2 Samuel 23:12

12 , but Shammah took his stand at the center of the field, successfully defended it, and routed the Philistines. Another great victory for God!

2 Samuel 23:12 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 23:12

But he stood in the midst of the ground
The field of lentiles:

and defended it;
the field, so that the Philistines could not ravage it, and get food and forage from it:

and slew the Philistines;
made a great slaughter among them, entirely routed them, so that they that escaped his sword were obliged to flee:

and the Lord wrought a great victory;
to whom the glory of it belonged; a similar fact is ascribed to Eleazar before mentioned in ( 1 Chronicles 11:13 1 Chronicles 11:14 ) ; and, indeed, it seems to be the same, and in which they were both concerned; for it is plain from the account that there were more than one engaged in this action, since it is there said, "and they set themselves in the midst of that parcel"; and though that parcel of ground is said there to be full of barley, it may easily be reconciled by observing, that one part of it might be sowed with barley, and the other part with lentiles; so the Targum in ( 1 Chronicles 11:13 ) ; for it was half lentiles and half barley; and Eleazar might be placed to defend the one, and Shammah the other; from whence it appears it was about March when this action was, at the latter end of which barley harvest began.

2 Samuel 23:12 In-Context

10 But Eleazar stood his ground and killed Philistines right and left until he was exhausted - but he never let go of his sword! A big win for God that day. The army then rejoined Eleazar, but all there was left to do was the clean-up.

11 Shammah son of Agee the Hararite was the third of the Three. The Philistines had mustered for battle at Lehi, where there was a field full of lentils. Israel fled before the Philistines

12 , but Shammah took his stand at the center of the field, successfully defended it, and routed the Philistines. Another great victory for God!

13 One day during harvest, the Three parted from the Thirty and joined David at the Cave of Adullam. A squad of Philistines had set up camp in the Valley of Rephaim.

14 While David was holed up in the Cave, the Philistines had their base camp in Bethlehem