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2 Samuel 23:12

in 2 Samuel 23

But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field, defended it, and struck down the Philistines. So the LORD brought about a great victory.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

But he stood in the midst of the plot, and defended it, and slew the Philistines; and Jehovah wrought a great victory.

KJV

But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the Lord wrought a great victory.

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This verse in 2 Samuel 23

Commentary

6 notes on this verse
Notice, the victory was the Lord’s doing, but Shammah had to take his stand and defend the crop. He had a part to play! For us, this will always be the case.

This site's exposition

These be the names of the mighty men

on 2 Samuel 23:8-12

The kingdom was won by named men, and the book writes their names down before it closes. The first three carry one refrain, the LORD wrought a great victory, said over Eleazar whose hand clave unto the sword and over Shammah who held a lentil field alone, so the roll of heroes credits God in its own words. The exploits are told without ornament: a weary hand, a bean patch, and the people returning only to spoil.

This site's exposition

took his stand in the middle

Matthew Henry holds that the annals record more of David's blemishes than his glories after Uriah, so his reign was greater than it appears. He gives the praise for the victory to God, since these men fought and God wrought it. Shammah held one field.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices

But he stood in the midst of the ground,....

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

Many great and remarkable events are passed by in the annals, which relate rather the blemishes than the glories of David's reign, especially after his sin in the matter Uriah; so that we may conclude his reign to have been really more illustrious than it has appeared to us while reading the records of it. The exploits of this brave triumvirate are here recorded.

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

Note, How great soever the bravery of the instruments is, the praise of the achievement must be given to God. These fought the battles, but God wrought the victory. Let not the strong man then glory in his strength, nor in any of his military operations, but let him that glories glory in the Lord.

How the passage was read

What the Jewish commentators add

On the verses either side of this one

Of the thirty leaders. Yonoson translates: From the men who were leaders within the army.
Rashi: France, 1040–1105 · Rashi on II Samuel 23:13:1, via Sefaria, The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J

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

11 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.

  • וַיִּתְיַצֵּ֤בand he took his stand

    vaiyityatzevH3320 →48 times

  • בְּתוֹךְ־in [the] middle of

    betokh-H8432 →418 times

  • הַֽחֶלְקָה֙the portion

    hachelkahH2513 →29 times

  • וַיַּצִּילֶ֔הָand he delivered it

    vaiyatzilehaH5337 →212 times

  • וַיַּ֖ךְand he struck down

    vaiyakhH5221 →499 times

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • פְּלִשְׁתִּ֑ים[the] Philistines

    pelishtimH6430 →287 times

  • וַיַּ֥עַשׂand he did

    vaiyaasH6213 →2628 times

  • יְהוָ֖הYahweh

    yahwehH3068 →6520 times

  • תְּשׁוּעָ֥הa deliverance

    teshuahH8668 →34 times

  • גְדוֹלָֽה׃ סgreat

    gedolahH1419 →526 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

8 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

    Proverbs 21:31

    A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory is of the LORD.

    it leads to

    • Psalms 20:7

      Some trust in chariots and others in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.

    • Isaiah 31:1

      Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in their abundance of chariots and in their multitude of horsemen. They do not look to the Holy…

    • Psalms 33:17–18

      A horse is a vain hope for salvation; even its great strength cannot save.

    • Psalms 147:10

      He does not delight in the strength of the horse; He takes no pleasure in the legpower of the man.

    • Psalms 68:20

      Our God is a God of deliverance; the Lord GOD is our rescuer from death.

  • Through

    Psalms 3:8

    Salvation belongs to the LORD; may Your blessing be on Your people. Selah

    it leads to

    • Isaiah 43:11

      I, yes I, am the LORD, and there is no Savior but Me.

    • Jonah 2:9

      But I, with the voice of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to You. I will fulfill what I have vowed. Salvation is from the LORD!”

    • Psalms 37:39–40

      The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their stronghold in time of trouble.

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 Dutch Sheets, Give Him 15 daily devotional, "Praying For Your 'Bean Patch'" (April 21, 2023); 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 →