2 Samuel 23:18

Abishai Joab Zeruiah

¹⁶ So 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 saying, “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.

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

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

²⁰ And 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.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: Now Abishai, the brother of Joab and son of Zeruiah, was chief of the Three, and he lifted his spear against three hundred men, killed them, and won a name along with the Three.
KJV: And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief among three. And he lifted up his spear against three hundred, and slew them, and had the name among three.
WEB: Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the three. He lifted up his spear against three hundred and killed them, and had a name among the three.
ASV: And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the three. And he lifted up his spear against three hundred and slew them, and had a name among the three.
DARBY: And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was the chief of three; and he brandished his spear against three hundred and slew them; and he had a name among the three.
BLB: And Abishai brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the Three. And He lifted his spear against three hundred, slain, and he won a name among [these] three.

ÅB: Så var det Abisai, bror til Joab, sønn av Seruja; han var høvedsmann for drabantene. Han svang sitt spyd over tre hundre falne; og han hadde et navn blant de tre.
OTB: Abisjai, Joabs bror, sønn av Seruja, var høvding over de tretti. Og han svingte sitt spyd mot tre hundre og drepte dem, og hadde et navn like godt som de tre.
B1930: Så var det Abisai, bror til Joab, sønn av Seruja; han var høvedsmann for drabantene. Han svang sitt spyd over tre hundre falne; og han hadde et navn blandt de tre.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

2 Samuel 10:10
And he placed the rest of the forces under the command of his brother Abishai, who arrayed them against the Ammonites.
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2 Samuel 10:14
When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans had fled, they too fled before Abishai, and they entered the city. So Joab returned from fighting against the Ammonites and came to Jerusalem.
Read in context
1 Chronicles 11:20–21
Now Abishai, the brother of Joab, was chief of the Three, and he lifted his spear against three hundred men, killed them, and won a name along with the Three.
Read in context
2 Samuel 18:2
He sent out the troops, a third under Joab, a third under Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and a third under Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the troops, “I will surely march out with you as well.”
Read in context
2 Samuel 20:10
Amasa was not on guard against the dagger in Joab’s hand, and Joab stabbed him in the stomach and spilled out his intestines on the ground. And Joab did not need to strike him again, for Amasa was dead. Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bichri.
Read in context
2 Samuel 3:30
(Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.)
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2 Samuel 2:18
The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was fleet of foot like a wild gazelle,
Read in context
1 Samuel 26:6–8
And David asked Ahimelech the Hittite and Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, “Who will go down with me to Saul in the camp?” “I will go with you,” answered Abishai.
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