1 Now these are the last words of David:
The oracle of David, the son of Jesse,
the oracle ofl[ch. 7:8, 9; Ps. 78:70, 71] the man who was raised on high,
j[See ch. 22:51 above] the anointed of the God of Jacob,
the sweet psalmist of Israel:1Or the favorite of the songs of Israel
2 m[2 Pet. 1:21] “The Spirit of the Lord speaks by me;
his word is on my tongue.
3 The God of Israel has spoken;
nSee ch. 22:2, 3, 32, 47 the Rock of Israel has said to me:
When one rules justly over men,
rulingoEx. 18:21; 2 Chr. 19:7, 9 in the fear of God,
4 hep[Judg. 5:31; Prov. 4:18; Hos. 6:5] dawns on them like the morning light,
like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning,
like rain that makes grass to sprout from the earth.
5 For does not my house stand so with God?
qch. 7:15, 16; Ps. 89:29; Isa. 55:3 For he has made with me an everlasting covenant,
ordered in all things and secure.
For will he not cause to prosper
all my help and my desire?
6 But worthless men are all like thorns that are thrown away,
for they cannot be taken with the hand;
7 but the man who touches them
arms himself with iron and the shaft of a spear,
and they are utterly consumed with fire. ”
8 rFor ver. 8-39, see 1 Chr. 11:11-47 These are the names of the mighty men whom David had:s[1 Chr. 27:2, 3] Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite; he was chief of the three.1Or of the captains He wielded his spear against eight hundred whom he killed at one time.
9 And next to him among the three mighty men was Eleazar the son oft1 Chr. 27:4 Dodo, son ofuver. 28 Ahohi. He was with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel withdrew. 10 He rose and struck down the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clung to the sword. And the Lord brought about a great victory that day, and the men returned after him only to strip the slain.
11 And next to him was Shammah, the son of Agee thevver. 33 Hararite. The Philistines gathered together at Lehi, where there was a plot of ground full of lentils, and the men fled from the Philistines. 12 But he took his stand in the midst of the plot and defended it and struck down the Philistines, and the Lord worked a great victory.
13 And three of the thirty chief men went down and came about harvest time to David at thewSee 1 Sam. 22:1 cave of Adullam, when a band of Philistines was encampedxSee ch. 5:18 in the Valley of Rephaim. 14 David was theny1 Sam. 22:4, 5 in the stronghold, andz[1 Sam. 13:23] the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem. 15 And David said longingly, “Oh, that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate! ” 16 Then the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate and carried and brought it to David. But he would not drink of it. He poured it out to the Lord 17 and said, “Far be it from me, O Lord, that I should do this. Shall I drinka[Lev. 17:10] the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives? ” Therefore he would not drink it. These things the three mighty men did.
18 Now Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the thirty. And he wielded his spear against three hundred men2Or slain ones and killed them and won a name beside the three. 19 He was the most renowned of the thirty and became their commander, but he did not attain tob1 Chr. 11:21 the three.
20 Andcch. 8:18; 20:23 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was a valiant man1Or the son of Ishhai ofdJosh. 15:21 Kabzeel, a doer of great deeds. He struck down two ariels of Moab. He also went down and struck down a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen. 21 And he struck down an Egyptian, a handsome man. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand, but Benaiah went down to him with a staff and snatched the spear out of the Egyptian's hand and killed him with his own spear. 22 These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and won a name beside the three mighty men. 23 He was renowned among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David set him over his bodyguard.
24 ech. 2:18; 1 Chr. 27:7 Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, 25 f[1 Chr. 11:27; 27:8] Shammah of Harod, Elika of Harod, 26 Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of IkkeshgSee ch. 14:2 of Tekoa, 27 AbiezerhJosh. 21:18 of Anathoth, Mebunnaiich. 21:18 the Hushathite, 28 Zalmonjver. 9 the Ahohite, Maharaik2 Kgs. 25:23 of Netophah, 29 Heleb the son of Baanahk[See ver. 28 above] of Netophah, Ittai the son of Ribai oflJosh. 18:28; Judg. 19:14 Gibeah of the people of Benjamin, 30 BenaiahmJudg. 12:13, 15; 1 Chr. 27:14 of Pirathon, Hiddai of the brooks ofnJosh. 24:30; Judg. 2:9 Gaash, 31 Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth ofo[ch. 3:16] Bahurim, 32 Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan, 33 pver. 11 Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite, 34 Eliphelet the son of Ahasbaiqch. 10:6, 8 of Maacah,rch. 11:3 Eliam the son ofsch. 15:12 Ahithophel of Gilo, 35 Hezro1Or HezraitJosh. 15:55 of Carmel, Paarai the Arbite, 36 Igal the son of Nathanuch. 8:3 of Zobah, Bani the Gadite, 37 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharaivch. 4:2 of Beeroth, the armor-bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah, 38 w[ch. 20:26] Ira thex1 Chr. 2:53 Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, 39 ych. 11:3, 6 Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.