2 Samuel 23:13

13 And three^[a]* of the thirty chief went down, and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam: and the troop of the Philistines pitched 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 And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentiles: and the people fled from the Philistines.

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

13 And three of the thirty chief went down, and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam: and the troop of the Philistines pitched in the valley of Rephaim.

14 And David was then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.

15 And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!

Footnotes

• [a]. three...: or, the three captains over the thirty