1 Chronicles 11:15
in 1 Chronicles 11Three of the thirty chief men went down to David, to the rock at the cave of Adullam, while a company of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And three of the thirty chief men went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam; and the host of the Philistines were encamped in the valley of Rephaim.
KJV
Now three of the thirty captains went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam; and the host of the Philistines encamped in the valley of Rephaim.
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This verse in 1 Chronicles 11
Commentary
3 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
It is probable that, when uttering the wish, David had no recollection of the military posted at Beth-lehem. It is generally taken for granted that those who fought a way to the well of Beth-lehem were the three champions just mentioned [see on 1Ch 11:13]. But this is far from being clear.
This site's exposition
Three of the thirty chief men went down
on 1 Chronicles 11:15-19
The Three broke through the Philistine camp to draw water from the well at the gate of Bethlehem, as 2 Samuel 23:13 to 17 tells. They risked their lives for a longing David never gave as a command. David refused to drink it and poured it out to the LORD.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
3 Therefore came all the elders of Israel to the king to Hebron; and David made a covenant with them in Hebron before the L ORD ; and they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of the L ORD by Samuel. 4 And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, which is Jebus; where the Jebusites were, the inhabitants of the land.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:94%@v3-4
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
And three of the thirty These three were the heads of the entire thirty.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
and a Philistine governor was then in Bethlehem for they had already taken Bethlehem and stationed a governor therein, who judged [the region].
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
17 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֵּרְד֡וּ | vaiyeredu | and they went down | H3381 → | 381 times |
| שְֽׁלוֹשָׁה֩ | sheloshah | three | H7969 → | 432 times |
| מִן־ | min- | of | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הַשְּׁלוֹשִׁ֨ים | hasheloshim | the thirty | H7970 → | 172 times |
| רֹ֤אשׁ | rosh | chief | H7218 → | 599 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | to | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הַצֻּר֙ | hatzur | the rock | H6697 → | |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| דָּוִ֔יד | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| מְעָרַ֖ת | mearat | [the] cave of | H4631 → | |
| עֲדֻלָּ֑ם | ʾadulam | Adullam | H5725 → | |
| וּמַחֲנֵ֣ה | umachaneh | and [the] camp of | H4264 → | 215 times |
| פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים | felishtim | [the] Philistines | H6430 → | 287 times |
| חֹנָ֖ה | chonah | [was] encamped | H2583 → | |
| בְּעֵ֥מֶק | beemek | in [the] valley of | H6010 → | 69 times |
| רְפָאִֽים׃ | refaim | [the] Rephaites | H7497 → | 25 times |
וַיֵּרְד֡וּand they went down
vaiyereduH3381 →381 times
שְֽׁלוֹשָׁה֩three
sheloshahH7969 →432 times
מִן־of
min-H4480 →1188 times
הַשְּׁלוֹשִׁ֨יםthe thirty
hasheloshimH7970 →172 times
רֹ֤אשׁchief
roshH7218 →599 times
עַל־to
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הַצֻּר֙the rock
hatzurH6697 →
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
דָּוִ֔ידDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
מְעָרַ֖ת[the] cave of
mearatH4631 →
עֲדֻלָּ֑םAdullam
ʾadulamH5725 →
וּמַחֲנֵ֣הand [the] camp of
umachanehH4264 →215 times
פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים[the] Philistines
felishtimH6430 →287 times
חֹנָ֖ה[was] encamped
chonahH2583 →
בְּעֵ֥מֶקin [the] valley of
beemekH6010 →69 times
רְפָאִֽים׃[the] Rephaites
refaimH7497 →25 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Joshua 15:8From there the border went up the Valley of Hinnom along the southern slope of the Jebusites (that is, Jerusalem) and ascended to the top of the hill that faces the Valley of Hinnom…
it leads to
- Joshua 18:16
Then it went down to the foot of the hill that faces the Valley of Hinnom at the northern end of the Valley of Rephaim and ran down the Valley of Hinnom toward the…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Joshua 15:63
But the descendants of Judah could not drive out the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. So to this day the Jebusites live there among the descendants of Judah.
- Joshua 18:16
Through
2 Samuel 5:18Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim.
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 23:13
At harvest time, three of the thirty chief men went down to David at the cave of Adullam, while a company of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Joshua 15:8
From there the border went up the Valley of Hinnom along the southern slope of the Jebusites (that is, Jerusalem) and ascended to the top of the hill that faces the Valley of Hinnom…
- 2 Samuel 23:13
Through
Isaiah 17:5as the reaper gathers the standing grain and harvests the ears with his arm, as one gleans heads of grain in the Valley of Rephaim.
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 5:18
Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Matthew 13:30
Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat into my barn.’”
- Joel 3:13
Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, trample the grapes, for the winepress is full; the wine vats overflow because their wickedness is great.
- Jeremiah 51:33
For this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “The Daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor at the time it is trampled. In just a little while her…
- 2 Samuel 5:18
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About 1 Chronicles

Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
