1 These are the last words of David: The oracle of David, son of Jesse, the oracle of the man whom God exalted, the anointed of the God of Jacob, the singer of the songs of Israel:
2 “The Spirit of Yahweh speaks through me, his word is on my tongue.
3 The God of Israel has spoken,
the Rock of Israel has said to me:
when one rules justly over people,
ruling in the fear of God,
4 he dawns on them like the morning light,
like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning,
making grass sprout from the ground after the rain.
5 Yes, is not my family like this before God? He has made with me an eternal covenant, orderly and secure.
Will he not complete my salvation and fulfill my desire?
6 But the godless are like thorns that are thrown away.
They cannot be held with one’s hand
7 but are uprooted with iron and the shaft of a spear,
and they are burned in fire.”
David’s champions
8 These are the names of the warriors who were with David: the first of the Three was Ish baal, a Ha che monite who wielded his spear against eight hundred whom he slew in a single encounter.
9 Next was Eleazar, son of Dodo, son of Ahohi, who was with David when they challenged the Philistines who were gathered there for battle. When he saw the retreat of the Israel ites,
10 he fought and struck down the Philistines until his hand grew tired from holding the sword without pause. Yahweh brought about a great victory that day.The others returned after him, but only to strip the slain.
11 Next was Shammah, son of Agee the Ha ra rite. The Philistines gathered together at Lehi, where there was a plot of ground planted to barley, and the men fled from the Philistines.
12 But Shammah stood in the middle of the plot to defend it and slew the Philistines. And Yahweh worked a great victory.
13 At about harvest time, three of the Thirty went down to David at the cave of Adullam while a band of Phi listines was encamped in the valley of Rephaim.
14 David was in the stronghold while the Philistine garrison was at Beth lehem.
15 David longed for water and said, “Who will give me water to drink from the well by the gate of Bethlehem!”
16 At this, the three warriors broke through the Phi lis tine camp, drew water out of the well by the gate of Bethlehem and brought it to David. But David refused to drink of it and poured it out as an offering to Yahweh.
17 He said, “By no means should I do this. Shall I drink the blood of the men who risked their lives?” Therefore, he refused to drink it. These were the deeds of the three warriors.
18 Now Abishai, brother of Joab, son of Ze ruiah, was chief of the Thirty. He wielded his spear against three hundred men and slew them, winning a name beside the Thirty.
19 Though he was the most popular of the Thirty and became their commander, he did not equal the Three.
20 Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a warrior of Kabzeel, was a man of great achievements who killed the two sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and slew a lion.
21 He slew a handsome Egyptian who held a spear. Benaiah went against him with a staff, snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear.
22 Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, did these things and won a name beside the thirty warriors.
23 He was popular among the Thirty but did not equal the Three. David put him in command of his bodyguard.
24 Asahel, brother of Joab, was one of the Thirty; Elhanan, son of Dodo of Bethlehem;
25 Shammah of Harod, Elika of Harod;
26 Helez, the Paltite; Ira the son of Ikkesh of Tekoa;
27 Abiezor of Ana thoth; Mebunnai, the Hushathite,
28 Zal mon the Ahohite; Maharai of Neto phah;
29 Jeleb, the son of Baanah of Netophah; Ittai, the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the Ben-jaminites;
30 Benaiah of Pirathon; Hiddai, of the brooks of Gaash;
31 Abial bon, the Arbathite; Azmaveth of Bahurim;
32 Eliahba of Shaalbon; the sons of Jashen, Jonathan;
33 Shammah, the Hararite; Ahiam, the son of Sharar, the Hararite,
34 Eliphelet, the son of Ahasbai of Maacah; Eliam, the son of Ahithophel of Gilo;
35 Hezro of Carmel; Paarai the Arbite;
36 Igal, the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani, the Gadite;
37 Zelek the Ammonite; Naharai of Beeroth, the armor-bearer of Joab, the son of Zeruiah,
38 Ira, the Ithrite; Gareb the Ithrite;
39 Uriah, the Hittite – thirty-seven in all.
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Comments 2 Samuel, Chapter 23
• 23.8 In dedicating this chapter to the memory of David’s “valiant men” (see also commentary on 1 S 22), the Bible gives them what they deserved. These men lived their faith and accomplished their human mission through fighting and killing their enemies – which seems to us to be very far from Gospel values. Yet David became king because of them, their sword, their strength and their courage. Here again faith does not suppress human reality, nor the time needed for the evolution of moral standards. It was to take centuries to complete the education of God’s people and for this education to take place this people had to survive: wars were at that time the necessary condition to survive.