2 Samuel 23:11

11 After him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines had assembled [in formation] where there was a field full of lentils. The troops fled from the Philistines,

2 Samuel 23:11 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 23:11

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 Josephus F21 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 Genesis 25:34 ) ;

and the people fled from the Philistines;
as they did before under Eleazar, ( 2 Samuel 23:9 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F21 Antiqu. l. 7. c. 12. sect. 4.

2 Samuel 23:11 In-Context

9 After him, Eleazar son of Dodo son of Ahohi was among the three warriors with David when they defied the Philistines. The men of Israel retreated in the place they had gathered for battle,
10 but Eleazar stood [his ground] and attacked the Philistines until his hand was tired and stuck to his sword. The Lord brought about a great victory that day. Then the troops came back to him, but only to plunder the dead.
11 After him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines had assembled [in formation] where there was a field full of lentils. The troops fled from the Philistines,
12 but Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field, defended it, and struck down the Philistines. So the Lord brought about a great victory.
13 Three of the 30 leading [warriors] went down at harvest time and came to David at the cave of Adullam, while a company of Philistines was camping in the Valley of Rephaim.
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