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THE MESSAGE

2 Samuel 23:11

Shammah son of Agee the Hararite was the third of the Three. The Philistines had mustered for battle at Lehi, where there was a field full of lentils. Israel fled before the Philistines, but Shammah took his stand at the center of the field, successfully defended it, and routed the Philistines. Another great victory for God !

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Agee;   Armies;   Lentiles;   Philistines;   Shammah;   Thompson Chain Reference - Lentils;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Philistines, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Lentile;   Shammah;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Agee;   Giants;   Lentiles;   Shammah;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Agee;   Hararite;   Jashobeam;   Shammah;   Shimei;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Abishai;   Agee;   Lehi;   Mighty Men;   Samuel, Books of;   Shage(e);   Shamma;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Agee;   Giant;   Hararite;   Ithrite, the;   Lentils;   Samuel, Books of;   Shamgar;   Shammah;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Agee ;   Army;   Hararite ;   Lentils,;   Shammah ;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Ag'ee,;   Ha'rarite;   Sham'mah;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Bethlehem;   Lentil;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Agee;   Hararite;   Lentils;   Piece;   Shamgar;   Shammah;   War;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Hararite;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
After him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines had assembled in formation where there was a field full of lentils. The troops fled from the Philistines,
Hebrew Names Version
After him was Shammah the son of Agee a Harari. The Pelishtim were gathered together into a troop, where was a plot of ground full of lentils; and the people fled from the Pelishtim.
King James Version
And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentiles: and the people fled from the Philistines.
Lexham English Bible
Next to him was Shamma, the son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines assembled at Lehi, a plot of the field was there filled with lentils, and the army fled there from the presence of the Philistines.
English Standard Version
And next to him was Shammah, the son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines gathered together at Lehi, where there was a plot of ground full of lentils, and the men fled from the Philistines.
New Century Version
Next there was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines came together to fight in a vegetable field. Israel's troops ran away from the Philistines,
New English Translation
Next in command was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines assembled at Lehi, where there happened to be an area of a field that was full of lentils, the army retreated before the Philistines.
Amplified Bible
Next 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.
New American Standard Bible
Now after him was Shammah the son of Agee, a Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered into an army where there was a plot of land full of lentils, and the people fled from the Philistines.
Geneva Bible (1587)
After him was Shammah the sonne of Age the Hararite: for the Philistims assembled at a towne, where was a piece of a fielde full of lentils, and the people fled from the Philistims.
Legacy Standard Bible
Now after him was Shammah the son of Agee a Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered into a troop where there was a portion of the field full of lentils; and the people fled from before the Philistines.
Contemporary English Version
Next was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. One time the Philistines brought their army together to destroy a crop of peas growing in a field near Lehi. The rest of Israel's soldiers ran away from the Philistines,
Complete Jewish Bible
After him was Shammah the son of Age the Harari. The P'lishtim had assembled at Lechi, where there was a plot of ground full of lentils; and the people fled from the P'lishtim.
Darby Translation
And after him, Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite: the Philistines were gathered into a troop, and there was there a plot of ground full of lentils, and the people had fled before the Philistines;
Easy-to-Read Version
Next there was Shammah son of Agee from Harar. The Philistines came together to fight. They fought in a field of lentils. The people ran away from the Philistines.
George Lamsa Translation
And next to him was Shammah, the son of Agee, from the kings mountain. When the Philistines were gathered together to plunder cattle where there was a piece of ground full of lentils and the people fled from the Philistines,
Good News Translation
The third of the famous three was Shammah son of Agee from Harar. The Philistines had gathered at Lehi, where there was a field of peas. The Israelites fled from the Philistines,
Literal Translation
And next was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines had gathered into a company, and there was a plot of the field full of lentils, and the people had fled before the Philistines.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
After him was Samma the sonne of Age ye Hararite. Wha the Philistynes had gathered themselues in a company, and in the same place there was a pece of lode full of small corne, and the people fled before the Philistynes,
American Standard Version
And after him was Shammah the son of Agee a Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a plot of ground full of lentils; and the people fled from the Philistines.
Bible in Basic English
After him was Shammah, the son of Ela the Hararite. And the Philistines came together in Lehi, where there was a bit of land full of seed; and the people went in flight from the Philistines.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
After him was Samma the sonne of Age the Hararite: & the Philistines gathered together besyde a towne, where was a parcell of land full of lentils, and the people fled from the Philistines:
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And after him was Shammah the son of Age the Ararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a plot of ground full of lentils; and the people fled from the Philistines.
King James Version (1611)
And after him was Shammah the sonne of Agee the Hararite: and the Philistines were gathered together into a troupe, where was a piece of ground full of lentiles: and the people fled from the Philistines.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And after him Samaia the son of Asa the Arachite: and the Philistines were gathered to Theria; and there was there a portion of ground full of lentiles; and the people fled before the Philistines.
English Revised Version
And after him was Shammah the son of Agce a Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a plot of ground full of lentils; and the people fled from the Philistines.
Berean Standard Bible
And after him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines had banded together near a field full of lentils, Israel's troops fled from them.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And aftir hym was Semma, the sone of Age, of Arari. And Filisteis weren gaderid in the stacioun; forsothe there was a feeld ful of lente; and whanne the puple fledde fro the face of Filisteis,
Young's Literal Translation
And after him [is] Shammah son of Agee the Hararite, and the Philistines are gathered into a company, and there is there a portion of the field full of lentiles, and the people hath fled from the presence of the Philistines,
Update Bible Version
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.
Webster's Bible Translation
And after him [was] Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were collected into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentils: and the people fled from the Philistines.
World English Bible
After him was Shammah the son of Agee a Hararite. The Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a plot of ground full of lentils; and the people fled from the Philistines.
New King James Version
And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines had gathered together into a troop where there was a piece of ground full of lentils. So the people fled from the Philistines.
New Living Translation
Next in rank was Shammah son of Agee from Harar. One time the Philistines gathered at Lehi and attacked the Israelites in a field full of lentils. The Israelite army fled,
New Life Bible
Next to him was Shammah the son of Agee a Hararite. The Philistines were gathered together at Lehi, where there was a piece of ground full of lentil plants. The people ran from the Philistines.
New Revised Standard
Next to him was Shammah son of Agee, the Hararite. The Philistines gathered together at Lehi, where there was a plot of ground full of lentils; and the army fled from the Philistines.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, after him, Shammah son of Agee, the Hararite, - and, when the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, there being at hand an allotment of field-land full of lentils, but, the people, having fled from the face of the Philistines,
Douay-Rheims Bible
And after him was Semma the son of Age of Arari. And the Philistines were gathered together in a troop: for there was a field full of lentils. And when the people were fled from the face of the Philistines,
Revised Standard Version
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.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Now after him was Shammah the son of Agee a Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered into a troop where there was a plot of ground full of lentils, and the people fled from the Philistines.

Contextual Overview

8 This is the listing of David's top men. Josheb-Basshebeth, the Tahkemonite. He was chief of the Three. He once put his spear to work against eight hundred—killed them all in a day. 9Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite was the next of the elite Three. He was with David when the Philistines poked fun at them at Pas Dammim. When the Philistines drew up for battle, Israel retreated. But Eleazar stood his ground and killed Philistines right and left until he was exhausted—but he never let go of his sword! A big win for God that day. The army then rejoined Eleazar, but all there was left to do was the cleanup. 11Shammah son of Agee the Hararite was the third of the Three. The Philistines had mustered for battle at Lehi, where there was a field full of lentils. Israel fled before the Philistines, but Shammah took his stand at the center of the field, successfully defended it, and routed the Philistines. Another great victory for God ! 13One day during harvest, the Three parted from the Thirty and joined David at the Cave of Adullam. A squad of Philistines had set up camp in the Valley of Rephaim. While David was holed up in the Cave, the Philistines had their base camp in Bethlehem. David had a sudden craving and said, "Would I ever like a drink of water from the well at the gate of Bethlehem!" So the Three penetrated the Philistine lines, drew water from the well at the gate of Bethlehem, and brought it back to David. But David wouldn't drink it; he poured it out as an offering to God , saying, "There is no way, God , that I'll drink this! This isn't mere water, it's their life-blood—they risked their very lives to bring it!" So David refused to drink it. This is the sort of thing that the Three did. 18Abishai brother of Joab and son of Zeruiah was the head of the Thirty. He once got credit for killing three hundred with his spear, but he was never named in the same breath as the Three. He was the most respected of the Thirty and was their captain, but never got included among the Three. 20Benaiah son of Jehoiada from Kabzeel was a vigorous man who accomplished a great deal. He once killed two lion cubs in Moab. Another time, on a snowy day, he climbed down into a pit and killed a lion. Another time he killed a formidable Egyptian. The Egyptian was armed with a spear and Benaiah went against him with nothing but a walking stick; he seized the spear from his grip and killed him with his own spear. 22These are the things that Benaiah son of Jehoiada is famous for. But neither did he ever get ranked with the Three. He was held in greatest respect among the Thirty, but he never got included with the Three. David put him in charge of his bodyguard. 24"The Thirty" consisted of: Asahel brother of Joab; Elhanan son of Dodo of Bethlehem; Shammah the Harodite; Elika the Harodite; Helez the Paltite; Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite; Abiezer the Anathothite; Sibbecai the Hushathite; Zalmon the Ahohite; Maharai the Netophathite; Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite; Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah of the Benjaminites; Benaiah the Pirathonite; Hiddai from the badlands of Gaash; Abi-Albon the Arbathite; Azmaveth the Barhumite; Eliahba the Shaalbonite; Jashen the Gizonite; Jonathan son of Shammah the Hararite; Ahiam son of Sharar the Urite; Eliphelet son of Ahasbai the Maacathite; Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite; Hezro the Carmelite; Paarai the Arbite; Igal son of Nathan, commander of the army of Hagrites; Zelek the Ammonite; Naharai the Beerothite, weapon bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah; Ira the Ithrite; Gareb the Ithrite; Uriah the Hittite. Thirty-seven, all told.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Shammah: 1 Chronicles 11:27, Shammoth the Harorite

the Philistines: 1 Chronicles 11:13, 1 Chronicles 11:14

into a troop: or, for foraging

Cross-References

Genesis 23:7
Then Abraham got up, bowed respectfully to the people of the land, the Hittites, and said, "If you're serious about helping me give my wife a proper burial, intercede for me with Ephron son of Zohar. Ask him to sell me the cave of Machpelah that he owns, the one at the end of his land. Ask him to sell it to me at its full price for a burial plot, with you as witnesses."
Genesis 23:12
Abraham bowed respectfully before the assembled council and answered Ephron: "Please allow me—I want to pay the price of the land; take my money so that I can go ahead and bury my wife."
Numbers 35:30
"Anyone who kills another may be executed only on the testimony of eyewitnesses. But no one can be executed on the testimony of only one witness.
Deuteronomy 17:6
But only on the testimony of two or three witnesses may a person be put to death. No one may be put to death on the testimony of one witness. The witnesses must throw the first stones in the execution, then the rest of the community joins in. You have to purge the evil from your community.
Deuteronomy 19:15
You cannot convict anyone of a crime or sin on the word of one witness. You need two or three witnesses to make a case.
Ruth 4:1
Boaz went straight to the public square and took his place there. Before long the "closer relative," the one mentioned earlier by Boaz, strolled by. "Step aside, old friend," said Boaz. "Take a seat." The man sat down.
Ruth 4:9
Boaz then addressed the elders and all the people in the town square that day: "You are witnesses today that I have bought from Naomi everything that belonged to Elimelech and Kilion and Mahlon, including responsibility for Ruth the foreigner, the widow of Mahlon—I'll take her as my wife and keep the name of the deceased alive along with his inheritance. The memory and reputation of the deceased is not going to disappear out of this family or from his hometown. To all this you are witnesses this very day."
Ruth 4:11
All the people in the town square that day, backing up the elders, said, "Yes, we are witnesses. May God make this woman who is coming into your household like Rachel and Leah, the two women who built the family of Israel. May God make you a pillar in Ephrathah and famous in Bethlehem! With the children God gives you from this young woman, may your family rival the family of Perez, the son Tamar bore to Judah."
Luke 19:24
"Then he said to those standing there, ‘Take the money from him and give it to the servant who doubled my stake.'

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And after him [was] Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite,.... One who was of the mountainous country, as the Targum, the hill country of Judea, of Hebron, or the parts adjacent; this was the third of the first three; there was one of this name among the thirty, 2 Samuel 23:33;

and the Philistines were gathered together into a troop; but so they were no doubt at first; R. Isaiah takes it to be the name of a place called Chiyah; as the Targum, Chayatha; and which Kimchi says was a village, an unwalled town; and Ben Melech observes, that it is said in the Arabic language, a collection of houses is called Alchai: it may be the same with Lehi, where Samson slew a thousand with the jawbone of an ass, Judges 15:17, whence it had its name; and Josephus u says, the place where the Philistines were gathered together was called "the Jawbone": but perhaps the sense of Ben Gersom may be best of all, that they gathered together in this place for provision, for food and forage, to support the life of them and their cattle: since it follows,

where was a piece of ground full of lentiles; a sort of pulse, which was eaten in those countries, and the pottage of which was delicious food, see Genesis 25:30;

and the people fled from the Philistines; as they did before under Eleazar, 2 Samuel 23:9.

u Antiqu. l. 7. c. 12. sect. 4.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Hararite - Interpreted to mean “mountaineer,” one from the hill country of Judah or Ephraim.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 23:11. A piece of ground full of lentiles — In 1 Chronicles 11:13 it is a parcel of ground full of barley. There is probably a mistake of עדשים adashim, lentiles, for שעורים seorim, barley, or vice versa. Some think there were both lentiles and barley in the field, and that a marauding party of the Philistines came to destroy or carry them off, and these worthies defeated the whole, and saved the produce of the field. This is not unlikely.


 
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