2 Samuel 23 - Introduction

1 Dauid in his last words, professeth his faith in Gods promises to be beyond sence or experience.

6 The different state of the wicked.

8 A catalogue of Dauids mightie men.

1 Nowe these bee the last words of Dauid: Dauid the sonne of Iesse saide, and the man who was raised vp on high, the Anointed of the God of Iacob, and the sweet Psalmist of Israel, said,

2 The spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.

3 The God of Israel said, the Rocke of Israel spake to me: [Note: Or, be thou ruler, etc.] he that ruleth ouer men must be iust, ruling in the feare of God:

4 And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the Sunne riseth, euen a morning, without cloudes; as the tender grasse springing out of the earth by cleare shining after raine:

5 Although my house be not so with God: yet he hath made with mee an euerlasting couenant, ordred in al things and sure: for this is all my saluation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow.

6 But the sonnes of Belial shall bee all of them as thornes thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands,

7 But the man that shal touch them, must be [Note: Hebrew: filled.] fenced with yron, and the staffe of a speare, and they shall bee vtterly burnt with fire in the same place.

8 These be the names of the mightie men whome Dauid had: [Note: Or, Ioshebbassebet the Tachmonite head of the three.] The Tachmonite that sate in the seat, chiefe among the captaines, (the same was Adino the Eznite:) [Note: See 1 Chronicles 11:11.] hee lift vp his speare against eight hundred, [Note: Hebrew: slaine.] whom he slew at one time.

9 And after him was [Note: 1 Chronicles 11:12.] Eleazar the sonne of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mightie men with Dauid, when they defied the Philistines that were

[Dauids worthies, and valiant men.]

there gathered together to battell, and the men of Israel were gone away.

10 He arose, and smote the Philistines vntill his hand was wearie, and his hand claue vnto the sword: and the Lord wrought a great victorie that day, and the people returned after him onely to spoile.

11 And after him was [Note: 1 Chronicles 11:27.] Shammah the sonne of Agee the Hararite: and the Philistines were gathered together [Note: Or, for forraging.] into a troupe, where was a piece of ground full of lentiles: and the people fled from the Philistines.

12 But hee stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slewe the Philistines: and the Lord wrought a great victorie.

13 And [Note: Or, the three captaines ouer the thirtie.] three of the thirtie chiefe went downe and came to Dauid in the haruest time, vnto the caue of Adullam: and the troupe of the Philistines pitched in the valley of Rephaim.

14 And Dauid was then in an holde, and the garison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.

15 And Dauid longed, and said, Oh that one would giue mee drinke of the water of the well of Bethlehem which is by the gate.

16 And the three mightie men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the Well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and tooke it, and brought it to Dauid: neuerthelesse he would not drinke thereof, but powred it out vnto the Lord.

17 And he said, Be it farre from me, O Lord, that I should doe this: is not this the blood of the men that went in ieopardie of their liues? therefore he would not drinke it. These things did these three mightie men.

18 And [Note: 1 Chronicles 11:20.] Abishai the brother of Ioab, the sonne of Zeruiah, was chiefe among three, and he lift vp his speare against three hundred, [Note: Hebrew: slaine.] and slew them, and had the name among three.

19 Was hee not most honourable of three? therefore he was their captaine: howbeit, hee attained not vnto the first three.

20 And Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada the sonne of a valiant man, of Kabzeel, [Note: Hebrew: great of acts.] who had done many actes, he slew two [Note: Hebrew: lion of God.] lion-like men of Moab: hee went downe also, and slewe a Lyon in the middest of a pit in time of snow.

[Dauids worthies.]

21 And he slew an Egyptian [Note: cf2\i Hebrew: a man of countenance or sight: called 1 Chronicles 11:23.a man of great stature.] a goodly man: and the Egyptian had a speare in his hand; but he went downe to him with a staffe, and plucked the speare out of the Egyptians hand, and slewe him with his owne speare.

22 These things did Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada, and had the name among three mightie men.

23 Hee was [Note: Or, honourable among the thirtie.] more honourable then the thirtie, but hee attained not to the first three: and Dauid set him ouer his [Note: Or, Councill: Hebrew: at his command] guard.

24 [Note: 2 Samuel 2:18.] Asahel the brother of Ioab was one of the thirtie: Elhanan the sonne of Dodo of Bethlehem,

25 Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,

26 Helez the [Note: 1 Chronicles 11:27.] Paltite, Ira the sonne of Ikkesh the Tekoite,

27 Abiezer the Anethothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite,

28 Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,

29 Heleb the sonne of Baanah, a Netophathite, Ittai the sonne of Ribai out of Gibeah of the children of Beniamin.

30 Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai of the [Note: Or, valleys.] brookes of Gaash,

31 Abialbon the Arbathite, Azmaueth the Barhumite,

32 Elihaba the Shaalbonite: of the sonnes of Iashen, Ionathan,

33 Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the sonne of Sharar the Hararite,

34 Eliphelet the sonne of Ahasbai, the sonne of the Maachathite, Eliam the sonne of Ahithophel the Gilonite,

35 Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,

36 Igal the sonne of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite,

37 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite, armour-bearer to Ioab the sonne of Zeruiah,

38 Ira an Ithrite, Gareb an Ithrite,

39 Uriah the Hittite: thirtie and seuen in all.