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11 Here is the list of David’s warriors:

Ishbaal, the son of Hachamoni, chief of the Three.[a] He brandished his spear over three hundred, whom he had slain in a single encounter.

12 Next to him was Eleazar, the son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the Three warriors.(A) 13 He was with David at Pas-dammim, where the Philistines had massed for battle. There was a plot of land full of barley. The people were fleeing before the Philistines,(B) 14 but he took his stand in the middle of the plot, kept it safe, and cut down the Philistines. Thus the Lord brought about a great victory.

15 Three of the Thirty chiefs went down to the rock, to David, who was in the cave of Adullam while the Philistines were encamped in the valley of Rephaim.(C) 16 David was then in the stronghold, and a Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem. 17 David had a strong craving, and said, “If only someone would give me a drink of water from the cistern by the gate of Bethlehem!” 18 Thereupon the Three broke through the encampment of the Philistines, drew water from the cistern by the gate of Bethlehem, and carried it back to David. But David refused to drink it. Instead, he poured it out[b] to the Lord, 19 saying, “God forbid that I should do such a thing! Could I drink the blood of these men who risked their lives? For at the risk of their lives they brought it.” So he refused to drink it. Such deeds as these the Three warriors performed.

20 (D)Abishai, the brother of Joab, was the chief of the Thirty;[c] he brandished his spear over three hundred, whom he had slain. He made a name beside the Three,(E) 21 but was twice as famous as any of the Thirty, becoming their leader. However, he did not attain to the Three.

22 Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, a valiant man of mighty deeds, from Kabzeel, killed the two sons of Ariel of Moab. Also, he went down and killed the lion in the cistern on a snowy day. 23 He likewise slew the Egyptian, a huge man five cubits tall. The Egyptian carried a spear that was like a weaver’s beam, but Benaiah came against him with a staff; he wrested the spear from the Egyptian’s hand, and killed him with that spear. 24 Such deeds as these Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, performed, and he made a name beside the Three warriors, 25 but was more famous than any of the Thirty. However, he did not attain to the Three. David put him in charge of his bodyguard.(F)

26 Also these warriors: Asahel, the brother of Joab; Elhanan, son of Dodo, from Bethlehem;(G) 27 Shammoth, from En-harod; Helez, from Beth-pelet; 28 Ira, son of Ikkesh, from Tekoa; Abiezer, from Anathoth; 29 Sibbecai, from Husha; Ilai, from Ahoh;(H) 30 Maharai, from Netophah; Heled, son of Baanah, from Netophah;(I) 31 Ithai, son of Ribai, from Gibeah of Benjamin; Benaiah, from Pirathon;(J) 32 Hurai, from Nahale-gaash; Abiel, from Beth-arabah; 33 Azmaveth, from Bahurim; Eliahba, from Shaalbon; 34 Jashen the Gunite; Jonathan, son of Shagee the Hararite; 35 Ahiam, son of Sachar the Hararite; Elipheleth, son of 36 Ahasbai, from Beth-maacah; Ahijah, from Gilo; 37 Hezro, from Carmel; Naarai, the son of Ezbai; 38 Joel, brother of Nathan, from Rehob, the Gadite; 39 Zelek the Ammonite; Naharai, from Beeroth, the armor-bearer of Joab, son of Zeruiah; 40 Ira, from Jattir; Gareb, from Jattir; 41 Uriah the Hittite; Zabad, son of Ahlai,

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Footnotes

  1. 11:11 The Three: the Chronicler actually names only two of these figures, Ishbaal and Eleazar. According to 2 Sm 23:11, the third member of the Three was Shammah.
  2. 11:18 Poured it out: as a libation.
  3. 11:20 The Thirty: they are listed by name in vv. 26–47. The parallel list in 2 Sm 23:8–39 often differs in names and spellings; for the numbers, see note on 2 Sm 23:8–39.

Chapter 27

Army Commanders.[a] This is the list of the Israelite family heads, commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and other officers who served the king in all that pertained to the divisions, of twenty-four thousand men each, that came and went month by month throughout the year.

Over the first division for the first month was Ishbaal, son of Zabdiel, and in his division were twenty-four thousand men; a descendant of Perez, he was chief over all the commanders of the army for the first month. Over the division of the second month was Eleazar, son of Dodo, from Ahoh, and in his division were twenty-four thousand men.(A) (B)The third army commander, for the third month, was Benaiah, son of Jehoiada the chief priest, and in his division were twenty-four thousand men. This Benaiah was a warrior among the Thirty and over the Thirty. His son Ammizabad was over his division. Fourth, for the fourth month, was Asahel, brother of Joab, and after him his son Zebadiah, and in his division were twenty-four thousand men.(C) Fifth, for the fifth month, was the commander Shamhuth, a descendant of Zerah, and in his division were twenty-four thousand men. Sixth, for the sixth month, was Ira, son of Ikkesh, from Tekoa, and in his division were twenty-four thousand men. 10 Seventh, for the seventh month, was Hellez, from Beth-pelet, of the Ephraimites, and in his division were twenty-four thousand men. 11 Eighth, for the eighth month, was Sibbecai the Hushathite, a descendant of Zerah, and in his division were twenty-four thousand men.(D) 12 Ninth, for the ninth month, was Abiezer from Anathoth, of Benjamin, and in his division were twenty-four thousand men. 13 Tenth, for the tenth month, was Maharai from Netophah, a descendant of Zerah, and in his division were twenty-four thousand men. 14 Eleventh, for the eleventh month, was Benaiah the Pirathonite, of the Ephraimites, and in his division were twenty-four thousand men. 15 Twelfth, for the twelfth month, was Heldai the Netophathite, of the family of Othniel, and in his division were twenty-four thousand men.

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Footnotes

  1. 27:1–15 This list of army commanders is similar to, but distinct from, the list of David’s warriors given in 11:10–47. The schematic enumeration of the soldiers presented here appears artificial and exaggerated (12 x 24,000 = 288,000 men!). However, the Hebrew word (’eleph) translated “thousand” might also designate a military unit of much smaller size.