Sequence of 2Sa 23:7-39 and 1Ch 11:10-41
Version Date: May 23, 2023
The list of leaders in 1Ch 11:11-41 is given in the context of the beginning of David's reign over all Israel and is related to the list of leaders given in the context of the end of David's reign in 2Sa 23:8-39. Understanding Uriah in 2Sa 23:39 to be a different person than the Uriah who was Bathsheba's husband, 2Sa 23:7-39 presents a list of leaders towards the end of David's life. (However, when interpreting Uriah in 2Sa 23:39 to be the same person as Bathsheba's husband, the list of leaders refers to a considerably earlier time.) The lists include men who were with David when he was fleeing from Saul. Since these were no longer young by the time of 2Sa 23:7-39, the lists must refer to high ranking officials.
By examining 1Ch 11:11-41 and 2Sa 23:8-39, it is apparent that the two lists were written in a format that makes each resemble the other. The names in the two lists are sometimes identical, and when not identical, they are often in some sense similar. This suggests that David sought continuity among his leaders. When one could no longer serve, he appointed a person that was in some sense similar to the former. Thus, just as the list of 2Sa 23:8-39 had 37 members (2Sa 23:39), so also the list of 1Ch 11:11-41 must have 37 members. The interpretation here is that the 37 were known as the thirty (note that thirty is a round number approximating 37) and that the three were a group of three leaders. The three were part of the thirty at the time when David was fleeing from Saul (1Ch 11:15, 19). At the time of 1Ch 11:12, only one of the thirty, namely Eleazar, was mentioned as belonging to the three. At the time of 2Sa 23:8-9, none of the members of the thirty were said to belong to the three. At the time of 1Ch 11:20, Abishai was a leader of the three, though he himself was not one of the three. Under Abishai's authority were only two members of the three (1Ch 11:21) since one of the three was Eleazar (1Ch 11:12), who was above Abishai. Since Abishai was more honored than the three at the time of 2Sa 23:19, it would seem that at that time all members of the three were under his authority. Now the amount of honor one had is not a reliable indicator of rank, for though Benaiah was more honored than the other members of the thirty, he was not their leader and he was not one of the three (1Ch 11:25, 2Sa 23:23). The leader of the thirty was Yashobeam at the time of 1Ch 11:11 and Adino at the time of 2Sa 23:8. Not all members of the thirty are listed by name; some are mentioned as the sons of Hashem (1Ch 11:34) and the sons of Yashen (2Sa 23:32). Along with some of the names of the mighty men of David, the Scripture mentions mighty acts that they performed (1Ch 11:11, 14, 18, 20, 22-23, 2Sa 23:8, 10, 12, 16, 18, 20-21). All these mighty acts are understood here to have taken place before David began to reign. Now David had many more mighty men besides the thirty, as could be seen in 1Ch 11:42-12:39. The thirty were apparently some of the mighty men that could stay with David and serve him. Many of them must have been from Judah or from places close to Judah, for those from more remote places were less likely to be able to stay with him.
To help compare the two lists in 1Ch 11:11-41 and 2Sa 23:8-39, the number of a person in each list is indicated in red between square brackets. For example, "[10] Abiezer" in 1Ch 11:28 indicates that Abiezer is the tenth person in the list of 1Ch 11:11-41. An interesting observation is that if a person appears in the position [n] of the list of 1Ch 11:11-41, then the same person or a person with a similar name is usually found on the position [n+1] of the list of 2Sa 23:8-39. This is due mainly to the fact that most leadership duties of Eleazar, if not all, were assigned to Shema at the time of 2Sa 23. Eleazar is still the second name in the list of 2Sa 23, but the second-in-command was Shema, as could be inferred from the fact that Abishai was third-in-command (2Sa 23:18). Note that this website seeks to interpret the text strictly, by following the Scripture text as written; in instances involving a margin note, the Scripture text (the Kethiv) is followed, not the margin note (the Qere).
(2Sa 23:7) ואיש יגע בהם ימלא ברזל ועץ חנית ובאש שרוף ישרפו בשבת | (2Sa 23:7) But the man who toils among them is armed with iron and the wood of a spear, and they are completely burned with fire at their location. | ||
(1Ch 11:10) Now these are the leaders of the mighty men whom David had, who strengthened themselves with him in his royal authority, with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the LORD concerning Israel, | (1Ch 11:10) ואלה ראשי הגברים אשר לדויד המתחזקים עמו במלכותו עם כל ישראל להמליכו כדבר יהוה על ישראל | ||
(1Ch 11:11) and these were ...
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(1Ch 11:11) ... in the list ...
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(1Ch 11:11) ... of the mighty men whom David had: ...
| (1Ch 11:11) ... הגברים אשר לדויד ... 1 | (2Sa 23:8) ... הגברים אשר לדוד ... 1 | (2Sa 23:8) ... of the mighty men whom David had: ...
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(1Ch 11:11) ... [1] Yashobeam son of Hihmuni, ...
| (1Ch 11:11) ... ישבעם בן חכמוני ... 2 | ||
(2Sa 23:8) ... ישב בשבת תחכמני ... 2 | (2Sa 23:8) ... the third chief to occupy the position of Tehakmeni, ...
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(1Ch 11:11) ... the thirty; ...
| (1Ch 11:11) ... השלושים ... 3
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(2Sa 23:8) ... השלשי ... 3 | |||
(1Ch 11:11) ... he lifted up his spear against three hundred whom he killed at one time. | |||
(2Sa 23:8) ... הוא עדינו העצנו על שמנה מאות חלל בפעם אחד 4 | (2Sa 23:8) ... was [1] Adino, who counseled him concerning eight hundred enemies that were killed at one's opportune time. | ||
(1Ch 11:12) Next after him was ...
| (1Ch 11:12) ואחריו ... 5
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(2Sa 23:9) ואחרו ... 5 | (2Sa 23:9) (At that time the men were delayed ...
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(1Ch 11:12) ... [2] Eleazar ...
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| (2Sa 23:9) ... who were with [2] Eleazar ...
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(1Ch 11:12) ... son of Dodo ...
| (1Ch 11:12) ... בן דודו ... 6
| (2Sa 23:9) ... בן דדי ... 6 | (2Sa 23:9) ... son of Dodi ...
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(2Sa 23:9) ... בן אחחי ... 7 | (2Sa 23:9) ... son of Ahohi ...
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(1Ch 11:12) ... the Ahohite. ...
| (1Ch 11:12) ... האחוחי ... 7
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(1Ch 11:12) ... He was among the three mighty men.
| (1Ch 11:12) ... הוא בשלושה הגברים 8
| (2Sa 23:9) ... בשלשה גברים ... 8 | (2Sa 23:9) ... who was among three mighty men who were ...
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| (1Ch 11:13) הוא היה ... 9 | ||
(1Ch 11:13) ... with David ...
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(1Ch 1:13) ... at Pas-dammim ...
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(2Sa 23:9) ... בחרפם בפלשתים ...
| (2Sa 23:9) ... when they defied the Philistines. ...
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(1Ch 11:13) ... and the Philistines ...
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(1Ch 11:13) ... were gathered there for battle. ...
| (1Ch 11:13) ... נאספו שם למלחמה ...
| (2Sa 23:9) ... נאספו שם למלחמה ...
| (2Sa 23:9) ... were gathered there for battle ...
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(2Sa 23:9) ... after the men of Israel went up to that place.
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(1Ch 11:13-14) ... Now the plot of ground was full of barley, and they took their stand in the middle of the plot when the people fled from the Philistines. ...
| (1Ch 11:13) ... ותהי חלקת השדה מלאה שעורים והעם נסו מפני פלשתים | ||
(1Ch 11:14) ויתיצבו בתוך החלקה ...
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(2Sa 23:10) הוא קם ויך בפלשתים עד כי יגעה ידו ותדבק ידו אל החרב ...
| (2Sa 23:10) He arose and killed Philistines until his hand was weary, for his hand kept holding the sword, ...
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(1Ch 11:14) ... Then they recovered the plot, and struck down the Philistines, ...
| (1Ch 11:14) ... ויצילוה ויכו את פלשתים ...
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(1Ch 11:14) ... and the LORD delivered them with ...
| (1Ch 11:14) ... ויושע יהוה ...
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| (2Sa 23:10) ... for the LORD worked out ...
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(2Sa 23:10) ... תשועה גדולה ...
| (2Sa 23:10) ... a great deliverance ...
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(2Sa 23:10) ... on that day after the people returned behind Eleazar. The people came, however, for the spoil.)
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(2Sa 23:11) ואחריו שמא בן אגא הררי ויאספו פלשתים לחיה ותהי שם חלקת השדה מלאה עדשים והעם נס מפני פלשתים 10 | (2Sa 23:11) Next in rank after Adino was [3] Shemmah the son of Agee a Hararite. When the Philistines gathered towards Lehi in a place where the plot of ground had become full of lentils, then the people fled from the Philistines.
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(2Sa 23:12) ויתיצב בתוך החלקה ויצילה ויך את פלשתים ויעש יהוה תשועה גדולה | (2Sa 23:12) However, he took his stand in the middle of the plot, and recovered it, and struck down the Philistines. Then, the LORD worked out a great deliverance. | ||
(1Ch 11:15) Afterwards, three from the thiry leaders went down ...
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| (2Sa 23:13) Afterwards, officers from the thirty leaders went down ...
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(1Ch 11:15) ... שלושה ... 11
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(2Sa 23:13) ... שלשים ... 11 | |||
(1Ch 11:15) ... מן השלושים ראש ...
| (2Sa 23:13) ... מהשלשים ראש ...
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(2Sa 23:13) ... ויבאו אל קציר ...
| (2Sa 23:13) ... and came at harvest time ...
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(1Ch 11:15) ... to the rock ...
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(1Ch 11:15) ... to David at the cave of Adullam. ...
| (1Ch 11:15) ... אל דויד אל מערת עדלם ...
| (2Sa 23:13) ... אל דוד אל מערת עדלם ...
| (2Sa 23:13) ... to David at the cave of Adullam. ...
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(2Sa 23:13) ... וחית פלשתים ... 12 | (2Sa 23:13) ... At that time a host of Philistines ...
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(1Ch 11:15) ... At that time a company of Philistines ...
| (1Ch 11:15) ... ומחנה פלשתים ...
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(1Ch 11:16) Now David was then in the stronghold. ...
| (1Ch 11:16) ודויד אז במצודה ...
| (2Sa 23:14) ודוד אז במצודה ...
| (2Sa 23:14) Now David was then in the stronghold. ...
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(1Ch 11:16) ... and a Philistine garrison was then located in Bethlehem.
| (1Ch 11:16) ... ונציב פלשתים אז בבית לחם 13 | ||
(2Sa 23:14) ... ומצב פלשתים אז בית לחם 13
| (2Sa 23:14) ... and the men of a Philistine garrison were then the inhabitants of Bethlehem.
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(1Ch 11:17) Then even David longed, and said, 'Oh that someone would give me a drink of water ...
| (1Ch 11:17) ויתאו ... 14 | (2Sa 23:15) ויתאוה ... 14 | (2Sa 23:15) Then David longed, and said, 'Oh that someone would give me a drink of water ...
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(1Ch 11:17) ... דויד ויאמר מי ישקני מים ...
| (2Sa 23:15) ... דוד ויאמר מי ישקני מים ...
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(1Ch 11:17) ... from the well ...
| (1Ch 11:17) ... מבור ... 15 | (2Sa 23:15) ... מבאר ... 15 | (2Sa 23:15) ... from the well ...
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(1Ch 11:18) So the three broke through ...
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| (2Sa 23:16) So the three mighty men broke through ...
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(2Sa 23:16) ... שלשת הגברים ...
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(1Ch 11:18) ... the camp of the Philistines and drew water ...
| (1Ch 11:18) ... במחנה פלשתים וישאבו מים ...
| (2Sa 23:16) ... במחנה פלשתים וישאבו מים ...
| (2Sa 23:16) ... the camp of the Philistines and drew water ...
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(1Ch 11:18) ... from the well ...
| (1Ch 11:18) ... מבור ... 15 | (2Sa 23:16) ... מבאר ... 15 | (2Sa 23:16) ... from the well ...
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(1Ch 11:18) ... of Bethlehem which is by the gate, and took it, and went to David. However, David would not ...
| (1Ch 11:18) ... בית לחם אשר בשער וישאו ויבאו אל דויד ולא אבה ...
| (2Sa 23:16) ... בית לחם אשר בשער וישאו ויבאו אל דוד ולא אבה ...
| (2Sa 23:16) ... of Bethlehem which is by the gate, and took it, and went to David. However, he would not ...
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(1Ch 11:18) ... but poured ...
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| (2Sa 23:16) ... but poured ...
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(1Ch 11:19) and said, "It is an irreverent thing for me ...
| (1Ch 11:19) ויאמר חלילה לי ... 16 | (2Sa 23:17) ויאמר חלילה לי ... 16 | (2Sa 23:17) and said, "It is an irreverent thing for me ...
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(1Ch 11:19) ... before my God ...
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(1Ch 11:19) ... to drink any of it. It is the blood of these men. ...
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| (2Sa 23:17) ... that I should drink any of it. It is the blood of the men ...
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(1Ch 11:19) ... זאת הדם האנשים ...
| (2Sa 23:17) ... זאת הדם האנשים ...
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(2Sa 23:17) ... ההלכים בנפשותם ...
| (2Sa 23:17) ... who went against their souls." ...
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(1Ch 11:19) ... I would drink it against their souls, for against their souls they brought it." ...
| (1Ch 11:19) ... אשתה בנפשותם כי בנפשותם הביאום ...
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(1Ch 11:19) ... Therefore he would not drink it. These are things done by the three ...
| (1Ch 11:19) ... ולא אבה לשתותם אלה עשו שלשת ...
| (2Sa 23:17) ... ולא אבה לשתותם אלה עשו שלשת ...
| (2Sa 23:17) ... Therefore he would not drink it. These are things done by the three ...
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(1Ch 11:20) Next was [3] Abishai ...
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| (2Sa 23:18) Next was [4] Abishai ...
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(1Ch 11:20) ... the brother of Joab. ...
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| (2Sa 23:18) ... the brother of Joab, ...
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| (2Sa 23:18) ... the son of Zeruiah. ...
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(1Ch 11:20) ... was indeed ...
| (1Ch 11:20) ... היה ... 17 |
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(2Sa 23:18) ... ראש השלשי ... 18 | (2Sa 23:18) ... the third-in-command leader, ...
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(1Ch 11:20) ... a leader of the three ...
| (1Ch 11:20) ... ראש השלושה ... 18 | ||
(1Ch 11:20) ... and was known for the fact that he lifted up his spear against three hundred, killing them. ...
| (1Ch 11:20) ... והוא עורר את חניתו על שלש מאות חלל ...
| (2Sa 23:18) ... והוא עורר את חניתו על שלש מאות חלל ...
| (2Sa 23:18) ... and was known for the fact that he lifted up his spear against three hundred, killing them, ...
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(2Sa 23:18) ... ולו שם בשלשה 19 | |||
(1Ch 11:20) ... ולא שם בשלושה 19 | |||
(1Ch 11:21) Of the three, he was honored among two ...
| (1Ch 11:21) מן השלושה בשנים נכבד ... 20 | ||
(2Sa 23:19) מן השלשה הכי נכבד ... 20 | (2Sa 23:19) Was he not more honored than the three? ...
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(1Ch 11:21) ... and was their commander, though ...
| (1Ch 11:21) ... ויהי להם לשר ועד ...
| (2Sa 23:19) ... ויהי להם לשר ועד ...
| (2Sa 23:19) ... Now he was their commander though ...
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(1Ch 11:21) ... השלושה ... 21 | (2Sa 23:19) ... השלשה ... 21 | ||
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| (2Sa 23:20) Next was [5] Benaiah ...
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(1Ch 11:22) ... son of Jehoiada was the son of ...
| (1Ch 11:22) ... בן יהוידע בן ...
| (2Sa 23:20) ... בן יהוידע בן ...
| (2Sa 23:20) ... son of Jehoiada, the son of ...
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(2Sa 23:20) ... איש חי ... 22
| (2Sa 23:20) ... a lively man ...
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(1Ch 11:22) ... a mighty man ...
| (1Ch 11:22) ... איש חיל ... 22 | ||
(1Ch 11:22) ... of many deeds ...
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| (2Sa 23:20) ... of many deeds ...
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(1Ch 11:22) ... from Kabzeel. ...
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| (2Sa 23:20) ... from Kabzeel. ...
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(1Ch 11:22) ... He struck down two ...
| (1Ch 11:22) ... הוא הכה את שני ...
| (2Sa 23:20) ... הוא הכה את שני ...
| (2Sa 23:20) ... He struck down two ...
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(1Ch 11:22) ... mighty lions ...
| (1Ch 11:22) ... אריאל ... 23 | (2Sa 23:20) ... אראל ... 23 | (2Sa 23:20) ... mighty lions ...
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(1Ch 11:22) ... of Moab. At that time he went down and killed ...
| (1Ch 11:22) ... מואב והוא ירד והכה ...
| (2Sa 23:20) ... מואב והוא ירד והכה ...
| (2Sa 23:20) ... of Moab. At that time he went down and killed ...
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| (1Ch 11:22) ... את הארי ... 24 | (2Sa 23:20) ... את האריה ... 24
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(1Ch 11:22) ... in the middle of ...
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| (2Sa 23:20) ... in the middle of ...
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| (1Ch 11:22) ... הבור ... 15 | (2Sa 23:20) ... הבאר ... 15 |
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(1Ch 11:22) ... on a snowy day.
| (2Sa 23:20) ... on a snowy day.
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(1Ch 11:23) He also struck down ...
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| (2Sa 23:21) He also struck down ...
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(1Ch 11:23) ... the Egyptian man, ...
| (1Ch 11:23) ... את האיש המצרי ...
| (2Sa 23:21) ... את איש מצרי ...
| (2Sa 23:21) ... an Egyptian man ...
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(1Ch 11:23) ... a man of great size, five cubits tall. ...
| (1Ch 11:23) ... איש מדה חמש באמה ...
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| (2Sa 23:21) ... who looked impressive. ...
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(1Ch 11:23) ... The Egyptian had then in his hand a spear ...
| (1Ch 11:23) ... וביד המצרי חנית ...
| (2Sa 23:21) ... וביד המצרי חנית ...
| (2Sa 23:21) ... The Egyptian had then in his hand a spear, ...
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(1Ch 11:23) ... like a weaver's beam, ...
| (1Ch 11:23) ... כמנור ארגים ...
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(1Ch 11:23) ... but Benaiah went down to him with a club, snatched the spear out of the hand of the Egyptian, and killed him with his own spear.
| (1Ch 11:23) ... וירד אליו בשבט ויגזל את החנית מיד המצרי ויהרגהו בחניתו | (2Sa 23:21) .. וירד אליו בשבט ויגזל את החנית מיד המצרי ויהרגהו בחניתו | (2Sa 23:21) ... but Benaiah went down to him with a club, snatched the spear out of the hand of the Egyptian, and killed him with his own spear.
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(1Ch 11:24) These are things that Benaiah son of Jehoiada did, and he was renowned ...
| (1Ch 11:24) אלה עשה בניהו בן יהוידע ולו שם ...
| (2Sa 23:22) אלה עשה בניהו בן יהוידע ולו שם ...
| (2Sa 23:22) These are things that Benaiah son of Jehoiada did, and he was renowned ...
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(1Ch 11:24) ... among the three ...
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| (2Sa 23:22) ... among the three ...
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(1Ch 11:25) Behold, he was more honored than the thirty, ...
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| (2Sa 23:23) He was more honored than the thirty, ...
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(1Ch 11:25) ... and did not associate himself with the three, ...
| (1Ch 11:25) ... ואל השלשה לא בא ... 21
| (2Sa 23:23) ... ואל השלשה לא בא ... 21
| (2Sa 23:23) ... and did not associate himself with the three, ...
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(1Ch 11:25) ... and David had him put ...
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| (2Sa 23:23) ... and David appointed him ...
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(2Sa 23:23) ... אל ... 25 | |||
(1Ch 11:25) ... על ... 25 | |||
(1Ch 11:26) Next, the mighty men of the armies were: ...
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(1Ch 11:26) ... [5] Asahel the brother of Joab, ...
| (1Ch 11:26) ... עשהאל אחי יואב ...
| (2Sa 23:24) עשהאל אחי יואב ...
| (2Sa 23:24) ... [6] Asahel the brother of Joab ...
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| (2Sa 23:24) ... was one of the thirty; ...
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(1Ch 11:26) ... [6] Elhanan son of ...
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| (2Sa 23:24) ... [7] Elhanan son of ...
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(2Sa 23:24) ... בית לחם 26 | |||
(1Ch 11:26) ... מבית לחם 26 | |||
(1Ch 11:27) [7] Shammoth the Harorite, ...
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(2Sa 23:25) [8] Shammah the Harodite, [9] Elika the Harodite, | |||
(1Ch 11:27) ... [8] Helez the Pelonite,
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| (2Sa 23:26) [10] Helez the Paltite, ...
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(1Ch 11:28) [9] Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, ...
| (1Ch 11:28) עירא בן עקש התקועי ...
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(1Ch 11:28) ... [10] Abiezer ...
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(1Ch 11:28) ... the Anathothite,
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| (2Sa 23:27) ... the Anathothite ...
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(2Sa 23:27) ... מבני החשתי 27 | |||
(1Ch 11:29) [11] Sibbecai the Hushathite, ...
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(1Ch 11:29) ... the Ahohite ...
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| (2Sa 23:28) ... the Ahohite ...
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(1Ch 11:30) from the hills of the Netophathites, ...
| (1Ch 11:30) מהרי הנטפתי ... 28 | (2Sa 23:28) ... מהרי הנטפתי 28 | |
(1Ch 11:30) ... [13] Heled ...
| (1Ch 11:30) ... חלד ... 29 | ||
(2Sa 23:29) חלב ... 29 |
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(1Ch 11:30) ... בן בענה הנטופתי
| (2Sa 23:29) ... בן בענה הנטפתי ...
| (2Sa 23:29) ... son of Baanah the Netophathite, ...
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| (2Sa 23:29) ... [15] Ithai ...
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(1Ch 11:31) ... son of Ribai from Gibeah of the sons of Benjamin, ...
| (1Ch 11:31) ... בן ריבי מגבעת בני בנימן ...
| (2Sa 23:29) ... son of Ribai from Gibeah of the sons of Benjamin, | |
(1Ch 11:31) ... [15] Benaiah ...
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(1Ch 11:31) ... the Pirathonite,
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| (2Sa 23:30) ... a Pirathonite, ...
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| (2Sa 23:30) ... [17] Hiddai ...
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(1Ch 11:32) ... from the brooks of Gaash ...
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(1Ch 11:32) ... [17] Abiel ...
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(2Sa 23:31) אבי עלבון ... 30 | (2Sa 23:31) [18] the father of Albon ...
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| (2Sa 23:31) ... the Arbathite, ...
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| (2Sa 23:31) ... [19] Azmaveth ...
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(1Ch 11:33) ... the Behermite, ...
| (1Ch 11:33) ... הבחרומי ... 31 | ||
(2Sa 23:31) ... הברחמי 31 | (2Sa 23:31) ... the Berahamite,
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(1Ch 11:33) ... [19] Eliahba the Shaalbonite,
| (2Sa 23:32) אליחבא השעלבני ...
| (2Sa 23:32) [20] Eliahba the Shaalbonite, ...
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(1Ch 11:34) [20, 21, 22] the sons of Hashem the Gizonite, ...
| (1Ch 11:34) בני השם הגזוני ... 32 | ||
(2Sa 23:32) ... בני ישן ... 32 | (2Sa 23:32) ... [21, 22, 23] the sons of Yashen ...
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(1Ch 11:35) [24] Ahiam son of Sacar ...
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(1Ch 11:35) ... the Hararite, ...
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| (2Sa 23:23) ... the Hararite, ...
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(2Sa 23:33) ... [26] Ahiam son of Sharar the Ararite,
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(1Ch 11:36) [26] Hepher the Mekerathite ...
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(2Sa 23:34) אליפלט בן אחסבי בן המעכתי ...
| (2Sa 23:34) [27] Eliphelet son of Ahashbai son of the Maachathite, ...
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(1Ch 11:37) [28] Hezro the Carmelite, ...
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| (2Sa 23:35) [29] Hezro the Carmelite, ...
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(1Ch 11:38) [30] Yoel the brother of Nathan ...
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(2Sa 23:36) יגאל בן נתן מצבה ...
| (2Sa 22:36) [31] Igal son of Nathan from Zobah, ...
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(2Sa 23:36) ... בני הגדי 33 | |||
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(1Ch 11:39) ... the Ammonite, ...
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| (2Sa 23:37) ... the Ammonite, ...
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(1Ch 11:39) ... [33] Naharai ...
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| (2Sa 23:37) ... [34] Naharai ...
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(1Ch 11:39) ... the Berothite, ...
| (1Ch 11:39) ... הברתי ... 34 | (2Sa 23:37) ... הבארתי ... 34 | (2Sa 23:37) ... the Berothite, ...
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(1Ch 11:39) ... an armor bearer of Joab ...
| (1Ch 11:39) ... נשא ... 35 | ||
(2Sa 23:37) ... נשאי ... 35 | (2Sa 23:37) ... armor bearers of Joab ...
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(1Ch 11:39) ... son of Zeruiah,
| (2Sa 23:27) ... son of Zeruiah,
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(1Ch 11:41) [36] Uriah the Hittite, ...
| (1Ch 11:41) אוריה החתי ... 36 | ||
(2Sa 23:39) אוריה החתי ... 36 | (2Sa 23:39) [37] Uriah the Hittite, ...
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(2Sa 23:39) ... כל שלשים ושבעה 37 | (2Sa 23:39) ... thirty-seven in all. |
Endnotes:
(1) The mighty men mentioned in 1Ch 11-12 are listed in the context of men from all over Israel coming to make David king. The list of 2Sa 23 does not have this context but refers to a later time. Since most of those who came to make David king returned home, and since 2Sa 23 must refer to men that David usually had with him, there are considerably fewer names in 2Sa 23 than in 1Ch 11-12. However, since the men that typically were with David appear to be listed first, it is meaningful to compare the names in 2Sa 23:8-39 and 1Ch 11:11-41. Since the men that were with David changed over time, the lists of 2Sa 23:8-39 and 1Ch 11:11-41 are not identical. Nonetheless, by comparing the two lists, it is possible to see the men that were replaced and who replaced them. As for the time to which the list in 2Sa 23 refers, there are two possibilities. If Uriah the Hittite in 2Sa 23:39 is Bathsheba's husband, then the list refers to a time before his death. However, since 2Sa 23 is in the context of the end of David's life, it seems more likely that Uriah the Hittite in 2Sa 23:39 is not the same person as Bathsheba's husband; he could have been another Hittite with the same name, such as a son of Bathsheba's husband. Then, the list of 2Sa 23 refers to leaders that David had towards the end of his reign. [Back]
(2) Traditionally, תחכמני in 2Sa 23:8 has been interpreted as meaning "Tachmonite" (for example, see KJV.) It is interpreted here as a name "Tehakmeni." Note that the name means "thou givest me wisdom." Note also that תחכמני "Tehakmeni" does not have to be interpreted "Tachmonite," just as ישי "Jesse," which also ends with the yod letter, does not have to be interpreted as "Jessite." Now the traditional interpretation of חכמוני in 1Ch 11:11 has been "Hachmonite" (see KJV.) Here, however, it is interpreted as a name "Hihmuni," and so ישבעם בן חכמוני as "Yashobeam son of Hihmuni." Note that חכמוני "Hihmuni" means "they give me wisdom." Given the related meanings of the names "Tehakmeni" and "Hihmuni," it would seem very reasonable to assume that "Tehakmeni" was another name by which "Yashobeam son of Hihmuni" was known. Thus, the phrase ישב בשבת תחכמני "sitting in the seat of Tehakmeni" of 2Sa 23:8 refers to the person who at the time of 2Sa 23 had the position that ישבעם בן חכמוני "Yashobeam son of Hihmuni" had at the time of 1Ch 11:11. Note that the word שבת "seat" of 2Sa 23:8 appears also in 2Sa 23:7 with a related meaning. [Back] (3) While ישבעם "Yashobeam" was ראש השלושים "chief of the thirty" (1Ch 11:11), his successor עדינו "Adino" was ראש השלשי "the third chief" (2Sa 23:8). In the context of ישב בשבת תחכמני "sitting in the seat of Tehakmeni," the phrase ראש השלשי "the third chief" must indicate that two persons served as chiefs before Adino and that Tehakmeni was one of them. As indicated in the note (2) above, Yashobeam is likely the same as Tehakmeni. Then, the other chief must have been עמשי "Amasai," since he is introduced as ראש השלושים "chief of the thirty" in 1Ch 12:18 (19). When Amasai and his men came to David, they were made leaders in the troop of David (1Ch 12:19 (18)). It follows that the thirty were originally under Amasai and came to David with Amasai. Thus, Amasai was the first chief of the thirty. As for השלושים "the thirty," this is understood to be a round number denoting high ranking officers occupying 37 positions of authority. The number 37 is inferred from 2Sa 23:39. It may be that at the time when Adino joined David, this number was somewhat different, perhaps smaller. Over time, some of the men occupying the positions of authority were replaced, so the thirty changed somewhat during the reign of David. [Back] (4) In 2Sa 23:8, עדינו העצנו על שמנה מאות חלל בפעם אחד can be translated, "Adino who counseled him concerning eight hundred enemies that were killed at one's opportune time." The form עצנו was derived from the verb עוץ "to counsel," which appears also in Jdg 19:30 and Is 8:10. It could be parsed as a qal participle masculine singular with a third person masculine suffix, or as a hiphil perfect third person masculine singular with a third person masculine suffix. In either case, the form involves the energic נ. While the נ letter has not been added elsewhere to the suffix of a participle, it appears with a perfect form in דנני of Ge 30:6. Now פעם has the feminine gender, such as in בפעם אחת in 1Ch 11:11. This indicates that בפעם אחד should be translated "in one's time," that is, "at one's opportune time." [Back] (5) Each of 1Ch 11:12 and 2Sa 23:9 provides additional details. 1Ch 11:12 has, ואחריו אלעזר בן דודו "and after him was Eleazar son of Dodo." 2Sa 23:9 has, ואחרו אלעזר בן דדי ... בחרפם בפלשתים "and the men were delayed who were with Eleazar, son of Dodi ... when they defied certain Philistines." Thus, 2Sa 23:9 indicates that the victory mentioned in 2Sa 23:8 took place without help from Eleazar and his men, for they were delayed. In 2Sa 23:9, the meaning of ואחרו was derived from the verb אחר "to delay." Now ואחריו "and after him" in 1Ch 11:12 is understood to indicate that Eleazar was next in rank after Yashobeam, who had the highest position of authority at that time (1Ch 11:11). Note that at the time of 2Sa 23, Eleazar was not next in rank to Adino, and so 2Sa 23:9 has ואחרו instead of ואחריו. Next in rank to Adino was Shema (2Sa 23:11), and then Abishai was the third in rank (2Sa 23:18). The attention given to Eleazar in 2Sa 23 indicates that he was still part of the thirty at that time. However, the fact that he is only mentioned in a passage describing the circumstances of 2Sa 23:8 suggests that he was partially retired and did not have all the leadership duties that he had had when he was younger. [Back] (6) The interpretation here is that דודו "Dodo" in 1Ch 11:12 and דדי "Dodi" in 2Sa 23:9 are two versions of the same name and denote the same person. In support of this view, note that the name דדי "Dodi" could be seen as an abbreviation of דוד יהוה "beloved of the LORD," while the intended meaning of דודו "Dodo," which is translated "his beloved," could also be "beloved of the LORD." Additionally, it seems quite likely that דודו האחוחי "Dodo the Achohite" of 1Ch 11:12 is the same as דודי האחוחי "Dodi the Achohite," which appears in the same book, in 1Ch 27:4. Apparently, Dodo was known as Dodi later in his life, as could be inferred from 1Ch 27:4 and 2Sa 23:9. [Back] (7) Considering בן אחחי "son of Ahohi" in 2Sa 23:9, Ahohi is understood here to be the father of Dodi. Ahohi belonged to the clan of the Ahohites, as could be inferred from האחוחי "the Ahohite" in 1Ch 11:12. [Back] (8) Note the difference between הוא בשלושה הגברים "he was one of the three mighty men" in 1Ch 11:12 and בשלשה גברים "one of three mighty men" in 2Sa 23:9. The former speaks about a group of three that existed at the time of 1Ch 11:12, while the latter about a group of three from an earlier time. The three mighty men are understood here to refer to three men occupying three positions of high authority. Understanding "the three" to denote the men occupying these three positions of authority, note that the three did not have to be the same at different times. Eleazar was one of the three at the time of the event described in 2Sa 23:9-10 and at the time of 1Ch 11:12. At the time of 1Ch 11:15, the three were members of the thirty, as could be inferred when taking the phrase שלושה מן השלושים "three from the thirty" of 1Ch 11:15 in the context of השלשה "the three" in 1Ch 11:18 and אלה עשו שלשת הגבורים "the three mighty men did these things" in 1Ch 11:19. At the time of 2Sa 23, none of the thirty was said to belong to the three. However, Abishai, one of the thirty, was their leader (2Sa 23:19). [Back] (9) The interpretation here is that 1Ch 11:13-14 and 2Sa 23:9-10 refer to the same event. [Back] (10) ואחריו "and after him" in 2Sa 23:11 is interpreted as in the note (5) above, as indicating that שמא "Shemmah" was next in rank after עדינו "Adino." Note that אלעזר "Eleazar" is mentioned in a comment about the circumstances of 2Sa 23:8, so the antecedent of "him" in the phrase "after him" must be the person who is the subject of 2Sa 23:8, namely Adino. [Back] (11) The first occurrence of שלשים in 2Sa 23:13 is understood here as the plural of שליש "officer," while its second occurrence as meaning "thirty." Thus, שלשים מהשלשים ראש is translated "officers from the thirty leaders." Note that the form שלשים means "officers" also in 2Ki 10:25 and Eze 23:15, 23. Now שלושה "three" in 1Ch 11:15 and שלשים "officers" in 2Sa 23:13 imply that three officers came down. In the context, the three officers must refer to the group of three mighty men known as the three. The absence of the article in שלושה "three" of 1Ch 11:15 indicates that the three of 1Ch 11:15 are not the same as the three of 1Ch 11:12; at least one member of the three had changed in the meanwhile. One member of the three that did not change was Eleazar. The text states plainly that Eleazar was a member of the three at the time of 1Ch 11:12, while 2Sa 23:9 implies that he was among the three also at the time of 1Ch 11:15. [Back] (12) In 2Sa 23:13, the subject of the verb חנה "to encamp" is חית פלשתים. Though חיה often means "beast," it is not possible to translate חית פלשתים as "beasts of the Philistines" because the verb חנה "to encamp" implies people. Thus, חית פלשתים is often translated "Philistine troop;" the BDB lexicon translates it, "a community of Philistines." Ps 68:10 (11), in its context, provides another example in which חיה must refer to people. [Back] (13) Comparing 1Ch 11:16 and 2Sa 23:14, a distinction can be made between the words נציב and מצב, both meaning "garrison." The former refers to a physical location, while the latter to those stationed in the garrison. Indeed, note that a מצב can move (1Sa 13:23) and see (1Sa 14:11). Thus, 1Ch 11:16 states that the garrison was located in the Bethlehem area, while 2Sa 23:14 that the inhabitants of Bethlehem were the people of the garrison. This implies that the original inhabitants of Bethlehem had fled and the town became inhabited by Philistines. [Back] (14) Both ויתאו דויד in 1Ch 11:17 and ויתאוה דוד in 2Sa 23:15 mean "and David longed." However, 1Ch 11:17 has a lesser emphasis on the verb. Consequently, 1Ch 11:17 has a higher emphasis on the fact that David was the one who had the longing. [Back] (15) Comparing בור in 1Ch 11:17-18, 22 and באר in 2Sa 23:15-16, 20, both describe a well of water. While the latter is normally used in relation to water, the former can be used for various kinds of pits, not necessarily wells. [Back] (16) Both 1Ch 11:19 and 2Sa 23:17 abbreviate the words of David. By combining 1Ch 11:19 and 2Sa 23:17, the following text is obtained: חלילה לי מאלהי יהוה מעשתי זאת הדם האנשים האלה ההלכים בנפשותם אשתה בנפשותם כי בנפשותם הביאום "It is an irreverent thing for me before my God the LORD that I should drink any of it. It is the blood of these men who went against their souls. I would drink it against their souls, for against their souls they brought it." Note that חלילה is derived from חלל "to pollute, defile, profane." Thus, חלילה לי was translated "it is an irreverent thing for me." Moreover, מאלהי "from my God" in 1Ch 11:19 indicates that David's viewpoint was from the Lord; thus, מאלהי was rendered "before my God." As for חלילה לי יהוה "it is an irreverent thing for me with the LORD" in 2Sa 23:17, it was interpreted in the same sense as "it is an irreverent thing for me before the LORD." Finally, מעשות "from doing" (1Ch 11:19) and מעשתי "from me doing" (2Sa 23:17) were understood as stating that it was an irreverent thing to do any of it, that is, to drink any of the water. Thus, מעשות and מעשתי were rendered "to drink any of it" and "that I should drink any it," respectively. [Back] (17) Just as the phrase הוא ראש השלשי of 2Sa 23:18 is translated "he was the third-in-command leader," so also הוא היה ראש השלושה in 1Ch 11:20 could be translated "he was a leader of the three." However, given the emphasis added by היה "was," a more precise translation would be, "he was indeed a leader of the three." The emphasis might be due to the fact that though one would have expected Eleazar to be the leader of the three, Abishai also was a leader of the three. Note that Eleazar was one of the three (1Ch 11:12). Moreover, understanding ואחריו "and after him" in 1Ch 11:12 to indicate that Eleazar was next in rank after Yashobeam, Eleazar ranked higher than Abishai. Thus, at the time of 1Ch 11:20, only two of the three were under the authority of Abishai (1Ch 11:21), for Eleazar was one of the three. [Back] (18) At the time of 2Sa 23:18, Abishai was ראש השלשי "the third leader," where "third" is understood to refer to rank. The first was Adino, second Shema, third Abishai; see the note (5) above. Moreover, at the time of 1Ch 11:20, Abishai was ראש השלושה "leader of the three." Now Abishai was probably the third-in-command leader also at the time of 1Ch 11:20. At that time, the second-in-command was Eleazar, and Abishai had authority only over two of the three, as mentioned in the note (17). [Back] (19) Each of the endings of 2Sa 23:18 and 1Ch 11:20 provide additional detail about Abishai. As mentioned in 2Sa 23:18, לו שם בשלשה "he had a name among the three," that is, he had a good reputation among the three. Moreover, as mentioned in 1Ch 11:20, לא שם בשלושה "he was not placed among the three," that is, he did not become part of the group of the three. Here, שם was parsed as a form of the verb שים "to place." [Back] (20) At the time of 1Ch 11:21, מן השלושה בשנים נכבד "of the three, he was honored among two." At the time of 2Sa 23:19, מן השלשה הכי נכבד "was he not more honored than the three?" It is likely that not all who were members of the three at the time of 1Ch 11:21 were members of the three also at the time of 2Sa 23:19. As for the fact that Abishai was honored among two (1Ch 11:21), at that time only two of the three were under his authority, as mentioned in the note (17). [Back] (21) Both 1Ch 11:21 and 2Sa 23:19 use the preposition עד where 1Ch 11:25 and 2Sa 23:23 use אל. Thus, 1Ch 11:25 and 2Sa 23:23 speak of a weaker association with the three that did not involve getting into the group of the three. Consequently, עד השלושה לא בא was translated "he did not join the three," that is, he did not get into the group of the three, while אל השלושה לא בא was translated, "he did not associate himself with the three." [Back] (22) Each of 2Sa 23:20 and 1Ch 11:22 provides some detail about Benaiah's father. 1Ch 11:22 states that Benaiah's father was איש חיל "a mighty man" and 2Sa 23:20 that he was איש חי "a lively man." The latter speaks about his temperament. The BDB lexicon defines חי with the meaning "lively, active" in the context of 2Sa 23:20 and Ps 38:19 (20). [Back] (23) שני אריאל in 1Ch 11:22 and שני אראל in 2Sa 23:20 are translated here "two mighty lions," where אראל was interpreted as a contracted form of אריאל, and the meaning of אריאל was derived from the phrase ארי אל "mighty lion." Similar phrases include הררי אל "mighty mountains" in Ps 36:6 (36:7) and ארזי אל "mighty cedars" in Ps 80:10 (80:11). The fact that אריאל and אראל do not look like plural forms is not an issue, for there are also other words denoting animals that do not have a plural form; for example, consider חמשה בקר ישלם תחת השור וארבע צען תחת השה in Ex 22:1 (21:37). Though there are instances in which אריאל is the name of a person, the phrase והיתה לי כאריאל "and she shall be to me like an 'ariel'" in Is 29:2 shows that אריאל is more than just a name. Its meaning can be inferred from 1Ch 11:22-23 and 2Sa 23:20-21 as follows. In 1Ch 11:23 and 2Sa 23:21, after the text mentions that Benaiah killed the Egyptian, it also describes how this happened. This pattern is likely also in 1Ch 11:22 and 2Sa 23:20: after mentioning that Benaiah killed the two "ariels," the text mentions how it happened, namely, Benaiah went down into a pit and killed the lions there. Thus, the word אריאל must refer to lions. This fits also Is 29:2, where והיתה לי כאריאל "and she shall be to me like a mighty lion" predicted that the Messiah would be killed by men of Jerusalem. The enemies of the Messiah were likened to lions also in Ps 22:16 (22:17), where the text has, כארי ידי ורגלי "they have pierced like a lion my hands and my feet." [Back] (24) The singular forms הארי of 1Ch 11:22 and האריה of 2Sa 23:20 are understood here to denote collectively the two lions. Examples in which singular forms refer, or could refer, to multiple lions can be found in 1Sa 17:37 for ארי and in Ps 22:13 (22:14), Ps 22:21 (22:22), Is 11:7, 65:25, Jer 5:6 for אריה. [Back] (25) Note that David appointed Benaiah אל משמעתו "with his guard" (2Sa 23:23) and put him על משמעתו "in charge of his guard" (1Ch 11:25). [Back] (26) In 1Ch 11:26, the phrase אלחנן בן דודו מבית לחם "Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem" indicates that Elhanan was from Bethlehem. In 2Sa 23:24, the phrase אלחנן בן דדו בית לחם "Elhanan son of Dodo of Bethlehem" indicates that Elhanan's father was from Bethlehem. [Back] (27) 2Sa 23:27 indicates that Abiezer was from Anathoth and a Hushathite according to genealogical descent. Here, מבני החשתי was translated "from the sons of the Hushathites." The alternative view that מבני החשתי should be translated "Mebunnai the Hushathite" seems unlikely because the text seems to lack indications that מבני is a name. Note that if Mebunnai was a name, then it was a very rare name, for no other passage of the Old Testament has been interpreted as including this name. If "Mebunnai" were the intended meaning of מבני, then this word would have been spelled מבוני, to avoid confusion with the common מבני that means "from the sons." The phrase מבני החשתי "from the sons of the Hushathites"of 2Sa 23:27 is similar in form with מן בני הקהתי "from the sons of the Kohathites" in 2Ch 29:12 and 1Ch 9:32. Related are also the phrases בני הגרשני "the sons of the Gershonites" (Nu 4:27-28, 1Ch 26:21), בני הראובני "the sons of the Reubenites" (Nu 34:14), בני הגדי "the sons of the Gadites" (Nu 34:14), בני הקהתי "the sons of the Kohathites" (Nu 4:34). [Back] (28) The most natural interpretation of the phrase מהרי הנטפתי from 1Ch 11:30 and 2Sa 23:28 is "from the hills of the Nethophatites," just as מהרי העברים in Nu 33:48 is translated "from the mountains of Abarim." The context fits a phrase "from the hills of the Nethophatites," for other similar descriptions can be found in the same passages, such as מגבעת בני בנימן "from Gibeah of the sons of Benjamin" (1Ch 11:31, 2Sa 23:29) and מנחלי געש "from the brooks of Gash" (1Ch 11:32, 2Sa 23:30). Now מהרי הנטפתי appears also in 1Ch 27:13 and has been commonly interpreted as "Maharai the Netophathite." It is not necessary, however, to interpret מהרי as a name "Maharai" in 1Ch 27:13. The word מהרי, if interpreted as "from the hills," indicates that at the time of 1Ch 27:13 no specific person had a permanent assignment for the tenth month and that the Zarhites were in charge of that month. The interpretation here is that over time, more than one Zarhite had served during the 10th month, and since nobody was yet appointed for that month, the verse does not name a specific person. Thus, העשירי לחדש העשירי מהרי הנטופתי לזרחי ועל מחלקתו עשרים וארבעה אלף in 1Ch 27:13 is interpreted here as stating, "The tenth leader for the tenth month was from the hills of the Netophathites, representing the Zarhites; in his division were 24,000." The Zarhites were in charge also of the 8th month (1Ch 27:11), and Sibbecai the Hushathite was assigned for it. At the time of 1Ch 11:29, he was one of the thirty. [Back] (29) חלד "Heled" in 1Ch 11:30 and חלב "Heleb" in 2Sa 23:29 are understood here to be two different persons. As the text implies, they were brothers. There are examples in which the names of two siblings resembled each other, such as מדן ומדין "Medan and Midian" (1Ch 1:32). Another example is provided by the sons of עיר "Ir" which where known as שפם "Shuppim" and חפם "Huppim" (1Ch 7:12); they were apparently the men of 1Ch 7:15 for whom Machir obtained wives. Moreover, two of the sons of David had the same name אליפלט "Eliphelet" (1Ch 3:6, 8), and two of the sons of Seir had the name דישן (1Ch 1:38), which is rendered "Dishon" or "Dishan." A New Testament example is μαριαμ and μαρια, the former being the name of the mother of Jesus and the latter the name of her sister, Mary the wife of Clopas (Jn 19:25). [Back] (30) Since אבי עלבון consists of two separate words, it was not translated as a name "Abialbon" but as a phrase "the father of Albon." [Back] (31) הבחרומי "the Behermite" in 1Ch 11:33 and הברחמי "the Berahmite" in 2Sa 23:31 are so similar in form that it seems most likely that Azmaveth got his name changed from הבחרומי "the Behermite," that is, "the one in the devoted things of the LORD," to הברחמי "the Berahmite," that is, "the one in the mercies of the LORD." In this translation, חרום was parsed as a participle passive of חרם "to devote" and הברחמי was understood as abbreviating הברחמי יהוה. [Back] (32) As mentioned in 2Sa 23:39, the list of 2Sa 23 had 37 persons. By counting the number of names, it follows that three persons were denoted by בני ישן "the sons of Yashen" in 2Sa 23:32. Due to the similarity of the lists in 2Sa 23 and 1Ch 11, it would seem reasonable to assume that the list in 1Ch 11:11-41 also has 37 persons. A number of 37 persons in the list of 1Ch 11:11-41 would imply that the phrase בני השם "the sons of Hashem" of 1Ch 11:34 denotes three persons, just like בני ישן "the sons of Yashen" in 2Sa 23:32. [Back] (33) An alternative translation of בני הגדי "Bani the Gadite" would be "the sons of the Gadite." However, this alternative seems unlikely because it results in a vague description, for there were many Gadites. Moreover, the name בני "Bani" was in use, as could be seen in other passages (1Ch 6:31, Ezr 2:10, 10:38, Ne 3:17, 8:7). [Back] (34) הברתי in 1Ch 11:39 is seen here as an alternative spelling of הבארתי in 2Sa 23:37. See also the note (15) above. [Back] (35) Comparing נשא "bearer" (singular) in 1Ch 11:39 with נשאי "bearers" (plural) in 2Sa 23:27, it can be concluded that by the time of 2Sa 23:37 Joab had had at least one more armor bearer. Then, צלק העמני "Zelek the Ammonite" and נחרי הבארתי "Naharai the Berothite" were armor bearers of Joab at the time of 2Sa 23:37, but only נחרי הבארתי "Naharai the Berothite" was an armor bearer of Joab at the time of 1Ch 11:39. [Back] (36) If the list in 2Sa 23 is understood to refer to men that David had towards the end of his reign, then אוריה החתי "Uriah the Hittite" in 2Sa 23:39 is not the same person as אוריה החתי "Uriah the Hittite" in 1Ch 11:41. See the note (1). [Back] (37) The number 37 implies that three persons were denoted by בני ישן "the sons of Yashen" in 2Sa 23:32 and also three persons by בני השם "the sons of Hashem" in 1Ch 11:34; see the note (32) above. Now the list of 1Ch 11:11-41 is followed immediately by a list of other mighty men of David, such as the Reubenites of 1Ch 11:42. The Reubenites must have had their homes in the territory of Reuben, far from Jerusalem. Probably David had 37 positions of high ranking officers that he filled with mighty men that were able to be with him in Judah. These were not all his mighty men, but some who were able to be with him. The lists in 2Sa 23 and 1Ch 11 are not identical because many of those on the list of 1Ch 11 were old or dead by the time of 2Sa 23. [Back]
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