2 Samuel 23:10
in 2 Samuel 23but Eleazar stood his ground and struck the Philistines until his hand grew weary and stuck to his sword. The LORD brought about a great victory that day. Then the troops returned to him, but only to plunder the dead.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword; and Jehovah wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to take spoil.
KJV
He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword: and the Lord wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil.
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This verse in 2 Samuel 23
Commentary
6 notes on this verseA commentator
Charles Spurgeon1834–1892
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 3193: “The Man Whose Hand Stuck to His Sword” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) · Written before 1892.
IN David's muster-roll we find the names of many mighties and they are honored by being found there. These men came to David when his fortunes were at the lowest ebb and he, himself, was regarded as a rebel and an outlaw. And they remained faithful to him throughout their lives. Happy are they who can follow a good cause in its worst estate, for theirs is true glory. Weary of the evil government of Saul, they struck out a path for themselves in which they could best serve their country and their God.
This site's exposition
These are the names of David’s mighty men
on 2 Samuel 23:8-12
Over Eleazar, whose hand “grew weary and stuck to his sword”, and over Shammah, the roll says that “the LORD brought about a great victory”. The deeds are told plainly: a tired hand, one field held, and troops returning “only to plunder the dead”.
This site's exposition
stuck to his sword
His hand stuck to his sword. Matthew Henry observes that troops who leave the field when work is to be done return when there is plunder to take. Charles Spurgeon notes that these mighty men joined David when he was counted an outlaw and stayed faithful all their lives.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary,....
It is common for those who quit the field, when any thing is to be done to hasten to it when any thing is to be gotten. (3.) Shammah met with a party of the enemy, that were foraging, and routed them,
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Charles Spurgeon1834–1892
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 3193: “The Man Whose Hand Stuck to His Sword” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) · Written before 1892.
proposed
IN David's muster-roll we find the names of many mighties and they are honored by being found there. These men came to David when his fortunes were at the lowest ebb and he, himself, was regarded as a rebel and an outlaw. And they remained faithful to him throughout their lives. Happy are they who can follow a good cause in its worst estate, for theirs is true glory. Weary of the evil government of Saul, they struck out a path for themselves in which they could best serve their country and their God. And though this entailed great risks, they were amply rewarded by the honors which in due time they shared with their leader. When David came to the throne, how glad their hearts must have been! And when he went on conquering and to conquer, how they must have rejoiced, each one of them remembering with intense delight the privations which they had shared with their captain. Brothers, we do not ourselves aspire to be numbered with the warlike. The roll of battle does not contain our names and we do not wish that it should. But there is a roll which is now being made up—a roll of heroes who do and dare for Christ, who go outside the camp and take up His reproach and, with confidence in God, earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints and venture all for Jesus Christ! And there will come a day when it will be infinitely more honorable to find one's name in the lowest place in this list of Christ's faithful disciples than to be numbered with princes and kings! Blessed is he who can this day cast in his lot with the Son of David and share His reproach, for the day shall come when the Master's Glory shall be reflected upon all His followers! I. We will now turn our attention to one particular hero, Eleazar, the son of Dodo, and see what he did for his king and country. Our text records one of his feats.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
But only to strip [the corpses]. Yonoson translates: "To strip the dead." There was no one to help him kill [the Pelishtim] but they were all stripping the corpses after [he had killed them].
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. 4 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
23 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ה֣וּא | hu' | he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| קָם֩ | kam | he arose | H6965 → | 628 times |
| וַיַּ֨ךְ | vaiyakh | and he struck down | H5221 → | 499 times |
| בַּפְּלִשְׁתִּ֜ים | bapelishtim | among the Philistines | H6430 → | 287 times |
| עַ֣ד׀ | ʾad | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| יָגְעָ֣ה | yageah | it was weary | H3021 → | |
| יָד֗וֹ | yado | hand his | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| וַתִּדְבַּ֤ק | vatidbak | and it cleaved | H1692 → | 54 times |
| יָדוֹ֙ | yado | hand his | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַחֶ֔רֶב | hacherev | the sword | H2719 → | 413 times |
| וַיַּ֧עַשׂ | vaiyaas | and he did | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| יְהוָ֛ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| תְּשׁוּעָ֥ה | teshuah | a deliverance | H8668 → | 34 times |
| גְדוֹלָ֖ה | gedolah | great | H1419 → | 526 times |
| בַּיּ֣וֹם | baiyom | on the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| הַה֑וּא | hahu' | <the> that | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| וְהָעָ֛ם | vehaam | and the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| יָשֻׁ֥בוּ | yashuvu | they returned | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| אַחֲרָ֖יו | ʾacharav | after him | H310 → | 715 times |
| אַךְ־ | ʾakh- | only | H389 → | 161 times |
| לְפַשֵּֽׁט׃ ס | lefashet | to strip | H6584 → |
ה֣וּאhe
hu'H1931 →1879 times
קָם֩he arose
kamH6965 →628 times
וַיַּ֨ךְand he struck down
vaiyakhH5221 →499 times
בַּפְּלִשְׁתִּ֜יםamong the Philistines
bapelishtimH6430 →287 times
עַ֣ד׀until
ʾadH5704 →1261 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
יָגְעָ֣הit was weary
yageahH3021 →
יָד֗וֹhand his
yadoH3027 →1618 times
וַתִּדְבַּ֤קand it cleaved
vatidbakH1692 →54 times
יָדוֹ֙hand his
yadoH3027 →1618 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הַחֶ֔רֶבthe sword
hacherevH2719 →413 times
וַיַּ֧עַשׂand he did
vaiyaasH6213 →2628 times
יְהוָ֛הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
תְּשׁוּעָ֥הa deliverance
teshuahH8668 →34 times
גְדוֹלָ֖הgreat
gedolahH1419 →526 times
בַּיּ֣וֹםon the day
baiyomH3117 →2304 times
הַה֑וּא<the> that
hahu'H1931 →1879 times
וְהָעָ֛םand the people
vehaamH5971 →1873 times
יָשֻׁ֥בוּthey returned
yashuvuH7725 →1056 times
אַחֲרָ֖יוafter him
ʾacharavH310 →715 times
אַךְ־only
ʾakh-H389 →161 times
לְפַשֵּֽׁט׃ סto strip
lefashetH6584 →
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
Isaiah 53:12Therefore I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the spoils with the strong, because He has poured out His life unto death, and He was numbered with the…
it leads to
- Luke 22:37
For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in Me: ‘And He was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about Me is reaching its fulfillment.”
- Hebrews 9:28
so also Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await Him.
- Mark 15:27
Along with Jesus, they crucified two robbers, one on His right and one on His left.
- Luke 23:32–34
Two others, who were criminals, were also led away to be executed with Jesus.
- Colossians 1:13–14
He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of His beloved Son,
- Luke 22:37
Through
1 Samuel 19:5He took his life in his hands when he struck down the Philistine, and the LORD worked a great salvation for all Israel. You saw it and rejoiced, so why would you sin against…
it leads to
- 1 Chronicles 11:14
But Eleazar and David stationed themselves in the middle of the field and defended it. They struck down the Philistines, and the LORD brought about a great victory.
- 1 Samuel 11:13
But Saul ordered, “No one shall be put to death this day, for today the LORD has worked salvation in Israel.”
- 1 Samuel 20:32
“Why must he be put to death?” Jonathan replied. “What has he done?”
- 1 Chronicles 11:14
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 2 Samuel
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 3193: “The Man Whose Hand Stuck to His Sword” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Books of Samuel and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.