2 Samuel 23:11

11 After him was Shammah the son of Agee a Harari. The Pelishtim were gathered together into a troop, where was a plot of ground full of lentils; and the people fled from the Pelishtim.

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 was El`azar the son of Dodo the son of an Achochi, one of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Pelishtim who were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Yisra'el were gone away.
10 He arose, and struck the Pelishtim until his hand was weary, and his hand froze to the sword; and the LORD worked a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to take spoil.
11 After him was Shammah the son of Agee a Harari. The Pelishtim were gathered together into a troop, where was a plot of ground full of lentils; and the people fled from the Pelishtim.
12 But he stood in the midst of the plot, and defended it, and killed the Pelishtim; and the LORD worked a great victory.
13 Three of the thirty chief men went down, and came to David in the harvest time to the cave of `Adullam; and the troop of the Pelishtim was encamped in the valley of Refa'im.
The Hebrew Names Version is in the public domain.