1 Chronicles 11:11-47

11 This is an account of David's mighty men: ¹Jashobeam, a ²Hachmonite, was ³chief of the three.^[a] He wielded his spear against 300 whom he killed at one time.

12 And next to him among the three mighty men was Eleazar the son of ⁴Dodo, the Ahohite.

13 He was with David at Pas-dammim ⁵when the Philistines were gathered there for battle. There was a plot of ground full of barley, and the men fled from the Philistines.

14 But he took his^[b] stand in the midst of the plot and defended it and killed the Philistines. And the LORD saved them by a great victory.

15 Three of the thirty chief men went down to the rock to David at the cave of Adullam, when the army of Philistines was encamped in the ⁶Valley of Rephaim.

16 David was then in the stronghold, and the ⁷garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem.

17 And David said longingly, "Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate!"

18 Then the three mighty men broke through the camp 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. But David would not drink it. He poured it out to the LORD

19 and said, "Far be it from me before my God that I should do this. Shall I drink the lifeblood of these men? For at the risk of their lives they brought it." Therefore he would not drink it. These things did the three mighty men.

20 Now Abishai, the brother of Joab, was chief of the thirty.^[c] And he wielded his spear against 300 men and killed them and won a name beside the three.

21 He was the most renowned^[d] of the thirty^[e] and became their commander, but he did not attain to the three.

22 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was a valiant man^[f] of Kabzeel, a doer of great deeds. He struck down two heroes of Moab. He also went down and struck down a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen.

23 And he struck down an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits^[g] tall. The Egyptian had in his hand a spear ⁸like a weaver's beam, but Benaiah went down to him with a staff and snatched the spear out of the Egyptian's hand and killed him with his own spear.

24 These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and won a name beside the three mighty men.

25 He was renowned among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David set him over his bodyguard.

26 The mighty men were ⁹Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,

27 Shammoth of Harod,^[h] Helez the Pelonite,

28 Ira the son of Ikkesh of Tekoa, Abiezer of Anathoth,

29 Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite,

30 Maharai of Netophah, Heled the son of Baanah of Netophah,

31 Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the people of Benjamin, Benaiah of Pirathon,

32 Hurai of the brooks of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite,

33 Azmaveth of Baharum, Eliahba the Shaalbonite,

34 Hashem^[i] the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Shagee the Hararite,

35 Ahiam the son of Sachar the Hararite, Eliphal the son of Ur,

36 Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite,

37 Hezro of Carmel, Naarai the son of Ezbai,

38 Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the son of ¹⁰Hagri,

39 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai of Beeroth, the armor-bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah,

40 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,

41 Uriah the Hittite, ¹¹Zabad the son of Ahlai,

42 Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a leader of the Reubenites, and thirty with him,

43 Hanan the son of Maacah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite,

44 Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite,

45 Jediael the son of Shimri, and Joha his brother, the Tizite,

46 Eliel the Mahavite, and Jeribai, and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam, and Ithmah the Moabite,

47 Eliel, and Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.

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1 Chronicles 11:11-47 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 CHRONICLES 11

This chapter treats of David's being anointed king by all Israel, 1Ch 11:1-3, which agrees with 2Sa 5:1-3 \\See Gill on "2Sa 5:1"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 5:2"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 5:3"\\ and of his taking Jerusalem from the Jebusites, 1Ch 11:4-9 the account of which we have 2Sa 5:6-10. \\See Gill on "2Sa 5:6"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 5:7"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 5:8"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 5:9"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 5:10"\\ only here we are told, that it was Joab that smote the Jebusites first, and so was made chief captain according to David's promise; and that he also repaired the rest of the city David built round about; perhaps the fortifications demolished in taking it, 1Ch 11:6,8 or rather, as others give the sense, he "saved alive" {b} those that remained in the city, after he had slain the lame and the blind; though a learned {c} writer conjectures it should be read, "and Joab hyhy was made rv the governor of the city"; and the Targum is,

``Joab governed the rest of the city.''

And then follows an account of David's mighty men and worthies, 1Ch 11:10-41 of whom see the notes on \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:8"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:9"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:10"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:11"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:12"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:13"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:14"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:15"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:16"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:17"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:18"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:19"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:20"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:21"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:22"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:23"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:24"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:25"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:26"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:27"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:28"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:29"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:30"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:31"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:32"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:33"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:34"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:35"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:36"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:37"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:38"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:39"\\ and others are added here, 1Ch 11:42-47 of whom we know no more than their names.

{b} rav ta hyxy "vivas conservavit urbis reliquias", Junius & Tremellius; Strigelius in Poli Synops. in loc. {c} Dr. Kennicot's State of the Hebrew Text, dissert. 1. p. 54. 18633-941231-2014-1Ch11.2

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 11

1. [2 Samuel 23:8]
2. [2 Samuel 23:8]
3. [1 Chronicles 12:18]
4. [1 Chronicles 27:4]
5. [2 Samuel 23:11, 12]
6. 1 Chronicles 14:8
7. [1 Samuel 10:5]
8. 1 Samuel 17:7
9. 1 Chronicles 27:7
10. [1 Chronicles 5:10]
11. [1 Chronicles 2:36]

Footnotes 9

[a]. Compare 2 Samuel 23:8; Hebrew thirty, or captains
[b]. Compare 2 Samuel 23:12; Hebrew they... their
[c]. Syriac; Hebrew three
[d]. Compare 2 Samuel 23:19; Hebrew more renowned among the two
[e]. Syriac; Hebrew three
[f]. Syriac; Hebrew the son of a valiant man
[g]. A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
[h]. Compare 2 Samuel 23:25; Hebrew the Harorite
[i]. Compare Septuagint and 2 Samuel 23:32; Hebrew the sons of Hashem

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.