2 Samuel 23

The Last Words of David

1 Now these are the last words of David:

The oracle of David, the son of Jesse,

the oracle of *[ch. 7:8,9;Ps. 78:70,71] the man who was raised on high,

*[See ch. 22:51above]the anointed of the God of Jacob,

the sweet psalmist of Israel:*23:1 Or the favorite of the songs of Israel

2 *[2 Pet. 1:21]"The Spirit of the Lord speaks by me;

his word is on my tongue.

3 The God of Israel has spoken;

*See ch. 22:2,3,32,47the Rock of Israel has said to me:

When one rules justly over men,

ruling *Ex. 18:21;2 Chr. 19:7,9in the fear of God,

4 he *[Judg. 5:31;Prov. 4:18;Hos. 6:5]dawns on them like the morning light,

like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning,

like rain*23:4 Hebrew from rain that makes grass to sprout from the earth.

5 "For does not my house stand so with God?

*ch. 7:15,16;Ps. 89:29;Isa. 55:3For he has made with me an everlasting covenant,

ordered in all things and secure.

For will he not cause to prosper

all my help and my desire?

6 But worthless men*23:6 Hebrew worthlessness are all like thorns that are thrown away,

for they cannot be taken with the hand;

7 but the man who touches them

arms himself with iron and the shaft of a spear,

and they are utterly consumed with fire."*23:7 Hebrew consumed with fire in the sitting

David’s Mighty Men

8 *For ver. 8-39, see 1 Chr. 11:11-47These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: *[1 Chr. 27:2,3]Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite; he was chief of the three.*23:8 Or of the captains He wielded his spear*23:8 Compare 1 Chronicles 11:11; the meaning of the Hebrew expression is uncertain against eight hundred whom he killed at one time.

9 And next to him among the three mighty men was Eleazar the son of *1 Chr. 27:4Dodo, son of *ver. 28Ahohi. He was with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel withdrew. 10 He rose and struck down the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clung to the sword. And the Lord brought about a great victory that day, and the men returned after him only to strip the slain.

11 And next to him was Shammah, the son of Agee the *ver. 33Hararite. The Philistines gathered together at Lehi,*23:11 Or gathered together as a camp where there was a plot of ground full of lentils, and the men fled from the Philistines. 12 But he took his stand in the midst of the plot and defended it and struck down the Philistines, and the Lord worked a great victory.

13 And three of the thirty chief men went down and came about harvest time to David at the *See 1 Sam. 22:1cave of Adullam, when a band of Philistines was encamped *See ch. 5:18in the Valley of Rephaim. 14 David was then *1 Sam. 22:4,5in the stronghold, and *[1 Sam. 13:23]the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem. 15 And David said longingly, "Oh, that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate!" 16 Then the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate and carried and brought it to David. But he would not drink of it. He poured it out to the Lord17 and said, "Far be it from me, O Lord, that I should do this. Shall I drink *[Lev. 17:10]the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives?" Therefore he would not drink it. These things the three mighty men did.

18 Now Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the thirty.*23:18 Two Hebrew manuscripts, Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts three And he wielded his spear against three hundred men*23:18 Or slain ones and killed them and won a name beside the three. 19 He was the most renowned of the thirty*23:19 Compare 1 Chronicles 11:21; Hebrew Was he the most renowned of the three? and became their commander, but he did not attain to *1 Chr. 11:21the three.

20 And *ch. 8:18;20:23Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was a valiant man*23:20 Or the son of Ishhai of *Josh. 15:21Kabzeel, a doer of great deeds. He struck down two ariels*23:20 The meaning of the word ariel is uncertain of Moab. He also went down and struck down a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen. 21 And he struck down an Egyptian, a handsome man. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand, but Benaiah went down to him with a staff and snatched the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. 22 These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and won a name beside the three mighty men. 23 He was renowned among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David set him over his bodyguard.

24 *ch. 2:18;1 Chr. 27:7Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, 25 *[1 Chr. 11:27;27:8]Shammah of Harod, Elika of Harod, 26 Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh *See ch. 14:2of Tekoa, 27 Abiezer *Josh. 21:18of Anathoth, Mebunnai *ch. 21:18the Hushathite, 28 Zalmon *ver. 9the Ahohite, Maharai *2 Kgs. 25:23of Netophah, 29 Heleb the son of Baanah *[See ver. 28above] of Netophah, Ittai the son of Ribai of *Josh. 18:28;Judg. 19:14Gibeah of the people of Benjamin, 30 Benaiah *Judg. 12:13,15;1 Chr. 27:14of Pirathon, Hiddai of the brooks of *Josh. 24:30;Judg. 2:9Gaash, 31 Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth of *[ch. 3:16]Bahurim, 32 Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan, 33 *ver. 11Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite, 34 Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai *ch. 10:6,8of Maacah, *ch. 11:3Eliam the son of *ch. 15:12Ahithophel the Gilonite, 35 Hezro*23:35 Or Hezrai*Josh. 15:55of Carmel, Paarai the Arbite, 36 Igal the son of Nathan *ch. 8:3of Zobah, Bani the Gadite, 37 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai *ch. 4:2of Beeroth, the armor-bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah, 38 *[ch. 20:26] Ira the *1 Chr. 2:53Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, 39 *ch. 11:3,6Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.