2 Samuel 23:12

12 but Shammah took a position in the middle of the plot, defended it, and struck down the Philistines. The LORD accomplished a great victory.

2 Samuel 23:12 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 23:12

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 1 Chronicles 11:14 ) ; 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 23:12 In-Context

10 but he stood his ground and fought the Philistines until his hand was weary and stuck to the sword. But the LORD accomplished a great victory that day. The troops then returned to Eleazar, but only to plunder the dead.

11 Next in command was Agee's son Shammah, who was from Harar. The Philistines had gathered at Lehi, where there was a plot of land full of lentils. The troops fled from the Philistines,

12 but Shammah took a position in the middle of the plot, defended it, and struck down the Philistines. The LORD accomplished a great victory.

13 At harvesttime, three of the thirty chiefs went down and joined David at the fortress of Adullam, while a force of Philistines were camped in the Rephaim Valley.

14 At that time, David was in the fortress, and a Philistine fort was in Bethlehem