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 broke through the Philistine lines, drew some water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem, and brought it back to David. But he refused to drink it. Instead, he poured it out as an offering to the Lord. 17“The Lord 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 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. 19Abishai was the most famous of the Thirty and was their commander, though he was not one of the Three. 20There 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.

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 2:18Joab, Abishai, and Asahel—the three sons of Zeruiah—were among David’s forces that day. Asahel could run like a gazelle,
• 2 Samuel 3:30So Joab and his brother Abishai killed Abner because Abner had killed their brother Asahel at the battle of Gibeon.
• 2 Samuel 10:10He left the rest of the army under the command of his brother Abishai, who was to attack the Ammonites.
• 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 20:10Amasa didn’t notice the dagger in his left hand, and Joab stabbed him in the stomach with it so that his insides gushed out onto the ground. Joab did not need to strike again, and Amasa soon died. Joab and his brother Abishai left him lying there and continued after Sheba.
• 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.
• 1 Chronicles 2:16Their sisters were named Zeruiah and Abigail. Zeruiah had three sons named Abishai, Joab, and Asahel.
• 1 Chronicles 11:20Abishai, 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.

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