David's Mighty Warriors
Encyclopedia
David's Mighty Warriors are a group of biblical characters explicitly singled out by an appendix of the Books of Samuel
. The text (2 Samuel 23:8-39) divides them into the "Three", of which there are three, and "Thirty", of which there are more than thirty. The text explicitly states that there are 37 individuals in all, but it is unclear whether this refers to The Thirty, which may or may not contain The Three, or the combined total of both groups. The text cryptically refers to The Three and The Thirty as if they were both important entities, rather than just an arbitrary list of three or 30-plus significant men (respectively).
Some Textual scholars
regard the passages referring to The Three and The Thirty as having come from either a source distinct to the main sources in the Books of Samuel, or being otherwise out of place. Since parts of the text have distinct stylistic differences from other portions—appearing as a list, as a series of character introductions, or as a flowing narrative—Some suspect that the passages may themselves be compiled from multiple source documents. Further, as 2 Samuel 23:23-24 reads "...David put him in command of his bodyguard. Ashahel, brother of Joab. Among the thirty were...", the text is regarded as corrupted, and the middle of verse 23:24 (between the words Joab and Among) is generally presumed to have been lost (some translations move Among the thirty were to be before Ashahel, which smooths over the issue).
("God has helped") son of Dodo ("his beloved") the Ahohite ("brother of rest"), and Shammah
son of Agee the Hararite.
The Three are also mentioned in the Book of Chronicles, where, in the Masoretic Text
, the first of these three is named as Jashobeam instead. However, the Septuagint version of the same passage presents a name that scholars regard as clearly being a transliteration
from Isbosheth—the euphemism employed in some parts of the Bible for the name Ishbaal. Hence the first member of The Three was probably Ishbaal, Saul
's son and heir; the text having become corrupted either deliberately (eg. due to an editor that sought to downplay Ishbaal's heroism) or accidentally.
In the narrative, Josheb Bashebeth (who is probably Ishbaal) is described as being the leader, and is said to have killed 800 men in a single encounter. Some Septuagint manuscripts, however, attribute the deaths of these 800 men to Adino the Eznite instead, though it is unclear why Adino, who is not one of The Three, would be introduced into the narrative in this way. Josheb Bashebeth is also described as a Tahkemonite, which is probably a corruption of Hacmonite, the latter being how he is described by the Book of Chronicles. Though many translations state that the 800 men were killed by a spear, the Hebrew
text is somewhat obscure, and alternative translations are plausible.
Eleazar is described as standing his ground against the Philistines
at Pas Dammim when the rest of the Hebrews
ran away, and as successfully defeating them. Similarly Shammah is described as having stood his ground when the Philistines attacked a "field of ripe lentils" despite the rest of his associates dispersing, and as having defeated the attackers.
In addition to these, there are a few cases where an individual is named, and is then followed by a description that is unclear as to whether it refers to them, or whether it refers to an additional unnamed person:
For the remaining names of the list, there are some significant textual issues, the most minor of which being that the Books of Samuel lists Paarai the Arbite but the Book of Chronicles lists Naarai son of Exbai instead. The list in Samuel is generally presented in pairs, where each member of a pair comes from a similar location to the other member, but this pattern is broken by Shammah (from Arad), Elika (from Arad), and Helez (from Beth-Palet), who make a trio; in Chronicles, however, Elika isn't even listed.
The final name(s) on the list itself is/are given by the masoretic text as Jonathan son of Shammah from Arad, but the septuagint has Jonathan, [and] Shammah from Arad; the septuagint implies that the passage was understood to refer to a Jonathan significant enough to need no further qualification, thus probably referring to the Jonathan that elsewhere is described as a son of Saul—which Jonathan being a son of Shammah would contradict. According to textual scholars Jonathan is distinctly associated by other parts of the Books of Samuel with the Hebrews
, while Saul is distinctly associated with the Israelites (who the text consistently treats as a distinct group from the Hebrews), and his being Saul's son is considered by some textual scholars as more ethnological
than necessarily literal.
As the list is proceeded with ...David put him in command of his bodyguard. Ashahel, brother of Joab. Among the thirty were..... , an Asahel
the brother of Joab
is sometimes considered to be part of the list, having become misplaced rather than the start of a lost passage.
In the narrative, three of the thirty visit David when he is located at the cave of Adullam
. While there, David expresses a heartfelt desire for water from a well near Bethlehem
, which the narrative states was occupied by Philistines. The three of the thirty therefore forcefully break past the Philistines, and draw water from the well, which they take back to David. David refuses to drink the water, instead pouring it out "before Yahweh
", arguing that it was the blood of the men who had risked their lives. Biblical scholars argue that the description of David pouring out the water is a reference to David offering the water to Yahweh as a libation
.
, the brother of Joab
. According to the text, he killed 300 men with a spear, and so became as famous as, and more respected than, The Three. The text states that despite the fame and respect he was not included among The Three, suggesting that being a part of The Three is not just a group of famous people, but something which an individual could in some way gain membership, with criteria that involved more than fame and honour.
According to most manuscripts of the masoretic text, Abishai became the commander of The Three, but according to the Syriac Peshitta, and a few masoretic text manuscripts, Abishai instead became the commander of The Thirty. The text explicitely states that Abishai became the commander of The Three despite not being among them, but it is unclear whether this is directly because he was their commander (as with the masoretic text), or whether he was commander of The Thirty (as with the Septuagint) and The Three were a subgroup of The Thirty (as possibly implied by the narrative about "three of The Thirty").
is singled out by the text for being a particularly great warrior, as famous as The Three, and significantly more respected than any of The Thirty, for which reason he was put in charge of the royal bodyguard
. As with Abishai, the text emphasises that despite these qualities, Benaiah was not a member of The Three. The text gives a list of Benaiah's "great exploits", suggesting that these are what brought him fame and honour; compared with the feats ascribed by the text to Abishai, and to the members of The Three, Benaiah's feats are somewhat minor (though regarded by scholars as more realistic):
Books of Samuel
The Books of Samuel in the Jewish bible are part of the Former Prophets, , a theological history of the Israelites affirming and explaining the Torah under the guidance of the prophets.Samuel begins by telling how the prophet Samuel is chosen by...
. The text (2 Samuel 23:8-39) divides them into the "Three", of which there are three, and "Thirty", of which there are more than thirty. The text explicitly states that there are 37 individuals in all, but it is unclear whether this refers to The Thirty, which may or may not contain The Three, or the combined total of both groups. The text cryptically refers to The Three and The Thirty as if they were both important entities, rather than just an arbitrary list of three or 30-plus significant men (respectively).
Some Textual scholars
Textual criticism
Textual criticism is a branch of literary criticism that is concerned with the identification and removal of transcription errors in the texts of manuscripts...
regard the passages referring to The Three and The Thirty as having come from either a source distinct to the main sources in the Books of Samuel, or being otherwise out of place. Since parts of the text have distinct stylistic differences from other portions—appearing as a list, as a series of character introductions, or as a flowing narrative—Some suspect that the passages may themselves be compiled from multiple source documents. Further, as 2 Samuel 23:23-24 reads "...David put him in command of his bodyguard. Ashahel, brother of Joab. Among the thirty were...", the text is regarded as corrupted, and the middle of verse 23:24 (between the words Joab and Among) is generally presumed to have been lost (some translations move Among the thirty were to be before Ashahel, which smooths over the issue).
Complete list
| 2 Samuel Books of Samuel The Books of Samuel in the Jewish bible are part of the Former Prophets, , a theological history of the Israelites affirming and explaining the Torah under the guidance of the prophets.Samuel begins by telling how the prophet Samuel is chosen by... 23:8–39 | 1 Chronicles Books of Chronicles The Books of Chronicles are part of the Hebrew Bible. In the Masoretic Text, it appears as the first or last book of the Ketuvim . Chronicles largely parallels the Davidic narratives in the Books of Samuel and the Books of Kings... 11:10–47 |
|---|---|
| Josheb-Basshebeth Jashobeam Jashobeam , also called Josheb-Basshebeth and possibly Adino the Eznite , was chief of the Three Mighty Warriors and an officer under David in charge of 24,000 men according to the Second Book of Samuel and the First Book of Chronicles . Jashobeam was a Benjamite from Hakmon... the Tahkemonite |
Jashobeam Jashobeam Jashobeam , also called Josheb-Basshebeth and possibly Adino the Eznite , was chief of the Three Mighty Warriors and an officer under David in charge of 24,000 men according to the Second Book of Samuel and the First Book of Chronicles . Jashobeam was a Benjamite from Hakmon... the Hakmonite |
| Eleazar ben Dodai the Ahohite Ahoah Ahoah - brotherly, one of the sons of Bela, the son of Benjamin . He is also called Ahiah and Iri . His descendants were called Ahohites .... |
Eleazar ben Dodo the Ahohite |
| Shammah Shammah In the Bible, Shammah was the son of Agee, a Haratite, and one of King David's three legendary "mighty men".His greatest deed was the defeat of a troop of Philistines... ben Agee the Hararite |
(unnamed) |
| Abishai ahi Joab Joab Joab the son of Zeruiah, was the nephew of King David and the commander of his army, according to the Hebrew Bible.- Name :... ben Zeruiah Zeruiah Zeruiah , daughter of King Nahash and stepdaughter of Jesse of the Tribe of Judah, was an older sister of King David. Zeruiah had three sons, Abishai, Joab, and Asahel, all of whom were soldiers in David's army.Very little is told of her... |
Abishai ahi Joab |
| Benaiah Benaiah Benaiah, son of the priest Jehoiada, was David's general for the army of the Kingdom of Israel and his chief bodyguard . The stories of him follow that he once killed a Egyptian with the Egyptian's own spear and a club. He was also said to have killed a lion in a snowy pit.He was one of David's... ben Jehoiada |
Benaiah ben Jehoiada |
| Asahel Asahel Asahel was the youngest son of Zeruiah, daughter of Jesse. The name means "Made by God." Asahel was the nephew of King David, as well as the younger brother of both Abishai, David's General, and of Joab... ahi Joab |
Asahel ahi Joab |
| Elhanan Elhanan son of Dodo The Biblical Elhanan was the son of Dodo . He was a member of King David’s elite fighters known as The Thirty.- Interpretation :... ben Dodo of Bethlehem Bethlehem Bethlehem is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank of the Jordan River, near Israel and approximately south of Jerusalem, with a population of about 30,000 people. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority and a hub of Palestinian culture and tourism... |
Elhanan ben Dodo of Bethlehem |
| Shammah the Harodite Ein Harod Ein Harod was a kibbutz in Israel. It was located in northern Israel near Mount Gilboa. It is notable for being built near the battlefield of Ayn Jalut , a battle of huge macro-historical importance where the Mongols were defeated for the first time, in 1260.-History:The kibbutz was founded by... |
Shammoth the Harorite Ein Harod Ein Harod was a kibbutz in Israel. It was located in northern Israel near Mount Gilboa. It is notable for being built near the battlefield of Ayn Jalut , a battle of huge macro-historical importance where the Mongols were defeated for the first time, in 1260.-History:The kibbutz was founded by... |
| Elika the Harodite | — |
| Helez the Paltite | Helez the Pelonite |
| Ira ben Ikkesh of Tekoa Tuqu' Tuquʿ is a Palestinian town in the Bethlehem Governorate, located 12 km southeast of Bethlehem in the West Bank. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics , Tuqu' had a population of 8,881 in 2007.The town is a part of the 'Arab al-Ta'amira cluster, along with Za'atara, Beit... |
Ira ben Ikkesh of Tekoa |
| Abiezer of Anathoth Anathoth Anathoth - the name of one of the cities given to "the children of Aaron" , in the tribe of Benjamin . Since the Israelites often did not change the names of the towns they found in Canaan, the name of this town may be derived from a Canaanite goddess, ‘Anat... |
Abiezer of Anathoth |
| Mebunnai the Hushathite | Sibbekai the Hushathite |
| Zalmon the Ahohite Ahoah Ahoah - brotherly, one of the sons of Bela, the son of Benjamin . He is also called Ahiah and Iri . His descendants were called Ahohites .... |
Ilai the Ahohite |
| Mahari the Netophathite Umm Tuba Umm Tuba is an Arab neighborhood in East Jerusalem near Sur Baher, northeast of Bethlehem, with a population of 4,000. After the 1967 Six-Day War, Umm Tuba was incorporated into the municipal district of Jerusalem... |
Mahari the Netophathite |
| Heleb ben Baanah the Netophathite Umm Tuba Umm Tuba is an Arab neighborhood in East Jerusalem near Sur Baher, northeast of Bethlehem, with a population of 4,000. After the 1967 Six-Day War, Umm Tuba was incorporated into the municipal district of Jerusalem... |
Heled ben Baana the Netophathite |
| Ithai ben Ribai of Gibeah of Benjamin Gibeah Gibeah is a biblical site identified by archaeologists as a hill in Jerusalem, on the outskirts of the Pisgat Ze'ev neighborhood, known as Tell el-Ful.-Etymology:... |
Ithai ben Ribai of Gibeah of Benjamin |
| Benaiah the Pirathon Pirathon Pirathon was an ancient town mentioned in the Bible. While some scholars speculate on its likely location, its exact whereabouts are not known. However, it is known that the town was located in modern Palestine, in the area once held by the Israelite tribe of Ephraim. The town is notable because... ite |
Benaiah the Pirathonite |
| Hiddai of the Ravines of Gaash Mount Gaash Mount Gaash was the name of a hill in ancient Israel, in the mountainous region of Ephraim. It is mentioned as a place of torrent valleys, which may refer to ravines in the vicinity.... |
Hurai of the Ravines of Gaash |
| Abi-Albon the Arbathite Arabah The Arabah , also known as Aravah, is a section of the Great Rift Valley running in a north-south orientation between the southern end of the Sea of Galilee down to the Dead Sea and continuing further south where it ends at the Gulf of Aqaba. It includes most of the border between Israel to the... |
Abiel the Arbathite |
| Azmaveth the Barhumite Bahurim Bahurim was a village east of Jerusalem, on the road to the Jordan valley, close to Mount of Olives.It is the place where Palti son of Laish turned back as he cried after his wife, Michal, when she was brought back to her first husband, King David.... |
Azmaveth the Baharumite Bahurim Bahurim was a village east of Jerusalem, on the road to the Jordan valley, close to Mount of Olives.It is the place where Palti son of Laish turned back as he cried after his wife, Michal, when she was brought back to her first husband, King David.... |
| Eliahba the Shaalbonite Salbit Salbit was a Palestinian Arab village located southeast of al-Ramla. It has been identified with the biblical town of Shaalabbin which was located northwest of biblical Aijalon . Salbit was depopulated during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war after a military assault by Israeli forces... |
Eliahba the Shaalbonite |
| the sons of Jashen | the sons of Hashem the Gizonite Gizo, Israel Gizo is a Jewish village in central Israel. Located to the north-west of Beit Shemesh, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Yehuda Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 214.... |
| Jonathan ben Shammah Shammah In the Bible, Shammah was the son of Agee, a Haratite, and one of King David's three legendary "mighty men".His greatest deed was the defeat of a troop of Philistines... the Hararite |
Jonathan ben Shagee the Hararite |
| Ahiam ben Sharar the Hararite | Ahiam ben Sakar the Hararite |
| Eliphelet ben Ahasbai the Maakathite Maacah Maacah is a non-gender-specific personal name used in the Bible to refer to:*A child of Abraham's brother Nachor, evidently a boy. *The wife of Machir, Manasseh's son.... |
Eliphal ben Ur |
| Eliam ben Ahithophel the Gilo Gilo Gilo is a neighborhood in southern East Jerusalem with a population of 40,000, mostly Jewish. It is one of the five ring neighborhoods of Jerusalem and is built on land in the West Bank that was annexed to Israel in 1980 under the Jerusalem Law. The international community regards it as an... nite |
— |
| — | Hepher the Mekerathite |
| — | Ahijah the Pelonite |
| Hezro the Carmelite Carmel (Biblical settlement) Carmel was an ancient Israelite town in Judea.-Biblical references:There are several references to Carmel in the Bible. Carmel is mentioned as a city of Judah in 1 Samuel 15:12 and 55 and also in Joshua 15:12 and 55. It is mentioned as the place where Saul erects a monument after the expedition... |
Hezro the Carmelite |
| Paarai the Arbite | Naarai ben Ezbai |
| Igal ben Nathan of Zobah Zobah Zobah or Aram-Zobah was the capital of an early Aramean state in southern Syria, at one time of considerable importance. In I Samuel xiv... |
Joel ahi Nathan |
| the son of Haggadi | Mibhar ben Hagri |
| Zelek the Ammon Ammon Ammon , also referred to as the Ammonites and children of Ammon, was an ancient nation located east of the Jordan River, Gilead, and the Dead Sea, in present-day Jordan. The chief city of the country was Rabbah or Rabbath Ammon, site of the modern city of Amman, Jordan's capital... ite |
Zelek the Ammonite |
| Naharai the Beerothite | Naharai the Berothite |
| Ira the Ithrite Kiriath-Jearim Kiriath-Jearim "city of woods" - was a city in the Land of Israel mentioned 18 times in the Hebrew Bible. It was also referenced by the names Kiriath-Ba'al, Ba'alah and Ba'ale-Judah.... |
Ira the Ithrite |
| Gareb the Ithrite Kiriath-Jearim Kiriath-Jearim "city of woods" - was a city in the Land of Israel mentioned 18 times in the Hebrew Bible. It was also referenced by the names Kiriath-Ba'al, Ba'alah and Ba'ale-Judah.... |
Gareb the Ithrite |
| Uriah Uriah the Hittite Uriah the Hittite was a soldier in King David’s army mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. He was the husband of Bathsheba, and was murdered by order of David by having the soldiers retreat from him in battle. Uriah's wife was pregnant by King David through an adulterous affair... the Hittite Hittites The Hittites were a Bronze Age people of Anatolia.They established a kingdom centered at Hattusa in north-central Anatolia c. the 18th century BC. The Hittite empire reached its height c... |
Uriah the Hittite |
| — | Zabad ben Ahlai |
| — | Adina ben Shiza the Reubenite Tribe of Reuben According to the Hebrew Bible, the Tribe of Reuben was one of the Tribes of Israel.From after the conquest of the land by Joshua until the formation of the first Kingdom of Israel in c. 1050 BC, the Tribe of Reuben was a part of a loose confederation of Israelite tribes. No central government... |
| — | Hanan ben Maakah |
| — | Joshaphat the Mithnite |
| — | Uzzia the Ashterathite |
| — | Shama ben Hotham the Aroer Aroer Aroer is a Biblical town on the north bank of the River Arnon to the east of the Dead Sea, in present-day Jordan.The town was an ancient Moabite settlement, and is mentioned in the Bible."Aroer, which is on the edge of the valley of Arnon" Aroer is a Biblical town on the north bank of the River... ite |
| — | Jeiel ben Hotham the Aroer Aroer Aroer is a Biblical town on the north bank of the River Arnon to the east of the Dead Sea, in present-day Jordan.The town was an ancient Moabite settlement, and is mentioned in the Bible."Aroer, which is on the edge of the valley of Arnon" Aroer is a Biblical town on the north bank of the River... ite |
| — | Jedieael ben Shimri |
| — | Joha the Tizite |
| — | Eliel the Mahavite |
| — | Jeribai ben Elnaam |
| — | Joshaviah ben Elnaam |
| — | Ithma the Moab Moab Moab is the historical name for a mountainous strip of land in Jordan. The land lies alongside much of the eastern shore of the Dead Sea. The existence of the Kingdom of Moab is attested to by numerous archeological findings, most notably the Mesha Stele, which describes the Moabite victory over... ite |
| — | Eliel |
| — | Obed |
| — | Jaasiel the Mezobaite |
The Three
The Three are named Josheb Basshebeth (meaning "dwelling in rest") the Tachmonite ("thou will make me wise"), EleazarEleazar (son of Dodo)
Eleazar was one of the Three Mighty Warriors and an officer under David, according to 2 Samuel and 2 Chronicles. His father was Dodai or Dodo, and he was a Benjamite through his ancestor Ahoah....
("God has helped") son of Dodo ("his beloved") the Ahohite ("brother of rest"), and Shammah
Shammah
In the Bible, Shammah was the son of Agee, a Haratite, and one of King David's three legendary "mighty men".His greatest deed was the defeat of a troop of Philistines...
son of Agee the Hararite.
The Three are also mentioned in the Book of Chronicles, where, in the Masoretic Text
Masoretic Text
The Masoretic Text is the authoritative Hebrew text of the Jewish Bible and is regarded as Judaism's official version of the Tanakh. While the Masoretic Text defines the books of the Jewish canon, it also defines the precise letter-text of these biblical books, with their vocalization and...
, the first of these three is named as Jashobeam instead. However, the Septuagint version of the same passage presents a name that scholars regard as clearly being a transliteration
Transliteration
Transliteration is a subset of the science of hermeneutics. It is a form of translation, and is the practice of converting a text from one script into another...
from Isbosheth—the euphemism employed in some parts of the Bible for the name Ishbaal. Hence the first member of The Three was probably Ishbaal, Saul
Saul
-People:Saul is a given/first name in English, the Anglicized form of the Hebrew name Shaul from the Hebrew Bible:* Saul , including people with this given namein the Bible:* Saul , a king of Edom...
's son and heir; the text having become corrupted either deliberately (eg. due to an editor that sought to downplay Ishbaal's heroism) or accidentally.
In the narrative, Josheb Bashebeth (who is probably Ishbaal) is described as being the leader, and is said to have killed 800 men in a single encounter. Some Septuagint manuscripts, however, attribute the deaths of these 800 men to Adino the Eznite instead, though it is unclear why Adino, who is not one of The Three, would be introduced into the narrative in this way. Josheb Bashebeth is also described as a Tahkemonite, which is probably a corruption of Hacmonite, the latter being how he is described by the Book of Chronicles. Though many translations state that the 800 men were killed by a spear, the Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
text is somewhat obscure, and alternative translations are plausible.
Eleazar is described as standing his ground against the Philistines
Philistines
Philistines , Pleshet or Peleset, were a people who occupied the southern coast of Canaan at the beginning of the Iron Age . According to the Bible, they ruled the five city-states of Gaza, Askelon, Ashdod, Ekron and Gath, from the Wadi Gaza in the south to the Yarqon River in the north, but with...
at Pas Dammim when the rest of the Hebrews
Hebrews
Hebrews is an ethnonym used in the Hebrew Bible...
ran away, and as successfully defeating them. Similarly Shammah is described as having stood his ground when the Philistines attacked a "field of ripe lentils" despite the rest of his associates dispersing, and as having defeated the attackers.
The Thirty
The Thirty are not heavily described by the text, merely listed. The list is somewhat corrupt, and there are several differences between the ancient manuscripts of the list, whether they are of the masoretic text or of the Septuagint. Textual scholars generally consider the Septuagint to be more reliable than the masoretic text in regard to this list, particularly since the masoretic text of Chronicles matches the Septuagint version of the Books of Samuel more closely than the masoretic version. In addition there are a few places where it is uncertain whether one person is referred to or if it is two people. The individuals that are clearly identified are:- Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem
- ShammahShammahIn the Bible, Shammah was the son of Agee, a Haratite, and one of King David's three legendary "mighty men".His greatest deed was the defeat of a troop of Philistines...
from Arad - Helez from Beth-Palet
- Ira son of Ikkesh from TekoaTuqu'Tuquʿ is a Palestinian town in the Bethlehem Governorate, located 12 km southeast of Bethlehem in the West Bank. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics , Tuqu' had a population of 8,881 in 2007.The town is a part of the 'Arab al-Ta'amira cluster, along with Za'atara, Beit...
- Abiezer from AnathothAnathothAnathoth - the name of one of the cities given to "the children of Aaron" , in the tribe of Benjamin . Since the Israelites often did not change the names of the towns they found in Canaan, the name of this town may be derived from a Canaanite goddess, ‘Anat...
- a man from Hushah that was named either Mebunnai (according to the masoretic text) or was named Sibbecai (according to the Septuagint and Chronicles)
- Zalmon, descended from AhoahAhoahAhoah - brotherly, one of the sons of Bela, the son of Benjamin . He is also called Ahiah and Iri . His descendants were called Ahohites ....
- Maharai from NetophahUmm TubaUmm Tuba is an Arab neighborhood in East Jerusalem near Sur Baher, northeast of Bethlehem, with a population of 4,000. After the 1967 Six-Day War, Umm Tuba was incorporated into the municipal district of Jerusalem...
- Heleb son of Baanah from NetophahUmm TubaUmm Tuba is an Arab neighborhood in East Jerusalem near Sur Baher, northeast of Bethlehem, with a population of 4,000. After the 1967 Six-Day War, Umm Tuba was incorporated into the municipal district of Jerusalem...
- Ithai son of Ribai from GibeahGibeahGibeah is a biblical site identified by archaeologists as a hill in Jerusalem, on the outskirts of the Pisgat Ze'ev neighborhood, known as Tell el-Ful.-Etymology:...
- BenaiahBenaiahBenaiah, son of the priest Jehoiada, was David's general for the army of the Kingdom of Israel and his chief bodyguard . The stories of him follow that he once killed a Egyptian with the Egyptian's own spear and a club. He was also said to have killed a lion in a snowy pit.He was one of David's...
from PirathonPirathonPirathon was an ancient town mentioned in the Bible. While some scholars speculate on its likely location, its exact whereabouts are not known. However, it is known that the town was located in modern Palestine, in the area once held by the Israelite tribe of Ephraim. The town is notable because... - a man from the ravines of GaashMount GaashMount Gaash was the name of a hill in ancient Israel, in the mountainous region of Ephraim. It is mentioned as a place of torrent valleys, which may refer to ravines in the vicinity....
that was named Hiddai (according to the masoretic text) or was named Hurai (according to the Septuagint and Chronicles) - Abi-Albon from Beth-Arabah
- Azmaveth from BahurimBahurimBahurim was a village east of Jerusalem, on the road to the Jordan valley, close to Mount of Olives.It is the place where Palti son of Laish turned back as he cried after his wife, Michal, when she was brought back to her first husband, King David....
- Eliahba from Shaalbim
- the (unnamed) sons of a man that was either named Hashem and was from Gizon (according to the Septuagint and Chronicles) or was named Jashen (according to the masoretic text)
- Ahiam from Arad, whose father was either named Sharar (according to the masoretic text) or was named Sacar (according to the Septuagint and Chronicles)
- Eliphelet from MaacahMaacahMaacah is a non-gender-specific personal name used in the Bible to refer to:*A child of Abraham's brother Nachor, evidently a boy. *The wife of Machir, Manasseh's son....
, whose father was either named Ahasbai (according to the Books of Samuel) or Ur (according to Chronicles) - Eliam son of Ahithophel from GilohGilohGiloh was a city in Judah. Ahitophel, one of King David's chief advisors was from Giloh . Ahitophel was the grand-father of Bathsheba, "a daughter of "Eliam", one of David's "thirty" ....
- Hezro from CarmelCarmel (Biblical settlement)Carmel was an ancient Israelite town in Judea.-Biblical references:There are several references to Carmel in the Bible. Carmel is mentioned as a city of Judah in 1 Samuel 15:12 and 55 and also in Joshua 15:12 and 55. It is mentioned as the place where Saul erects a monument after the expedition...
- Zelek from AmmonAmmonAmmon , also referred to as the Ammonites and children of Ammon, was an ancient nation located east of the Jordan River, Gilead, and the Dead Sea, in present-day Jordan. The chief city of the country was Rabbah or Rabbath Ammon, site of the modern city of Amman, Jordan's capital...
- Ira from JattirJattirJattir was a town in ancient Israel.)Jattir was located in the mountainous land of Judah. It was made a levitical town for priests to live. David gave some of the spoils from his battle with the Amalekite's . )Jattir is identified with Khirbet Attir southwest of Hebron....
- Gareb from Jattir
- Uriah the HittiteUriah the HittiteUriah the Hittite was a soldier in King David’s army mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. He was the husband of Bathsheba, and was murdered by order of David by having the soldiers retreat from him in battle. Uriah's wife was pregnant by King David through an adulterous affair...
.
In addition to these, there are a few cases where an individual is named, and is then followed by a description that is unclear as to whether it refers to them, or whether it refers to an additional unnamed person:
- Naharai from BeerothBeeroth (north)Beeroth was a Biblical town seven miles northwest of Jerusalem.The town was an ancient Hivite settlement, and is mentioned in Joshua 9:17, 18:25, 2 Samuel 4:2, Ezra 2:25 and Nehemiah 7:29....
, (and/who is) the armour-bearer of JoabJoabJoab the son of Zeruiah, was the nephew of King David and the commander of his army, according to the Hebrew Bible.- Name :... - Igal son of Nathan from ZobahZobahZobah or Aram-Zobah was the capital of an early Aramean state in southern Syria, at one time of considerable importance. In I Samuel xiv...
, (and/who is) the son of a man named Hagri (according to the masoretic text and Chronicles) or Haggadi (according to the Septuagint).
For the remaining names of the list, there are some significant textual issues, the most minor of which being that the Books of Samuel lists Paarai the Arbite but the Book of Chronicles lists Naarai son of Exbai instead. The list in Samuel is generally presented in pairs, where each member of a pair comes from a similar location to the other member, but this pattern is broken by Shammah (from Arad), Elika (from Arad), and Helez (from Beth-Palet), who make a trio; in Chronicles, however, Elika isn't even listed.
The final name(s) on the list itself is/are given by the masoretic text as Jonathan son of Shammah from Arad, but the septuagint has Jonathan, [and] Shammah from Arad; the septuagint implies that the passage was understood to refer to a Jonathan significant enough to need no further qualification, thus probably referring to the Jonathan that elsewhere is described as a son of Saul—which Jonathan being a son of Shammah would contradict. According to textual scholars Jonathan is distinctly associated by other parts of the Books of Samuel with the Hebrews
Hebrews
Hebrews is an ethnonym used in the Hebrew Bible...
, while Saul is distinctly associated with the Israelites (who the text consistently treats as a distinct group from the Hebrews), and his being Saul's son is considered by some textual scholars as more ethnological
Ethnology
Ethnology is the branch of anthropology that compares and analyzes the origins, distribution, technology, religion, language, and social structure of the ethnic, racial, and/or national divisions of humanity.-Scientific discipline:Compared to ethnography, the study of single groups through direct...
than necessarily literal.
As the list is proceeded with ...David put him in command of his bodyguard. Ashahel, brother of Joab. Among the thirty were..... , an Asahel
Asahel
Asahel was the youngest son of Zeruiah, daughter of Jesse. The name means "Made by God." Asahel was the nephew of King David, as well as the younger brother of both Abishai, David's General, and of Joab...
the brother of Joab
Joab
Joab the son of Zeruiah, was the nephew of King David and the commander of his army, according to the Hebrew Bible.- Name :...
is sometimes considered to be part of the list, having become misplaced rather than the start of a lost passage.
Three of The Thirty
The text also contains a narrative passage about "three of The Thirty". It is unclear from the text whether this refers to The Three, hence implying that The Three were a special group within The Thirty, or whether it refers to another group of three individuals. The narrative, which recounts a single exploit, ends with "such were the exploits of the three mighty men", and textual scholars believe that the narrative may be an extract from a larger group of tales concerning these three. The flowing narrative differs in style from the more abrupt introductions to individual members of The Three and The Thirty that surround it, and textual scholars believe that it may originally have been from a different document.In the narrative, three of the thirty visit David when he is located at the cave of Adullam
Cave of Adullam
The Cave of Adullam was originally a stronghold referred to in the Old Testament, near the town of Adullam, in which David, already anointed to succeed Saul as king, sought refuge from the latter . The word "cave" is usually used but "fortress", which has a similar appearance in writing, is used as...
. While there, David expresses a heartfelt desire for water from a well near Bethlehem
Bethlehem
Bethlehem is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank of the Jordan River, near Israel and approximately south of Jerusalem, with a population of about 30,000 people. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority and a hub of Palestinian culture and tourism...
, which the narrative states was occupied by Philistines. The three of the thirty therefore forcefully break past the Philistines, and draw water from the well, which they take back to David. David refuses to drink the water, instead pouring it out "before Yahweh
Yahweh
Yahweh is the name of God in the Bible, the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Jews and Christians.The word Yahweh is a modern scholarly convention for the Hebrew , transcribed into Roman letters as YHWH and known as the Tetragrammaton, for which the original pronunciation is unknown...
", arguing that it was the blood of the men who had risked their lives. Biblical scholars argue that the description of David pouring out the water is a reference to David offering the water to Yahweh as a libation
Libation
A libation is a ritual pouring of a liquid as an offering to a god or spirit or in memory of those who have died. It was common in many religions of antiquity and continues to be offered in various cultures today....
.
Abishai
An additional account, continuing on from the description of The Three, which was interrupted by the narrative concerning David's thirst, describes AbishaiAbishai (Bible)
Abishai was the eldest son of Zeruiah, sister of the Biblical King David. His name means father of a gift. He was the brother of Joab and Asahel , and a military leader under David....
, the brother of Joab
Joab
Joab the son of Zeruiah, was the nephew of King David and the commander of his army, according to the Hebrew Bible.- Name :...
. According to the text, he killed 300 men with a spear, and so became as famous as, and more respected than, The Three. The text states that despite the fame and respect he was not included among The Three, suggesting that being a part of The Three is not just a group of famous people, but something which an individual could in some way gain membership, with criteria that involved more than fame and honour.
According to most manuscripts of the masoretic text, Abishai became the commander of The Three, but according to the Syriac Peshitta, and a few masoretic text manuscripts, Abishai instead became the commander of The Thirty. The text explicitely states that Abishai became the commander of The Three despite not being among them, but it is unclear whether this is directly because he was their commander (as with the masoretic text), or whether he was commander of The Thirty (as with the Septuagint) and The Three were a subgroup of The Thirty (as possibly implied by the narrative about "three of The Thirty").
Benaiah
BenaiahBenaiah
Benaiah, son of the priest Jehoiada, was David's general for the army of the Kingdom of Israel and his chief bodyguard . The stories of him follow that he once killed a Egyptian with the Egyptian's own spear and a club. He was also said to have killed a lion in a snowy pit.He was one of David's...
is singled out by the text for being a particularly great warrior, as famous as The Three, and significantly more respected than any of The Thirty, for which reason he was put in charge of the royal bodyguard
Bodyguard
A bodyguard is a type of security operative or government agent who protects a person—usually a famous, wealthy, or politically important figure—from assault, kidnapping, assassination, stalking, loss of confidential information, terrorist attack or other threats.Most important public figures such...
. As with Abishai, the text emphasises that despite these qualities, Benaiah was not a member of The Three. The text gives a list of Benaiah's "great exploits", suggesting that these are what brought him fame and honour; compared with the feats ascribed by the text to Abishai, and to the members of The Three, Benaiah's feats are somewhat minor (though regarded by scholars as more realistic):
- Killing two of MoabMoabMoab is the historical name for a mountainous strip of land in Jordan. The land lies alongside much of the eastern shore of the Dead Sea. The existence of the Kingdom of Moab is attested to by numerous archeological findings, most notably the Mesha Stele, which describes the Moabite victory over...
's best warriors - Killing a lionLionThe lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
in a pit on a snowSnowSnow is a form of precipitation within the Earth's atmosphere in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. Since snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular material. It has an open and therefore soft structure, unless packed by...
y day - Attacking a 7-and-a-half foot tall EgyptAncient EgyptAncient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
ian with a clubClubA club is an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal. A service club, for example, exists for voluntary or charitable activities; there are clubs devoted to hobbies and sports, social activities clubs, political and religious clubs, and so forth.- History...
, stealing the spear that the Egyptian was using, and killing the Egyptian with it.
See also
- English translations of the BibleEnglish translations of the BibleThe efforts of translating the Bible from its original languages into over 2,000 others have spanned more than two millennia. Partial translations of the Bible into languages of the English people can be traced back to the end of the 7th century, including translations into Old English and Middle...
- Septuagint
- Masoretic textMasoretic TextThe Masoretic Text is the authoritative Hebrew text of the Jewish Bible and is regarded as Judaism's official version of the Tanakh. While the Masoretic Text defines the books of the Jewish canon, it also defines the precise letter-text of these biblical books, with their vocalization and...
- Syriac Peshitta
- Textual criticismTextual criticismTextual criticism is a branch of literary criticism that is concerned with the identification and removal of transcription errors in the texts of manuscripts...