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2 Samuel · Darby Translation

2 Samuel 23 Darby Translation

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About Darby
  • Protestant
  • OT: Masoretic Hebrew
  • NT: Critical text
  • Protestant (66 books)
  • Very literal
  • 1890
  • Public domain

Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings

1 Now these are the last words of David: David the son of Jesse saith, And the man who was raised up on high, The anointed of the God of Jacob, And the sweet psalmist of Israel saith, 2 The Spirit of Jehovah spoke by me, And his word was on my tongue. 3 The God of Israel said, The Rock of Israel spoke to me, The ruler among men shall be just, Ruling in the fear of God; 4 And [he shall be] as the light of the morning, [like] the rising of the sun, A morning without clouds; [When] from the sunshine, after rain, The green grass springeth from the earth. 5 Although my house be not so before God, Yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, Ordered in every way and sure; For [this is] all my salvation, and every desire, Although he make [it] not to grow. 6 But [the sons] of Belial [are] all of them as thorns thrust away, Because they cannot be taken with hands; 7 And the man that will touch them provideth himself with iron and the staff of a spear; And they shall be utterly burned with fire in [their] place. 8 These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Joseb-Bassebeth, Tachkemonite the chief of the captains: he was Adino the Eznite; he [fought] against eight hundred, slain [by him] at one time. 9 And after him, Eleazar the son of Dodo the son of an Ahohite: he was one of the three mighty men with David, when they had defied the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone up. 10 He arose and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave to the sword; and Jehovah wrought a great deliverance that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil. 11 And after him, Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite: the Philistines were gathered into a troop, and there was there a plot of ground full of lentils, and the people had fled before the Philistines; 12 and he stood in the midst of the plot and delivered it, and smote the Philistines, and Jehovah wrought a great deliverance. 13 And three of the thirty chiefs went down, and came to David in the harvest time to the cave of Adullam, when the troop of the Philistines was encamped in the valley of Rephaim. 14 And David was then in the stronghold; and the Philistines' garrison was then at Bethlehem. 15 And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me to drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is in the gate! 16 And the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, which is in the gate, and took it, and brought it to David; however he would not drink of it, but poured it out to Jehovah. 17 And he said, Be it far from me, Jehovah, that I should do this thing! is it not the blood of the men that went at the risk of their lives? Therefore he would not drink it. These things did the three mighty men. 18 And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was the chief of three; and he brandished his spear against three hundred and slew them; and he had a name among the three. 19 Was he not most honourable of three? and he was their captain; but he did not attain to the [first] three. 20 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, son of a valiant man, great in exploits, of Kabzeel: he it was that smote two lions of Moab; and he went down and smote a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day. 21 He also smote the Egyptian, an imposing man: and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; 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. 22 These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and he had a name among the three mighty men. 23 He was honoured above the thirty, but he did not attain to the [first] three. And David set him in his council. 24 Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, 25 Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite, 26 Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, 27 Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite, 28 Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite, 29 Heleb the son of Baanah, the Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin, 30 Benaiah a Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash, 31 Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite, 32 Eliahba the Shaalbonite, of the sons of Jashen, Jonathan, 33 Shammah the Ararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Ararite, 34 Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maachathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, 35 Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite, 36 Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite, 37 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, the armour-bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah, 38 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, 39 Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.

People & places in this chapter

From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.

People

  • Abi-albon

    One of the Thirty

    Abi-albon the Arbathite, listed among the Thirty.

    Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 23:31; 1 Chronicles 11:32

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  • Abiezer

    One of the Thirty

    Abiezer the Anathothite, listed among the Thirty.

    Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 23:27; 1 Chronicles 11:28; 1 Chronicles 27:12

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  • Agee

    Father of Shammah the Hararite

    Called a Hararite and named as the father of Shammah, one of the Three mighty men.

    Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 23:11

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  • Ahasbai

    Father of Eliphelet the Maacathite

    Called a Maacathite and named as the father of Eliphelet, a member of the Thirty.

    Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 23:34

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  • Ahiam

    One of the Thirty

    Ahiam son of Sharar the Hararite, listed among the Thirty.

    Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 23:33; 1 Chronicles 11:35

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  • Azmaveth

    One of the Thirty

    Azmaveth the Barhumite, listed among the Thirty.

    Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 23:31; 1 Chronicles 11:33

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  • Baanah

    Father of Heled the Netophathite

    Named as the father of Heled, one of David's mighty men.

    Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 23:29; 1 Chronicles 11:30

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  • Bani

    One of the Thirty

    Bani the Gadite, listed among the Thirty.

    Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 23:36

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  • Benaiah

    Commander of the Cherethites and Pelethites

    Son of Jehoiada from Kabzeel, a man of many exploits who killed two Moabite champions, a lion in a pit and a huge Egyptian, and whom David set over his guard and the Cherethites…

    Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 8:18; 2 Samuel 20:23; 2 Samuel 23:20

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  • Benaiah

    One of the Thirty

    Benaiah the Pirathonite, listed among the Thirty.

    Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 23:30; 1 Chronicles 11:31; 1 Chronicles 27:14

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  • David

    King of Israel

    The shepherd who became Israel's greatest king and a man after God's own heart.

    Cited in the guide: 1 Sam. 16 - 1 Kings 2; 2 Sam. 7; 1 Chron. 2:15; Matt. 1:6

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  • Dodo

    Father of Eleazar the mighty man

    Ahohite named as the father of Eleazar, one of the Three; a Dodai the Ahohite commanded David's second-month division (probably the same man).

    Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 23:9; 1 Chronicles 11:12; 1 Chronicles 27:4

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  • Dodo

    Father of Elhanan

    Named as the father of Elhanan of Bethlehem, one of David's mighty men.

    Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 23:24; 1 Chronicles 11:26

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  • Eleazar

    One of the Three

    Son of Dodo the Ahohite and one of the Three, who stood his ground with David against the Philistines at Pas-dammim until his hand stuck to his sword.

    Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 23:9; 2 Samuel 23:10; 1 Chronicles 11:12

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  • Elhanan

    One of the Thirty

    Son of Dodo of Bethlehem, listed among the Thirty.

    Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 23:24; 1 Chronicles 11:26

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  • Eliahba

    One of the Thirty

    Eliahba the Shaalbonite, listed among the Thirty.

    Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 23:32; 1 Chronicles 11:33

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  • Eliam

    One of the Thirty

    Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, listed among the Thirty.

    Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 23:34

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  • Elika

    One of the Thirty

    Elika the Harodite, listed among the Thirty.

    Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 23:25

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  • Eliphelet

    One of the Thirty

    Eliphelet son of Ahasbai the Maacathite, listed among the Thirty.

    Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 23:34

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  • Gareb

    One of the Thirty

    Gareb the Ithrite, listed among the Thirty.

    Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 23:38; 1 Chronicles 11:40

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  • Helez

    One of the Thirty

    Helez the Paltite, listed among the Thirty.

    Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 23:26; 1 Chronicles 11:27; 1 Chronicles 27:10

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  • Hezro

    One of the Thirty

    Hezro the Carmelite, listed among the Thirty.

    Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 23:35; 1 Chronicles 11:37

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  • Hiddai

    One of the Thirty

    Hiddai from the brooks of Gaash, listed among the Thirty.

    Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 23:30; 1 Chronicles 11:32

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  • Igal

    One of the Thirty

    Igal son of Nathan of Zobah, listed among the Thirty.

    Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 23:36

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  • Ikkesh

    Father of Ira the Tekoite

    Named as the father of Ira, one of David's mighty men.

    Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 23:26; 1 Chronicles 11:28; 1 Chronicles 27:9

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  • Ira

    One of the Thirty

    Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, listed among the Thirty.

    Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 23:26; 1 Chronicles 11:28; 1 Chronicles 27:9

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  • Ira

    One of the Thirty

    Ira the Ithrite, listed among the Thirty.

    Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 23:38; 1 Chronicles 11:40

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  • Ittai

    One of the Thirty

    Ittai son of Ribai from Gibeah of the Benjamites, listed among the Thirty.

    Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 23:29; 1 Chronicles 11:31

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  • Jashen

    Father of mighty men

    Named in the list of the Thirty as the father of a group of mighty men (the sons of Jashen).

    Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 23:32; 1 Chronicles 11:34

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  • Jehoiada

    Father of Benaiah

    Named as the father of Benaiah, the commander of the Cherethites and Pelethites.

    Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 8:18; 2 Samuel 23:20; 1 Kings 1:8

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  • Jonathan

    One of the Thirty

    Jonathan son of Shammah the Hararite, listed among the Thirty.

    Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 23:32

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  • Maharai

    One of the Thirty

    Maharai the Netophathite, listed among the Thirty.

    Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 23:28; 1 Chronicles 11:30; 1 Chronicles 27:13

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  • Naharai

    Joab's armor-bearer

    Naharai the Beerothite, the armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah, listed among the Thirty.

    Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 23:37; 1 Chronicles 11:39

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  • Nathan

    Father of Igal of Zobah

    Named as the father of Igal, a member of the Thirty, with Zobah named beside his name.

    Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 23:36

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  • Paarai

    One of the Thirty

    Paarai the Arbite, listed among the Thirty.

    Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 23:35; 1 Chronicles 11:37

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  • Ribai

    Father of Ithai

    Named as the father of Ithai of Gibeah of the Benjamites.

    Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 23:29; 1 Chronicles 11:31

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  • Shammah

    One of the Three

    Son of Agee the Hararite and one of the Three, who took his stand in a field of lentils, defended it and struck down the Philistines, and may be the Shammah the Hararite named…

    Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 23:11; 2 Samuel 23:12; 2 Samuel 23:33

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  • Shammah

    One of the Thirty

    Shammah the Harodite, listed among the Thirty.

    Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 23:25; 1 Chronicles 11:27

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  • Sharar

    Father of Ahiam the Hararite

    Called a Hararite and named as the father of Ahiam, a member of the Thirty.

    Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 23:33; 1 Chronicles 11:35

    See in the family tree

  • Zalmon

    One of the Thirty

    Zalmon the Ahohite, listed among the Thirty.

    Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 23:28; 1 Chronicles 11:29

    See in the family tree

  • Zelek

    One of the Thirty

    Zelek the Ammonite, listed among the Thirty.

    Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 23:37; 1 Chronicles 11:39

    See in the family tree

Cross references (38)

Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.

  1. 1 1 Samuel 16:12–13; Psalm 89:20; 2 Samuel 7:8–9; Psalm 78:70–71; Colossians 3:16
  2. 2 2 Peter 1:21; Matthew 22:43; Mark 12:36; Acts 2:25–31; Hebrews 3:7–8
  3. 3 Deuteronomy 32:4; Exodus 18:21; 2 Samuel 22:32; Psalm 72:2; Hebrews 1:8
  4. 4 Judges 5:31; Psalm 72:6; Psalm 89:36; Hosea 6:5; Malachi 4:2
  5. 5 Isaiah 55:3; Isaiah 9:6–7; 2 Samuel 7:14–16; Jeremiah 32:40; Psalm 89:28–29
  6. 6 Deuteronomy 13:13; Isaiah 33:12; Ezekiel 2:6; 2 Samuel 20:1; Genesis 3:18
  7. 7 Hebrews 6:8; 2 Thessalonians 2:8; 2 Thessalonians 1:8; 2 Samuel 22:8–10; Luke 19:27
  8. 8 1 Chronicles 11:11–47; 1 Chronicles 27:2; 1 Chronicles 27:32
  9. 9 1 Chronicles 27:4; 1 Chronicles 11:12–14; 1 Samuel 17:26; Numbers 23:7–8; 1 Samuel 17:10
  10. 10 1 Samuel 19:5; 1 Samuel 11:13; Isaiah 53:12; Joshua 10:42; Joshua 11:8
  11. 11 1 Chronicles 11:27; 1 Chronicles 11:13–14; 2 Samuel 23:33
  12. 12 Proverbs 21:31; 2 Samuel 23:10; Psalm 3:8; Psalm 44:2
  13. 13 2 Samuel 5:18; 1 Samuel 22:1; 1 Chronicles 14:9; Joshua 12:15; Joshua 15:35
  14. 14 1 Samuel 22:4–5; 1 Samuel 13:4; 1 Samuel 10:5; 1 Chronicles 12:16; 1 Samuel 22:1
  15. 15 John 4:14; Psalm 42:1–2; Isaiah 44:3; John 4:10; Isaiah 41:17
  16. 16 Genesis 35:14; 2 Corinthians 5:14; 1 Samuel 7:6; Philippians 2:17; Numbers 28:7
  17. 17 Leviticus 17:10; Mark 14:24; 1 Samuel 2:30; Judges 5:18; 1 Kings 21:3
  18. 18 2 Samuel 10:10; 2 Samuel 10:14; 1 Chronicles 11:20–21; 2 Samuel 18:2; 2 Samuel 20:10
  19. 19 Matthew 13:8; Matthew 13:23; 2 Samuel 23:13; 2 Samuel 23:16; 1 Chronicles 11:25
  20. 20 Joshua 15:21; 2 Samuel 20:23; 2 Samuel 8:18; 1 Chronicles 11:22–24; 1 Samuel 17:34–37
  21. 21 Colossians 2:15; 1 Chronicles 11:23; 1 Samuel 17:51
  22. 23 1 Chronicles 27:6; 2 Samuel 20:23; 1 Samuel 22:14; 2 Samuel 8:8
  23. 24 2 Samuel 2:18; 1 Chronicles 27:7; 1 Chronicles 11:26
  24. 25 1 Chronicles 11:27–28; Judges 7:1
  25. 26 2 Samuel 14:2; 1 Chronicles 27:9–10; 1 Chronicles 11:27–28
  26. 27 Joshua 21:18; 1 Chronicles 27:12; 1 Chronicles 11:28; 1 Chronicles 11:19
  27. 28 1 Chronicles 27:13; 2 Kings 25:23; 1 Chronicles 11:30
  28. 29 1 Chronicles 27:15; Joshua 18:28; 1 Chronicles 11:30–31
  29. 30 Judges 12:15; Judges 2:9; Judges 12:13; Joshua 24:30; 1 Chronicles 27:14
  30. 31 2 Samuel 3:16; 1 Chronicles 11:32–33
  31. 32 1 Chronicles 11:34
  32. 33 1 Chronicles 11:27; 2 Samuel 23:11; 1 Chronicles 11:35
  33. 34 2 Samuel 11:3; 2 Samuel 15:12; 2 Samuel 10:6; 2 Samuel 10:8; 1 Chronicles 27:33–34
  34. 35 1 Chronicles 11:37; Joshua 15:55
  35. 36 2 Samuel 8:3; 1 Chronicles 11:38
  36. 37 2 Samuel 4:2; 1 Chronicles 11:39; 1 Chronicles 11:37
  37. 38 1 Chronicles 2:53; 2 Samuel 20:26; 1 Chronicles 11:40
  38. 39 2 Samuel 11:3; Matthew 1:6; 2 Samuel 12:9; 1 Kings 15:5; 2 Samuel 11:6–27

Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences

What the Fathers said

Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).

How these were chosen

“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).

  1. Quotes verse 23:15–17 Augustine of Hippo, Confessions (Book X, Chapters XXIX–XXXI)

    I know, too, that Esau was deceived by a longing for lentiles, and that David took blame to himself for desiring water, and that our King was tempted not by flesh but bread.

    Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)

  2. Quotes verse 23:2 Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures (Lecture XVI)

    … for Samuel and David, we have it plainly in the Books of the Kingdoms, how by the Holy Ghost they prophesied themselves, and were rulers of the prophets;--and Samuel was called the Seer; and David says distinctly, The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and in the Psalms, And take not thy Holy Spirit from me, and again, …

    Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)

  3. Quotes verse 23:1 Augustine of Hippo, Expositions on the Psalms (Psalm LV)

    David indeed was, as we know, a holy prophet, king of Israel, son of Jesse: but because out of his seed there came for our salvation after the flesh the Lord Jesus Christ, often under that name He is figured, and David instead of Christ is in a figure set down, because of the origin of the Flesh of the …

    Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)