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2 Samuel 23:18-39
Contemporary English Version
2 Samuel 23:18-39
Contemporary English Version
The Thirty Warriors
(1 Chronicles 11.20-47)
18 Joab's brother Abishai was the leader of the Thirty Warriors,[a] and in one battle he killed 300 men with his spear. He was as famous as the Three Warriors 19 and certainly just as famous as the rest of the Thirty Warriors. He was the commander of the Thirty Warriors, but he still did not become one of the Three Warriors.
20 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was a brave man from Kabzeel who did some amazing things. He killed two of Moab's best fighters,[b] and on a snowy day he went down into a pit and killed a lion. 21 Another time, he killed an Egyptian, as big as a giant.[c] The Egyptian was armed with a spear, but Benaiah only had a club. Benaiah grabbed the spear from the Egyptian and killed him with it. 22-23 Benaiah did these things. He never became one of the Three Warriors, but he was just as famous as they were and certainly just as famous as the rest of the Thirty Warriors. David made him the leader of his bodyguard.
24-39 Some of the Thirty Warriors were:
Asahel the brother of Joab
Elhanan the son of Dodo from Bethlehem
Shammah from Harod
Elika from Harod
Helez the Paltite
Ira the son of Ikkesh from Tekoa
Abiezer from Anathoth
Mebunnai[d] the Hushathite
Zalmon the Ahohite
Maharai from Netophah
Heleb the son of Baanah from Netophah
Ittai the son of Ribai from Gibeah of the tribe of Benjamin
Benaiah from Pirathon
Hiddai from the streams on Mount Gaash
Abialbon from Beth-Arabah
Azmaveth from Bahurim[e]
Eliahba from Shaalbon
Jashen[f]
Jonathan the son of Shammah the Hararite[g]
Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite
Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai from Maacah
Eliam the son of Ahithophel from Gilo
Hezro from Carmel
Paarai the Arbite
Igal the son of Nathan from Zobah
Bani the Gadite
Zelek from Ammon
Naharai from Beeroth, who carried the weapons of Joab the son of Zeruiah
Ira the Ithrite
Gareb the Ithrite
Uriah the Hittite
There were 37 in all.
Footnotes
- 23.18 the Thirty Warriors: The second most honored group of warriors. They may have also been officers in the army (see the note at 23.8).
- 23.20 Moab's best fighters: Or “big lions in Moab;” one ancient translation “sons of Ariel from Moab.”
- 23.21 Egyptian … giant: First Chronicles 11.23; in this verse the Hebrew text has “good-looking Egyptian.”
- 23.24-39 Mebunnai: Or “Sibbecai” (see 1 Chronicles 11.26-47).
- 23.24-39 Bahurim: Or “Barhum.”
- 23.24-39 Jashen: Hebrew “sons of Jashen.”
- 23.24-39 Jonathan … Hararite: Some manuscripts of one ancient translation (see 1 Chronicles 11.26-47). In the Hebrew text Jonathan and Shammah are separate members of the list.
2 Samuel 23:18-39
New International Version
2 Samuel 23:18-39
New International Version
18 Abishai(A) the brother of Joab son of Zeruiah was chief of the Three.[a] He raised his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed, and so he became as famous as the Three. 19 Was he not held in greater honor than the Three? He became their commander, even though he was not included among them.
20 Benaiah(B) son of Jehoiada, a valiant fighter from Kabzeel,(C) performed great exploits. He struck down Moab’s two mightiest warriors. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion. 21 And he struck down a huge Egyptian. Although the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club. He snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. 22 Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he too was as famous as the three mighty warriors. 23 He was held in greater honor than any of the Thirty, but he was not included among the Three. And David put him in charge of his bodyguard.
24 Among the Thirty were:
Asahel(D) the brother of Joab,
Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem,
25 Shammah the Harodite,(E)
Elika the Harodite,
26 Helez(F) the Paltite,
Ira(G) son of Ikkesh from Tekoa,
27 Abiezer(H) from Anathoth,(I)
Sibbekai[b] the Hushathite,
28 Zalmon the Ahohite,
Maharai(J) the Netophathite,(K)
29 Heled[c](L) son of Baanah the Netophathite,
Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah(M) in Benjamin,
30 Benaiah the Pirathonite,(N)
Hiddai[d] from the ravines of Gaash,(O)
31 Abi-Albon the Arbathite,
Azmaveth the Barhumite,(P)
32 Eliahba the Shaalbonite,
the sons of Jashen,
Jonathan 33 son of[e] Shammah the Hararite,
Ahiam son of Sharar[f] the Hararite,
34 Eliphelet son of Ahasbai the Maakathite,(Q)
Eliam(R) son of Ahithophel(S) the Gilonite,
35 Hezro the Carmelite,(T)
Paarai the Arbite,
36 Igal son of Nathan from Zobah,(U)
the son of Hagri,[g]
37 Zelek the Ammonite,
Naharai the Beerothite,(V) the armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah,
38 Ira the Ithrite,(W)
Gareb the Ithrite
39 and Uriah(X) the Hittite.
There were thirty-seven in all.
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 23:18 Most Hebrew manuscripts (see also 1 Chron. 11:20); two Hebrew manuscripts and Syriac Thirty
- 2 Samuel 23:27 Some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 21:18; 1 Chron. 11:29); Hebrew Mebunnai
- 2 Samuel 23:29 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Vulgate (see also 1 Chron. 11:30); most Hebrew manuscripts Heleb
- 2 Samuel 23:30 Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 1 Chron. 11:32) Hurai
- 2 Samuel 23:33 Some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 1 Chron. 11:34); Hebrew does not have son of.
- 2 Samuel 23:33 Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 1 Chron. 11:35) Sakar
- 2 Samuel 23:36 Some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 1 Chron. 11:38); Hebrew Haggadi
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