The Meaning of 2 Samuel 23:13 Explained

2 Samuel 23:13

KJV: And three of the thirty chief went down, and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam: and the troop of the Philistines pitched in the valley of Rephaim.

YLT: And three of the thirty heads go down and come unto the harvest, unto David, unto the cave of Adullam, and the company of the Philistines are encamping in the valley of Rephaim,

Darby: And three of the thirty chiefs went down, and came to David in the harvest time to the cave of Adullam, when the troop of the Philistines was encamped in the valley of Rephaim.

ASV: And three of the thirty chief men went down, and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam; and the troop of the Philistines was encamped in the valley of Rephaim.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And three  of the thirty  chief  went down,  and came  to David  in the harvest time  unto the cave  of Adullam:  and the troop  of the Philistines  pitched  in the valley  of Rephaim. 

What does 2 Samuel 23:13 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Samuel 23:8-17 - David's Mighty Men
David's yearning for the water of the well of Bethlehem was very natural. He could almost see the ancient well-head, where as a lad he had gone with his mother to draw water. In the scorching heat that beat down on the hillside that sultry afternoon, nothing seemed so desirable as a draught from those cool depths. So does the exile yearn for home, and the backslider for his early blessedness. But, thank God, we cannot wish for the Water of Life-if we wish with all our heart-without having it. To wish is to enjoy. Our Mighty Savior has broken through the Philistines, and has won for us access to the springs of eternal blessedness.
It was very noble of David to refuse to drink that which had been obtained at such cost. Self-control and thoughtfulness for others are graces that bind men's hearts to their leaders. Moreover, David's example suggests a quite different call which modern conditions make upon us for the exercise of similar self-control. Should we not refuse to make any use of wine and strong drink which have cost, and are costing, the lives of myriads? God forbid that any of us should enjoy, for our selfish pleasures, the deadliest foe of human happiness, purity and hope. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Samuel 23

1  David, in his last words, professes his faith in God's promises
6  The different state of the wicked
8  A catalogue of David's mighty men

What do the individual words in 2 Samuel 23:13 mean?

And went down three three of the thirty chief men and came at harvest time to David the cave of Adullam and the troop of Philistines encamped in the Valley of the Rephaites
וַיֵּרְד֨וּ [שלשים] (שְׁלֹשָׁ֜ה) מֵהַשְּׁלֹשִׁ֣ים רֹ֗אשׁ וַיָּבֹ֤אוּ אֶל־ קָצִיר֙ אֶל־ דָּוִ֔ד מְעָרַ֖ת עֲדֻלָּ֑ם וְחַיַּ֣ת פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים חֹנָ֖ה בְּעֵ֥מֶק רְפָאִֽים

וַיֵּרְד֨וּ  And  went  down 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יָרַד  
Sense: to go down, descend, decline, march down, sink down.
[שלשים]  three 
Parse: Number, common plural
(שְׁלֹשָׁ֜ה)  three 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: שְׁלֹשִׁים  
Sense: thirty, thirtieth.
מֵהַשְּׁלֹשִׁ֣ים  of  the  thirty 
Parse: Preposition-m, Article, Number, common plural
Root: שְׁלֹשִׁים  
Sense: thirty, thirtieth.
רֹ֗אשׁ  chief  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: רֹאשׁ 
Sense: head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning.
וַיָּבֹ֤אוּ  and  came 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
אֶל־  at 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
קָצִיר֙  harvest  time 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: קָצִיר 
Sense: harvest, harvesting.
דָּוִ֔ד  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
מְעָרַ֖ת  the  cave 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: מְעָרָה  
Sense: cave, den, hole.
עֲדֻלָּ֑ם  of  Adullam 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֲדֻלָּם  
Sense: a town of the Canaanites allotted to Judah and lying in the lowlands; site of the cave where David hid.
וְחַיַּ֣ת  and  the  troop 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים  of  Philistines 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: פְּלִשְׁתִּי  
Sense: an inhabitant of Philistia; descendants of Mizraim who immigrated from Caphtor (Crete?) to the western seacoast of Canaan.
חֹנָ֖ה  encamped 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, feminine singular
Root: חָנָה  
Sense: to decline, incline, encamp, bend down, lay siege against.
בְּעֵ֥מֶק  in  the  Valley 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עֵמֶק  
Sense: valley, vale, lowland, open country.
רְפָאִֽים  of  the  Rephaites 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: רְפָאִים 
Sense: giants, Rephaim.