2 Samuel 23:19

19 He was the most honourable of the three and captain among them; however, he did not attain unto the first three.

2 Samuel 23:19 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 23:19

Was he not most honourable of three?
&c.] He was; who, besides the exploit here mentioned, did many other things; he went down with David into Saul's camp, and took away his spear and cruse, which were at his bolster, ( 1 Samuel 26:6-12 ) ; he relieved David when in danger from Ishbibenob the giant, ( 2 Samuel 21:16 2 Samuel 21:17 ) ; he beat the Edomites, and slew eighteen thousand of them in the valley of salt, ( 1 Chronicles 18:12 ) :

therefore he was their captain;
of the other two, or was head over them, took rank before them:

howbeit he attained not unto the [first] three;
for fortitude, courage, and warlike exploits, namely, to the Tachmonite, Eleazar, and Shammah.

2 Samuel 23:19 In-Context

17 Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this; is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? And he would not drink it. These three mighty men did this.

18 And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of three. And he lifted up his spear against three hundred and slew them and had a name among the three.

19 He was the most honourable of the three and captain among them; however, he did not attain unto the first three.

20 Then, Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done many acts, slew two lions of Moab; he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow.

21 He also slew an Egyptian, a man of great stature, and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, but he went down to him with a staff and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand and slew him with his own spear.