2 Samuel 23:8-39

David's Mighty Men. 2 Samuel 23:8-39

8 These be the names of the mighty men whom David had: The Tachmonite that sat in the seat, chief among the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite: he lifted up his spear against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time.

9 And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away:

10 He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword: and the Lord wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil.
11 And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentils: and the people fled from the Philistines.

12 But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the Lord wrought a great victory.
13 And three of the thirty chief went down, and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam: and the troop of the Philistines pitched in the valley of Rephaim.
14 And David was then in a hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Beth-lehem.

15 And David longed, and said, Oh, that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Beth-lehem, which is by the gate!

16 And the three mighty men brake through the host 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: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the Lord.

17 And he said, Be it far from me, O Lord, that I should do this: is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men.

18 And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief among three. And he lifted up his spear against three hundred, and slew them, and had the name among three.

19 Was he not most honorable of three? therefore he was their captain: howbeit he attained not unto the first three.

20 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man, of Kabzeel, who had done many acts, he slew two lionlike men of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow:
21 And he slew an Egyptian, a goodly man: and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but 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.
22 These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had the name among three mighty men.

23 He was more honorable than the thirty, but he attained not to the first three. And David set him over his guard.

24 Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Beth-lehem,

25 Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,
26 Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,
27 Abiezer the Anethothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite,
28 Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,
29 Heleb the son of Baanah, a Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai out of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin,
30 Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash,
31 Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite,
32 Eliahba the Shaalbonite, of the sons of Jashen, Jonathan.
33 Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite,
34 Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maachathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,
35 Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Abrite,
36 Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite,
37 Zelek the Ammonite, Nahari the Beerothite, armor-bearer to Joab the son of Zeruiah,
38 Ira an Ithrite, Gareb an Ithrite,
39 Uriah the Hittite: thirty and seven in all.

5.

Who were David's mighty men? 2 Samuel 23:8-39

David had a fine list of officers who were responsible for many of the affairs of state, and they were listed on two occasions (2 Samuel 8:14-18; 2 Samuel 20:23-26). In addition to these leaders, David had three chief officers, and thirty-four other mighty men. The officers are listed here and also in 1 Chronicles 11 and 1 Chronicles 27. A comparison of the listings of the names is as follows:

A listing is as follows:

2 Samuel 23

1 Chronicles 11[2]

1 Chronicles 27

Adino

Jashobeam

Jashobeam

Eleazar

Eleazar

Dodai

Shammah

Abishai

Abishai

Benaiah

Benaiah

Benaiah

Asahel

Asahel

Asahel

Elhanan

Elhanan

Shammah

Shammoth

Shamhuth

Elika

Helez

Helez

Helez

Ira

Ira

Ira

Abiezer

Abiezer

Abiezer

Mebunnai

Sibbecai

Sibbecai

Zalmon

Ilai

Maharai

Maharai

Maharai

Heleb

Heled

Heldai

Ittai

Ithai

Benaiah

Benaiah

Benaiah

Hiddai

Hurai

Abi-albon

Abiel

Azmaveth

Azmaveth

Eliahba

Eliahba

(The sons of) Jashen

(The sons of) Hashem

Jonathan

Jonathan

Ahiam

Ahiam

Eliphelet

Eliphal

Shammah of

Hepher

Harar

Eliam

Abijah

Hezro

Hezro

Paarai

Naarai

Igal

Joel

Bani

Mibhar

Zelek

Zelek

Naharai

Naharai

Ira

Ira

Gareb

Gareb

Uriah

Uriah

[2] In 1 Chronicles 11 sixteen additional names are given.

6.

How had these men attained to their rank? 2 Samuel 23:8

Adoni had won his rank as chief among the captains when he had slain 800 men on one occasion (2 Samuel 23:8). Eleazar, another of the three mighty men of David, had fought so valiantly that his hand had tensed; and when the battle was done, he could not unclasp his sword (2 Samuel 23:10). Shammah had stood his ground in the midst of a field and achieved a mighty victory against the Philistines (2 Samuel 23:11-12). Others had performed similar feats of courage and valor which had earned them places of leadership in David's army.

7.

When had the three mighty men befriended David? 2 Samuel 23:13-17

Three of David's thirty chief men had gone down to the well at Bethlehem to get some of the water from the well in order to quench David's thirst. David must have longed for a taste of this water when he was fleeing from Saul and staying in Adullam (1 Samuel 22:1). It was while David was there that his parents had come to him. He must have reminisced on the occasion and thought how good would be the taste of some water from the well from which he had drunk as a lad at home in Bethlehem. Three of his mighty men broke through the lines of the Philistines and got the water out of the well which was by the gate of Bethlehem and brought some of it to David. David refused to drink of it and poured it out before the Lord. David did not do this because he did not appreciate the sacrifice the men had made in getting it for him, but he felt unworthy to drink the water after they had risked their lives to get it. He poured it out as an offering to the Lord. These three mighty men had endeared themselves to David by putting their lives in jeopardy to do a service for him.

8.

What other feats had his mighty men performed? 2 Samuel 23:18

Abishai, Jacob's brother, who had led a third of David's army when they put down the revolt of Absalom's army, had slain 300 men at one time, This had built quite a reputation for him (2 Samuel 23:18). Benaiah had slain two lion-like men of Moab and had also gone down and killed a lion in the midst of a pit in the time of snow (2 Samuel 23:20). He had also killed an Egyptian who had a reputation as a fierce fighter (2 Samuel 23:21). The reference to his killing a lion in the midst of the snow is a unique reference to some of the circumstances of the land. Lions were not common and it must have been a mountain lion. It must have been killed in the heights where snow would be most likely to fall. Reference was made to Asahel in David's list of mighty men (2 Samuel 23:24), although he had died quite early at the hands of Abner (2 Samuel 2:18). Uriah, the Hittite, the husband of Bathsheba, was also mentioned. He had indeed proved himself to be a valiant soldier, and his death arose out of the tragic circumstances of David's sin with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 23:39).