David’s Mighty Men

10 (A)Now these are the heads of the mighty men whom David had, who remained faithful to him in his kingdom, together with all Israel, to make him king, (B)in accordance with the word of the Lord concerning Israel. 11 These constitute the list of David’s mighty men: (C)Jashobeam, the son of a Hachmonite, (D)the chief of the thirty; he wielded his spear against three hundred [a]whom he killed at one time.

12 After him was Eleazar the son of (E)Dodo, the Ahohite, who was [b]one of the three mighty men. 13 He was with David at [c]Pas-dammim (F)when the Philistines were gathered together there to battle, and there was a plot of land full of barley; and the people fled from the Philistines. 14 But they took their stand in the midst of the plot and defended it, and defeated the Philistines; and the Lord saved them with a great [d]victory.

15 Now three of the thirty chief men went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam, while (G)the army of the Philistines was camping in the Valley of Rephaim. 16 David was then in the stronghold, while (H)the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. 17 And David had a craving and said, “Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!” 18 So the three broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water from the well of Bethlehem which was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David; however, David would not drink it, but poured it out to the Lord; 19 and he said, “Far be it from me before my God that I would do this. Shall I drink the blood of these men who went [e]at the risk of their lives? For they brought it at the risk of their lives.” Therefore he would not drink it. The three mighty men did these things.

20 As for [f]Abshai the brother of Joab, he was chief of the [g]thirty, and he wielded his spear against three hundred [h]and killed them; and he had a name [i]as well as the [j]thirty. 21 Of the three in the second rank he was the most honored, and he became their commander; however, he did not attain the reputation of the first three.

22 (I)Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a warrior of Kabzeel, mighty in deeds, struck and killed the [k]two sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went down and struck and killed a lion inside a pit on a snowy day. 23 And he killed an Egyptian, a man of great stature [l]five cubits tall. Now in the Egyptian’s hand was (J)a spear like a weaver’s beam, but he went down to him with a club and snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. 24 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did these things, and had a name [m]as well as the three mighty men. 25 Behold, he was honored among the thirty, but he did not attain the reputation of the first three; and David appointed him over his bodyguard.

26 Now the mighty men of the armies were Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, 27 [n]Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the [o]Pelonite, 28 Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Anathothite, 29 [p]Sibbecai the Hushathite, [q]Ilai the Ahohite, 30 Maharai the Netophathite, [r]Heled the son of Baanah the Netophathite, 31 Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the sons of Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite, 32 [s]Hurai of the brooks of Gaash, [t]Abiel the Arbathite, 33 Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite, 34 the sons of [u]Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Shagee the Hararite, 35 Ahiam the son of [v]Sacar the Hararite, [w]Eliphal the son of Ur, 36 Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite, 37 Hezro the Carmelite, [x]Naarai the son of Ezbai, 38 Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the son of Hagri, 39 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite, the armor bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah, 40 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, 41 Uriah the Hittite, Zabad the son of Ahlai, 42 Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a chief of the Reubenites, and thirty with him, 43 Hanan the son of Maacah and Joshaphat the Mithnite, 44 Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite, 45 Jediael the son of Shimri and his brother Joha the Tizite, 46 Eliel the Mahavite, and Jeribai and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam, Ithmah the Moabite, 47 Eliel, Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 11:11 Lit slain ones
  2. 1 Chronicles 11:12 Lit among
  3. 1 Chronicles 11:13 In 1 Sam 17:1, Ephes-dammim
  4. 1 Chronicles 11:14 Or salvation
  5. 1 Chronicles 11:19 Lit with their souls
  6. 1 Chronicles 11:20 In 2 Sam 23:18, Abishai
  7. 1 Chronicles 11:20 As in Syriac; MT three
  8. 1 Chronicles 11:20 Lit slain ones
  9. 1 Chronicles 11:20 Lit among the
  10. 1 Chronicles 11:20 As in Syriac; MT three
  11. 1 Chronicles 11:22 Or two lion-like heroes of
  12. 1 Chronicles 11:23 About 7.5 ft. or 2.3 m
  13. 1 Chronicles 11:24 Lit among the
  14. 1 Chronicles 11:27 In 2 Sam 23:25, Shammah the Harodite
  15. 1 Chronicles 11:27 In 2 Sam 23:26, Paltite
  16. 1 Chronicles 11:29 In 2 Sam 23:27, Mebunnai
  17. 1 Chronicles 11:29 In 2 Sam 23:28, Zalmon
  18. 1 Chronicles 11:30 In 2 Sam 23:29, Heleb
  19. 1 Chronicles 11:32 In 2 Sam 23:30, Hiddai
  20. 1 Chronicles 11:32 In 2 Sam 23:31, Abi-albon
  21. 1 Chronicles 11:34 In 2 Sam 23:32, Jashen
  22. 1 Chronicles 11:35 In 2 Sam 23:33, Sharar
  23. 1 Chronicles 11:35 In 2 Sam 23:34, Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai
  24. 1 Chronicles 11:37 In 2 Sam 23:35, Paarai the Arbite

10 These also are the chief of the mighty men whom David had, who strengthened themselves with him in his kingdom, and with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the Lord concerning Israel.

11 And this is the number of the mighty men whom David had; Jashobeam, an Hachmonite, the chief of the captains: he lifted up his spear against three hundred slain by him at one time.

12 And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighties.

13 He was with David at Pasdammim, and there the Philistines were gathered together to battle, where was a parcel of ground full of barley; and the people fled from before the Philistines.

14 And they set themselves in the midst of that parcel, and delivered it, and slew the Philistines; and the Lord saved them by a great deliverance.

15 Now three of the thirty captains went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam; and the host of the Philistines encamped in the valley of Rephaim.

16 And David was then in the hold, and the Philistines' garrison was then at Bethlehem.

17 And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, that is at the gate!

18 And the three brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: but David would not drink of it, but poured it out to the Lord.

19 And said, My God forbid it me, that I should do this thing: shall I drink the blood of these men that have put their lives in jeopardy? for with the jeopardy of their lives they brought it. Therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mightiest.

20 And Abishai the brother of Joab, he was chief of the three: for lifting up his spear against three hundred, he slew them, and had a name among the three.

21 Of the three, he was more honourable than the two; for he was their captain: howbeit he attained not to the first three.

22 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done many acts; he slew two lionlike men of Moab: also he went down and slew a lion in a pit in a snowy day.

23 And he slew an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits high; and in the Egyptian's hand was a spear like a weaver's beam; and he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and slew him with his own spear.

24 These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had the name among the three mighties.

25 Behold, he was honourable among the thirty, but attained not to the first three: and David set him over his guard.

26 Also the valiant men of the armies were, Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,

27 Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite,

28 Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Antothite,

29 Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite,

30 Maharai the Netophathite, Heled the son of Baanah the Netophathite,

31 Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah, that pertained to the children of Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite,

32 Hurai of the brooks of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite,

33 Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite,

34 The sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Shage the Hararite,

35 Ahiam the son of Sacar the Hararite, Eliphal the son of Ur,

36 Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite,

37 Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai the son of Ezbai,

38 Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the son of Haggeri,

39 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite, the armourbearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah,

40 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,

41 Uriah the Hittite, Zabad the son of Ahlai,

42 Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a captain of the Reubenites, and thirty with him,

43 Hanan the son of Maachah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite,

44 Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jehiel the sons of Hothan the Aroerite,

45 Jediael the son of Shimri, and Joha his brother, the Tizite,

46 Eliel the Mahavite, and Jeribai, and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam, and Ithmah the Moabite,

47 Eliel, and Obed, and Jasiel the Mesobaite.

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10 These are the names of some of the bravest of David’s warriors (who also encouraged the leaders of Israel to make David their king, as the Lord had said would happen):

11 Jashobeam (the son of a man from Hachmon) was the leader of The Top Three—the three greatest heroes among David’s men. He once killed 300 men with his spear.

12 The second of The Top Three was Eleazar, the son of Dodo, a member of the subclan of Ahoh. 13 He was with David in the battle against the Philistines at Pasdammim. The Israeli army was in a barley field and had begun to run away, 14 but he held his ground in the middle of the field, and recovered it and slaughtered the Philistines; and the Lord saved them with a great victory.

15 Another time, three of The Thirty[a] went to David while he was hiding in the cave of Adullam. The Philistines were camped in the valley of Rephaim, 16 and David was in the stronghold at the time; an outpost of the Philistines had occupied Bethlehem. 17 David wanted a drink from the Bethlehem well beside the gate, and when he mentioned this to his men, 18-19 these three broke through to the Philistine camp, drew some water from the well, and brought it back to David. But he refused to drink it! Instead he poured it out as an offering to the Lord and said, “God forbid that I should drink it! It is the very blood of these men who risked their lives to get it.”

20 Abishai, Joab’s brother, was commander of The Thirty. He had gained his place among The Thirty by killing 300 men at one time with his spear. 21 He was the chief and the most famous of The Thirty, but he was not as great as The Three.

22 Benaiah, whose father was a mighty warrior from Kabzeel, killed the two famous giants[b] from Moab. He also killed a lion in a slippery pit when there was snow on the ground. 23 Once he killed an Egyptian who was seven and a half feet tall, whose spear was as thick as a weaver’s beam. But Benaiah went up to him with only a club in his hand, and pulled the spear away from him and used it to kill him. 24-25 He was nearly as great as The Three, and he was very famous among The Thirty. David made him captain of his bodyguard.

26-47 Other famous warriors among David’s men were:

Asahel (Joab’s brother);

Elhanan, the son of Dodo from Bethlehem;

Shammoth from Harod;

Helez from Pelon;

Ira (son of Ikkesh) from Tekoa;

Abiezer from Anathoth;

Sibbecai from Hushath;

Ilai from Ahoh;

Maharai from Netophah;

Heled (son of Baanah) from Netophah;

Ithai (son of Ribai) a Benjaminite from Gibeah;

Benaiah from Pirathon;

Hurai from near the brooks of Gaash;

Abiel from Arbath;

Azmaveth from Baharum;

Eliahba from Shaalbon;

The sons[c] of Hashem from Gizon;

Jonathan (son of Shagee) from Harar;

Ahiam (son of Sacher) from Harar;

Eliphal (son of Ur);

Hepher from Mecherath;

Ahijah from Pelon;

Hezro from Carmel;

Naarai (son of Ezbai);

Joel (brother of Nathan);

Mibhar (son of Hagri);

Zelek from Ammon;

Naharai from Beeroth—he was General Joab’s armor bearer;

Ira from Ithra;

Gareb from Ithra;

Uriah the Hittite;

Zabad (son of Ahlai);

Adina (son of Shiza) from the tribe of Reuben—he was among the thirty-one leaders of the tribe of Reuben;

Hanan (son of Maacah);

Joshaphat from Mithna;

Uzzia from Ashterath;

Shama and Jeiel (sons of Hotham) from Aroer;

Jediael (son of Shimri);

Joha (his brother) from Tiza;

Eliel from Mahavi;

Jeribai and Joshaviah (sons of Elnaam);

Ithmah from Moab;

Eliel; Obed; Jaasiel from Mezoba.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 11:15 The Thirty were the highest-ranking officers in the army.
  2. 1 Chronicles 11:22 giants, literally, “ariels.” The meaning of the term is uncertain.
  3. 1 Chronicles 11:26 sons, implied in 2 Samuel 23:30.