Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Chronicles 11:26
Also the valiant men of the armies [were], Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,
26. Also the valiant men of the armies were, Asahel ] Render, And the valiant men of might; Asahel. Cp. 1Ch 2:16; 2Sa 2:18 ff; 2Sa 3:27.
Elhanan ] Called here (= 2Sa 23:14) “son of Dodo,” but probably to be identified with “Elhanan the son of Jair” of 1Ch 20:5 (= 2Sa 21:19) “son of Jaare-oregim,” for “Jaare-oregim” is not to be taken as his father’s name, and the “Jair” of Chron. appears to be a corruption of “Jaare.” Elhanan was son of Dodo and belonged to a place the name of which was something like Jaare-oregim.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
etc. The list of names here given corresponds generally with that in 2 Sam. 23:24-39, but presents several remarkable differences.
(1) the number in Chronicles is 47; the number in Samuel is 31.
(2) Four names in the list of Chronicles are not in Samuel.
(3) five names in Samuel are not in Chronicles.
(4) many of the other names, both personal and local, vary in the two lists.
It is quite possible that the two lists varied to some extent originally. The writer of Chronicles distinctly states that he gives the list as it stood at the time of Davids becoming king over all Israel 1Ch 11:10. The writer of Samuel does not assign his list to any definite period of Davids reign, but probably delivers it to us as it was constituted at a later date. It is quite possible therefore that the names which occur only in Chronicles are those of persons who had died or quitted the army before the other list was made out, and that the new names in Samuel are the names of those who had taken their places. See the 2Sa 23:39 note.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
26. Also the valiant men of thearmiesThis was the third degree of military rank, and Asahelwas their chief; the names of few of those mentioned are historicallyknown.
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
see note on: 2Sa 23:24
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(26) Also the valiant men of the armies.The Heb. phrase has this meaning (1Ch. 12:8); but elsewhere it denotes valiant heroes (1Ch. 7:5; 1Ch. 7:7, &c). and so here. 2Sa. 23:24 has Asahel brother of Joab was among the thirty. It thus appears that the warriors of this list are none other than the famous baud of thirty warriors already spoken of (1Ch. 11:15; 1Ch. 11:25). From having been the original number, thirty may have become the conventional name of the corps even when its limits had been enlarged. It is notice. able that so far as to 1Ch. 11:41 the heroes are arranged in pairs, and that the gentilic or cantonal name is usually added to that of the hero. They mostly belong to Judah and Benjamin; whereas the sixteen additional names, so far as known, belong to the transjordanic tribes, and the northern tribes are not represented at all.
Elhanan.Dodo is very much like David. Is this a third alias of the slayer of Goliath? See Note on 1Ch. 20:5.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
(26-47) A catalogue of forty-eight doughty warriors. Sixteen names are here added to the list as given in Samuel. The chronicler, therefore, possessed a source more complete than our Book of Samuel. Variations of spelling abound in the names common to the two texts, the transcription of proper names being especially liable to error.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
1Ch 11:26 Also the valiant men of the armies [were], Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,
Ver. 26. Asahel the brother of Joab. ] Joab himself is not mentioned, nor Amasa. This had lost himself for his conspiracy with Absalom, and the other for his hypocrisy and cruelty: hence some think that they were left out of this list as vile persons. See Dan 11:21 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
valiant men. Hebrew. gibbor. App-14. The list contains several non- Israelites. Compare Psa 18:43, Psa 18:44.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
1Ch 11:26-47
1Ch 11:26-47
“Also the mighty men of the armies: Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Anathothite, Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite, Heled the son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hurai of the brooks of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbomite, the sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Shagee the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sacar the Hararite, Eliphal the son of Ur, Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite, Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai the son of Ezbai, Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibbar the son of Hagri, Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite, the armorbearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah, Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, Uriah the Hittite, Zabad the son of Ahlai, Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a chief of the Reubenites, and thirty with him, Hanan the son of Maacah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite, Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite, Jediael the son of Shimri, and Joha his brother, the Tizite, Eliel the Mahavite, and Jeribai, and Joshaviah the sons of Elnaam, and Ithmah the Moabite, Eliel and Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.”
The parallel of these verses (1Ch 11:10-47) is in 2Sa 23:8-35; and the variations are of no practical concern whatever. Our comments there will not be repeated here.
In the group of men called “The Thirty,” there were most certainly casualties from time to time; and as men died, others were named in their places; thus there were possibly many lists of “The Thirty,” that conformed, of course, to the particular date of any particular list.
“And Abishai, the brother of Joab, he was chief of the three” (1Ch 11:20). “The three” of which Abishai was chief may have been those three mentioned in the preceding paragraph who brought the water from the well of Bethlehem. However, Myers suggested that, “Abishai may have taken the place of Asahel after he was slain by Abner.”
The main list of David’s Mighty Men actually ends with Uriah the Hittite (1Ch 11:41 a). There are thirty-one names, compared with exactly thirty in 2Sa 23:24-39. “There are some variations in names and spelling.” The same scholar spoke of both lists as “undoubtedly genuine.”
Beginning with 1Ch 11:41 b, sixteen other names are listed. These could have been others associated at one time or another with the “thirty”; or the Chronicler may have added them to emphasize the representatives of trans-Jordan who aided the cause of David. There are many such questions which shall remain unanswered.
“The variations between the parallel accounts of this chapter in Chronicles with that in 2Samuel are few and unimportant.”
The intention of the Chronicler to emphasize David’s commendable qualities and to ignore or downplay his terrible sins appears in the fact of his including the episode in 1Ch 11:15-19 and omitting altogether any mention of his adultery with Bathsheba and his murder of eighteen men along with Uriah the Hittite in a vain effort to hide it.
Further comment on this interesting chapter is given in my commentary on 2Samuel.
E.M. Zerr:
1Ch 11:26-47. All of these men attached to David in service for the kingdom were outstanding. Special mention, however, should be made of Asahel because of his relation to Joab, the commander-in-chief; and of Uriah because of the affair about Bath-sheba.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Asahel: 1Ch 27:7, 2Sa 2:18-23, 2Sa 3:30, 2Sa 23:24
Elhanan: 2Sa 21:19