The Three

The Three
July 1, 2011 5:30 AM -0500
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David's three greatest warriors were great heroes. Discover what set them apart and how you, too, can become a hero just like them!
Thesis: Challenge believers to stop whining when life gets difficult or the odds seem stacked against us, but to press forward until the job is done.
Objective: Compel believers to start acting like valiant men, strong and courageous, as Joshua was called to be!
  1. Have a secret identity (8).
    1. Be committed to peace (“Josheb-basshebeth” (8); The name Josheb-basshebeth is translated to “sat/rested in a seat.” The idea is that this was not a man of war or violence. Rather, he was known as a man of peace. He wasn’t out to pick a fight.).
    2. Be committed to wisdom (“the Tahchemonite” (8); While there is still some debate re: the epistemology of the word, it is generally agreed that it comes from a word meaning “skillful” or “wise.” This wasn’t a place of origin or a surname; it was a quality. Not only was Josheb-basshebeth a man of peace, but he was a man of scholarship and study so that he would actually know God’s will when the moment of truth came.).
    3. Attack the impossible (“He wielded his spear against 800 men that he killed at one time” (8); It’s not enough to just stand your ground, real heroes press forward and take initiative, even - especially - on the stuff that seems at first to be difficult or even impossible. ILLUSTRATION: Google’s model is “achieving 60% of the impossible is better than achieving 100% of the ordinary.).
  2. Do what no one else will (9-10).
    1. Stand firm when others retreat (“the men of Israel retreated in the place they had gathered for battle, but Eleazar stood [his ground] and attacked” (9-10); Key to being a hero is being willing to stand your ground and fight for the right cause, even when everyone else gives it up for lost.).
    2. Fight to the very end (“Eleazar stood [his ground] and attacked the Philistines until his hand was tired and stuck to his sword” (10); At some point, doing difficult things leads to exhaustion. Every fiber of your body will be screaming to quit, but you must resolve to press on.).
    3. Expect company (“Then the troops came back to him, but only to plunder [the dead]” (10); There will always be people eager to share in the glory of accomplishment and blessing. Expect it. And be willing to share when they come so that maybe they will be encouraged to become heroes, too.).
  3. Never surrender (11-12).
    1. Normal people will fall back (“The troops fled from the Philistines” (11); All sorts of people will cut their losses and run before a fierce and imposing adversary, but heroes can’t be normal.).
    2. Take a stand (“but Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field, defended it, and struck down the Philistines” (12); The key difference between a hero and a fool is that a hero knows what’s important and resolves to stand firm to defend it. Know what’s worth fighting for. What can’t be sacrificed. And fight there rather than somewhere else.).
    3. Praise the Lord (“The Lord brought about a great victory that day” (10); “So the Lord brought bout a great victory” (12); Twice, we’re reminded that as great as these men were, it was only because of the power of the Lord that they were able to accomplish these things. Always recognize that God is part of this, too!).
Ryrie
  • (8) “Here (through v 39) David presents the names and achievements of 37 of his bravest warriors. According to 1 Chron 11:10, these men helped David become king.”

Reflecting God
  • (8-39) “This list of 37 of David’s most valiant warriors and the description of some of their exploits are paralleled in 1Ch 11:11-41. There the list is expanded by 16 names,” presumably including replacements for those who withdrew or died.
  • (8) 1 Ch 11:11 indicatest that “Tahkemonite” is “Hacmonite” This is an indicator of where Josheb-Basshebeth was from, but we don’t know what the place name was, let alone where the place was.
  • (9) “Ahohite” = “a descendant of Ahoah from the tribe of Benjamin.”
  • (13) “The circumstances of this event suggest that it happened shortly after David had fled from Saul, when men first began to gather to his cause, or shortly after his conquest of Jerusalem.”
  • (13) The three referenced here are NOT the same as the three from vss 8-12

Archaeological


ESV Study Bible
  • (8-39) “This list of David's mighty men begins formally with “These are the names of” and ends with the total number, “thirty-seven in all” (v. 39). (For lists, see note on 1 Sam. 6:17–18.) The list is divided into two groups: “the three,” i.e., Josheb-basshebeth, Eleazar, and Shammah (2 Sam. 23:8–12), and “the thirty” (23:18–39). Thirty-four names are listed among “the thirty”: this could mean that (1) “thirty” is a round number, or (2) the group began with 30 members and continued to be called “the thirty” when others were added; or (3) the group remained at 30, but when some died they were replaced by other names on this list (the parallel list in 1 Chron. 11:10–47 has 16 additional names in 1 Chron. 11:41–47, probably for this reason). These 34 names plus “the three” make up the “thirty-seven” of 2 Sam. 23:39.”
  • (11-12) “Shammah was defending the plot, or rather the lentils in it, against theft. Compare the Philistines' robbing the threshing floors in 1 Sam. 23:1.”
  • (13-17) “These three men were apparently not the above “three,” but rather members of the “thirty.” This episode may have occurred while David was fleeing Saul, or possibly during one of the Philistine attacks in 5:17–25. “
  • (13-17) “The taste of the water differs from place to place, and of course the water that one grew up drinking tastes best. David's words are not a command; it probably did not occur to him that someone might actually act on his words. This episode shows the love that his men had for their leader and his regard for them.”
  • (16-17) “This may at first seem wasteful of David, and ungrateful, but it is a gesture showing great value. He likens the water to the blood of his men, and for David to drink the water obtained at the risk of their lives would have been to take their blood lightly. But to pour it out before the Lord was a way of saying that he was not worthy of it, and he was offering it to the Lord instead. Such “drink offerings” were often poured out before the Lord: see Gen. 35:14; Num. 15:7–10; 28:7–15; etc.”

HCSB Study Bible
  • (8-39) “God blessed David with exceptional military men. The list includes the three famous heroes who turned the tide of events in single combat and the thirty warriors who served in a special detachment. There were men from many different tribes of Israel and even a few foreigners among the men who rallied to David.”
  • (9) “Defied is the same word used of Goliath's words against Israel”
  • (10) “Eleazar displayed tenacity as he attacked the Philistines, yet the Lord brought the victory. The troops returned later to plunder the dead, a means of securing "extra payment" for their military service.”
  • (11) “Lentils were a common food source.”
  • (12) “The Philistines and other enemies often came up Judah's valleys to raid food supplies.”
  • (13) “The cave of Adullam was in the Valley of Elah (1Sam 17:2) below Bethlehem. The Valley of Rephaim lay southwest of Jerusalem.”
  • (14) “The stronghold probably designates the cave in which David was stationed. A Philistine garrison occupied Bethlehem—perhaps a move designed to draw David out of hiding.”
  • (15) “Probably David's vocalized wish came not only from his thirst, but from his desire that his hometown would once again know the peace that allowed people to drink from the well at the city gate freely.”
  • (16-17) “Three of the warriors under David's command took their leader's wish as a challenge and made the 25-mile round-trip journey at the risk of their lives to secure water from...Bethlehem. David's response revealed the depth to which he was moved by his men's loyalty and bravery. The water from Bethlehem's well was a very precious gift because of the sacrifice the men made to get it. Consequently, it was a fitting sacrifice to David's God.”


Henry
  • The design of this passage is (a) to bring honor to David, who taught these men; (b) to honor the warriors themselves; © to encourage others to behave similarly; and (d) to demonstrate how much religion and faith should serve to inspire and encourage.
  • In Eleazer’s account, we see that “in the service of God, we should keep up the willingness and resolution of the spirit, notwithstanding the weakness and weariness of the flesh—faint, yet pursuing (Judg. viii. 4), the hand weary, yet not quitting the sword.”
  • We also see that, as soon as Eleazar had won the victory, everyone else returned for the spoils. “It is common for those who quit the field, when any thing is to be done to hasten to it when any thing is to be gotten.”
  • “Note, How great soever the bravery of the instruments is, the praise of the achievement must be given to God. These fought the battles, but God wrought the victory.”
  • “Let not the strong man then glory in his strength, nor in any of his military operations, but let him that glories glory in the Lord.”

Other
  • (8) It’s interesting how the ESV says “he wielded his spear,” while the KJV says “he lift up his spear;” the NIV says, “he raised his spear;” and Young’s Literal Translation says he “hardened himself.” The
  • (8) Josheb-basshebeth = Josheb bash shebeth, which means, essentially, “sat/rested in the seat.” And “the Tahchemonite” = “skilfull” or “wise”
  • Ryrie, Charles C. Ryrie Study Bible Expanded Edition. Chicago: Moody Press, 1994.
  • Barker, Kenneth, ed. Reflecting God Study Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 2000.
  • Henry, Matthew. Commentary on the Whole Bible. http://www.ccel.org/ccel/henry/mhc6.Jam.iv.html
  • The ESV Study Bible. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008.
  • Archaeological Study Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: The Zondervan Corporation, 2005.
  • mystudybible.com
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