Chapter XI.
1–3 (= 2 Samuel v. 1–3).
David made King over all Israel.
The remaining chapters of the first book of Chronicles are occupied with the reign of David, who is represented as a king fulfilling the Chronicler’s highest ideals of piety and prosperity. For some general remarks on the difference between the picture thus given and the David of Samuel see the note on xxviii. 1.
¹Then all Israel gathered themselves to David unto Hebron, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh.
1. Then] Render And.
all Israel] Chronicles has nothing here corresponding to 2 Samuel i.–iv., chapters which cover a period of seven years (2 Samuel v. 5). David’s earlier coronation by the men of Judah (2 Samuel ii. 4), the reign of Ish-bosheth over Northern and Eastern Israel (2 Samuel ii. 8 ff.), and the “long war” (2 Samuel iii. 1) with the house of Saul are omitted not of course because the Chronicler was ignorant of these events (for see the references in verses 15, 17; xii. 1, 23, 29, etc.), but for the reason set forth above in the head-note to chapters x.–xxix. The Chronicler’s account is perhaps deliberately adapted to convey an impression of the ease with which the ideal David ascends the throne of a united Israel; and, if we had not the narrative in Samuel to help us, we should be left with a conception of the period very different from the actual course of events. How strange, too, would be the sudden transition from the picture of defeat and flight of Israel in chapter x. to the calm assemblage of all Israel in chapter xi., and how obscure the various references to David’s earlier life in xi. 15 ff.!
we are thy bone and thy flesh] The phrase is not to be taken strictly as implying kinship, for only the tribe of Judah could say “The king is near of kin to us” (2 Samuel xix. 42). The other tribes mean that they will obey David as though he were their own kin.
²In times past, even when Saul was king, it was thou that leddest out and broughtest in Israel: and the Lord thy God said unto thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be prince¹ over my people Israel.
2. the Lord thy God said] Compare verses 3, 10; 1 Samuel xvi. 1–13.
prince] compare v. 2, note.
³So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and David made a covenant with them in Hebron before the Lord; and they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of the Lord by the hand of Samuel.
3. made a covenant] i.e. gave them a charter in which he promised to respect existing rights; compare 1 Samuel x. 25 (Samuel writes the “manner” of the kingdom).
before the Lord] One method of entering into a covenant “before the Lord” was to pass between the parts of a sacrificed animal; compare Jeremiah xxxiv. 18, 19.
Chronicles has nothing here corresponding with 2 Samuel v. 4, 5; but compare xxix. 27.
according ... Samuel] Compare 1 Samuel xv. 28, xvi. 1, 3.
4–9 (= 2 Samuel v. 6–10).
The “City of David” captured and made a
royal residence.
⁴And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem (the same is Jebus); and the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, were there.
4. David and all Israel] In Samuel (more accurately) “The king and his men,” i.e. his household and body-guard; compare x. 6, note. The exploit recorded in Samuel is invested by the Chronicler with the grandeur of a state campaign.
the same is Jebus] Jerusalem (or Jebus) consisted, it seems (compare verse 8; Judges i. 21), of a citadel inhabited by Jebusites and of a lower city inhabited by a mixed population of Jebusites and Benjamites. It was the citadel only which David stormed. Jerusalem is called Jebus only here and in Judges xix. 10 f. The notion that Jebus was an ancient name for the city may be only a late fancy, but it is possible that it was sometimes so called in the days of the Jebusite rule. What is certain is that the name Jerusalem is ancient, for it occurs frequently (as Urusalim) in the Amarna tablets, circa 1400 B.C. See G. A. Smith, Jerusalem.
the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land] i.e. masters of that territory before the Israelite invasion. The Jebusites have been thought to be of Hittite origin, but they were probably Semites, like the Israelites (see G. A. Smith, Jerusalem, II. 16–18).
⁵And the inhabitants of Jebus said to David, Thou shalt not come in hither. Nevertheless David took the strong hold of Zion; the same is the city of David.
5. Thou shalt not come in hither]. Undoubtedly the Chronicler understood the resistance offered by the Jebusites to be of a military character, and the text of Samuel as translated in Authorized Version and Revised Version follows the same notion. See, however, the reinterpretation of the Samuel text by Barnes in the Expositor, January, 1914, where it is urged that the word (mᵉtsudah) rendered “strong hold” means not a well-fortified citadel but simply a natural hiding place, such as a thicket or a cavern (which in this case probably was used as a shrine by the Jebusites).
the strong hold of Zion] See the previous note. The site of this “hold” or cavern (afterwards “the city of David”) is on the south-east of the present city, on the south of the Haram (the Temple area), and on a level lower than that of the Haram (see Smith, Jerusalem, II. 39 ff.).
⁶And David said, Whosoever smiteth the Jebusites first shall be chief and captain. And Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, and was made chief. ⁷And David dwelt in the strong hold; therefore they called it the city of David.
6. Whosoever smiteth the Jebusites] The reference here is no doubt to military violence. See, however, the article by Barnes cited above. The text in Samuel is very difficult and corrupt, and has been simplified by the Chronicler.
Joab the son of Zeruiah] Zeruiah was David’s sister (ii. 16). It is not said in Samuel that Joab first became commander-in-chief on this occasion; on the contrary he appears in command (2 Samuel ii. 13) during the civil war against the house of Saul. Perhaps he was first formally acknowledged as commander at the seizure of Jerusalem.
⁸And he built the city round about, from Millo even round about: and Joab repaired¹ the rest of the city. ⁹And David waxed greater and greater; for the Lord of hosts was with him.
8. from Millo even round about] Literally “the Millo,” meaning perhaps “The filling up,” was some part of the defences of the “city of David,” either a solid tower or perhaps an armoury, or a piece of supplementary work intended to strengthen an existing wall (LXX. 2 Chronicles xxxii. 5, ἀνάλημμα, “support”). See Smith, Jerusalem II. 40 f.
Joab] This tradition about Joab is not mentioned in Samuel.
repaired the rest of the city] literally revived, compare Nehemiah iv. 2 (= Hebrew iii. 34). Peshitṭa translates: “Joab gave his right hand to the rest of the men who were in the city”; and it has been proposed to render the clause spared or kept alive the rest of the city (i.e. the remaining people, the Benjamites who dwelt there with the Jebusites [Judges i. 21]). The rendering repaired is to be preferred.
10–41a (compare 2 Samuel xxiii. 8–39).
David’s Mighty Men and their Deeds.
This section seems to consist of elements drawn from different sources and brought together (probably by the author of Samuel) in order to give as complete a list as possible of the heroes who at different times in David’s career did good service to Israel.
The names of twelve of these heroes reappear in chapter xxvii. as the commanders of David’s twelve “courses.”
Verses 11–14 (= 2 Samuel xxiii. 8–12) deal with two (in Samuel three) heroes otherwise unknown.
Verses 15–19 (= 2 Samuel xxiii. 13–17) are independent of the foregoing and narrate an exploit of three unnamed heroes.
Verses 20–25 (= 2 Samuel xxiii. 18–23) seem in turn to be independent of 15–19, and verses 21, 25 in particular seem to be quoted from some lost poem. These verses contain the eulogy of Abishai and Benaiah.
Verses 26–41a (= 2 Samuel xxiii. 24–39) contain thirty names of heroes whose exploits are not recorded. It is to be noted that Chronicles, verses 41b–47, adds some sixteen names at the end which are not given in Samuel.
Joab is not included in the formal list because he has been already mentioned (verse 6).
Lists of names are favourite features in oriental Histories. Thus Ibn Hishām in his Life of Mohammed gives a list of the 83 Moslems who took refuge in Abyssinia from the persecution of the Koreish, of the 75 inhabitants of Medina who swore allegiance to the Prophet before the Hegira, and even of the 314 Moslems who were present at the battle of Bedr.
¹⁰Now these are the chief of the mighty men whom David had, who shewed¹ themselves strong with him in his kingdom, together with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the Lord concerning Israel.
10. Now these] This verse is the Chronicler’s own heading which he prefixes to the list of heroes taken from Samuel, while retaining (in verse 11) the original heading given in Samuel.
who shewed themselves strong with him] Render as margin, who held strongly with him. Compare xii. 23.
to make him king] as though all the mighty men participated in the coronation at Hebron, whereas in reality many must have won their place and fame only in the later campaigns of David.
¹¹And this is the number of the mighty men whom David had: Jashobeam, the son of a Hachmonite, the chief of the thirty¹; he lifted up his spear against three hundred and² slew them at one time.
11. this is the number] More suitably in Samuel, “These be the names.”
Jashobeam] Called “Jashobeam the son of Zabdiel” in xxvii. 2. The name “Jashobeam” is however uncertain. In 2 Samuel (xxiii. 8, Revised Version) it appears as “Josheb-basshebeth,” which is certainly wrong. LXX. (B) varies in reproducing the name, but it seems to have read “Ish-bosheth” in Samuel, and “Ish-baal” (Esh-baal) in both places of Chronicles. These readings are probably right. For the relation of the forms “Ish-bosheth,” “Esh-baal” see viii. 33, note.
son of a Hachmonite] Compare xxvii. 32. In Samuel (wrongly) “a Tahchemonite.”
chief of the thirty] So the Hebrew margin (Kethīb), but the Hebrew text (Ḳerī) reads chief of the captains, which the Authorized Version follows. Neither Authorized Version nor Revised Version gives satisfactory sense. In 2 Samuel xxiii. 8 the LXX. gives, chief of the third part [of the army], compare 2 Samuel xviii. 2; and this is perhaps right; the Hebrew text of Samuel (if not faulty) probably bears the same sense. Ish-baal (Jashobeam) then is one of three “mightiest of the mighty” men, the other two being Eleazar (verse 12) and Shammah (= 2 Samuel xxiii. 11; omitted in Chronicles—see note on verses 12, 13).
he lifted up his spear] Literally “he aroused his spear,” a poetic expression.
against three hundred] Samuel “against eight hundred”; so Peshitṭa (good MSS.) of Chronicles Some light is thrown on this exploit by 1 Samuel xviii. 25–27; the two hundred Philistines slain by David and his men were carefully counted and reckoned to the credit of David personally.
12, 13. These verses answer in part to verses 9 and 11 of Samuel, but since verse 10 and parts of verses 9, 11 of Samuel have no equivalent in Chronicles, two incidents are confounded, and the name of a hero (Shammah) is omitted, his exploit being ascribed to Eleazar.
¹²And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighty men.
12. Eleazar the son of Dodo] Probably to be identified with “Dodai the Ahohite,” the commander of the second “course”; xxvii. 4.
the three mighty men] i.e. the three who were with David on the occasion mentioned in 2 Samuel xxiii. 9.
¹³He was with David at Pas-dammim¹, and there the Philistines were gathered together to battle, where was a plot of ground full of barley; and the people fled from before the Philistines.
13. at Pas-dammim] Perhaps the same place as “Ephes-dammim” which is mentioned in 1 Samuel xvii. 1 as the gathering-place of the Philistines. It was in the south-west of Judah.
barley] Samuel “lentils.” The two words resemble each other in Hebrew and might be confused by an unwary scribe.
¹⁴And they stood in the midst of the plot, and defended it, and slew the Philistines; and the Lord saved them by a great victory¹.
14. they stood] The subject of the verb in 2 Samuel xxiii. 12 is Shammah, here David and Eleazar together.
¹⁵And three of the thirty chief went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam; and the host of the Philistines were encamped in the valley of Rephaim.
15. to the rock] Samuel “in the harvest-time.” Probably both readings are wrong, and the original form of the verse was perhaps And three of the thirty went down at the beginning of harvest to David, etc. (see Driver, Notes on Hebrew text of Samuel², p. 366).
the cave of Adullam] So also in 1 Samuel xxii. 1; 2 Samuel xxiii. 13. In verse 16 below, and in 1 Samuel xxii. 4 it is called the “hold.” Probably “the ‘hold’ was a tangle of hill and forest, in the centre of which the ‘cave of Adullam’ served as David’s headquarters” (Barnes, Expositor, January, 1914): the whole forming an admirable retreat for men acquainted with its intricacies. An identification with a commanding hill in the Shephelah, called “Aid-el-ma,” has been suggested (see G. A. Smith, Historical Geography of the Holy Land pp. 229, 230, note).
the valley of Rephaim] Probably the broad depression traversed by the road from Jerusalem to Beth-lehem. See Joshua xv. 8 (“vale of Rephaim” Revised Version; “valley of the giants” Authorized Version).
¹⁶And David was then in the hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Beth-lehem. ¹⁷And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me water to drink of the well of Beth-lehem, which is by the gate!
16. in the hold] compare note on the cave of Adullam (verse 15).
¹⁸And the three brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Beth-lehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: but David would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the Lord, ¹⁹and said, My God forbid it me, that I should do this: shall I drink the blood of these men that¹ have put their lives in jeopardy? for with the jeopardy of their lives they brought it. Therefore he would not drink it. These things did the three mighty men.
18. brake through the host] or camp. The word “host” in the Hebrew regularly means a host encamped, not a host embattled. Perhaps this exploit took place by night; compare the deed of David and Abishai (1 Samuel xxvi. 6–12).
poured it out] i.e. as a libation-offering.
²⁰And Abishai¹, the brother of Joab, he was chief of the three: for he lifted up his spear against three hundred and² slew them, and had a name among the three. Of³ the three,
20. chief of the three] In 2 Samuel xxiii. 18 (Kethīb) Abishai is called by the same title (Hebrew rōsh hasshālīshi) as Josheb-basshebeth (2 Samuel xxiii. verse 8). This title probably means chief of the third part [of the army]; compare verse 11, note. Chief of the three is a faulty reading: it certainly ought not to be taken in connection with the three mighty men—Jashobeam (Ishbaal), Eleazar and <Shammah>—referred to in verses 10 ff. Probably a reading “chief of the thirty,” for which there is some MS. authority, is correct; but the references here and in the following verse are obscure (see Driver, Samuel², pp. 367, 368).
had a name among the three] Compare verse 24, where the same thing is said of Benaiah. The three meant are either the three of verses 15–19 or else an unknown three; compare next note.
²¹he was more honourable than the two, and was made their captain: howbeit he attained not to the first three.
21. Of the three, he was more honourable than the two] margin “Of the three in the second rank he was the most honourable.” Neither of these renderings is satisfactory, and the text is certainly corrupt (compare 2 Samuel xxiii. 19), and should be corrected. Read perhaps: He was more honourable than the three, or perhaps, than the thirty. The verse probably comes from a lost poem. What is meant by the three and by the first three cannot be determined owing to the loss of the context.
²²Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done mighty deeds, he slew the two sons of Ariel of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow.
22. Benaiah] See 2 Samuel viii. 18; 1 Kings i. 8 ff., ii. 25–35.
Kabzeel] It was in the south of Judah; Joshua xv. 21.
he slew the two sons of Ariel of Moab] So LXX. of 2 Samuel xxiii. 20. The phrase is very difficult. Some, emending the text, read “He slew two young lions, having gone down to their lair.” Another but an improbable conjecture is “he smote the two altar-pillars of Moab,” i.e. he overthrew the two high columns on which the sacred fire of the Moabites was kept (Robertson Smith, Religion of the Semites, Additional Note L). To injure or defile the sacred place of an enemy was a common practice in ancient war.
in time of snow] “The beast had strayed up the Judaean hills from Jordan, and had been caught in a sudden snowstorm. Where else than in Palestine could lions and snow thus come together?” G. A. Smith, Historical Geography of the Holy Land p. 65.
²³And he slew an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits high; and in the Egyptian’s hand was a spear like a weaver’s beam; and 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. ²⁴These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had a name among the three mighty men.
23. of great stature] Samuel has a better reading, “a goodly man” (man of presence), “goodliness” according to the Hebrews consisting in being well-built for warlike exercises.
a staff] Hebrew shēbhet, i.e. the “rod” or “club” carried by shepherds as a defence against wild-beasts; Psalms ii. 9 (“rod”); xxiii. 4 “rod”); 2 Samuel xviii. 14 (“darts”). This “rod” had a point at one end, so that it could on occasion be used as a stabbing weapon.
²⁵Behold, he was more honourable than the thirty, but he attained not to the first three: and David set him over his guard¹.
25. more honourable than the thirty] On the phrase, see verse 21, note. The verse probably comes from some poem written in praise of Benaiah. Compare xxvii. 6.
guard] The same Hebrew word, mishma‘ath, is translated “council” in the margin here and also in 1 Samuel xxii. 14. The literal meaning is “obedience”; it seems both here and in Samuel (1 Samuel xxii. 14) to designate those who executed the king’s commands, i.e. his ministers. (Minister = “servant.”)
²⁶Also the mighty men of the armies; Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Beth-lehem;
26. Asahel] Whose death at the hands of Abner, the general of Ishbosheth, was the cause of the famous feud between Abner and Joab, compare 2 Samuel ii. 18 ff., iii. 27.
Elhanan] Called here (= 2 Samuel xxiii. 24) “son of Dodo,” but perhaps to be identified with “Elhanan the son of Jair” of xx. 5 (= 2 Samuel xxi. 19, where Jaare-oregim is an error for Jair [see Driver, Samuel², pp. 367, 368]).
²⁷Shammoth¹ the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite²;
27. the Harorite] Read, the Harodite (so Samuel). Compare Judges vi. 23, vii. 1, whence it appears that Harod was in (or near) the valley of Jezreel. Compare also 1 Chronicles xxvii. 8 (“Shamhuth the Izrahite”), where the same person seems to be meant. “Elika the Harodite” (Samuel) is not found in Chronicles.
Helez the Pelonite] Compare xxvii. 10, where he is described as a captain of the children of Ephraim. In 2 Samuel xxiii. 26 however it is Helez the Paltite, i.e. (apparently) “the inhabitant of Beth-pelet” in the south of Judah (Joshua xv. 27).
²⁸Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Anathothite;
28. Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite] Compare xxvii. 9. For Tekoa see 2 Chronicles xx. 20, note.
Abiezer the Anathothite] xxvii. 12 and 2 Samuel xxiii. 27. Anathoth was in Benjamin; it was Jeremiah’s village (Jeremiah i. 1, xi. 21 ff.), now Anāta, 2½ miles north-north-east of Jerusalem.
²⁹Sibbecai¹ the Hushathite, Ilai² the Ahohite;
29. Sibbecai] So xxvii. 11, but in 2 Samuel xxiii. 27 “Mebunnai.”
the Hushathite] Hushah is probably the name of some place near Beth-lehem (iv. 4). Shuah (iv. verse 11) may be another form of the name.
Ilai] In 2 Samuel xxiii. 28 “Zalmon.” The two words are perhaps only various readings of the name which originally appeared in the list.
the Ahohite] He was of a Benjamite family; viii. 4 (“Ahoah”).
³⁰Maharai the Netophathite, Heled¹ the son of Baanah the Netophathite;
30. Maharai the Netophathite] So in xxvii. 13, with “of the Zerahites” (Revised Version) added. A Netophathite might come either from Netophah (a village in Judah not far from Beth-lehem), or from the “villages of the Netophathites” (ix. 16, note).
Heled] In xxvii. 15 “Heldai,” a name found in Zechariah iv. 10. “Heleb” in 2 Samuel xxiii. 29 is probably a wrong reading.
³¹Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite;
31. Ithai] In 2 Samuel xxiii. 29 “Ittai,” the same name as in 2 Samuel xv. 19, xviii. 2, but a different person is meant.
Benaiah the Pirathonite] So in xxvii. 14; 2 Samuel xxiii. 30. Pirathon was a town in Ephraim; Judges xii. 15. Probably the place is mentioned also in 1 Maccabees ix. 50 (τὴν Θαμνάθα Φαραθών).
³²Hurai¹ of the brooks of Gaash, Abiel² the Arbathite;
32. Hurai] In 2 Samuel xxiii. 30, “Hiddai.” The true form of the name is uncertain; neither form occurs elsewhere.
Gaash] A mountain in Ephraim; Judges ii. 9 (= Joshua xxiv. 30).
Abiel] In 2 Samuel xxiii. 31 “Abi-albon.” “Arbathite” means “inhabitant of Beth Arabah”; a town on the border between Judah and Benjamin, Joshua xv. 6.
³³Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite;
33. Baharumite] In 2 Samuel xxiii. 31 “Barhumite.” We should read in both places, Bahurimite, i.e. “inhabitant of Bahurim,” a town of Benjamin (2 Samuel iii. 16).
Shaalbonite] i.e. “inhabitant of Shaalbim” (Judges i. 35), or “Shaalabbin” (Joshua xix. 42), a town in Dan.
³⁴the sons of Hashem¹ the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Shage the Hararite;
34. the sons of Hashem the Gizonite] The corresponding clause in 2 Samuel xxiii. 32 is simply “the sons of Jashen.” The text is corrupt in both places. LXX. (Chronicles) for the sons of has the proper name “Benaiah.” Read perhaps “Jashen the Gunite” (compare Numbers xxvi. 48) omitting the sons of (Hebrew bĕnē) as arising from a mistaken repetition of the last three letters of Shaalbonite (Hebrew form).
Jonathan the son of Shage] Compare 2 Samuel xxiii. 32, 33, where the right reading seems to be “Jonathan the son of Shammah.” Nothing is known of the meaning of “Hararite,” nor is the reading certain.
³⁵Ahiam the son of Sacar¹ the Hararite, Eliphal² the son of Ur; ³⁶Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite;
35. Sacar] In 2 Samuel “Sharar.”
35, 36. Eliphal the son of Ur; Hepher the Mecherathite] In 2 Samuel xxiii. 34 “Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maacathite.” Chronicles has two heroes against one in 2 Samuel.
36. Ahijah the Pelonite] A mutilated reading of 2 Samuel xxiii. 34, “Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite.” For “Ahithophel” see xxvii. 33, note. “Gilonite” means “inhabitant of Giloh,” a town in the hill country of Judah (Joshua xv. 51).
³⁷Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai¹ the son of Ezbai;
37. Hezro] So 2 Samuel xxiii. 35 (Revised Version following the Kethīb); but Hezrai (Authorized Version following the Ḳerī).
the Carmelite] i.e. inhabitant of Carmel, a town in the hill country of Judah (1 Samuel xxv. 2 ff.).
Naarai] In 2 Samuel xxiii. 35 “Paarai.” The true form is lost.
the son of Ezbai] In 2 Samuel “the Arbite” (simply), i.e. (probably) “inhabitant of Arab” (Joshua xv. 52), a town in the hill country of Judah.
³⁸Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the son of Hagri;
38. Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar] Mibhar is a corruption of a word (“of Zobah”) belonging to the first clause of the verse; compare 2 Samuel xxiii. 39, “Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah.” For “Zobah” compare xviii. 3.
the son of Hagri] In 2 Samuel “Bani the Gadite.”
³⁹Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite, the armourbearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah;
39. the Berothite] Spelt generally “Beerothite.” Beeroth was a Benjamite town; 2 Samuel iv. 2.
⁴⁰Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite;
40. the Ithrite] i.e. “member of the family (or ‘clan’) of Jether.” Compare ii. 17, note.
⁴¹Uriah the Hittite, Zabad the son of Ahlai;
41. Uriah the Hittite] Compare 2 Samuel xi. 3. The list in 2 Samuel xxiii. closes with this name and with the note “thirty and seven in all.” In Chronicles the list is extended to include sixteen additional names, which are all otherwise unknown.
41b–47 (no parallel in 2 Samuel).
Continuation of the List of David’s
Mighty Men.
⁴²Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a chief of the Reubenites, and thirty with him; ⁴³Hanan the son of Maacah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite;
42. and thirty with him] This clause may be a marginal note taken into the text at the wrong place. It was apparently meant to stand after the name of Uriah the Hittite (verse 41) by some scribe who followed our present text and referred “the sons of Hashem” (verse 34) to Azmaveth and Eliahba (verse 33), thus reckoning just thirty names from Asahel to Uriah. The clause should be read either “and up to him are thirty” or “and all of them are thirty” (compare 2 Samuel xxiii. 39). Another possibility is that the proper place of these verses, 42–47, is in chapter xii., after verse 7: they describe on that view the Reubenite gathering to David, and the names in verses 43–47 are then to be regarded as a portion of the list of the thirty with Adina (verse 42). On the characteristics of these additional names and of those in xii. 1–22, see G. B. Gray, Hebrew Proper Names, p. 230.
⁴⁴Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite; ⁴⁵Jediael the son of Shimri, and Joha his brother, the Tizite;
44. the Ashterathite] i.e. inhabitant of Ashtaroth (vi. 71 [56, Hebrew]), a city of Manasseh east of Jordan.
the Aroerite] i.e. inhabitant of Aroer. There were two cities of this name, both east of Jordan; compare Joshua xiii. 16, 25.
⁴⁶Eliel the Mahavite, and Jeribai, and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam, and Ithmah the Moabite;
46. the Mahavite] Read perhaps, “the Mahanite,” i.e. inhabitant of Mahanaim, a town east of Jordan; compare 2 Samuel xvii. 27; or “the Meonite,” i.e. of Beth Meon, a Reubenite city, Joshua xiii. 17.
⁴⁷Eliel, and Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.
47. the Mezobaite] Read perhaps, “of Zobah”; compare verse 38, note.