Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Chronicles 11:21
Of the three, he was more honorable than the two; for he was their captain: howbeit he attained not to the [first] three.
21. Of the three he was more honourable than the two ] R.V. mg. “Of the three in the second rank he was the most honourable.” The word, translated “in the second rank,” is however certainly corrupt (cp. 2Sa 23:19), and should be corrected. We then translate: He was more honourable than the three. The verse probably comes from a lost poem. What is meant by the three and by the first three cannot be determined owing to the loss of the context.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
He did not equal them in valiant exploits.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
21. howbeit he attained not to thefirst three(See on 2Sa 23:19).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
[See comments on 1Ch 11:1]
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
1Ch 11:21 should be translated: honoured before the three as two; i.e., doubly honoured-he became to them prince, leader. With regard to , which, as meaningless, Bertheau would alter so as to make it correspond with (Sam.), cf. Ew. Lehrb. 269, b. For Benaiah and his exploits, 1Ch 11:22-25, see the commentary on 2Sa 23:20-23.
No special deeds of the heroes enumerated in vv. 26-47 are related, so that we may regard them as a third class, who are not equal to the first triad, and to the second pair, Abishai and Benaiah, and consequently occupied a subordinate place in the collective body of the royal body-guards. In 2 Sam 23 thirty-two names are mentioned, which, with the above-mentioned three and two of the first and second classes, amount in all to thirty-seven men, as is expressly remarked in 2Sa 23:39 at the conclusion. In the text of the Chronicle no number is mentioned, and the register is increased by sixteen names (1Ch 11:41-47), which have been added in the course of time to the earlier number. The words , 1Ch 11:26, are to be regarded as a superscription: And valiant heroes were, etc.; equivalent to, But besides there, there remain still the following valiant heroes. The words are not synonymous with , leaders of the host, 1Ki 15:20; Jer 40:7, (Berth.), but signify heroes in warlike strength, i.e., heroic warriors, like (1Ch 7:5, 1Ch 7:7, 1Ch 7:11, 1Ch 7:40). That has here the article, while it is not found in the passages quoted from the seventh chapter, does not make any difference in the meaning of the words. The article is used, here, as with , 1Ch 11:10, 1Ch 11:11, because the heroes of David are spoken of, and is to be mentally supplied from 1Ch 11:10. As to the names in vv. 26-41, which are also found in the register in the book of Samuel, see the commentary to 2 Sam 23:24-39. This list, which is common to both books, begins with Asahel, a brother of Joab, who was slain by Abner in the war which he waged against David (2Sa 2:19-23), and concludes in the book of Samuel with Uriah the Hittite, so well known from 2Sa 11:3. ( 1Ch 11:41), with whose wife David committed adultery. But to the continuation of the register which is found in 1Ch 11:41-47 of our text, there is no parallel in the other writings of the Old Testament by which we might form an idea as to the correctness of the names. The individual names are indeed to be met with, for the most part, in other parts of the Old Testament, but denote other men of an earlier or later time. The names , 1Ch 11:45, and , 1Ch 11:46., are found also in 1Ch 12:20, 1Ch 12:11, among those of the valiant men who before Saul’s death went over to David, but we cannot with any certainty ascertain whether the persons meant were the same. The expression (1Ch 11:42) is also obscure, – “and to him in addition,” i.e., together with him, thirty, – since the thought that with Adina the chief of the Reubenites, or besides him, there were thirty (men), has no meaning in this register. The lxx and the Vulgate read , while the Syriac, on the contrary, makes use of the periphrasis, “And even he was a ruler over thirty heroes;” and Bertheau accordingly recommends the emendation , and thence concludes that the tribe of Reuben had thirty leaders in its army-a conjecture as bold as it is improbable. Were to be read, we could not but refer the words to the thirty heroes of 1Ch 11:11, and hold Adina to be their leader, which could not be easily reconciled with 1Ch 11:11. See on 1Ch 12:4.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
(21) Of the three, he was more honourable than the two.The Hebrew text here varies from Samuel, which has Above (or out of) the three, was he not honoured? n The reading of Chronicles seems to be an exegetical alteration of this, and should probably be rendered, Above the three of the second rank he was honoured, i.e., he was the most honoured member of the second triad. So the Vulg., et inter tres secun-dos inclitus. The LXX. has (Of the three, renowned above the two). But the Hebrew expression, which means literally, in the two, seems plainly to indicate a second group of three. Otherwise, we might translate: Of the three he was honoured among the two, that is, above the other two members of his triad. Both here and in 1Ch. 11:20 the Syriac reads thirty instead of three: Above the thirty he was honoured, and he became chief over them and warlike; the thirty he used to make (1Ch. 11:21). The Arabic is more correct: And he was mightier than the two, and chief over them twain, and he came not to the three.
Howbeit he attained not . . .Literally, but to the three he came not, i.e., the first triad of warriors (1Ch. 11:11-14).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
1Ch 11:21. Of the three he was more honourable, &c. He was after those three, in the second place of honour, although he commanded them; nor did he attain to their glory. Houbigant.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
howbeit: Mat 13:8, 1Co 15:41
Reciprocal: 2Sa 23:18 – Abishai 1Ch 11:12 – the three 1Ch 11:25 – but attained 1Ch 12:21 – mighty men