New Living Translation
1 Chronicles 11:20
20Abishai, the brother of Joab, was the leader of the Thirty. He once used his spear to kill 300 enemy warriors in a single battle. It was by such feats that he became as famous as the Three.
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 broke through the Philistine lines, drew some water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem, and brought it back to David. But David refused to drink it. Instead, he poured it out as an offering to the Lord. 19“God forbid that I should drink this!” he exclaimed. “This water is as precious as the blood of these men who risked their lives to bring it to me.” So David did not drink it. These are examples of the exploits of the Three. Abishai, the brother of Joab, was the leader of the Thirty. He once used his spear to kill 300 enemy warriors in a single battle. It was by such feats that he became as famous as the Three. 21Abishai was the most famous of the Thirty and was their commander, though he was not one of the Three. 22There was also Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant warrior from Kabzeel. He did many heroic deeds, which included killing two champions of Moab. Another time, on a snowy day, he chased a lion down into a pit and killed it.
Read all of 1 Chronicles 111 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 named Zeruiah and Abigail. Zeruiah had three sons named Abishai, Joab, and Asahel.
- 1 Samuel 26:6“Who will volunteer to go in there with me?” David asked Ahimelech the Hittite and Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother. “I’ll go with you,” Abishai replied.
- 2 Samuel 2:18Joab, Abishai, and Asahel—the three sons of Zeruiah—were among David’s forces that day. Asahel could run like a gazelle,
- 2 Samuel 18:2He sent the troops out in three groups, placing one group under Joab, one under Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and one under Ittai, the man from Gath. The king told his troops, “I am going out with you.”
- 2 Samuel 20:6Then David said to Abishai, “Sheba son of Bicri is going to hurt us more than Absalom did. Quick, take my troops and chase after him before he gets into a fortified town where we can’t reach him.”
- 2 Samuel 21:17But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to David’s rescue and killed the Philistine. Then David’s men declared, “You are not going out to battle with us again! Why risk snuffing out the light of Israel?”
- 2 Samuel 23:18Abishai son of Zeruiah, the brother of Joab, was the leader of the Thirty. He once used his spear to kill 300 enemy warriors in a single battle. It was by such feats that he became as famous as the Three.
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
In the dictionaries
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
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