -- not so [is] my house
with God; For -- a covenant age-during He made with me, Arranged in all things,
and kept; For -- all my salvation, and all desire, For -- He hath not caused
[it] to spring up.
Although my house be not so with God,.... So
bright, and flourishing, and prosperous as the government of the just ruler
before described; or is not "right"F13לא
כן "non recta", Cocceius. with God, meaning
his family, in which great sins were committed, and great disorders and
confusions brought into it, as the cases of Amnon, Absalom, and Adonijah
showed; or "not firm" or "stable"F14"Non
est re firma", Vitringa in Jesaiam, c. xi. 1. , through the rebellion of
one, the insurrection of another, and the usurpation of a third; yet he
believed it would be firm and stable in the Messiah that should spring from
him, promised in the everlasting covenant; though the Jewish writers understand
this of the firmness and stability of his kingdom and government: "but my
house is not so", &c. like the morning light, which increases by
little and little, and like the morning, which sometimes is not cloudy, and
sometimes is; sometimes the sun shines clearly, and sometimes not; or like the
tender grass, which is sometimes flourishing, and after withers; but so is not
my kingdom, it is a perpetual one, given and secured by an everlasting
covenant; and such certainly is or will be the kingdom of the Messiah:
yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things,
and sure; or, "forF15כי
"quia", Pagninus, Montanus, Piscator. he hath made", &c. the
covenant by which the kingdom was settled on David and his seed was a covenant
that would continue for ever, and would be kept, "observed", and
"preserved"F16שמרה
"scrvatum", Tigurine version, Vatablus; "conservatum",
Junius & Tremellius. in all the articles of it, and so be sure to his seed,
particularly to the Messiah that should spring from him, in whom it was
fulfilled, Luke 1:32; and the
covenant of grace made with David's antitype, with Christ the head of the
church, and the representative of it, and so with all his people in him, is an
everlasting one: it was made with Christ from everlasting, as appears from the
everlasting love of God, the source and spring of it; the earliness of the
divine counsels on which it is formed, and blessings and promises of it, with
which it is filled, which were before the world was; and from Christ being set
up as the Mediator of it from everlasting: and it will continue to everlasting;
it is a covenant that cannot be broken, will never be removed, nor give way to
or be succeeded by another: it is "ordered in all things": to promote
and advance the glory of all the three Persons in the Godhead, Father, Son, and
Spirit; to secure the persons of the saints, and to provide everything needful
for them for time and eternity: and it is "sure"; it stands upon a
sure basis, the unchangeable will and favour of God, and is in the hands of
Christ, the same today, yesterday, and for ever; its mercies are the sure
mercies of David, and its promises are yea and amen in Christ, and are sure to
all the seed. Though things may not be with them God-ward, as they desire, and
could be wished for; though they may be attended with many sins and
infirmities, the temptations of Satan, divine desertions, and various
afflictions, and be guilty of many backslidings, yet covenant interest always
continues; and so, though in the kingdom and interest of Christ in the world,
there are, and may be, many things disagreeable; it may be attended with
persecutions, heresies, scandals, &c. yet it shall continue and increase,
and spread, and be an everlasting kingdom:
for this is all my salvation: all depends upon this
covenant; the safety of David's family, and the security of the kingdom in it,
and to his seed, till the Messiah came, depended on the covenant made with him
respecting that; and the spiritual and eternal salvation of the Lord's people
depends upon the covenant of grace; which was contrived, formed, and settled in
it, in which the Saviour is provided, and the persons to share in his salvation
are taken into it and secured, with all blessings both of grace and glory:
and all my desire; to see it fulfilled; as
it is the desire of good men to be led more and more into it, to see their
interest in it, to have the blessings and promises of it applied unto them, and
to be saved by it, and not by the covenant of works; and there is all that in
it that a believer can desire to make him comfortable here, or happy hereafter;
and it is what gives him delight and pleasure in all his troubles: it may be
supplied he is, as well as "this is", and be applied to Christ, the
ruler over men, described, 2 Samuel 23:3; with
whom the covenant of grace is made, in whom is the salvation of men; he is the
author and the only author of it; in whom it is complete and perfect; "all"
salvation is in him, and which they can claim as theirs; to whom is "all their
desire"; and in whom is "all their delight", as it may be
rendered; on account of the glory of his person, the fulness of his grace, and
his suitableness as a Saviour; whom they desire to know more of, and have more
communion with:
although he made it not to grow; though there
may not be at present any growth of outward prosperity, or of inward grace, or
even of the produce of the earth, Habakkuk 3:17;
though the horn of David is not yet made to bud, or his family in growing and
flourishing circumstances, or the Messiah, the man, the branch, does not yet
shoot forth, though he certainly would; or, "for shall he not bud
forth" he shall, Jeremiah 23:5.
2 Samuel 23:6 6 But the sons of
rebellion shall all be as thorns thrust away, Because they cannot
be taken with hands.
YLT
6As to the worthless -- As a
thorn driven away [are] all of them, For -- not by hand are they taken;
But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as
thorns thrust away,.... Not like the tender grass that springs up, and flourishes
after rain, and the sunshine upon that; but like thorns, useless, hurtful, and
pernicious, and fit only for burning: this is true of wicked men in general,
that cast off the yoke of the Lord, and become unprofitable, as Belial
signifies; and of wicked governors in particular, who, instead of being
helpful, are harmful to a commonwealth; and instead of being the joy and
comfort of their subjects, and of giving pleasure to them, and making them
cheerful and prosperous, give pain and trouble, and cause grief and sorrow; and
are, if possible, to be thrust away, and deposed from government:
because they cannot be taken with hands; thorns cannot
be handled and gently dealt with, but some instrument must be used to put them
away with force; so wicked men, and especially wicked rulers, are untractable,
and not to be managed in a gentle way, and therefore violent ones must be
taken.
2 Samuel 23:7 7 But the man who
touches them Must be armed with iron and the shaft of a spear, And they shall
be utterly burned with fire in their place.”
YLT
7And the man who cometh
against them Is filled with iron and the staff of a spear, And with fire they
are utterly burnt In the cessation.'
But the man that shall touch them must be fenced with iron
and the staff of a spear,.... To remove these thorns, or sons of Belial, out of the way,
or to defend himself against them; or weapons of war must be made use of to
conquer and destroy them, according to the sense of Ben Gersom, and which De
Dieu follows; a man that meddles with them must expect to be as much hurt and
wounded by them, all over the body, as if not only the point or iron head of a
spear, but the wood or handle of the spear, were thrust up in him; but the
former sense seems best:
and they shall be utterly burnt with fire in the same place: where the
thorns grew, or whither they are removed, or are sitting; where persons are
sitting to warm themselves by them: and this may be understood of the
destruction of wicked rulers, when their kingdom is taken from them, and they
are consumed root and branch; and was true not only of Saul, and his posterity,
as some apply it, and of Jeroboam, and those like to him, as the above Jewish
writer; but of the wicked Jews, and their rulers, those sons of Belial, who
rejected the yoke of Christ, and would not have him to rule over them; to whom
the Lord sent the Roman armies fenced with swords and spears, and burnt their
city, and destroyed them in the same place; and may take in antichrist, and
antichristian states, those sons of Belial, of the wicked ανομος,
and lawless one, the son of perdition, whose city, Rome, shall be burnt with
fire; and even all wicked men, at the great day of judgment, to which the Targum
refers these words; when they, whose end, like thorns, is to be burnt, will be
cast into the lake which burns with fire and brimstone.
2 Samuel 23:8 8 These are the names
of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-Basshebeth[a] the
Tachmonite, chief among the captains.[b] He was
called Adino the Eznite, because he had killed eight hundred men at one time.
YLT
8These [are] the names of
the mighty ones whom David hath: sitting in the seat [is] the Tachmonite, head
of the captains -- he [is] Adino, who hardened himself against eight hundred --
wounded at one time.
These be the names of the mighty men whom David had,.... Besides
Joab his general, who is not mentioned; for these were all military men under
him, which are distinguished into three classes; the first and highest
consisted of three only, who were general officers; and the second also of
three, who perhaps were colonels of regiments; and the third of thirty, who
were captains of thousands and hundreds:
the Tachmonite that sat in the seat, the chief among the captains: not in the
chief seat in the sanhedrim, and was the head of that, and so had the name of
Tachmonite, from his wisdom, as the Jewish writers say; but in the council of
war, where he presided under the general, or in his absence, and was, perhaps,
lieutenant general, and so over all the captains; and therefore was neither
David nor Joab, to whom some of the Rabbins apply these words, as observed by
Kimchi; or rather he was the chief of the three to whom he belonged; his name,
in 1 Chronicles 11:11,
is Jashobeam, an Hachmonite, or the son of an Hachmonite, the same as in 1 Chronicles 27:2;
and here it may be as well read Josheb-bashebeth the Tachmonite, the same name,
with a little variation; which seem to be names given him, taken from his
character and office; for his proper name was as follows:
the same was Adino the Eznite: so called
either from the family he was of, or from the place of his birth; though a
learned man thinks it should be read as in the following supplementF17Kennicott's
Dissert. 1. so Hillerus in Onomastic. Sacr. p. 230, 231, renders it, "the
glory of the spear or spearmen stood against eight hundred", &c. and
Weemse, "his delight was to lift up his spear". Exercitat. 16. p.
137. :
he lifted up his spear against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time; which, though
a very extraordinary exploit, yet not more strange, or so strange as that of
Shamgar's slaying six hundred men with an ox goad, Judges 3:31, or as
that of Samson's killing a thousand men with the jawbone of an ass, Judges 15:15, in 1 Chronicles 11:11,
the number is only three hundred, which some attempt to reconcile by observing,
that not the same person is meant in both places; here he is called
Joshebbashebeth, there Jashobeam; here the Tachmonite, there the son of an
Hachmonite; nor is he there called Adino the Eznite; but yet it seems plain
that in both places the chief of the three worthies of David is meant, and so
the same man: others observe, that he engaged with eight hundred, and slew
three hundred of them, when the rest fled, and were pursued and killed by his
men; and he routing them, and being the occasion of their being slain, the
slaying of them all is ascribed to him; or he first slew three hundred, and
five hundred more coming upon him, he slew them also: but what Kimchi offers
seems to be best, that there were two battles, in which this officer was
engaged; at one of them he slew eight hundred, and at the other three hundred;
for so what is omitted in the books of Samuel, and of the Kings, is frequently
supplied in the books of Chronicles, as what one evangelist in the New
Testament omits, another records. The above learned writerF18P. 96.
conjectures, that ש being the first letter of the
words for three and eight, and the numeral letter being here reduced to its
word at length, through a mistake in the copier, was written שמנה, "eight", instead of שלש,
"three": the Septuagint version is,"he drew out his spear
against eight hundred soldiers at once,'and says nothing of slaying them; and
seems to be the true sense of the word, as the same learned writerF19P.
103. has abundantly shown.
2 Samuel 23:9 9 And after him was
Eleazar the son of Dodo,[c] the
Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David when they defied the
Philistines who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel
had retreated.
YLT
9And after him [is] Eleazar
son of Dodo, son of Ahohi, of the three mighty men with David; in their
exposing themselves among the Philistines -- they have been gathered there to
battle, and the men of Israel go up –
And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite,.... Or the
son of Ahohi, perhaps the same with Ahoah, a descendant of Benjamin, 1 Chronicles 8:4;
this Eleazar was the next to the Tachmonite, the second worthy of the first
class:
one of the three mighty men
with David; the second of the three valiant men that were with David in his
wars, and fought with him, and for him:
when they defied the Philistines; clapped their hands at
them, gloried over them, daring them to come and light them; so did David and
his mighty men, as Goliath had defied them before:
that were there
gathered together to battle; at Pasdammim, as appears from 1 Chronicles 11:13,
and the men of Israel were gone away; fled when
they saw the Philistines gather together to fight them, notwithstanding they
had defied them; and so David, and his three mighty men, were left alone to
combat with the Philistines.
2 Samuel 23:10 10 He arose and attacked the
Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand stuck to the sword. The Lord brought about
a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to plunder.
YLT
10he hath arisen, and smiteth
among the Philistines till that his hand hath been weary, and his hand cleaveth
unto the sword, and Jehovah worketh a great salvation on that day, and the
people turn back after him only to strip off.
He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary,.... He rose
up when the Israelites fled, and stood his ground alone, and fought with the
Philistines, and smote them with his sword, until his hand was weary with
smiting:
and his hand clave unto the sword; which was contracted by
holding it so long, and grasping it so hard, that it could not easily be got
out of it; or through the quantity of blood which ran upon his hand, as it was
shed, so JosephusF20Antiqu. l. 7. c. 12. sect. 4. ; and which being
congealed, and dried, caused his hand to stick to the hilt of his sword, so
that they were, as it were, glued together by it; or the sense may be only,
that though weary, he did not drop his sword, but held it fast till he had
destroyed the enemy:
and the Lord wrought a great victory that day; for to him it
must be ascribed, and not to the strength and valour of the man:
and the people returned after him only to spoil; they that
fled, when they saw what a victory was obtained by him, returned and came after
him; not to help him in smiting, but to spoil those that were slain, and strip
them of what they had.
2 Samuel 23:11 11 And after him was
Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines had gathered together
into a troop where there was a piece of ground full of lentils. So the people
fled from the Philistines.
YLT
11And after him [is] Shammah
son of Agee the Hararite, and the Philistines are gathered into a company, and
there is there a portion of the field full of lentiles, and the people hath
fled from the presence of the Philistines,
And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite,.... One who
was of the mountainous country, as the Targum, the hill country of Judea, of
Hebron, or the parts adjacent; this was the third of the first three; there was
one of this name among the thirty, 2 Samuel 23:33,
and the Philistines were gathered together into a troop; but so they
were no doubt at first; R. Isaiah takes it to be the name of a place called
Chiyah; as the Targum, Chayatha; and which Kimchi says was a village, an
unwalled town; and Ben Melech observes, that it is said in the Arabic language,
a collection of houses is called Alchai: it may be the same with Lehi, where
Samson slew a thousand with the jawbone of an ass, Judges 15:17,
whence it had its name; and JosephusF21Antiqu. l. 7. c. 12. sect. 4.
says, the place where the Philistines were gathered together was called
"the Jawbone": but perhaps the sense of Ben Gersom may be best of
all, that they gathered together in this place for provision, for food and
forage, to support the life of them and their cattle: since it follows:
where was a piece of ground full of lentiles; a sort of
pulse, which was eaten in those countries, and the pottage of which was
delicious food, see Genesis 25:30,
and the people fled from the Philistines; as they did
before under Eleazar, 2 Samuel 23:9.
2 Samuel 23:12 12 But he stationed himself
in the middle of the field, defended it, and killed the Philistines. So the Lord brought about
a great victory.
YLT
12and he stationeth himself
in the midst of the portion, and delivereth it, and smiteth the Philistines,
and Jehovah worketh a great salvation.
But he stood in the midst of the ground,.... The field
of lentiles:
and defended it; the field, so that the Philistines could
not ravage it, and get food and forage from it:
and slew the Philistines; made a great slaughter
among them, entirely routed them, so that they that escaped his sword were
obliged to flee:
and the Lord wrought a great victory; to whom the
glory of it belonged; a similar fact is ascribed to Eleazar before mentioned in
1 Chronicles 11:13;
and, indeed, it seems to be the same, and in which they were both concerned;
for it is plain from the account that there were more than one engaged in this
action, since it is there said, "and they set themselves in the midst of
that parcel"; and though that parcel of ground is said there to be full of
barley, it may easily be reconciled by observing, that one part of it might be
sowed with barley, and the other part with lentiles; so the Targum in 1 Chronicles 11:13;
for it was half lentiles and half barley; and Eleazar might be placed to defend
the one, and Shammah the other; from whence it appears it was about March when
this action was, at the latter end of which barley harvest began.
2 Samuel 23:13 13 Then three of the thirty
chief men went down at harvest time and came to David at the cave of Adullam.
And the troop of Philistines encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.
YLT
13And three of the thirty
heads go down and come unto the harvest, unto David, unto the cave of Adullam,
and the company of the Philistines are encamping in the valley of Rephaim,
And three of the thirty chiefs went down,.... Or three
that were chief of the thirty, superior to them; which some understand of the
three before mentioned, so JosephusF23Antiqu. l. 7. c. 12. sect. 4.
; and that having related some particular exploits of theirs, here observes
one, in which they were all concerned; and others think the three next are
meant, of whom Abishai was the chief, Benaiah the next, and the third Asahel;
but the first sense is best:
and came to David in the harvest time, unto the cave of Adullam; not when he
was there, upon his flight from Saul, 1 Samuel 22:1; but
after he was king, when engaged in war with the Philistines; perhaps wheat
harvest is here meant:
and the troop of the Philistines pitched in the valley of Rephaim; the army of
the Philistines, as the Targum; of the valley of Rephaim; see Gill on Joshua 15:8.
2 Samuel 23:14 14 David was then in
the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in
Bethlehem.
YLT
14and David [is] then in a
fortress, and the station of the Philistines [is] then in Beth-Lehem,
And David was then in an hold,.... In a
strong hold; the strong hold of Zion, as JosephusF24Antiqu. l. 7. c.
12. sect. 4. , or one on a rock near the cave of Adullam, see 1 Chronicles 11:15,
and the garrison of the Philistines was then in
Bethlehem; which was about six miles from Jerusalem; the valley of Rephaim
lay between that and Bethlehem; so far had they got into the land of Judea, and
such footing in it, as to have a garrison so near its metropolis.
2 Samuel 23:15 15 And David said with
longing, “Oh, that someone would give me a drink of the water from the well of
Bethlehem, which is by the gate!”
YLT
15and David longeth and
saith, `Who doth give me a drink of the water of the well of Beth-Lehem, which
[is] by the gate?'
And David longed, and said,.... It being harvest
time, the summer season, and hot weather, and he thirsty:
oh, that one would give me drink of the water of the well of
Bethlehem,
which is by the gate! which he was well
acquainted with, being his native place; and which might make it the more
desirable, as well as its waters might be peculiarly cool and refreshing, and
very excellent, as Kimchi suggests. This well was about a mile from Bethlehem,
now called David's well, as some travellers sayF25Egmont and
Heyman's Travels, vol. 1. p. 363. . It is said to be a very large well, with
three mouths, and lies a little out of the roadF26Le Bruyn's Voyage
to the Levant, ch. 52. p. 204. ; and that there is now near Rachel's grave a
good rich cistern, which is deep and wide; wherefore the people that go to dip
water are provided with small leathern buckets, and a line, as usual in those
countriesF1Rauwolff's Travels, part 3. p. 317, 318. ; but Mr.
MaundrellF2Journey from Aleppo, &c. p. 90. says it is a well, or
rather a cistern, supplied only with rain, without any excellency in its waters
to make them desirable; but it seems, he adds, David's spirit had a further
aim. Some think he meant by this to get Bethlehem out of the hands of the
Philistines, and obtain the possession of it; others, as Jarchi, that he
intended to ask some question of the sanhedrim that sat there; and others, that
his desire was after the law of God, called waters, as in Isaiah 55:1; and
some Christian writers, both ancient and modernF3Ambros. Apolog.
David l. 1. c. 7. gloss. ordinar. & Schmidt in loc. Pfeiffer. Difficil.
Loc. Script. cent. 2. loc. 91. Horn. Dissert. de desiderio David. sect. 10. ,
are of opinion, that not literal but spiritual water was desired by him, and
that he thirsted after the coming of the Messiah, to be born at Bethlehem, and
the living water which he only can give, John 4:10.
2 Samuel 23:16 16 So the three mighty men
broke through the camp of the Philistines, drew water from the well of
Bethlehem that was by the gate, and took it and brought it to
David. Nevertheless he would not drink it, but poured it out to the Lord.
YLT
16And the three mighty ones
cleave through the camp of the Philistines, and draw water out of the well of
Beth-Lehem, which [is] by the gate, and take [it] up, and bring in unto David;
and he was not willing to drink it, and poureth it out to Jehovah,
And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines,.... Which lay
in the valley of Rephaim, between the hold in which David was and the well of Bethlehem;
these three men hearing David express himself in the above manner, though
without any view that any should risk their lives to obtain it, only in a
general way said, oh for a draught of the water of the well of Bethlehem!
immediately set out, and made their way through the army of the Philistines to
the well:
and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by
the gate,
and took it, and brought it to David; in a vessel
which they probably carried with them for that purpose:
nevertheless he would not drink thereof; because, say
they who take these words in a spiritual sense, it was not this water, but
spiritual water, he desired: but the reason is given in 2 Samuel 23:17,
but poured it out unto the Lord; as a libation to him, it
being rather blood than water, being fetched at the hazard of men's lives, and
therefore more fit to be offered as a sacrifice to God than to be drank by him;
and this he might do in thankfulness to God for preserving the lives of the
men. Gersom thinks it was now the feast of tabernacles, which was the feast of
ingathering the fruits of the earth, when great quantities of water were drawn
and poured out at the altar, which was done to obtain the blessing of the
former rain; See Gill on John 7:37 and See
Gill on John 7:38.
2 Samuel 23:17 17 And he said, “Far be it
from me, O Lord,
that I should do this! Is this not the blood of the men who went in jeopardy
of their lives?” Therefore he would not drink it. These things were done by
the three mighty men.
YLT
17and saith, `Far be it from
me, O Jehovah, to do this; is it the blood of the men who are going with their
lives?' and he was not willing to drink it; these [things] did the three mighty
ones.
And he said, be it far from me, O Lord, that one should do this,.... Drink of
the water these men had brought him:
is not this the blood of
the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? who risked the shedding
of their blood, and went in danger of their lives to get it:
therefore he would not drink it: some compare with this
the story of AlexanderF4Curt. Hist. l. 7. c. 5. to whom a vessel of
water was offered when in extreme thirst, which he refused, because he could
not bear to drink it alone, and so small a quantity could not be divided among all
about him; but the reasons are not the same:
these things did these three mighty men; which made
them very famous.
2 Samuel 23:18 18 Now Abishai the brother of
Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of another three.[d] He lifted
his spear against three hundred men, killed them, and won a name
among these three.
YLT
18And Abishai brother of
Joab, son of Zeruiah, he [is] head of three, and he is lifting up his spear
against three hundred -- wounded, and he hath a name among three.
And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief
among the three,.... Another triumvirate, of which he was the head:
and he lifted up his spear against three hundred, and slew them; JosephusF5Antiqu.
l. 7. c. 12. sect. 4. says six hundred; this seems to confirm the reading of 2 Samuel 23:8, that
the number eight hundred is right, for if it was only three hundred, Abishai
would have been equal to one, even the first, of the former three; which yet is
denied him in 2 Samuel 23:19,
and had the name among three; of which he was one; and
he had the chief name among them, or was the most famous of them.
2 Samuel 23:19 19 Was he not the most
honored of three? Therefore he became their captain. However, he did not attain
to the first three.
YLT
19Of the three is he not the
honoured? and he becometh their head; and unto the [first] three he hath not
come.
Was he not most honourable of three?.... He was; who, besides
the exploit here mentioned, did many other things; he went down with David into
Saul's camp, and took away his spear and cruse, which were at his bolster, 1 Samuel 26:6; he
relieved David when in danger from Ishbibenob the giant, 2 Samuel 21:16; he
beat the Edomites, and slew eighteen thousand of them in the valley of salt, 1 Chronicles 18:12,
therefore he was their captain; of the other two, or was
head over them, took rank before them:
howbeit he attained not unto the first three; for fortitude,
courage, and warlike exploits, namely, to the Tachmonite, Eleazar, and Shammah.
2 Samuel 23:20 20 Benaiah was the son
of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man from Kabzeel, who had done many deeds. He
had killed two lion-like heroes of Moab. He also had gone down and killed a
lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day.
YLT
20And Benaiah son of Jehoiada
(son of a man of valour, great in deeds from Kabzeel), he hath smitten two
lion-like men of Moab, and he hath gone down and smitten the lion in the midst
of the pit in a day of snow.
And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of
Kabzeel,.... A city in the tribe of Judah, Joshua 15:21; the
father of this man was a man of great vivacity, valour, and strength, so that
it was like father like son. Procopius Gazaeus says Benaiah was David's
brother's son, and a grandson of Jesse:
who had done many acts; which may refer either
to the father of Benaiah or to Benaiah himself; and indeed the Syriac and
Arabic versions refer the preceding character, "a valiant man", not
to the father, but the son:
he slew two lionlike men of Moab; two princes of Moab, as
the Targum, or two giants of Moab, as the Syriac and Arabic versions; men who
were comparable to lions for their strength and courage; for this is not to be
understood of two strong towers of Moab, as Ben Gersom, which were defended by
valiant men like lions, or which had the form of lions engraved on them: nor of
Moabitish altars, as GussetiusF6Ebr. Comment p. 95. , the altar of
the Lord, being called by this name of Ariel, the word used; but of men of
uncommon valour and fortitude:
he went down also, and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time
of snow; not Joab, 1 Kings 2:34, as is
the traditionF7Hieron. Trad. Heb. in 2 Reg. fol. 80. C. , but a real
lion, the strongest among the beasts; and that in a pit where he could not keep
his distance, and turn himself, and take all advantage, and from whence he
could not make his escape; and which indeed might quicken his resolution, when
he must fight or die; and on a snowy day, when lions are said to have the greatest
strength, as in cold weather, or however are fiercer for want of food; and when
Benaiah might be benumbed in his hands and feet with cold. JosephusF8Ut
supra. (Antiqu. l. 7. c. 12. sect. 4.) represents the case thus, that the lion
fell into a pit, where was much snow, and was covered with it, and making a
hideous roaring, Benaiah went down and slew him; but rather it was what others
say, that this lion very much infested the places adjacent, and did much harm;
and therefore, for the good of the country, and to rid them of it, took this
opportunity, and slew it; which one would think was not one of the best reasons
that might offer; it seems best therefore what BochartF9Hierozoic.
par. 1. l. 3. c. 4. col. 758. conjectures, that Benaiah went into a cave, for
so the word used may signify, to shelter himself a while from the cold, when a
lion, being in it for the same reason, attacked him, and he fought with it and
slew it; or rather it may be an hollow place, a valley that lay between Acra
and Zion, where Benaiah, hearing a lion roar, went down and slew itF11See
the Universal History, vol. 4. p. 227. .
2 Samuel 23:21 21 And he killed an Egyptian,
a spectacular man. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand; so he went down
to him with a staff, wrested the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and killed
him with his own spear.
YLT
21And he hath smitten the
Egyptian man, a man of appearance, and in the hand of the Egyptian [is] a
spear, and he goeth down unto him with a rod, and taketh violently away the
spear out of the hand of the Egyptian, and slayeth him with his own spear.
And he slew an Egyptian, a goodly man,.... A person
of good countenance and shape, very large and tall; in 1 Chronicles 11:28,
he is said to be a man of great stature, and five cubits high, and so wanted a
cubit and a span of the height of Goliath, 1 Samuel 17:4,
and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; as large as
Goliath's; for in 1 Chronicles 11:23,
it is said to be like a weaver's beam, as Goliath's was; see Gill on 1 Samuel 17:7,
and he went down to him with a staff; with a
walking staff only, having no other weapon:
and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand; and therefore
must be a man very nimble and dexterous, as well as bold and courageous:
and slew him with his own spear; as David cut off
Goliath's head with his own sword. This is supposedF12Hieron. Trad.
Heb. ut supra. (in. 2 Reg. fol. 80. C.) to be Shimei, the son of Gera, 1 Kings 2:46.
2 Samuel 23:22 22 These things
Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did, and won a name among three mighty men.
YLT
22These [things] hath Benaiah
son of Jehoiada done, and hath a name among three mighty.
These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada,.... Slew a
lion, and two lion-like men of Moab, and an Egyptian of a gigantic stature, 2 Samuel 23:20,
and had the name among three mighty men; of which he
was one, and Abishai another, the third Asahel, one of the thirty; or was over
them, 2 Samuel 23:24,
since thirty are reckoned without him. Abarbinel thinks that the third was
Adina, the son of Shiza, the Reubenite, 1 Chronicles 11:42;
since thirty were with him, and he at the head of them.
2 Samuel 23:23 23 He was more honored than
the thirty, but he did not attain to the first three. And David
appointed him over his guard.
YLT
23Of the thirty he is
honoured, and unto the three he came not; and David setteth him over his guard.
He was more honourable than the thirty,.... Whose
names are after recorded:
but he attained not to the first three; the first triumvirate,
Jashobeam, Eleazar, and Shammah; he was not equal to them for fortitude,
courage, and military exploits:
and David set him over his guard; his bodyguard, the
Cherethites and Pelethites, 2 Samuel 8:18; who
are called in the Hebrew text "his hearing"F13אל משמעתו "ad auditum
suum", Pagninus, Montanus. , because they hearkened to his orders and
commands, and obeyed them.
2 Samuel 23:24 24 Asahel the brother of Joab
was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,
YLT
24Asahel brother of Joab [is]
of the thirty; Elhanan son of Dodo of Beth-Lehem.
Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty,.... Or rather
over the thirtyF14בשלישים "supra
triginta istos", Junius & Tremellius. , who are next mentioned; since
there are thirty reckoned besides him, and the Arabic version calls him the
prince of the thirty; Joab is not named at all, because he was general of the
whole army, and so not to be reckoned in any of the three classes:
Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem: a townsman of
David.
2 Samuel 23:25 25 Shammah the Harodite,
Elika the Harodite,
YLT
25Shammah the Harodite, Elika
the Harodite,
Shammah the Harodite,.... Called Shammah the
Harorite in 1 Chronicles 11:27;
by a change of the letters ר "R" and ד "D", which is frequent:
Elika the Harodite; or who was of Harod, as the Targum; these
both were from one place: mention is made of the well of Harod, Judges 7:1.
2 Samuel 23:26 26 Helez the Paltite, Ira the
son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,
YLT
26Helez the Paltite, Ira son
of Ikkesh the Tekoite,
Helez the Paltite,.... Who was of a place called Pater, as the
Targum; in 1 Chronicles 11:27,
he is called the Pelonite:
Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite; who was of the city of
Tekoah, the native place of Amos the prophet, famous for oil, about twelve
miles from Jerusalem; See Gill on Amos 1:1.
2 Samuel 23:27 27 Abiezer the Anathothite,
Mebunnai the Hushathite,
YLT
27Abiezer the Annethothite,
Mebunnai the Hushathite,
Abiezer the Anethothite,.... He was of Anathoth,
in the tribe of Benjamin, Joshua 21:18, the
birthplace of Jeremiah the prophet, Jeremiah 1:1,
Mebunnai the Hushathite; the same with Sibbecai, 1 Chronicles 11:29;
this man had two names, and was a descendant of Hushah, who came of Judah, 1 Chronicles 4:4.
2 Samuel 23:28 28 Zalmon the Ahohite,
Maharai the Netophathite,
YLT
28Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai
the Netophathite,
Zalmon the Ahohite,.... The same with Ilai, 1 Chronicles 11:29;
a descendant of Ahoah, a grandson of Benjamin, 1 Chronicles 8:4,
Maharai the Netophathite, who was of Netophah, a
city of the tribe of Judah, mentioned along with Bethlehem, Nehemiah 7:26; a
place of this name is spoken of in the MisnahF15Misn. Peah, c. 7.
sect. 1. Sheviith, c. 9. sect. 5. , famous for artichokes and olives.
2 Samuel 23:29 29 Heleb the son of Baanah
(the Netophathite), Ittai the son of Ribai from Gibeah of the children of
Benjamin,
YLT
29Heleb son of Baanah the
Netophathite, Ittai son of Ribai from Gibeah of the sons of Benjamin,
Heleb the son of Baanah, a Netophathite,.... Called
Heled, 1 Chronicles 11:30,
Ittai the son of Ribai out of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin: sometimes
called Gibeah of Benjamin, Judges 20:10, and
Gibeah of Saul, 1 Samuel 11:4,
being a city in the tribe of Benjamin, and the birth place of Saul king of
Israel; and this man is distinguished hereby from Ittai the Gittite, 2 Samuel 15:19.
2 Samuel 23:30 30 Benaiah a Pirathonite,
Hiddai from the brooks of Gaash,
YLT
30Benaiah the Pirathonite,
Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash,
Benaiah the Pirathonite,.... Who was of Pirathon,
a city in the tribe of Ephraim, Judges 12:15.
Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash; which perhaps ran by the
hill Gaash, and was also in the tribe of Ephraim, Joshua 24:30. This
man is called Hurai, 1 Chronicles 11:32.
2 Samuel 23:31 31 Abi-Albon the Arbathite,
Azmaveth the Barhumite,
YLT
31Abi-Albon the Arbathite,
Azmaveth the Barhumite,
Abialbon the Arbathite,.... A native of
Betharabah, either in the tribe of Judah, Joshua 15:6, or in
the tribe of Benjamin, Joshua 18:18; he is
called Abiel in 1 Chronicles 11:32,
Azmaveth the Barhumite; or Bachurimite, the
letters transposed, an inhabitant of Bachurim or Bahurim, a city in the tribe
of Benjamin, 2 Samuel 16:5.
2 Samuel 23:32 32 Eliahba the Shaalbonite
(of the sons of Jashen), Jonathan,
YLT
32Eliahba the Shaalbonite,
[of] the sons of Jashen, Jonathan,
Eliahba the Shaalbonite,.... Of Shaalboa or
Shaaiabin, a city in the tribe of Dan, Joshua 19:42;
perhaps the Silbonitis of JosephusF16De Bello Jud. l. 3. c. 3. sect.
3. :
of the sons of Jashen, Jonathan; in 1 Chronicles 11:34,
it is, the sons of Hashem the Gizonite: sons are spoken of, though but one, as
in Genesis 46:23.
2 Samuel 23:33 33 Shammah the Hararite,
Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite,
YLT
33Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam
son of Sharar the Hararite,
Shammah the Hararite,.... From the mountainous
country, as the Targum; the Arabic and Syriac versions say, from the mount of
Olives:
Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite: from the high
mountain, as the Targum; in 1 Chronicles 11:35,
he is called the son of Sacar.
2 Samuel 23:34 34 Eliphelet the son of
Ahasbai, the son of the Maachathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,
YLT
34Eliphelet son of Ahasbai,
son of the Maachathite, Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,
Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maachathite,.... In 1 Chronicles 11:35,
he is called Eliphal the son of Ur:
Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite; David's
counsellor, that went off to Absalom, 2 Samuel 15:12;
Eliam his son is supposed, by the Jews, to be the father of Bathsheba, the wife
of Uriah, 2 Samuel 11:3;
according to HillerusF17Onomastic. Sacr. p. 906. , he is the same
with Ahijah the Pelonite, 1 Chronicles 11:36.
2 Samuel 23:35 35 Hezrai[e] the
Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,
YLT
35Hezrai the Carmelite,
Paarai the Arbite,
Hezrai the Carmelite,.... Of Mount Carmel; or
from Carmela, as the Targum, see 1 Samuel 25:2; he
is called Hezro, 1 Chronicles 11:37,
Paarai the Arbite; or from Arab, as the Targum, a city in the
tribe of Judah, Joshua 15:52;
according to HillerusF18Onomastic. Sacr. p. 499. , the same with
"Naarai the son of Ezbai", in 1 Chronicles 11:37.
2 Samuel 23:36 36 Igal the son of Nathan of
Zobah, Bani the Gadite,
YLT
36Igal son of Nathan from
Zobah, Bani the Gadite,
Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah,.... kingdom in Syria, 2 Samuel 8:3;
according to HillerusF19Onomastic. Sacr. p. 856. the same with Joel,
1 Chronicles 11:38,
Bani the Gadite; who was of the tribe of Gad, as the Targum;
in the room of this stands "Mibhar, the son of Haggeri", in 1 Chronicles 11:38.
2 Samuel 23:37 37 Zelek the Ammonite,
Naharai the Beerothite (armorbearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah),
YLT
37Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai
the Beerothite, bearer of the weapons of Joab son of Zeruiah,
Zelek the Ammonite,.... Who was so either by birth, and became
a proselyte; so the Targum says, he was of the children of Ammon; or is so
called, because he had sojourned some time in their land, or had done some
exploits against them; unless he was of Chepharhaammonai, a city of the tribe
of Benjamin, Joshua 18:24,
Naharai the Beerothite; native of Beeroth, a
city in the same tribe, Joshua 18:25,
armourbearer to Joab the son of Zeruiah; Joab had ten
of them, this perhaps was the chief of them, 2 Samuel 18:15; who
was advanced to be a captain, and therefore has a name and place among the
thirty, very likely for some military, exploits performed by him; he is in the
list of David's worthies, though not Joab his master, as before observed; the
reason of Joab being left out is either because he was over them all, as before
noted; according to JosephusF20Antiqu. l. 7. c. 7. sect. 1. , Uriah
the Hittite, after mentioned, was an armourbearer to Joab.
2 Samuel 23:38 38 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the
Ithrite,
YLT
38Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the
Ithrite,
Ira an Ithrite, Gareb an Ithrite. These were of Jether, as
the Targum, a descendant of Caleb, of the tribe of Judah, 1 Chronicles 2:50 1 Chronicles 4:15.
2 Samuel 23:39 39 and
Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.
YLT
39Uriah the Hittite; in all
thirty and seven.
Uriah the Hittite,.... The husband of Bathsheba; of whom See
Gill on 2 Samuel 11:3,
thirty and seven all; reckoning the three
mighty men of the first class, the three of the second, and the third class
consisting of thirty men, whose names are as above, and Joab the general and
head of them all. In 1 Chronicles 11:41,
Zabad the son of Ahlai follows Uriah as one of this catalogue; he succeeding in
honour one that soon died, particularly Elika, 2 Samuel 23:25, who
is omitted in Chronicles, where a list of fifteen more is given, 1 Chronicles 11:42;
at the head of which stands Adina a Reubenite, "and thirty" are said
to be "with him", according to our version; but should be rendered, as
by Junius and Tremellius, "but the thirty were superior to him", that
is, the above thirty; for these fifteen, though brave men, were of lesser note.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)