Abishai, the brother of Joab, he was chief of the three; for he lifted up his spear against three hundred and killed them, and had a name among the three.
Parallel Translations
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Abishai, the brother of Joab, he was chief of the three; for he lifted up his spear against three hundred and killed them, and had a name among the three.
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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.
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And Abishai, the brother of Joab, he was chief of the three; for he lifted up his spear against three hundred and slew them, and had a name among the three.
Cross-references (8)
Passages linked to 1 Chronicles 11:20 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- 1 Samuel 26:6 Then David answered and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother of Joab, saying, “Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp?” Abishai said, “I will go down with you.”
- 2 Samuel 2:18 The three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild gazelle.
- 2 Samuel 3:30 So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle.
- 2 Samuel 18:2 David sent the people out, a third part 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. The king said to the people, “I will also surely go out with you myself.”
- 2 Samuel 20:6 David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom did. Take your lord’s servants, and pursue after him, lest he get himself fortified cities, and escape out of our sight.”
- 2 Samuel 21:17 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah helped him, and struck the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David swore to him, saying, “Don’t go out with us to battle any more, so that you don’t quench the lamp of Israel.”
- 2 Samuel 23:18-39 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. Wasn’t he most honorable of the three? Therefore he was made their captain. However he wasn’t included as one of the three. Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done mighty deeds, killed the two sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went down and killed a lion in the middle of a pit in a time of snow. He killed a huge Egyptian, and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and killed him with his own spear. Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did these things, and had a name among the three mighty men. He was more honorable than the thirty, but he didn’t attain to the three. David set him over his guard. Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty: Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite, Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite, Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite, Heleb the son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin, Benaiah a Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash. Abialbon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan, Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Ararite, Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maacathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, Hezro the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite, Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite, Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, armor bearers to Joab the son of Zeruiah, Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, and Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.
- 1 Chronicles 2:16 and their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. The sons of Zeruiah: Abishai, Joab, and Asahel, three.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (7 sources)
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Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain He slew them; he vanquished them all, and slew…
He slew them; he vanquished them all, and slew a great number of them; though it be not said that he slew them all at one time, as it is said of Jashobeam, above, 1Ch 11:11.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain 1Ch 11:20-21. Lifting up his spear against three hundred,…
1Ch 11:20-21. Lifting up his spear against three hundred, he slew them — He vanquished them all, and slew a great number of them: it is, however, not said that he slew them all at one time, as it is said of Jashobeam, 1Ch 11:11. He attained not unto the first three — He did not equal them in valiant exploits.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain Abisai. His name is written without the middle i,…
Abisai. His name is written without the middle i, in all this book. --- Three. Alexandrian Septuagint alone reads, "six." --- He was. Hebrew adds, "not;" evidently mistaking lo, "not," for lo, "ei." See 4 Kings viii. 10. "He lifted up his spear against 300 soldiers, and had a name among Three." (Kennicott)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 20. chief of the three] In 2Sa_23:18 (C’thîb) Abishai…
20. chief of the three] In 2Sa_23:18 (C’thîb) Abishai is called by the same title (Heb. rôsh hasshâlîshi) as Josheb-basshebeth (ib. 2Sa_23:8). This title probably means chief of the third part [of the army]; cp. 2Sa_23:11, note. Chief of the three is a faulty reading.
for lifting up his spear] R.V. for he lifted up his spear; cp. 1Ch_11:11, note.
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had a name among the three] Cp. 1Ch_11:24, where the same thing is said of Benaiah. The three meant are either the three of 1Ch_11:15-19 or else an unknown three; cp. next note.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (20) Abishai the brother of Joab.—Heb., Abshai, but in…
(20) Abishai the brother of Joab.—Heb., Abshai, but in Samuel, Abishai. (Comp. Abram and Abiram.) Samuel adds “son of Zeruiah” after Joab. (Comp. 1Ch_2:16 and 1Ch_18:12; 1Ch_19:11 ff. for other deeds of Abishai.)
He was chief of the three.—Apparently the second triad, one of whose famous exploits has just been related (1Ch_11:15-19). The Hebrew text of Samuel seems to read “knights,” but some MSS., the Hebrew margin, and all the versions, agree with Chronicles.
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For lifting up . . .—Literally, and he had bran. dished his spear over three hundred slain. The exploit of Jashobeam (1Ch_11:11).
And had a name among the three.—That is, among the second triad, of which he was captain.
(20-25) Feats of Abishai and Benaiah. (Comp. 2Sa_23:18-23, of which the present passage is little more than a duplicate.)
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain Abishai was chief of the three. It is remarkable…
Abishai was chief of the three. It is remarkable that again the name of one of the three is wanting, even if we take Benaiah of ver. 22 for the second.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 See how you translated this man's name in 1…
Abishai
See how you translated this man's name in 1 Chronicles 2:16.
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captain over the Three
This means Abishai was the leader of the three who went and got water for David.
three hundred
"300 men" or "300 warriors" (See: Numbers)
He is mentioned along with the Three
This can be stated in active form. AT: "People often mentioned him when they spoke of the Three" (See: Active or Passive)
Of the Three, he was given double honor and became
This can be stated in active form. Possible meanings are 1) that he received double the honor that the Three received. AT: "People gave him twice as much honor as they gave the Three and he became" or 2) the Three honored him more than they honored others. AT: "The Three honored him more than they honored others and he became" (See: Active or Passive)
translationWords
Joab
spear
honor
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.