2 Samuel 23:18
New International Version
Abishai the brother of Joab son of Zeruiah was chief of the Three. He raised his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed, and so he became as famous as the Three.

New Living Translation
Abishai son of Zeruiah, the brother of Joab, was the leader of the Thirty. He once used his spear to kill 300 enemy warriors in a single battle. It was by such feats that he became as famous as the Three.

English Standard Version
Now Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the thirty. And he wielded his spear against three hundred men and killed them and won a name beside the three.

Berean Standard Bible
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.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
Now Abishai the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of another three. He lifted his spear against three hundred men, killed them, and won a name among these three.

New American Standard Bible
Now Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the thirty. And he swung his spear against three hundred and killed them, and had a name as well as the three.

NASB 1995
Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the thirty. And he swung his spear against three hundred and killed them, and had a name as well as the three.

NASB 1977
And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the thirty. And he swung his spear against three hundred and killed them, and had a name as well as the three.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the thirty. And he swung his spear against three hundred who were slain by him; and he had a name as well as the three.

Amplified Bible
Now Abishai the brother of Joab the son of Zeruiah was chief of the thirty. He wielded his spear against three hundred men and killed them, and gained a reputation beside the three.

Christian Standard Bible
Abishai, Joab’s brother and son of Zeruiah, was leader of the Three. He wielded his spear against three hundred men and killed them, gaining a reputation among the Three.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Abishai, Joab’s brother and son of Zeruiah, was leader of the Three. He raised his spear against 300 men and killed them, gaining a reputation among the Three.

American Standard Version
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.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And Abishi the brother of Yuab, son of Tsuriya, he was Chief of thirty Warriors, and he drew the sword against three hundred slain and he was Chief of the thirty

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Abessa the brother of Joab the son of Saruia, he was chief among the three, and he lifted up his spear against three hundred whom he slew; and he had a name among three.

Contemporary English Version
Joab's brother Abishai was the leader of the Thirty Warriors, and in one battle he killed 300 men with his spear. He was as famous as the Three Warriors

Douay-Rheims Bible
Abisai also the brother of Joab, the son of Sarvia, was chief among three: and he lifted up his spear against three hundred whom he slew, and he was renowned among the three,

English Revised Version
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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Joab's brother Abishai, Zeruiah's son, was the leader of the thirty. He used his spear to kill 300 men. He was as famous as the three

Good News Translation
Joab's brother Abishai (their mother was Zeruiah) was the leader of "The Famous Thirty." He fought with his spear against three hundred men and killed them, and became famous among "The Thirty."

International Standard Version
Zeruiah's son Abishai, Joab's brother, was the lieutenant in charge of the platoons. He used his spear to fight and kill 300 men, gaining a reputation distinct from the Three.

JPS Tanakh 1917
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.

Literal Standard Version
And Abishai brother of Joab, son of Zeruiah, he [is] head of three, and he is lifting up his spear against three hundred—wounded, and he has a name among three.

Majority Standard Bible
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.

New American Bible
Abishai, the brother of Joab, son of Zeruiah, was the chief of the Thirty; he brandished his spear over three hundred whom he had slain. He made a name among the Thirty,

NET Bible
Abishai son of Zeruiah, the brother of Joab, was head of the three. He killed three hundred men with his spear and gained fame among the three.

New Revised Standard Version
Now Abishai son of Zeruiah, the brother of Joab, was chief of the Thirty. With his spear he fought against three hundred men and killed them, and won a name beside the Three.

New Heart English Bible
And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was leader of the Thirty. And he wielded his spear against three hundred and killed them, and had a name beside the Three.

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

World English Bible
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.

Young's Literal Translation
And Abishai brother of Joab, son of Zeruiah, he is head of three, and he is lifting up his spear against three hundred -- wounded, and he hath a name among three.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
David's Mighty Men
17saying, “Far be it from me, O LORD, to do this! Is this not the blood of the men who risked their lives?” So he refused to drink it. Such were the exploits of the three mighty men. 18Now 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. 19Was he not more honored than the Three? And he became their commander, even though he was not included among the Three.…

Cross References
2 Samuel 10:10
And he placed the rest of the forces under the command of his brother Abishai, who arrayed them against the Ammonites.

2 Samuel 10:14
When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans had fled, they too fled before Abishai, and they entered the city. So Joab returned from fighting against the Ammonites and came to Jerusalem.

2 Samuel 18:2
He sent out the troops, a third under Joab, a third under Joab's brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and a third under Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the troops, "I will surely march out with you as well."

2 Samuel 23:19
Was he not more honored than the Three? And he became their commander, even though he was not included among the Three.

1 Chronicles 11:20
Now Abishai, the brother of Joab, was chief of the Three, and he lifted his spear against three hundred men, killed them, and won a name along with the Three.

1 Chronicles 11:21
He was doubly honored above the Three, and he became their commander, even though he was not included among the Three.


Treasury of Scripture

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.

Abishai

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.

2 Samuel 3:30
So Joab and Abishai his brother slew Abner, because he had slain their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle.

2 Samuel 10:10,14
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…

and slew them [heb] slain

Jump to Previous
Abishai Abi'shai Brandished Chief Death Head Hundred Joab Jo'ab Killed Lifted Raised Slew Spear Swung Thirty Three Wielded Won Wounded Zeruiah Zeru'iah
Jump to Next
Abishai Abi'shai Brandished Chief Death Head Hundred Joab Jo'ab Killed Lifted Raised Slew Spear Swung Thirty Three Wielded Won Wounded Zeruiah Zeru'iah
2 Samuel 23
1. David, in his last words, professes his faith in God's promises
6. The different state of the wicked
8. A catalogue of David's mighty men














(18) Among three.--The Hebrew margin has "the three," and so also the text in the following clause. "The three" are the triad of heroes just mentioned, of whom Abishai was first, Benaiah second, with an unnamed third. A somewhat similar feat of daring is told of Abishai in 1Samuel 26:6-12.

Verse 18. - Abishai... was chief among three. The sense is obscured in the Authorized Version by the translators having failed to notice the presence of the definite article. Abishai, by reason of this exploit, became "chief of the three;" that is, of the second order of three established in the fraternity of the mighties. At the end of the verse, and in ver. 19, the Authorized Version strangely puts the article where it is absent in the Hebrew, and omits it where it is present. The right rendering and meaning is, "He had a name, that is, rank, reputation, among the three. Was he not the most honourable of the three? For this he was made their captain: yet he attained not to equal dignity with the first three."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Now Abishai,
וַאֲבִישַׁ֞י (wa·’ă·ḇî·šay)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 52: Abishai -- 'my father is Jesse', an Israelite name

the brother
אֲחִ֣י ׀ (’ă·ḥî)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 251: A brother, )

of Joab
יוֹאָ֣ב (yō·w·’āḇ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3097: Joab -- 'the LORD is father', three Israelites

and son
בֶּן־ (ben-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of Zeruiah,
צְרוּיָ֗ה (ṣə·rū·yāh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6870: Zeruiah -- an Israelite woman

was chief
רֹ֣אשׁ (rōš)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7218: The head

of the Three,
הַשְּׁלֹשָׁ֔ה (haš·šə·lō·šāh)
Article | Number - masculine singular
Strong's 7992: Third, feminine a, third, a third, a third-story cell)

and he
וְהוּא֙ (wə·hū)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

lifted
עוֹרֵ֣ר (‘ō·w·rêr)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5782: To rouse oneself, awake

his spear
חֲנִית֔וֹ (ḥă·nî·ṯōw)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 2595: A lance

against
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

three
שְׁלֹ֥שׁ (šə·lōš)
Number - feminine singular construct
Strong's 7969: Three, third, thrice

hundred [men],
מֵא֖וֹת (mê·’ō·wṯ)
Number - feminine plural
Strong's 3967: A hundred

killed [them],
חָלָ֑ל (ḥā·lāl)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2491: Pierced, polluted

and won
וְלוֹ־ (wə·lōw-)
Conjunctive waw | Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew

a name
שֵׁ֖ם (šêm)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 8034: A name

along with [the] Three.
בַּשְּׁלֹשָֽׁה׃ (baš·šə·lō·šāh)
Preposition-b, Article | Number - masculine singular
Strong's 7969: Three, third, thrice


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OT History: 2 Samuel 23:18 Abishai the brother of Joab the son (2Sa iiSam 2 Sam ii sam)
2 Samuel 23:17
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