What Does 2 Samuel 23:8 Mean?

(8) **These be the names.**—Here, in the summary at the close of David’s reign, is very naturally given a list of his chief heroes. A duplicate of this list, with several variations, and with sixteen more names, is given in 1Chronicles 11:10-47, which is useful in correcting such clerical errors as have arisen in both. The list in Chronicles is given in connection with David’s becoming king over all Israel; but in both cases the list is not to be understood as belonging precisely to any definite time, but rather as a catalogue of the chief heroes who distinguished themselves at any time in the life of David. **The Tachmonite that sat in the seat.**—The text of this verse has undergone several alterations, which may be corrected by the parallel passage in Chronicles. This clause should read, “Jashobeam the Hachmonite,” as in 1Chronicles 11:11. Jashobeam came to David at Ziklag (1Chronicles 12:1; 1Chronicles 12:6), and afterwards became the general of the first division of the army (1Chronicles 27:2), being immediately followed by Dodo. One of the same family was tutor to David’s sons (1Chronicles 27:32). **The captains.**—The word for *captain *and the word for *three *are much alike, and the text here and in Chronicles perpetually fluctuates between the two. Probably the sense here is that Jashobeam was the chief of the three who stood highest in rank among the heroes. No mention is made in either list of Joab, because, as commander-in-chief, he stood in a rank by himself. **The same was Adino the Eznite.**—It is difficult to attach any meaning to these words in their connection, and they are generally considered as a corruption of the words in 1Chronicles 11:11, “he lifted up his spear,” which are required and are inserted here in the English. For “eight hundred” Chronicles has “three hundred,” as in 2Samuel 23:18. Variations in numbers are exceedingly common, but the probability is in favour of the correctness of the text here. This large number was slain by Jashobeam and the men under his command in one combat.