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2 Samuel 23:8

in 2 Samuel 23

These are the names of David’s mighty men: Josheb-basshebeth the Tahchemonite was chief of the Three. He wielded his spear against eight hundred men, whom he killed at one time.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite, chief of the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite, against eight hundred slain at one time.

KJV

These be the names of the mighty men whom David had: The Tachmonite that sat in the seat, chief among the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite: he lift up his spear against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time.

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This verse in 2 Samuel 23

Commentary

6 notes on this verse

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

These be the names of the mighty men - This chapter should be collated with the parallel place, 1 Chronicles 11:11-47; and see Kennicott’s First Dissertation on the printed Hebrew text, pages 64-471. The Tachmonite that sat in the seat - Literally and properly, Jashobeam the Hachmonite. See 1Ch 11:11. The same was Adino the Eznite - This is a corruption for he lift up his spear. See 1Ch 11:11. Eight hundred, whom he slew at one time - Three hundred is the reading in Chronicles, and seems to be the true one.

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”.

The record, by era

The Medieval Church1 voice

A commentator

Bede

Questions on the Book of Kings #9 · Written before 735.

proposed

"He is like the most delicate worm of wood." [2 Samuel 23:8] This is said of the wisest leader of David's mighty men, whose name indeed is not mentioned in the Book of Kings, but in the Book of Chronicles he is called Jeshbaam and …

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

These be the names of the mighty men whom David had,....

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

Eleazar seems to have been left to fight the Philistines alone; and on his achieving the victory, they returned to the spoil. In like manner Shammah was left to stand alone in his glory, when the Lord, by him, wrought a great victory. It is not very easy to determine whether the exploits that are afterwards described were performed by the first or the second three.
The duplicate of this passage is in 1 Chr. 11, where it is in immediate connection with David’s accession to the throne of Israel, and where the mighty men are named as those by whose aid David was made king. The document belongs to the early part of David’s reign. The text of 2Sa 23:8-9 is perhaps to be corrected by comparison with 1Ch 11:11-12. Chief among the captains - There is great doubt about the exact meaning of this phrase. (1) the title is given to two other persons, namely, to Abishai in 2Sa 23:18; 1Ch 11:20, and to Amasa in 1Ch 12:18. (2) the word translated “captain,” is of uncertain meaning, and the orthography repeatedly fluctuates throughout this and the duplicate passage in 1 Chr. 11, between “Shalish” a captain, and “Sheloshah” three. (3) if, however, the text of Chronicles be taken as the guide, then the sense of “captain” will not come into play, but the word will be a numeral throughout, either “three” or “thirty,” and will describe David’s band of thirty mighty men, with a certain triad or triads of heroes who were yet more illustrious than the thirty. In the verse before us, therefore, for “chief among the captains,” we should render, “chief of the thirty.” Eight hundred - The parallel passage in 1 Chronicles has “three hundred,” as in 2Sa 23:18. Such variations in numerals are very frequent. Compare the numbers in Ezra 2 and Neh. 7.

The words behind it

19 Hebrew words

Every 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.

  • אֵ֛לֶּהthese

    ʾelehH428 →746 times

  • שְׁמ֥וֹת[are] [the] names of

    shemotH8034 →864 times

  • הַגִּבֹּרִ֖יםthe warriors

    hagiborimH1368 →158 times

  • אֲשֶׁ֣רwho

    ʾasherH834 →5497 times

  • לְדָוִ֑ד[belonged] to David

    ledavidH1732 →999 times

  • יֹשֵׁ֨בJosheb-

    yoshevH3429 →

  • בַּשֶּׁ֜בֶתBasshebeth

    bashevetH3429 →

  • תַּחְכְּמֹנִ֣י׀a Tahkemonite

    tachkemoniH8461 →

  • רֹ֣אשׁ[the] chief of

    roshH7218 →599 times

  • הַשָּׁלִשִׁ֗יthe three

    hashalishiH7991 →

  • ה֚וּאhe

    hu'H1931 →1879 times

  • עֲדִינ֣וֹAdino

    adinoH5722 →

  • הָֽעֶצְנִ֔יthe Eznite

    haetzniH6112 →

  • עַל־on

    ʾal-H5921 →5755 times

  • שְׁמֹנֶ֥הeight

    shemonehH8083 →109 times

  • מֵא֛וֹתhundred<s>

    meotH3967 →581 times

  • חָלָ֖ל[one] slain

    chalalH2491 →94 times

  • בְּפַ֥עַםat a time

    befaamH6471 →118 times

  • אֶחָֽת׃ סone

    ʾechadH259 →971 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

4 in all, six open

The walk

3 stops

Each 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

    1 Chronicles 27:2

    Jashobeam son of Zabdiel was in charge of the first division, which was assigned the first month. There were 24,000 men in his division.

    it leads to

    • 1 Chronicles 11:11

      This is the list of David’s mighty men: Jashobeam son of Hachmoni was chief of the officers; he wielded his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed at one time.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

  • Through

    1 Chronicles 27:32

    David’s uncle Jonathan was a counselor; he was a man of insight and a scribe. Jehiel son of Hachmoni attended to the sons of the king.

    it leads to

    • 2 Samuel 21:21

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

    • 2 Samuel 13:3

      Now Amnon had a friend named Jonadab, the son of David’s brother Shimeah. Jonadab was a very shrewd man,

Where this verse is studied

About 2 Samuel

David Mourns the Death of Absalom, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
David Mourns the Death of Absalom, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
2 Samuel: the study guide →Read 2 Samuel 23 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Questions on the Book of Kings #9; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; 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.

Read on in 2 Samuel 23 →