2 Samuel 23 · Verse 19

2 Samuel 23:19

Was he not most honourable of three? therefore he was their captain: howbeit he attained not unto the first three.
2 Samuel 23:19, King James Version

2 Samuel 23:19 in other translations

BSBWas he not more honored than the Three? And he became their commander, even though he was not included among the Three.
WEBWasn’t he most honorable of the three? Therefore he was made their captain. However he wasn’t included as one of the three.
ASVWas he not most honorable of the three? therefore he was made their captain: howbeit he attained not unto the first three.
YLTOf the three is he not the honoured? and he becometh their head; and unto the first three he hath not come.
DARBYWas he not most honourable of three? and he was their captain; but he did not attain to the first three.
BBEWas he not the noblest of the thirty? so he was made their captain: but he was not equal to the first three.
WebsterWas he not most honorable of three? therefore he was their captain: yet he attained not to the first three.

What does 2 Samuel 23:19 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 2 Samuel 23:19-39
19-39. the first three--The mighty men or champions in David's military staff were divided into three classes--the highest, Jashobeam, Eleazar, and Shammah; the second class, Abishai, Benaiah, and Asahel; and the third class, the thirty, of which Asahel was the chief. There are thirty-one mentioned in the list, including Asahel; and these added to the two superior orders make thirty-seven. Two of them, we know, were already dead; namely, Asahel [2Sa 3:30] and Uriah [2Sa 11:17]; and if the dead, at the drawing up of the list, amounted to seven, then we might suppose a legion of honor, consisting of the definite number thirty, where the vacancies, when they occurred, were replaced by fresh appointments.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 2 Samuel 23:8-39

David once earnestly longed for the water at the well of Bethlehem. It seems to be an instance of weakness. He was thirsty; with the water of that well he had often refreshed himself when a youth, and it was without due thought that he desired it. Were his valiant men so forward to expose themselves, upon the least hint of their prince's mind, and so eager to please him, and shall not we long to approve ourselves to…

Read the full comment on 2 Samuel 23:8-39 →

2 Samuel 23:19 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

מִן\־min-more thanH4480
הַשְּׁלֹשָׁה֙ha.she.lo.Shahthe threeH7969
הֲכִ֣יha.Khi¿ forH3588
נִכְבָּ֔דnikh.Bad[was he] honoredH3513
וַיְהִ֥יvay.Hiand he becameH1961
לָהֶ֖םla.Hemto <the> them
לְשָׂ֑רle.Sar<into> a commanderH8269
וְעַד\־ve.'ad-and toH5704
הַשְּׁלֹשָׁ֖הha.she.lo.Shahthe threeH7969
לֹא\־lo'-notH3808
בָֽא\׃\ \סVa'he cameH935

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 2 Samuel 23:19

  • Matthew 13:8

    But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

  • Matthew 13:23

    But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

  • 2 Samuel 23:13

    And three of the thirty chief went down, and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam: and the troop of the Philistines pitched in the valley of Rephaim.

  • 2 Samuel 23:16

    And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Beth–lehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the Lord.

  • 1 Chronicles 11:25

    Behold, he was honourable among the thirty, but attained not to the first three: and David set him over his guard.

  • 2 Samuel 23:9

    And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away:

  • 1 Corinthians 15:41

    There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
he attained.
9,13,16; 1Ch 11:25; Mt 13:8,23; 1Co 15:41

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 2 Samuel 23:18

    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.

  • 2 Samuel 23:19

    Was he not most honourable of three? therefore he was their captain: howbeit he attained not unto the first three.

  • 2 Samuel 23:20

    And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man, of Kabzeel, who had done many acts, he slew two lionlike men of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow:

Read all of 2 Samuel 23

2 Samuel 23:19 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		El era el más aventajado de los tres, y el primero de ellos; mas no llegó á los tres primeros.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Ne fut-il pas le plus honoré des trois? Et il fut leur chef; mais il n’atteignit pas les trois premiers.
German
Elberfelder 1871		War er vor den Dreien nicht geehrt, so daß er ihr Oberster wurde? aber an die ersten Drei reichte er nicht.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		et inter tres nobilior, eratque eorum princeps, sed usque ad tres primos non pervenerat.