2 Samuel 23 :: English Standard Version (ESV)

The Last Words of David

2Sa 23:1Now these are the last words of David:
The oracle of David, the son of Jesse,
the oracle of the man who was raised on high,
the anointed of the God of Jacob,
the sweet psalmist of Israel:[fn]

2Sa 23:2

2Sa 23:2“The Spirit of the LORD speaks by me;
his word is on my tongue.

2Sa 23:3

2Sa 23:3The God of Israel has spoken;
the Rock of Israel has said to me:
When one rules justly over men,
ruling in the fear of God,

2Sa 23:4

2Sa 23:4he dawns on them like the morning light,
like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning,
like rain[fn] that makes grass to sprout from the earth.

2Sa 23:5

2Sa 23:5“For does not my house stand so with God?
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?

2Sa 23:6

2Sa 23:6But worthless men[fn] are all like thorns that are thrown away,
for they cannot be taken with the hand;

2Sa 23:7

2Sa 23:7but the man who touches them
arms himself with iron and the shaft of a spear,
and they are utterly consumed with fire.”[fn]

David’s Mighty Men

(1Ch 11:10–47 )

2Sa 23:8

2Sa 23:8These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite; he was chief of the three.[fn] He wielded his spear[fn] against eight hundred whom he killed at one time.

2Sa 23:9

2Sa 23:9And next to him among the three mighty men was Eleazar the son of Dodo, son of Ahohi. He was with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel withdrew.

2Sa 23:10

2Sa 23:10He 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.

2Sa 23:11

2Sa 23:11And next to him was Shammah, the son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines gathered together at Lehi,[fn] where there was a plot of ground full of lentils, and the men fled from the Philistines.

2Sa 23:12

2Sa 23:12But 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.

2Sa 23:13

2Sa 23:13And three of the thirty chief men went down and came about harvest time to David at the cave of Adullam, when a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.

2Sa 23:14

2Sa 23:14David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem.

2Sa 23:15

2Sa 23:15And David said longingly, “Oh, that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate!”

2Sa 23:16

2Sa 23:16Then 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

2Sa 23:17

2Sa 23:17and said, “Far be it from me, O LORD, that I should do this. Shall I drink 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.

2Sa 23:18

2Sa 23:18Now Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the thirty.[fn] And he wielded his spear against three hundred men[fn] and killed them and won a name beside the three.

2Sa 23:19

2Sa 23:19He was the most renowned of the thirty[fn] and became their commander, but he did not attain to the three.

2Sa 23:20

2Sa 23:20And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was a valiant man[fn] of Kabzeel, a doer of great deeds. He struck down two ariels[fn] of Moab. He also went down and struck down a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen.

2Sa 23:21

2Sa 23:21And 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.

2Sa 23:22

2Sa 23:22These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and won a name beside the three mighty men.

2Sa 23:23

2Sa 23:23He was renowned among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David set him over his bodyguard.

2Sa 23:24

2Sa 23:24Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,

2Sa 23:25

2Sa 23:25Shammah of Harod, Elika of Harod,

2Sa 23:26

2Sa 23:26Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh of Tekoa,

2Sa 23:27

2Sa 23:27Abiezer of Anathoth, Mebunnai the Hushathite,

2Sa 23:28

2Sa 23:28Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai of Netophah,

2Sa 23:29

2Sa 23:29Heleb the son of Baanah of Netophah, Ittai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the people of Benjamin,

2Sa 23:30

2Sa 23:30Benaiah of Pirathon, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash,

2Sa 23:31

2Sa 23:31Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth of Bahurim,

2Sa 23:32

2Sa 23:32Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan,

2Sa 23:33

2Sa 23:33Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite,

2Sa 23:34

2Sa 23:34Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai of Maacah, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,

2Sa 23:35

2Sa 23:35Hezro[fn] of Carmel, Paarai the Arbite,

2Sa 23:36

2Sa 23:36Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite,

2Sa 23:37

2Sa 23:37Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai of Beeroth, the armor-bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah,

2Sa 23:38

2Sa 23:38Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,

2Sa 23:39

2Sa 23:39Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.

See the ESV Preface (Especially for Parenthesis, Brackets, & Asterisks).

ESV Footnotes

(23:1)

Or the favorite of the songs of Israel

(23:4)

Hebrew from rain

(23:6)

Hebrew worthlessness

(23:7)

Hebrew consumed with fire in the sitting

(23:8)

Or of the captains

(23:8)

Compare 1 Chronicles 11:11; the meaning of the Hebrew expression is uncertain

(23:11)

Or gathered together as a camp

(23:18)

Two Hebrew manuscripts, Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts three

(23:18)

Or slain ones

(23:19)

Compare 1 Chronicles 11:21; Hebrew Was he the most renowned of the three?

(23:20)

Or the son of Ishhai

(23:20)

The meaning of the word ariel is unknown

(23:35)

Or Hezrai

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