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Wednesday, July 16th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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Amplified Bible

2 Samuel 23:19

He was the most honored of the thirty, so he became their commander; however, he did not attain to the [greatness of the] three.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Armies;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Abishai;   Courage;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Abishai;   Captain;   Giants;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Uriah;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Abishai;   Mighty Men;   Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Giant;   Ithrite, the;   Samuel, Books of;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Army;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Attain;   Text of the Old Testament;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Was he not more honored than the Three? He became their commander even though he did not become one of the Three.
Hebrew Names Version
Wasn't he most honorable of the three? therefore he was made their captain: however he didn't attain to the [first] three.
King James Version
Was he not most honourable of three? therefore he was their captain: howbeit he attained not unto the first three.
English Standard Version
He was the most renowned of the thirty and became their commander, but he did not attain to the three.
New Century Version
and was more honored than the Three. He became their commander even though he was not one of them.
New English Translation
From the three he was given honor and he became their officer, even though he was not one of the three.
New American Standard Bible
He was the most honored among the thirty, so he became their commander; however, he did not attain to the reputation of the three.
Geneva Bible (1587)
For he was most excellent of the three, & was their captaine, but he attained not vnto the first three.
Legacy Standard Bible
Of the thirty he was most honored and became their commander; however, he did not attain to the three.
Contemporary English Version
and certainly just as famous as the rest of the Thirty Warriors. He was the commander of the Thirty Warriors, but he still did not become one of the Three Warriors.
Complete Jewish Bible
He had the most honor of these three and was therefore made their leader; however, he did not achieve the status of the first three.
Darby Translation
Was he not most honourable of three? and he was their captain; but he did not attain to the [first] three.
Easy-to-Read Version
Abishai was as famous as the Three Heroes. He became their leader, even though he was not one of them.
George Lamsa Translation
And he was honored above the thirty men; therefore he became their chief and performed heroic deeds equal to thirty men.
Good News Translation
He was the most famous of "The Thirty" and became their leader, but he was not as famous as "The Three."
Lexham English Bible
Among the thirty, is it not that he was honored and became a commander for them? But he did not come up to the three.
Literal Translation
With honor he was honored more than the three. And he was the commander to them, but he did not come to the first three.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
& the noblest amonge thre, & was their ruler. But he came not vnto the thre.
American Standard Version
Was he not most honorable of the three? therefore he was made their captain: howbeit he attained not unto the first three.
Bible in Basic English
Was he not the noblest of the thirty? so he was made their captain: but he was not equal to the first three.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
For he was most excellent of the three, and was their captayne: Howbeit he attayned not vnto [the first] three.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
He was most honourable of the three; therefore he was made their captain; howbeit he attained not unto the first three.
King James Version (1611)
Was hee not most honourable of three? therefore he was their captaine: howbeit, hee attained not vnto the first three.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Of those three he was most honourable, and he became a chief over them, but he reached not to the first three.
English Revised Version
Was he not most honourable of the three? therefore he was made their captain: howbeit he attained not unto the [first] three.
Berean Standard Bible
Was he not more honored than the Three? And he became their commander, even though he was not included among the Three.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and was the noblere among thre, and he was the prince of hem; but he cam not to the thre firste men.
Young's Literal Translation
Of the three is he not the honoured? and he becometh their head; and unto the [first] three he hath not come.
Update Bible Version
Was he not most honorable of the thirty? therefore he was made their captain: nevertheless he didn't attain to the three.
Webster's Bible Translation
Was he not most honorable of three? therefore he was their captain: yet he attained not to the [first] three.
World English Bible
Wasn't he most honorable of the three? therefore he was made their captain: however he didn't attain to the [first] three.
New King James Version
Was he not the most honored of three? Therefore he became their captain. However, he did not attain to the first three.
New Living Translation
Abishai was the most famous of the Thirty and was their commander, though he was not one of the Three.
New Life Bible
He was the most honored of the thirty. So he became their captain. But he was not as strong as the three.
New Revised Standard
He was the most renowned of the Thirty, and became their commander; but he did not attain to the Three.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Was he not most honourable, of the three, and so became their captain? Nevertheless, unto the three, he attained not.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the noblest of three, and was their chief, but to the three first he attained not.
Revised Standard Version
He was the most renowned of the thirty, and became their commander; but he did not attain to the three.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
He was most honored of the thirty, therefore he became their commander; however, he did not attain to the three.

Contextual Overview

8These are the names of the mighty men (warriors) whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth, a Tahchemonite, chief of the captains, also called Adino the Eznite (spear) because of the eight hundred men killed [by him] at one time. 9Next to him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the son of Ahohi. He was one of the three mighty men with David when they taunted and defied the Philistines assembled there for battle, and the men of Israel had gone. 10Eleazar stood up and struck down the Philistines until his hand was weary and clung to the sword. The LORD brought about a great victory that day; the people returned after him only to take the spoil [of the slain]. 11Next to Eleazar was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines were gathered into an army where there was a plot of ground full of lentils, and the people [of Israel] fled from the Philistines. 12But he took his stand in the center of the plot and defended it and struck down the Philistines; and the LORD brought about a great victory. 13Then three of the thirty chief men went down and came to David at harvest time in the cave of Adullam, while an army of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. 14David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. 15And David had a craving and said, "Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!" 16So the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, and drew water from the well of Bethlehem by the gate, and carried and brought it to David. But he would not drink it, but poured it out [in worship] to the LORD. 17And he said, "Far be it from me, O LORD, that I should drink this. [Is it not the same as] the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives?" So he would not drink it. These things the three mighty men did.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

he attained: 2 Samuel 23:9, 2 Samuel 23:13, 2 Samuel 23:16, 1 Chronicles 11:25, Matthew 13:8, Matthew 13:23, 1 Corinthians 15:41

Reciprocal: 1 Chronicles 18:17 - Benaiah Ecclesiastes 4:12 - and a

Cross-References

Genesis 3:19
"By the sweat of your face You will eat bread Until you return to the ground, For from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return."
Genesis 23:9
so that he may give (sell) me the cave of Machpelah which he owns—it is at the end of his field; let him give it to me here in your presence for the full price as a burial site [which I may keep forever among you]."
Genesis 23:10
Now Ephron was present there among the sons of Heth; so within the hearing of all the sons of Heth and all who were entering the gate of his city, Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham, saying,
Genesis 47:30
but when I lie down with my fathers [in death], you will carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial place [at Hebron in the cave of Machpelah]." And Joseph said, "I will do as you have directed."
Genesis 50:13
for his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, east of Mamre, which Abraham bought along with the field as a burial site from Ephron the Hittite.
Genesis 50:25
Then Joseph made the sons of Israel (Jacob) swear [an oath], saying, "God will surely visit you and take care of you [returning you to Canaan], and [when that happens] you shall carry my bones up from here."
Job 30:23
"For I know that You will bring me to death And to the house of meeting [appointed] for all the living.
Ecclesiastes 6:3
If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, however many they may be, but his soul is not satisfied with good things and he is not respected and is not given a proper burial [he is not laid to rest in the sepulcher of his fathers], then I say, "Better the miscarriage than he,
Ecclesiastes 12:5
Furthermore, they are afraid of a high place and of dangers on the road; the almond tree (hair) blossoms [white], and the grasshopper (a little thing) is a burden, and the caperberry (desire, appetite) fails. For man goes to his eternal home and the mourners go about the streets and market places.
Ecclesiastes 12:7
then the dust [out of which God made man's body] will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Was he not most honourable of three?.... He was; who, besides the exploit here mentioned, did many other things; he went down with David into Saul's camp, and took away his spear and cruse, which were at his bolster, 1 Samuel 26:6; he relieved David when in danger from Ishbibenob the giant, 2 Samuel 21:16; he beat the Edomites, and slew eighteen thousand of them in the valley of salt, 1 Chronicles 18:12:

therefore he was their captain; of the other two, or was head over them, took rank before them:

howbeit he attained not unto the [first] three; for fortitude, courage, and warlike exploits, namely, to the Tachmonite, Eleazar, and Shammah.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

i. e., “Was he not the most honorable of the three of the second order, howbeit, he attained not to the three,” the triad, namely, which consisted of Jashobeam, Eleazar, and Shammah. That two triads are mentioned is a simple fact, although only five names are given.


 
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