1 Chronicles 11:11-47
English Standard Version
11 This is an account of David's mighty men: (A)Jashobeam, a (B)Hachmonite, was (C)chief of the three.[a] He wielded his spear against 300 whom he killed at one time.
12 And next to him among the three mighty men was Eleazar the son of (D)Dodo, the Ahohite. 13 He was with David at Pas-dammim (E)when the Philistines were gathered there for battle. There was a plot of ground full of barley, and the men fled from the Philistines. 14 But he took his[b] stand in the midst of the plot and defended it and killed the Philistines. And the Lord saved them by a great victory.
15 Three of the thirty chief men went down to the rock to David at the cave of Adullam, when the army of Philistines was encamped in the (F)Valley of Rephaim. 16 David was then in the stronghold, and the (G)garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem. 17 And David said longingly, “Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate!” 18 Then the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate and took it and brought it to David. But David would not drink it. He poured it out to the Lord 19 and said, “Far be it from me before my God that I should do this. Shall I drink the lifeblood of these men? For at the risk of their lives they brought it.” Therefore he would not drink it. These things did the three mighty men.
20 Now Abishai, the brother of Joab, was chief of the thirty.[c] And he wielded his spear against 300 men and killed them and won a name beside the three. 21 He was the most renowned[d] of the thirty[e] and became their commander, but he did not attain to the three.
22 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was a valiant man[f] of Kabzeel, a doer of great deeds. He struck down two heroes of Moab. He also went down and struck down a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen. 23 And he struck down an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits[g] tall. The Egyptian had in his hand a spear (H)like a weaver's beam, but Benaiah went down to him with a staff and snatched the spear out of the Egyptian's hand and killed him with his own spear. 24 These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and won a name beside the three mighty men. 25 He was renowned among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David set him over his bodyguard.
26 The mighty men were (I)Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, 27 Shammoth of Harod,[h] Helez the Pelonite, 28 Ira the son of Ikkesh of Tekoa, Abiezer of Anathoth, 29 Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite, 30 Maharai of Netophah, Heled the son of Baanah of Netophah, 31 Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the people of Benjamin, Benaiah of Pirathon, 32 Hurai of the brooks of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite, 33 Azmaveth of Baharum, Eliahba the Shaalbonite, 34 Hashem[i] the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Shagee the Hararite, 35 Ahiam the son of Sachar the Hararite, Eliphal the son of Ur, 36 Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite, 37 Hezro of Carmel, Naarai the son of Ezbai, 38 Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the son of (J)Hagri, 39 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai of Beeroth, the armor-bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah, 40 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, 41 Uriah the Hittite, (K)Zabad the son of Ahlai, 42 Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a leader of the Reubenites, and thirty with him, 43 Hanan the son of Maacah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite, 44 Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite, 45 Jediael the son of Shimri, and Joha his brother, the Tizite, 46 Eliel the Mahavite, and Jeribai, and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam, and Ithmah the Moabite, 47 Eliel, and Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 1 Chronicles 11:11 Compare 2 Samuel 23:8; Hebrew thirty, or captains
- 1 Chronicles 11:14 Compare 2 Samuel 23:12; Hebrew they… their
- 1 Chronicles 11:20 Syriac; Hebrew three
- 1 Chronicles 11:21 Compare 2 Samuel 23:19; Hebrew more renowned among the two
- 1 Chronicles 11:21 Syriac; Hebrew three
- 1 Chronicles 11:22 Syriac; Hebrew the son of a valiant man
- 1 Chronicles 11:23 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
- 1 Chronicles 11:27 Compare 2 Samuel 23:25; Hebrew the Harorite
- 1 Chronicles 11:34 Compare Septuagint and 2 Samuel 23:32; Hebrew the sons of Hashem
1 Chronicles 11:11-47
New King James Version
11 And this is the number of the mighty men whom David had: (A)Jashobeam the son of a Hachmonite, (B)chief of [a]the captains; he had lifted up his spear against three hundred, killed by him at one time.
12 After him was Eleazar the son of (C)Dodo, the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighty men. 13 He was with David at [b]Pasdammim. Now there the Philistines were gathered for battle, and there was a piece of ground full of barley. So the people fled from the Philistines. 14 But they [c]stationed themselves in the middle of that field, defended it, and killed the Philistines. So the Lord brought about a great victory.
15 Now three of the thirty chief men (D)went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam; and the army of the Philistines encamped (E)in the Valley of [d]Rephaim. 16 David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. 17 And David said with longing, “Oh, that someone would give me a drink of water from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!” 18 So the three broke through the camp of the Philistines, drew water from the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David. Nevertheless David would not drink it, but poured it out to the Lord. 19 And he said, “Far be it from me, O my God, that I should do this! Shall I drink the blood of these men who have put their lives in jeopardy? For at the risk of their lives they brought it.” Therefore he would not drink it. These things were done by the three mighty men.
20 (F)Abishai the brother of Joab was chief of another [e]three. He had lifted up his spear against three hundred men, killed them, and won a name among these three. 21 (G)Of the three he was more honored than the other two men. Therefore he became their captain. However he did not attain to the first three.
22 Benaiah was the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man from Kabzeel, who [f]had done many deeds. (H)He had killed two lion-like heroes of Moab. He also had gone down and killed a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day. 23 And he killed an Egyptian, a man of great height, [g]five cubits tall. In the Egyptian’s hand there was a spear like a weaver’s beam; and he went down to him with a staff, wrested the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and killed him with his own spear. 24 These things Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did, and won a name among three mighty men. 25 Indeed he was more honored than the thirty, but he did not attain to the first three. And David appointed him over his guard.
26 Also the mighty warriors were (I)Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, 27 [h]Shammoth the Harorite, (J)Helez the [i]Pelonite, 28 (K)Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, (L)Abiezer the Anathothite, 29 [j]Sibbechai the Hushathite, [k]Ilai the Ahohite, 30 (M)Maharai the Netophathite, [l]Heled the son of Baanah the Netophathite, 31 [m]Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah, of the sons of Benjamin, (N)Benaiah the Pirathonite, 32 [n]Hurai of the brooks of Gaash, [o]Abiel the Arbathite, 33 Azmaveth the [p]Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite, 34 the sons of [q]Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Shageh the Hararite, 35 Ahiam the son of [r]Sacar the Hararite, [s]Eliphal the son of [t]Ur, 36 Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite, 37 [u]Hezro the Carmelite, [v]Naarai the son of Ezbai, 38 Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the son of Hagri, 39 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the [w]Berothite (the armorbearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah), 40 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, 41 (O)Uriah the Hittite, [x]Zabad the son of Ahlai, 42 Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite (a chief of the Reubenites) and thirty with him, 43 Hanan the son of Maachah, Joshaphat the Mithnite, 44 Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite, 45 Jediael the son of Shimri, and Joha his brother, the Tizite, 46 Eliel the Mahavite, Jeribai and Joshaviah the sons of Elnaam, Ithmah the Moabite, 47 Eliel, Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 1 Chronicles 11:11 So with Qr.; Kt., LXX, Vg. the thirty (cf. 2 Sam. 23:8)
- 1 Chronicles 11:13 Ephes Dammim, 1 Sam. 17:1
- 1 Chronicles 11:14 Lit. took their stand
- 1 Chronicles 11:15 Lit. Giants
- 1 Chronicles 11:20 So with MT, LXX, Vg.; Syr. thirty
- 1 Chronicles 11:22 was great in deeds
- 1 Chronicles 11:23 About 7 1⁄2 feet
- 1 Chronicles 11:27 Shammah the Harodite, 2 Sam. 23:25
- 1 Chronicles 11:27 Paltite, 2 Sam. 23:26
- 1 Chronicles 11:29 Mebunnai, 2 Sam. 23:27
- 1 Chronicles 11:29 Zalmon, 2 Sam. 23:28
- 1 Chronicles 11:30 Heleb, 2 Sam. 23:29, or Heldai, 1 Chr. 27:15
- 1 Chronicles 11:31 Ittai, 2 Sam. 23:29
- 1 Chronicles 11:32 Hiddai, 2 Sam. 23:30
- 1 Chronicles 11:32 Abi-Albon, 2 Sam. 23:31
- 1 Chronicles 11:33 Barhumite, 2 Sam. 23:31
- 1 Chronicles 11:34 Jashen, 2 Sam. 23:32
- 1 Chronicles 11:35 Sharar, 2 Sam. 23:33
- 1 Chronicles 11:35 Eliphelet, 2 Sam. 23:34
- 1 Chronicles 11:35 Ahasbai, 2 Sam. 23:34
- 1 Chronicles 11:37 Hezrai, 2 Sam. 23:38
- 1 Chronicles 11:37 Paarai the Arbite, 2 Sam. 23:35
- 1 Chronicles 11:39 Beerothite, 2 Sam. 23:37
- 1 Chronicles 11:41 The last sixteen are not added in 2 Sam. 23.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

