2 Samuel 23:18

Abishai Joab Zeruiah

¹⁶ And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Beth-lehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the LORD.

¹⁷ And he said, Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this: is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men.

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.

¹⁹ Was he not most honourable of three? therefore he was their captain: howbeit he attained not unto the first three.

²⁰ And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man, of Kabzeel, who had done many acts, he slew two lionlike men of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow:

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 the rest of the people he delivered into the hand of Abishai his brother, that he might put them in array against the children of Ammon.
Read in context
2 Samuel 10:14
And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, then fled they also before Abishai, and entered into the city. So Joab returned from the children of Ammon, and came to Jerusalem.
Read in context
1 Chronicles 11:20–21
And Abishai the brother of Joab, he was chief of the three: for lifting up his spear against three hundred, he slew them, and had a name among the three.
Read in context
2 Samuel 18:2
And David sent forth a third part of the people under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said unto the people, I will surely go forth with you myself also.
Read in context
2 Samuel 20:10
But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab’s hand: so he smote him therewith in the fifth rib, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and struck him not again; and he died. So Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri.
Read in context
2 Samuel 3:30
So Joab and Abishai his brother slew Abner, because he had slain their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle.
Read in context
2 Samuel 2:18
And there were three sons of Zeruiah there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe.
Read in context
1 Samuel 26:6–8
Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with thee.
Read in context