2 Samuel 23:33

Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite,

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(33) Shammah the Hararite.—“Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite” has already been mentioned in 2Samuel 23:11, and here Chronicles reads “Jonathan the son of Shage the Hararite.” As Shage is identical with Agee with a letter prefixed, we should probably read “Jonathan the son of Shammah the Hararite.” Jonathan, one of “the thirty,” was thus the son of one of “the first three.”

Sharar is in Chronicles Sacar, and Hararite is spelt in the Hebrew here differently from the previous clause and from Chronicles.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

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 our Lord Jesus, by ready compliance with his will, as shown us by his word, Spirit, and providence? But David poured out the water as a drink-offering to the Lord. Thus he would cross his own foolish fancy, and punish himself for indulging it, and show that he had sober thoughts to correct his rash ones, and knew how to deny himself. Did David look upon that water as very precious which was got at the hazard of these men's blood, and shall not we much more value those benefits for purchasing which our blessed Saviour shed his blood? Let all beware of neglecting so great salvation.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

etc. The early death of Asahel 2 Samuel 2:32 would make it very likely that his place in the 30 would be filled up, and so easily account for the number 31 in the list. Compare throughout the list in 1 Chronicles 11.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

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.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

No text from Poole on this verse.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Shammah the Hararite,.... From the mountainous country, as the Targum; the Arabic and Syriac versions say, from the mount of Olives:

Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite: from the high mountain, as the Targum; in 1 Chronicles 11:35, he is called the son of Sacar.

Geneva Study Bible

Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite,

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

33. Shammah the Hararite] Shammah has already been mentioned in 2 Samuel 23:11 as one of the first Three, so that his name is evidently out of place among the Thirty. A comparison of the text of 1 Chronicles 11:34 makes it tolerably certain that we should read either Jonathan the son of Agee the Hararite, or Jonathan the son of Shammah the Hararite, making Jonathan either brother or son of the hero mentioned in 2 Samuel 23:11.

Sharar] In Chron. Sacar, a name found also in 1 Chronicles 26:4.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 33. - Shammah the Hararite. He was really one of the first three (see ver. 11). (For the reading in Chronicles, see above.) A very probable correction would be "Jonathan the son of Shammah, the son of Agee the Hararite." Thus both father and son would be in the number of the thirty, Ahiam. He is called "the son of Sacar" in 1 Chronicles 11:35. 2 Samuel 23:33

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

Eliahba of Shaalbon or Shaalbin, which may possibly have been preserved in the present Selbit (see at Joshua 19:42). The next two names, יהונתן ישׁן בּני and ההררי שׁמּה (Bneyashen Jehonathan and Shammah the Hararite), are written thus in the Chronicles (2 Samuel 23:34), ההררי בּן־שׁגא יונתן הגּזוני השׁם בּני: "Bnehashem the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Sage the Hararite," The text of the Chronicles is evidently the more correct of the two, as Bne Jashen Jehonathan does not make any sense. The only question is whether the form השׁם בּני is correct, or whether בּני has not arisen merely through a misspelling. As the name does not occur again, all that can be said is that Bne hashem must at any rate be written as one word, and therefore should be pointed differently. The place mentioned, Gizon, is unknown. שׁמּה for בּן־שׁגא probably arose from 2 Samuel 23:11. Ahiam the son of Sharar or Sacar (Chron.) the Ararite (in the Chronicles the Hararite).