2 Samuel 23:12

12 But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field. He defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the LORD brought about a great victory.

2 Samuel 23:12 in Other Translations

12 But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the LORD wrought a great victory.

12 But he took his stand in the midst of the plot and defended it and struck down the Philistines, and the LORD worked a great victory.

12 but Shammah held his ground in the middle of the field and beat back the Philistines. So the LORD brought about a great victory.

12 , but Shammah took his stand at the center of the field, successfully defended it, and routed the Philistines. Another great victory for God!

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.

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 Eleazar stood his ground and struck down the Philistines till his hand grew tired and froze to the sword. The LORD brought about a great victory that day. The troops returned to Eleazar, but only to strip the dead.

11 Next to him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines banded together at a place where there was a field full of lentils, Israel’s troops fled from them.

12 But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field. He defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the LORD brought about a great victory.

13 During harvest time, three of the thirty chief warriors came down to David at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.

14 At that time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem.