Daily Bread

David’s Mighty Warriors^(A)

¹⁰ These were the chiefs of David’s mighty warriors—they, together with all Israel,^(B) gave his kingship strong support to extend it over the whole land, as the Lord had promised^(C)— ¹¹ this is the list of David’s mighty warriors:^(D)

Jashobeam,^[a] a Hakmonite, was chief of the officers^[b]; he raised his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed in one encounter.

¹² Next to him was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite, one of the three mighty warriors. ¹³ He was with David at Pas Dammim when the Philistines gathered there for battle. At a place where there was a field full of barley, the troops fled from the Philistines. ¹⁴ But they took their stand in the middle of the field. They defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the Lord brought about a great victory.^(E)

¹⁵ Three of the thirty chiefs came down to David to the rock at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley^(F) of Rephaim. ¹⁶ At that time David was in the stronghold,^(G) and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem. ¹⁷ David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!” ¹⁸ So the Three broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured^(H) it out to the Lord. ¹⁹ “God forbid that I should do this!” he said. “Should I drink the blood of these men who went at the risk of their lives?” Because they risked their lives to bring it back, David would not drink it.

Such were the exploits of the three mighty warriors.

²⁰ Abishai^(I) the brother of Joab was chief of the Three. He raised his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed, and so he became as famous as the Three. ²¹ He was doubly honored above the Three and became their commander, even though he was not included among them.

²² Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant fighter from Kabzeel,^(J) performed great exploits. He struck down Moab’s two mightiest warriors. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion.^{(K) 23} And he struck down an Egyptian who was five cubits^[c] tall. Although the Egyptian had a spear like a weaver’s rod^(L) in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club. He snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. ²⁴ Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he too was as famous as the three mighty warriors. ²⁵ He was held in greater honor than any of the Thirty, but he was not included among the Three. And David put him in charge of his bodyguard.