2 Samuel 23:13

13 Three of the 30 leading [warriors] went down at harvest time and came to David at the cave of Adullam,^[a] while a company of Philistines 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 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.

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

15 David was extremely thirsty and said, "If only someone would bring me water to drink from the well at the city gate of Bethlehem!"

Footnotes

• [a]. 1 Sm 22:1