2 Samuel 23:8-17

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 2 Samuel 23:8-38

I. The catalogue which the historian has here left upon record of the great soldiers that were in David's time is intended, 1. For the honour of David, who trained them up in the arts of exercises of war, and set them an example of conduct and courage. It is the reputation as well as the advantage of a prince to be attended and served by such brave men as are here described. 2. For the honour of those worthies themselves, who were instrumental to bring David to the crown, settle and protect... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Samuel 23:8

These be the names of the mighty men whom David had ,.... Besides Joab his general, who is not mentioned; for these were all military men under him, which are distinguished into three classes; the first and highest consisted of three only, who were general officers; and the second also of three, who perhaps were colonels of regiments; and the third of thirty, who were captains of thousands and hundreds: the Tachmonite that sat in the seat, the chief among the captains : not in the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Samuel 23:9

And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite ,.... Or the son of Ahohi, perhaps the same with Ahoah, a descendant of Benjamin, 1 Chronicles 8:4 ; this Eleazar was the next to the Tachmonite, the second worthy of the first class: one of the three mighty men with David ; the second of the three valiant men that were with David in his wars, and fought with him, and for him: when they defied the Philistines ; clapped their hands at them, gloried over them, daring them to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Samuel 23:10

He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary ,.... He rose up when the Israelites fled, and stood his ground alone, and fought with the Philistines, and smote them with his sword, until his hand was weary with smiting: and his hand clave unto the sword ; which was contracted by holding it so long, and grasping it so hard, that it could not easily be got out of it; or through the quantity of blood which ran upon his hand, as it was shed, so Josephus F20 Antiqu. l. 7.... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Samuel 23:11

And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite ,.... One who was of the mountainous country, as the Targum, the hill country of Judea, of Hebron, or the parts adjacent; this was the third of the first three; there was one of this name among the thirty, 2 Samuel 23:33 , and the Philistines were gathered together into a troop ; but so they were no doubt at first; R. Isaiah takes it to be the name of a place called Chiyah; as the Targum, Chayatha; and which Kimchi says was a... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Samuel 23:12

But he stood in the midst of the ground ,.... The field of lentiles: and defended it ; the field, so that the Philistines could not ravage it, and get food and forage from it: and slew the Philistines ; made a great slaughter among them, entirely routed them, so that they that escaped his sword were obliged to flee: and the Lord wrought a great victory ; to whom the glory of it belonged; a similar fact is ascribed to Eleazar before mentioned in 1 Chronicles 11:13 ; and, indeed,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Samuel 23:13

And three of the thirty chiefs went down ,.... Or three that were chief of the thirty, superior to them; which some understand of the three before mentioned, so Josephus F23 Antiqu. l. 7. c. 12. sect. 4. ; and that having related some particular exploits of theirs, here observes one, in which they were all concerned; and others think the three next are meant, of whom Abishai was the chief, Benaiah the next, and the third Asahel; but the first sense is best: and came to David in the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Samuel 23:14

And David was then in an hold ,.... In a strong hold; the strong hold of Zion, as Josephus F24 Antiqu. l. 7. c. 12. sect. 4. , or one on a rock near the cave of Adullam, see 1 Chronicles 11:15 , and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem ; which was about six miles from Jerusalem; the valley of Rephaim lay between that and Bethlehem; so far had they got into the land of Judea, and such footing in it, as to have a garrison so near its metropolis. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Samuel 23:15

And David longed, and said ,.... It being harvest time, the summer season, and hot weather, and he thirsty: oh, that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem , which is by the gate ! which he was well acquainted with, being his native place; and which might make it the more desirable, as well as its waters might be peculiarly cool and refreshing, and very excellent, as Kimchi suggests. This well was about a mile from Bethlehem, now called David's well, as some... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Samuel 23:16

And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines ,.... Which lay in the valley of Rephaim, between the hold in which David was and the well of Bethlehem; these three men hearing David express himself in the above manner, though without any view that any should risk their lives to obtain it, only in a general way said, oh for a draught of the water of the well of Bethlehem! immediately set out, and made their way through the army of the Philistines to the well: and drew... read more

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