2 Samuel 23:13

13 At harvest time three of the thirty leading men came to David at the cave of Adullam when a troop from the Philistine army was camping in the valley of Rephaim.

2 Samuel 23:13 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 23:13

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 Josephus ^F23; 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).

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FOOTNOTES:

F23 Antiqu. l. 7. c. 12. sect. 4.

2 Samuel 23:13 In-Context

11 Next in rank to him was Shammah, the son of Agee from Harar. The Philistines had gathered at Lehi, where there was a field of ripe lentils. When the troops fled from the Philistines,

12 he stood in the middle of the field and defended it by killing Philistines. So the LORD won an impressive victory.

13 At harvest time three of the thirty leading men came to David at the cave of Adullam when a troop from the Philistine army was camping in the valley of Rephaim.

14 While David was in the fortified camp, Philistine troops were at Bethlehem.

15 When David became thirsty, he said, "I wish I could have a drink of water from the well at the city gate of Bethlehem."