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Thursday, April 9th, 2026
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Read the Bible

Revised Standard Version

2 Samuel 23:12

But he took his stand in the midst of the plot, and defended it, and slew the Philistines; and the LORD wrought a great victory.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Armies;   Philistines;   Shammah;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Philistines, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Shammah;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Victory;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Giants;   Shammah;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Abishai;   Mighty Men;   Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Giant;   Ithrite, the;   Samuel, Books of;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Army;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Sham'mah;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Ground;   Lentils;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
but Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field, defended it, and struck down the Philistines. So the Lord brought about a great victory.
Hebrew Names Version
But he stood in the midst of the plot, and defended it, and killed the Pelishtim; and the LORD worked a great victory.
King James Version
But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the Lord wrought a great victory.
Lexham English Bible
But he took a stand in the middle of the plot of land and defended it. He killed the Philistines, and Yahweh brought about a great victory.
English Standard Version
But he took his stand in the midst of the plot and defended it and struck down the Philistines, and the Lord worked a great victory.
New Century Version
but Shammah stood in the middle of the field and fought for it and killed the Philistines. And the Lord gave a great victory.
New English Translation
But he made a stand in the middle of that area. He defended it and defeated the Philistines; the Lord gave them a great victory.
Amplified Bible
But 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.
New American Standard Bible
But he took his stand in the midst of the plot, defended it, and struck the Philistines; and the LORD brought about a great victory.
Geneva Bible (1587)
But he stoode in the middes of the fielde, and defended it, and slewe the Philistims: so the Lorde gaue great victorie.
Legacy Standard Bible
But he took his stand in the midst of that portion and delivered it and struck down the Philistines. So Yahweh brought about a great salvation.
Contemporary English Version
but Shammah stood in the middle of the field and killed the Philistines. The crops were saved, and the Lord gave Israel a great victory.
Complete Jewish Bible
But he stood in the middle of the plot and defended it, killing the P'lishtim; and Adonai brought about a great victory.
Darby Translation
and he stood in the midst of the plot and delivered it, and smote the Philistines, and Jehovah wrought a great deliverance.
Easy-to-Read Version
But Shammah stood in the middle of the field and defended it. He defeated the Philistines. The Lord gave Israel a great victory that day.
George Lamsa Translation
He stood in the midst of the field and delivered the cattle and slew the Philistines; and the LORD wrought a great victory by his hand.
Good News Translation
but Shammah stood his ground in the field, defended it, and killed the Philistines. The Lord won a great victory that day.
Literal Translation
And he set himself in the midst of the plot, and delivered it, and struck the Philistines. And Jehovah worked out a great salvation.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
the stode he in the myddes of ye pece of londe, & delyuered it, & smote ye Philistynes. And God gaue a greate victory.
American Standard Version
But he stood in the midst of the plot, and defended it, and slew the Philistines; and Jehovah wrought a great victory.
Bible in Basic English
But he kept his place in the middle of the bit of land, and kept back their attack and overcame the Philistines: and the Lord gave a great salvation.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
But he stoode in ye middest of the groud, and defended it, & slue the Philistines: and the Lorde gaue great victorie.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
But he stood in the midst of the plot, and defended it, and slew the Philistines; and the LORD wrought a great victory.
King James Version (1611)
But hee stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slewe the Philistines: and the Lord wrought a great victorie.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And he stood firm in the midst of the portion, and rescued it, and smote the Philistines; and the Lord wrought a great deliverance.
English Revised Version
But he stood in the midst of the plot, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the LORD wrought a great victory.
Berean Standard Bible
But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field, defended it, and struck down the Philistines. So the LORD brought about a great victory.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
he stood in the myddis of the feeld, and bihelde it; and he smoot Filisteis, and the Lord made greet helthe.
Young's Literal Translation
and he stationeth himself in the midst of the portion, and delivereth it, and smiteth the Philistines, and Jehovah worketh a great salvation.
Update Bible Version
But he stood in the midst of the plot, and defended it, and slew the Philistines; and Yahweh wrought a great victory.
Webster's Bible Translation
But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the LORD wrought a great victory.
World English Bible
But he stood in the midst of the plot, and defended it, and killed the Philistines; and Yahweh worked a great victory.
New King James Version
But he stationed himself in the middle of the field, defended it, and killed the Philistines. So the LORD brought about a great victory.
New Living Translation
but Shammah held his ground in the middle of the field and beat back the Philistines. So the Lord brought about a great victory.
New Life Bible
But Shammah stood in the center of the piece of ground and fought for it. He killed the Philistines. The Lord saved many of His people that day.
New Revised Standard
But he took his stand in the middle of the plot, defended it, and killed the Philistines; and the Lord brought about a great victory.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
then took he his stand in the midst of the allotment, and defended it, and smote the Philistines, - and Yahweh wrought a great victory.
Douay-Rheims Bible
He stood in the midst of the field, and defended it, and defeated the Philistines: and the Lord gave a great victory.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
But he took his stand in the midst of the plot, defended it and struck the Philistines; and the LORD brought about a great victory.

Contextual Overview

8 These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshe'beth a Tah-che'monite; he was chief of the three; he wielded his spear against eight hundred whom he slew at one time. 9 And next to him among the three mighty men was Elea'zar the son of Dodo, son of Aho'hi. He was with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel withdrew. 10 He rose and struck down the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand cleaved to the sword; and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the men returned after him only to strip the slain. 11 And next to him was Shammah, the son of Agee the Har'arite. The Philistines gathered together at Lehi, where there was a plot of ground full of lentils; and the men fled from the Philistines. 12 But he took his stand in the midst of the plot, and defended it, and slew the Philistines; and the LORD wrought a great victory. 13 And three of the thirty chief men went down, and came about harvest time to David at the cave of Adullam, when a band of Philistines was encamped in the valley of Reph'aim. 14 David was then in the stronghold; and the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem. 15 And David said longingly, "O that some one would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem which is by the gate!" 16 Then the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem which was by the gate, and took and brought it to David. But he would not drink of it; he poured it out to the LORD, 17 and said, "Far be it from me, O LORD, that I should do this. Shall I drink the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives?" Therefore he would not drink it. These things did the three mighty men.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the Lord: 2 Samuel 23:10, Psalms 3:8, Psalms 44:2, Proverbs 21:31

Cross-References

Genesis 18:2
He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men stood in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the earth,
Genesis 19:1
The two angels came to Sodom in the evening; and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, and bowed himself with his face to the earth,
Genesis 23:7
Abraham rose and bowed to the Hittites, the people of the land.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But he stood in the midst of the ground,.... The field of lentiles:

and defended it; the field, so that the Philistines could not ravage it, and get food and forage from it:

and slew the Philistines; made a great slaughter among them, entirely routed them, so that they that escaped his sword were obliged to flee:

and the Lord wrought a great victory; to whom the glory of it belonged; a similar fact is ascribed to Eleazar before mentioned in

1 Chronicles 11:13; and, indeed, it seems to be the same, and in which they were both concerned; for it is plain from the account that there were more than one engaged in this action, since it is there said, "and they set themselves in the midst of that parcel"; and though that parcel of ground is said there to be full of barley, it may easily be reconciled by observing, that one part of it might be sowed with barley, and the other part with lentiles; so the Targum in 1 Chronicles 11:13; for it was half lentiles and half barley; and Eleazar might be placed to defend the one, and Shammah the other; from whence it appears it was about March when this action was, at the latter end of which barley harvest began.


 
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