Atlas Biblica

    2 Samuel · 39 verses

    2 Samuel 23

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    The chapter

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    Atlas's own reading, written from this chapter and nothing else, and published only once a person has approved it. Each scene names the verses it covers; the names inside it link to the people and places they name.

    David asked for water, and when three men brought it through an enemy camp, he poured it out.

    The voice and the thornvv. 1–7

    David’s last words begin with a splendid stack of titles: son of Jesse, man raised on high, anointed by the God of Jacob, and Israel’s sweet psalmist. He says the Spirit spoke through him, then compares just rule to morning light and wet grass. His house, he says, stands within an everlasting covenant; the worthless, meanwhile, are thorns requiring iron, spear-shafts, and a fire. The contrast is briskly botanical and rather heavily armed.

    Water, swords, and a field of lentilsvv. 8–17

    The mighty men arrive with the calm of a roll call and the circumstances of a fever dream. Jashobeam kills eight hundred at one time. Eleazar keeps striking the Philistines until his hand grows weary and sticks to his sword, while Shammah stands alone in a lentil field after Israel’s troops flee. Then three men break through the Philistine camp for David’s wished-for drink from Bethlehem. David will not drink it: the water has become, in his eyes, the blood of men who risked their lives, and so it is poured out to the LORD.

    The Three, the Thirty, and thirty-sevenvv. 18–39

    Abishai and Benaiah are honoured near the Three without being counted among them: a small hierarchy with unusually sharp edges. Benaiah’s exploits include Moabite champions, a lion in a snowy pit, and an Egyptian whose spear is taken and turned against him. Then comes the list of the Thirty, which proceeds through names, fathers, hometowns, and one armour-bearer, before ending with Uriah the Hittite. The final arithmetic says thirty-seven in all. The chapter does not stop to explain the surplus; it simply leaves the numbers standing in the doorway.

    The text

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    Berean Standard Bible, public domain. Names the Hebrew and Greek put in the verse link to the person, place or people they name; the address beside each verse is a link to that verse, which is what a reader copies and shares.

    1. 2 Sam 23:1These are the last words of David: “The oracle of David son of Jesse, the oracle of the man raised on high, the one anointed by the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel:

    2. 2 Sam 23:2The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me; His word was on my tongue.

    3. 2 Sam 23:3The God of Israel spoke; the Rock of Israel said to me, ‘He who rules the people with justice, who rules in the fear of God,

    4. 2 Sam 23:4is like the light of the morning at sunrise of a cloudless dawn, the glistening after the rain on the sprouting grass of the earth.’

    5. 2 Sam 23:5Is not my house right with God? For He has established with me an everlasting covenant, ordered and secured in every part. Will He not bring about my full salvation and my every desire?

    6. 2 Sam 23:6But the worthless are all like thorns raked aside, for they can never be gathered by hand.

    7. 2 Sam 23:7The man who touches them must be armed with iron or with the shaft of a spear. The fire burns them to ashes in the place where they lie.”

    8. 2 Sam 23:8These are the names of David’s mighty men: Josheb-basshebeth the Tahchemonite was chief of the Three. He wielded his spear against eight hundred men, whom he killed at one time.

    9. 2 Sam 23:9Next in command was Eleazar son of Dodo the Ahohite. As one of the three mighty men, he went with David to taunt the Philistines who had gathered for battle at Pas-dammim. The men of Israel retreated,

    10. 2 Sam 23:10but Eleazar stood his ground and struck the Philistines until his hand grew weary and stuck to his sword. The LORD brought about a great victory that day. Then the troops returned to him, but only to plunder the dead.

    11. 2 Sam 23:11And after him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines had banded together near a field full of lentils, Israel’s troops fled from them.

    12. 2 Sam 23:12But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field, defended it, and struck down the Philistines. So the LORD brought about a great victory.

    13. 2 Sam 23:13At harvest time, three of the thirty chief men went down to David at the cave of Adullam, while a company of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.

    14. 2 Sam 23:14At that time David was in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was at Bethlehem.

    15. 2 Sam 23:15David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!”

    16. 2 Sam 23:16So the three mighty men broke through the Philistine camp, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem, and brought it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out to the LORD,

    17. 2 Sam 23:17saying, “Far be it from me, O LORD, to do this! Is this not the blood of the men who risked their lives?” So he refused to drink it. Such were the exploits of the three mighty men.

    18. 2 Sam 23:18Now Abishai, the brother of Joab and son of Zeruiah, was chief of the Three, and he wielded his spear against three hundred men, killed them, and won a name along with the Three.

    19. 2 Sam 23:19Was he not more honored than the Three? And he became their commander, even though he was not included among the Three.

    20. 2 Sam 23:20And Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a man of valor from Kabzeel, a man of many exploits. He struck down two champions of Moab, and on a snowy day he went down into a pit and killed a lion.

    21. 2 Sam 23:21He also struck down an Egyptian, a huge man. Although the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club, snatched the spear from his hand, and killed the Egyptian with his own spear.

    22. 2 Sam 23:22These were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who won a name along with the three mighty men.

    23. 2 Sam 23:23He was most honored among the Thirty, but he did not become one of the Three. And David appointed him over his guard.

    24. 2 Sam 23:24Now these were members of the Thirty: Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan son of Dodo of Bethlehem,

    25. 2 Sam 23:25Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,

    26. 2 Sam 23:26Helez the Paltite, Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,

    27. 2 Sam 23:27Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite,

    28. 2 Sam 23:28Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,

    29. 2 Sam 23:29Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai son of Ribai from Gibeah of the Benjamites,

    30. 2 Sam 23:30Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai from the brooks of Gaash,

    31. 2 Sam 23:31Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite,

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

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

    34. 2 Sam 23:34Eliphelet son of Ahasbai the Maacathite, Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,

    35. 2 Sam 23:35Hezro the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,

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

    37. 2 Sam 23:37Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, the armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah,

    38. 2 Sam 23:38Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,

    39. 2 Sam 23:39and Uriah the Hittite. There were thirty-seven in all.

    01 — Also here

    Who else the chapter reaches

    Names written in the English are linked in the text above. These are the ones that are not: an entity the Hebrew or Greek names under a spelling the translation does not use, or one reached only by an assertion about a verse of this chapter.

    Named in the Hebrew or Greek somewhere in this chapter, under a form the English renders differently — the registry's Ludim against the translation's Ludites — so there is no word in the sentence to hang the link on.

    Reached by an assertion Atlas extracted from a verse of this chapter rather than by a name written in it — a pronoun, a title, or a participant the sentence carries without naming. This layer is model-read and measured at 88.6–90.3% precision, and it is kept separate from the names above for that reason.

    02 — Read alongside

    Where this is echoed

    Readers' own connections, from OpenBible's crowd-voted cross-references — agreement about relevance, and not scholarly confidence. 298 passages were voted onto 38 verses of this chapter; the 16 shown lead on votes, and each is listed at the verse it was voted onto most strongly.

    • 22 Peter 1:21For no such prophecy was ever brought forth by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
    • 2Matthew 22:43Jesus said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord’? For he says:
    • 3Deuteronomy 32:4He is the Rock, His work is perfect; all His ways are just. A God of faithfulness without injustice, righteous and upright is He.
    • 5Isaiah 55:3Incline your ear and come to Me; listen, so that your soul may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant—My loving devotion promised to David.
    • 11 Samuel 16:12–13So Jesse sent for his youngest son and brought him in. He was ruddy, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And the LORD said, “Rise and anoint him, for he is the one.”
    • 2Acts 2:25–31David says about Him: ‘I saw the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
    • 2Mark 12:36Speaking by the Holy Spirit, David himself declared: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand until I put Your enemies under Your feet.”’
    • 32 Samuel 22:32For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God?
    • 3Exodus 18:21Furthermore, select capable men from among the people—God-fearing, trustworthy men who are averse to dishonest gain. Appoint them over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.
    • 4Judges 5:31So may all Your enemies perish, O LORD! But may those who love You shine like the sun at its brightest.” And the land had rest for forty years.
    • 52 Samuel 7:14–16I will be his Father, and he will be My son. When he does wrong, I will discipline him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men.
    • 5Isaiah 9:6–7For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
    • 12 Samuel 7:8–9Now then, you are to tell My servant David that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: I took you from the pasture, from following the flock, to be the ruler over My people Israel.
    • 1Psalms 89:20I have found My servant David; with My sacred oil I have anointed him.
    • 2Hebrews 3:7–8Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear His voice,
    • 3Psalms 72:2May he judge Your people with righteousness and Your afflicted with justice.

    Onward

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    Next chapter2 Samuel 2425 verses.Named herePhilistiaEverything the graph connects to this name.Book2 SamuelAll 24 chapters.Every bookThe Bible66 books, 1,189 chapters.