2 Samuel 23:13

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.

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 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.

14 David was then in the stronghold; and the garrison of the Pelishtim was then in Beit-Lechem

15 David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me water to drink of the well of Beit-Lechem, which is by the gate!