John Gill

That is not the case. But a man named Sheba son of Bichri, from the hill country of Ephraim, has lifted up his hand against the king, against David.

“The matter is not so,.... I am not come with the army against this city with any ill will to it, and with an intention to destroy it: the case is this: but a man of Mount Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name…”

Adoram was in charge of the forced labor; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder;

“And Adoram was over the tribute,.... Or over those that collected and brought it, as the Targum; this was a new office, and which respected both the revenue he received from his own people, and the tribute brought him from the nations conquered by him…”

Sheva was the scribe; Zadok and Abiathar were priests;

“And Sheva was scribe,.... Either the same with Benaiah, or he was dead or removed, and Sheva was put in his place, see 2Sa 8:17, and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests; as before; See Gill on 2Sa 8:17.”

he went and took the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from the men of Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the public square of Beth-shan where the Philistines…

“And David went and took the bones of Saul, and the bones of Jonathan his son, from the men of Jabeshgilead,....”

So David had the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan brought from there, along with the bones of those who had been hanged.

“And he brought up from thence the bones of Saul, and the bones of Jonathan his son,.... Which had been buried there under an oak, 1Ch 10:12, and they gathered the bones of them that were hanged; the seven sons of Saul, who had been…”

and when he taunted Israel, Jonathan the son of David’s brother Shimei killed him.

“And when he defied Israel,.... The armies of Israel, as Goliath had done some years ago, 1Sa 17:10, Jonathan the son of Shimea the brother of David slew him; this brother of David is called Shammah, 1Sa 16:9; and Shimma, 1Ch 2:13; this son of…”

So these four descendants of Rapha in Gath fell at the hands of David and his servants.

“These four were born to the giant in Gath,.... Not to Goliath, for one of them was his brother, but to some giant or another of that place, for which it was famous; they were all of them of the race of the giants; and…”

And after him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines had banded together near a field full of lentils, Israel’s troops fled from them.

“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…”

At that time David was in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was at Bethlehem.

“And David was then in an hold,.... In a strong hold; the strong hold of Zion, as Josephus (x), or one on a rock near the cave of Adullam, see 1Ch 11:15, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem; which was about…”

David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!”

“And David longed, and said,.... It being harvest time, the summer season, and hot weather, and he thirsty: oh, that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!”

And Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a man of valor from Kabzeel, a man of many exploits.

“And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel,.... A city in the tribe of Judah, Jos 15:21; the father of this man was a man of great vivacity, valour, and strength, so that it was like father like son.”

These were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who won a name alongside the three mighty men.

“These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada,.... Slew a lion, and two lion-like men of Moab, and an Egyptian of a gigantic stature, 2Sa 23:20, and had the name among three mighty men; of which he was one, and Abishai another, the third Asahel…”

He was most honored among the Thirty, but he did not become one of the Three. And David appointed him over his guard.

“He was more honourable than the thirty,.... Whose names are after recorded: but he attained not to the first three; the first triumvirate, Jashobeam, Eleazar, and Shammah; he was not equal to them for fortitude, courage, and military exploits: and David set him over his…”

Now these were members of the Thirty: Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan son of Dodo of Bethlehem,

“Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty,.... Or rather over the thirty (n), who are next mentioned; since there are thirty reckoned besides him, and the Arabic version calls him the prince of the thirty; Joab is not named at all, because…”

Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,

“Shammah the Harodite,.... Called Shammah the Harorite in 1Ch 11:27; by a change of the letters ר "R" and ד "D", which is frequent: Elika the Harodite; or who was of Harod, as the Targum; these both were from one place: mention is made of…”

Helez the Paltite, Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,

“Helez the Paltite,.... Who was of a place called Pater, as the Targum; in 1Ch 11:27, he is called the Pelonite: Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite; who was of the city of Tekoah, the native place of Amos the prophet, famous for oil…”

Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite,

“Abiezer the Anethothite,.... He was of Anathoth, in the tribe of Benjamin, Jos 21:18, the birthplace of Jeremiah the prophet, Jer 1:1, Mebunnai the Hushathite; the same with Sibbecai, 1Ch 11:29; this man had two names, and was a descendant of Hushah, who came of…”

Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,

“Zalmon the Ahohite,.... The same with Ilai, 1Ch 11:29; a descendant of Ahoah, a grandson of Benjamin, 1Ch 8:4, Maharai the Netophathite, who was of Netophah, a city of the tribe of Judah, mentioned along with Bethlehem, Neh 7:26; a place of this name is…”

Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai son of Ribai from Gibeah of the Benjamites,

“Heleb the son of Baanah, a Netophathite,.... Called Heled, 1Ch 11:30, Ittai the son of Ribai out of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin: sometimes called Gibeah of Benjamin, Jdg 20:10, and Gibeah of Saul, 1Sa 11:4, being a city in the tribe of Benjamin…”

Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai from the brooks of Gaash,

“Benaiah the Pirathonite,.... Who was of Pirathon, a city in the tribe of Ephraim, Jdg 12:15. Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash; which perhaps ran by the hill Gaash, and was also in the tribe of Ephraim, Jos 24:30.”

Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite,

“Abialbon the Arbathite,.... A native of Betharabah, either in the tribe of Judah, Jos 15:6, or in the tribe of Benjamin, Jos 18:18; he is called Abiel in 1Ch 11:32, Azmaveth the Barhumite; or Bachurimite, the letters transposed, an inhabitant of Bachurim or Bahurim, a…”

Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen,

“Eliahba the Shaalbonite,.... Of Shaalboa or Shaaiabin, a city in the tribe of Dan, Jos 19:42; perhaps the Silbonitis of Josephus (p): of the sons of Jashen, Jonathan; in 1Ch 11:34, it is, the sons of Hashem the Gizonite: sons are spoken of, though but…”

Jonathan son of Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam son of Sharar the Hararite,

“Shammah the Hararite,.... From the mountainous country, as the Targum; the Arabic and Syriac versions say, from the mount of Olives: Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite: from the high mountain, as the Targum; in 1Ch 11:35, he is called the son of Sacar.”

Eliphelet son of Ahasbai the Maacathite, Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,

“Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maachathite,.... In 1Ch 11:35, he is called Eliphal the son of Ur: Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite; David's counsellor, that went off to Absalom, 2Sa 15:12; Eliam his son is supposed, by the Jews…”

Hezro the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,

“Hezrai the Carmelite,.... Of Mount Carmel; or from Carmela, as the Targum, see 1Sa 25:2; he is called Hezro, 1Ch 11:37, Paarai the Arbite; or from Arab, as the Targum, a city in the tribe of Judah, Jos 15:52; according to Hillerus (r), the same…”