Bible Commentaries
1 Chronicles 11

Verses 1-47

1 Chronicles 11:10-47 David’s Mighty Men - 1 Chronicles 11:10-47 records David’s mighty men. This passage also notes his three chief men among those that were mighty. Jesus also had three of the twelve disciples that He considered close friends, and thus, mighty men.

1 Chronicles 11:11 And this is the number of the mighty men whom David had; Jashobeam, an Hachmonite, the chief of the captains: he lifted up his spear against three hundred slain by him at one time.

1 Chronicles 11:11 “an Hachmonite” Comments - 2 Samuel 23:8 reads “The Tachmonite,” while 1 Chronicles 11:8 reads, “an Hachmonite.”

2 Samuel 23:8, “These be the names of the mighty men whom David had: The Tachmonite that sat in the seat, chief among the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite: he lift up his spear against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time.”

This slight variation is easily justified when looking at the Hebrew text. The first spelling has the definite article “the” attached to it, creating the pronunciation “Tachmonite,” while the second spelling leaves off the article, giving the pronunciation “Hachmonite.”

Hebrew ( תחכמני ) the Tachmonite

Hebrew ( בן־חכמוני ) an Hachmonite

1 Chronicles 11:11 “three hundred” Comments - 2 Samuel 23:8 reads “eight hundred.”

2 Samuel 23:8, “These be the names of the mighty men whom David had: The Tachmonite that sat in the seat, chief among the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite: he lift up his spear against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time.”

Note the variant readings in the Hebrew text:

Hebrew ( עַל־שְׁמֹנֶ֥ה מֵא֛וֹת ) “against eight hundred”

Hebrew ( עַל־שְׁלֹשׁ־מֵא֥וֹת ) “against three hundred”

Scholars offer a variety of explanations to reconcile these different texts in the parallel passages of Samuel and Chronicles:

1. A Copyist Error - A look at the Hebrew text shows that both numbers begin with the letter ( ש ), suggesting a copyist error, as many scholars believe is the cause of this discrepancy.

2. Adino the Eznite Fought Against 800, but Slew 300 - John Gill suggests that he fought against eight hundred, but slew only three hundred. He refers to the LXX reading to justify this interpretation. Brenton reads, “he drew his sword against eight hundred soldiers at once,” [26]

[26] John Gill, 2 Samuel, in John Gill’s Expositor, in e-Sword, v. 7.7.7 [CD-ROM] (Franklin, Tennessee: e-Sword, 2000-2005), comments on 2 Samuel 23:8.

3. A Reference to Two Different Battles - Another explanation says that there were two different battles fought by this same individual, once against eight hundred, and the other against three hundred.