2 Samuel 23:8-23

Holman Christian Standard Bible

Exploits of David’s Warriors

⁸ These are the names of David’s warriors:^(A)

Josheb-basshebeth the Tahchemonite was chief of the officers.^[a] He wielded his spear^[b] against 800 men that he killed at one time.

⁹ After him, Eleazar son of Dodo son of an Ahohite was among the three warriors with David when they defied the Philistines. The men of Israel retreated in the place they had gathered for battle, ¹⁰ but Eleazar stood his ground and attacked the Philistines until his hand was tired and stuck to his sword. The Lord brought about a great victory that day. Then the troops came back to him, but only to plunder the dead.

¹¹ After him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines had assembled in formation where there was a field full of lentils. The troops fled from the Philistines, ¹² but Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field, defended it, and struck down the Philistines. So the Lord brought about a great victory.

¹³ Three of the 30 leading warriors went down at harvest time and came to David at the cave of Adullam,^(B) while a company of Philistines was camping in the Valley of Rephaim. ¹⁴ At that time David was in the stronghold,^(C) and a Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem. ¹⁵ David was extremely thirsty^[c] and said, “If only someone would bring me water to drink from the well at the city gate of Bethlehem!” ¹⁶ So three of the warriors broke through the Philistine camp and drew water from the well at the gate of Bethlehem. They brought it back to David, but he refused to drink it. Instead, he poured it out to the Lord. ¹⁷ David said, “Lord, I would never do such a thing! Is this not the blood of men who risked their lives?” So he refused to drink it. Such were the exploits of the three warriors.

¹⁸ Abishai, Joab’s brother and son of Zeruiah,^(D) was leader of the Three.^[d] He raised his spear against 300 men and killed them, gaining a reputation among the Three. ¹⁹ Was he not more honored than the Three? He became their commander even though he did not become one of the Three.^(E)

²⁰ Benaiah son of Jehoiada^(F) was the son of a brave man from Kabzeel, a man of many exploits. Benaiah killed two sons^[e] of Ariel^[f] of Moab, and he went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion. ²¹ He also killed an Egyptian, a huge man. Even though the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, Benaiah went down to him with a club, snatched the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and then killed him with his own spear. ²² These were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who had a reputation among the three warriors. ²³ He was the most honored of the Thirty, but he did not become one of the Three. David put him in charge of his bodyguard.