2 Samuel 23:8-23

2 Samuel 23:8-23

[8] These be the names  of the mighty men  whom David  had: The Tachmonite  that sat  in the seat,  chief  among the captains;  the same was Adino  the Eznite:  he lift up his spear against eight  hundred,  whom he slew  at one  time.  [9] And after  him was Eleazar  the son  of Dodo  the Ahohite,  one of the three  mighty men  with David,  when they defied  the Philistines  that were there gathered together  to battle,  and the men  of Israel  were gone away:  [10] He arose,  and smote  the Philistines  until  his hand  was weary,  and his hand  clave  unto the sword:  and the LORD  wrought  a great  victory  that day;  and the people  returned  after  him only to spoil.  [11] And after  the son  of Agee  the Hararite.  And the Philistines  were gathered together  into a troop,  where was a piece  of ground  of lentiles:  and the people  fled  from  the Philistines.  [12] But he stood  in the midst  of the ground,  and defended  it, and slew  the Philistines:  and the LORD  wrought  a great  victory.  [13] 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.  [14] And David  was then in an hold,  and the garrison  of the Philistines  was then in Bethlehem.  [15] And David  longed,  and said,  Oh that one would give me drink  of the water  of Bethlehem,  which is by the gate!  [16] And the three  mighty men  brake through  the host  of the Philistines,  and drew  water  of Bethlehem,  that was by the gate,  and took  it, and brought  it to David:  nevertheless he would  not drink  thereof, but poured it out  unto the LORD.  [17] And he said,  Be it far  from me, O LORD,  that I should do  this: is not this the blood  of the men  that went  in jeopardy of their lives?  therefore he would  not drink  it. These things did  these three  mighty men.  [18] 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.  [19] Was he not most honourable  of three?  therefore he was their captain:  howbeit he attained  not unto the first three.  [20] And Benaiah  the son  of Jehoiada,  the son  man,  of Kabzeel,  who had done many  acts,  he slew  two  lionlike men  of Moab:  he went down  also and slew  a lion  in the midst  of a pit  in time  of snow:  [21] And he slew  an Egyptian,  a goodly  man:  and the Egyptian  had a spear  in his hand;  but he went down  to him with a staff,  and plucked  the spear  out of the Egyptian's  hand,  and slew  him with his own spear.  [22] These things did  Benaiah  the son  of Jehoiada,  and had the name  among three  mighty men.  [23] He was more honourable  than the thirty,  but he attained  not to the first three.  And David  set  him over his guard. 

What does 2 Samuel 23:8-23 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

There were three warriors who received higher honor than all the rest ( 2 Samuel 23:8-12): Josheb-basshebeth, Eleazar, and Shammah. What their relationship to The Thirty was is hard to determine. [1] One writer assumed they were over The Thirty. [2] Three unnamed men from The Thirty received special mention ( 2 Samuel 23:13-17). Two others also received great esteem ( 2 Samuel 23:18-23): Abishai, and Benaiah. This was evidently the same Benaiah who became the head of David"s bodyguard ( 2 Samuel 20:23), a position similar to the one that David had occupied in Saul"s army ( 1 Samuel 22:14).
Josheb-basshebeth is an example of a spiritual warrior with exceptional strength (cf. Ephesians 6:10). Eleazar demonstrated unusual stamina and persistence (cf. Isaiah 40:31). Shammah"s greatness lay in his supernatural steadfastness (cf. Ephesians 6:14). The three warriors who took David"s wish for water as their command and took a calculated risk (not wild recklessness) showed remarkable sacrifice, dedication, and loyalty (cf. Matthew 6:33). These are all qualities necessary in, and available to, spiritual warriors of all ages by God"s grace. Perhaps the writer also mentioned the feats of Abishai and Benaiah because they feature in the preceding narrative. As Jesus had his circles of intimates (Peter, James , and John , the Twelve, and the Seventy), so did David.