2 Samuel 23:18

2 Samuel 23:18 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief among three. And he lifted up his spear against three hundred, and slew them, and had the name among three.
• New International Version (NIV)Abishai the brother of Joab son of Zeruiah was chief of the Three. He raised his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed, and so he became as famous as the Three.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Now Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the thirty. And he wielded his spear against three hundred men and killed them and won a name beside the three.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now Abishai the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of another three. He lifted his spear against three hundred men, killed them, and won a name among these three.

Context of 2 Samuel 23:18

16So the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, and drew water from the well of Bethlehem by the gate, and carried and brought it to David. But he would not drink it, but poured it out [in worship] to the Lord. 17And he said, “Far be it from me, O Lord, that I should drink this. [Is it not the same as] the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives?” So he would not drink it. These things the three mighty men did. Now Abishai the brother of Joab the son of Zeruiah was chief of the thirty. He wielded his spear against three hundred men and killed them, and gained a reputation beside the three. 19He was the most honored of the thirty, so he became their commander; however, he did not attain to the [greatness of the] three. 20Then Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done many notable acts, killed two [famous] warriors of Moab. He also went down and killed a lion in the middle of a pit on a snowy day.

2 Samuel 23:18 word by word

וַאֲבִישַׁ֞י אֲחִ֣י׀ יוֹאָ֣ב בֶּן־צְרוּיָ֗ה ה֚וּא רֹ֣אשׁ הַשְּׁלֹשָׁ֔ה וְהוּא֙ עוֹרֵ֣ר אֶת־חֲנִית֔וֹ עַל־שְׁלֹ֥שׁ מֵא֖וֹת חָלָ֑ל וְלוֹ־שֵׁ֖ם בַּשְּׁלֹשָֽׁה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Abishaiאֲבִישַׁי'ăbîyshay 'abshay · AbishaiH52
• the brotherאָח'âch · brother: male-siblingH251
• of Joabיוֹאָבyô'âb · JoabH3097
• the sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• of Zeruiahצְרוּיָהtserûyâh · ZeruiahH6870
• was chiefרֹאשׁrô'sh · head: leaderH7218
• among threeשְׁלִישִׁיshelîyshîy · thirdH7992
• And he lifted upעוּר‛ûr · to rouseH5782
• his spearחֲנִיתchănîyth · spearH2595
• against threeשָׁלֹשׁshâlôsh shâlôsh shelôshâh shelôshâh · threeH7969
• hundredמֵאָהmê'âh mê'yâh · hundredH3967
• slewחָלָלchâlâl · slain: killedH2491
• and had the nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 23:18

• 2 Samuel 2:18Three sons of Zeruiah [the half sister of David] were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was as light and swift-footed as one of the [wild] gazelles in the field.
• 2 Samuel 3:30So Joab and Abishai his brother murdered Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.
• 2 Samuel 10:10But he placed the rest of the men in the hand of his brother Abishai, and he placed them in battle formation to meet the Ammonites.
• 2 Samuel 18:2Then David sent the army out, a third under the command of Joab, a third under Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and a third under the command of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the men, “I myself will certainly go out [to fight] with you.”
• 2 Samuel 20:10But Amasa [who had replaced Joab as David’s commander] was off guard and not attentive to the sword in Joab’s hand. So Joab struck Amasa in the abdomen with the sword, spilling his intestines to the ground. Without another blow Amasa died. Then Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba the son of Bichri.
• 1 Samuel 26:6Then David said to Ahimelech the Hittite and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother of Joab, “Who will go down with me to Saul in the camp?” And Abishai said, “I will go down with you.”
• 1 Chronicles 2:16Their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. The sons of Zeruiah: Abishai, Joab, and Asahel, three.
• 1 Chronicles 11:20Abishai the brother of Joab was chief of the [other] three, and he lifted up his spear against three hundred and killed them, and he had a name as well as the three.

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 23:18

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18Three - “The three” 2 Samuel 23:22. It was Abishai‘s prowess on this occasion that raised him to be chief of this triad.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 8-39Verses 8-39 David once earnestly longed for the water at the well of Bethlehem. It seems to be an instance of weakness. He was thirsty; with the water of that well he had often refreshed himself when a youth, and it was without due thought that he desired it. Were his valiant men so forward to expose themselves, upon the least hint of their prince's mind, and so eager to please him, and shall not we long to approve ourselves to our Lord Jesus, by ready…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 18-23Here are examples of the skills of Abishai and Benaiah. Abishai was very aggressive toward David’s enemies, especially Saul (1 Samuel 26:6–9) and Saul’s relative Shimei (2 Samuel 16:9–11). Abishai saved David’s life during a Philistine war (2 Samuel 21:16–17). Benaiah first appeared as the commander of the mercenaries who were David’s bodyguards. These men were separate from the regular army (2 Samuel 8:18; 20:23). He also led a 24,000-man division of the…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Samuel 23:18

• Abishai
• Armies

In the dictionaries

• Joab
• Abishai
• Giants
• Sure
• Troop
• Amasai
• Genealogy
• Joshaphat
• Joshaviah
• Mecherathite

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 23

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings