Lectionary Calendar
Thursday, July 31st, 2025
the Week of Proper 12 / Ordinary 17
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Read the Bible

Updated Bible Version

2 Samuel 23:19

Was he not most honorable of the thirty? therefore he was made their captain: nevertheless he didn't attain to 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.
Amplified Bible
He was the most honored of the thirty, so he became their commander; however, he did not attain to the [greatness 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.
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

8 These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Jishbaal the Hachmonite, [of] the elite troops; the same was Adino the Eznite, against eight hundred slain at one time. 9 And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodai the son of an Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel had gone away. 10 He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand cleaved to the sword; and Yahweh wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to take spoil. 11 And after him was Shammah the son of Agee a Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together at Lehi, where there was a plot of ground full of lentils; and the people fled from the Philistines. 12 But he stood in the midst of the plot, and defended it, and slew the Philistines; and Yahweh wrought a great victory. 13 And three of the elite troops went down, and came to David in the harvest time to the cave of Adullam; and the troop of the Philistines was encamped in the valley of Rephaim. 14 And David was then in the stronghold; and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Beth-lehem. 15 And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me water to drink of the well of Beth-lehem, which is by the gate! 16 And the three mighty men broke 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: but he would not drink thereof, but poured it out to Yahweh. 17 And he said, Be it far from me, O Yahweh, that I should do this: [shall I drink] the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it. These things did the three mighty men.

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
in the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, until you return to the ground; for out of it were you taken: for dust you are, and to dust you shall return.
Genesis 23:9
that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he has, which is in the end of his field. For the full price let him give it to me in the midst of you for a possession of a burying-place.
Genesis 23:10
Now Ephron was sitting in the midst of the sons of Heth. And Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the sons of Heth, even of all that went in at the gate of his city, saying,
Genesis 47:30
but when I sleep with my fathers, you shall carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their burying-place. And he said, I will do as you have said.
Genesis 50:13
for his sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham bought with the field, for a possession of a burying-place, of Ephron the Hittite, before Mamre.
Genesis 50:25
And Joseph took an oath of the sons of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.
Job 30:23
For I know that you will bring me to death, And to the house appointed for all living.
Ecclesiastes 6:3
If a man begets a hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not filled with good, and moreover he has no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he:
Ecclesiastes 12:5
yes, they shall be afraid of [that which is] high, and terrors [shall be] in the way; and the almond-tree shall blossom, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail; because man goes to his everlasting home, and the mourners go about the streets:
Ecclesiastes 12:7
and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns 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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