1 Chronicles 11:20

1 Chronicles 11:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)Abishai the brother of Joab 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, was chief of the thirty. And he wielded his spear against 300 men and killed them and won a name beside the three.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Abishai the brother of Joab was chief of another three. He had lifted up his spear against three hundred men, killed them, and won a name among these three.

Context of 1 Chronicles 11:20

18So the three soldiers fought through the Philistine camp and they reached Bethlehem's gate. They took some water from the well there and they carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it. He poured it on the ground as an offering to the Lord. 19He said, ‘God knows that it is not right for me to drink this water. It would seem like the blood of the brave men who fetched it for me. The Philistines might have killed them on the way.’ So David refused to drink it. That was one of the great things that those three brave soldiers did. Joab's brother Abishai was the leader of David's 30 great soldiers. One time, he used his spear to fight 300 men and he killed them all. So he became as famous as the ‘Three Brave Soldiers’. 21He was not one of the ‘Three Brave Soldiers’ but he received more honour than the other 30 great soldiers. So he became their leader. 22Jehoiada's son, Benaiah, was also one of David's brave soldiers. He came from Kabzeel and he did many great things. He killed two of Moab's best soldiers. He also went down into a deep hole to kill a lion when snow was on the ground.

1 Chronicles 11:20 word by word

וְאַבְשַׁ֣י אֲחִֽי־יוֹאָ֗ב ה֤וּא הָיָה֙ רֹ֣אשׁ הַשְּׁלוֹשָׁ֔ה וְהוּא֙ עוֹרֵ֣ר אֶת־חֲנִית֔וֹ עַל־שְׁלֹ֥שׁ מֵא֖וֹת חָלָ֑ל וְלוֹ שֵׁ֖ם בַּשְּׁלוֹשָֽׁה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Abishaiאֲבִישַׁי'ăbîyshay 'abshay · AbishaiH52
• the brotherאָח'âch · brother: male-siblingH251
• of Joabיוֹאָבyô'âb · JoabH3097
• he was chiefרֹאשׁrô'sh · head: leaderH7218
• of the threeשָׁלֹשׁshâlôsh shâlôsh shelôshâh shelôshâh · threeH7969
• for lifting upעוּר‛ûr · to rouseH5782
• his spearחֲנִיתchănîyth · spearH2595
• hundredמֵאָהmê'âh mê'yâh · hundredH3967
• he slewחָלָלchâlâl · slain: killedH2491
• and had a nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034

Cross-references for 1 Chronicles 11:20

• 1 Chronicles 2:16Their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. Zeruiah's three sons were Abishai, Joab and Asahel.
• 1 Samuel 26:6David spoke to two of his men. One of them was Ahimelech, a Hittite man. The other man was Abishai, who was Joab's brother (Zeruiah was their mother). David asked them, ‘Which one of you will go down into Saul's camp with me?’ Abishai said, ‘I will come with you.’
• 2 Samuel 2:18Zeruiah's three sons were there. They were Joab, Abishai and Asahel. Asahel could run as fast as a wild deer.
• 2 Samuel 18:2David sent his army out in three groups. Joab led one group. Joab's brother Abishai, Zeruiah's son, led another group. Ittai from Gath led the third group. The king said to them all, ‘I myself will go with you into battle.’
• 2 Samuel 20:6Then David said to Abishai, ‘Bicri's son, Sheba, will cause us more trouble than Absalom did. Take my soldiers and chase after him. If you do not catch him, his people will hide in towns with strong walls. Then he will escape from us.’
• 2 Samuel 21:17But Zeruiah's son Abishai saved David. Abishai knocked down the Philistine and he killed him. So David's men said very strongly, ‘Our king, you must never again come out with us to fight a battle. You are like Israel's light. We do not want your life to finish.’
• 2 Samuel 23:18Abishai was the leader of David's 30 great soldiers. He was the brother of Zeruiah's son Joab. One time, he used his spear to fight 300 men and he killed them all. So he became as famous as the ‘Three Brave Soldiers’.

Commentaries on 1 Chronicles 11:20

• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-47Verses 10-47 An account is given of David's worthies, the great men who served him. Yet David reckoned his success, not as from the mighty men that were with him, but from the mighty God, whose presence is all in all. In strengthening him, they strengthened themselves and their own interest, for his advancement was theirs. We shall gain by what we do in our places for the support of the kingdom of the Son of David; and those that are faithful to Him…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 10-47This story about David's mighty warriors shows that Israel's best and bravest men supported him, along with all of Israel (compare 2 Samuel 23:8–39).Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Chronicles 11:20

• Abishai
• Armies

In the dictionaries

• Joab
• Chief of the three
• Abishai
• Chief
• Giants
• Amasai
• Chronicles, Books of
• Genealogy
• Text of the Old Testament
• Abishai, or Abishai

Commentaries on 1 Chronicles 11

• 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