2 Samuel 23:8
in 2 Samuel 23These 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 verseThese 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 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.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
"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 & Brown1802–1910
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.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
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 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אֵ֛לֶּה | ʾeleh | these | H428 → | 746 times |
| שְׁמ֥וֹת | shemot | [are] [the] names of | H8034 → | 864 times |
| הַגִּבֹּרִ֖ים | hagiborim | the warriors | H1368 → | 158 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| לְדָוִ֑ד | ledavid | [belonged] to David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| יֹשֵׁ֨ב | yoshev | Josheb- | H3429 → | |
| בַּשֶּׁ֜בֶת | bashevet | Basshebeth | H3429 → | |
| תַּחְכְּמֹנִ֣י׀ | tachkemoni | a Tahkemonite | H8461 → | |
| רֹ֣אשׁ | rosh | [the] chief of | H7218 → | 599 times |
| הַשָּׁלִשִׁ֗י | hashalishi | the three | H7991 → | |
| ה֚וּא | hu' | he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| עֲדִינ֣וֹ | adino | Adino | H5722 → | |
| הָֽעֶצְנִ֔י | haetzni | the Eznite | H6112 → | |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| שְׁמֹנֶ֥ה | shemoneh | eight | H8083 → | 109 times |
| מֵא֛וֹת | meot | hundred<s> | H3967 → | 581 times |
| חָלָ֖ל | chalal | [one] slain | H2491 → | 94 times |
| בְּפַ֥עַם | befaam | at a time | H6471 → | 118 times |
| אֶחָֽת׃ ס | ʾechad | one | H259 → | 971 times |
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.
The walk
3 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
1 Chronicles 27:2Jashobeam 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.
- 1 Chronicles 11:11
Through
1 Chronicles 27:32David’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,
- 2 Samuel 21:21
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 2 Samuel
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.