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2 Samuel 23

David’s closing testimony places kingship under God’s word and covenant, while the warrior accounts credit YHWH with victory.

David speaks words identified as his last, declaring that YHWH’s Spirit has spoken through him. He describes righteous rule under God, affirms God’s everlasting covenant with his house, and compares the ungodly to thorns destined for burning. The account then turns to David’s mighty men, recording their battles and costly loyalty. Twice, victory is credited to YHWH. A list of warriors closes the chapter, ending with Uriah the Hittite.

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1Now these are the last words of David. David the son of Jesse says, the man who was raised on high says, the anointed of the God of Jacob, the sweet psalmist of Israel:
2“The LORD’s Spirit spoke by me. His word was on my tongue.
3The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spoke to me, ‘One who rules over men righteously, who rules in the fear of God,
4shall be as the light of the morning when the sun rises, a morning without clouds, when the tender grass springs out of the earth, through clear shining after rain.’
5Isn’t my house so with God? Yet he has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure, for it is all my salvation and all my desire. Won’t he make it grow?
6But all the ungodly will be as thorns to be thrust away, because they can’t be taken with the hand.
7The man who touches them must be armed with iron and the staff of a spear. They will be utterly burned with fire in their place.”
8These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb Basshebeth, a Tahchemonite, chief of the captains; he was called Adino the Eznite, who killed eight hundred at one time.
9After him was Eleazar the son of Dodai the son of an Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David when they defied the Philistines who were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel had gone away.
10He arose and struck the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand froze to the sword; and the LORD worked a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to take plunder.
11After him was Shammah the son of Agee, a Hararite. The Philistines had gathered together into a troop where there was a plot of ground full of lentils; and the people fled from the Philistines.
12But he stood in the middle of the plot and defended it, and killed the Philistines; and the LORD worked a great victory.
13Three of the thirty chief men went down, and came to David in the harvest time to the cave of Adullam; and the troop of the Philistines was encamped in the valley of Rephaim.
14David was then in the stronghold; and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.
15David said longingly, “Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!”
16The three mighty men broke through the army of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate and took it and brought it to David; but he would not drink of it, but poured it out to the LORD.
17He said, “Be it far from me, LORD, that I should do this! Isn’t this the blood of the men who risked their lives to go?” Therefore he would not drink it. The three mighty men did these things.
18Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the three. He lifted up his spear against three hundred and killed them, and had a name among the three.
19Wasn’t he most honorable of the three? Therefore he was made their captain. However he wasn’t included as one of the three.
20Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done mighty deeds, killed the two sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went down and killed a lion in the middle of a pit in a time of snow.
21He killed a huge Egyptian, and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him with a staff and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and killed him with his own spear.
23He was more honorable than the thirty, but he didn’t attain to the three. David set him over his guard.
24Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty: Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,
25Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,
26Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,
27Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite,
28Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,
29Heleb the son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin,
30Benaiah a Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash.
33Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Ararite,
34Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maacathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,
37Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, armor bearers to Joab the son of Zeruiah,
38Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,
39and Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.
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Key verses
2 Samuel 23:2David identifies YHWH’s Spirit as the source of his words, grounding his account of righteous rule in divine speech.
2 Samuel 23:5God’s everlasting covenant with David’s house anchors his confidence in salvation and the future of his line.
2 Samuel 23:8The first named warrior begins the record of men whose courage and service helped sustain David’s reign.
Where this chapter reaches

1 Chronicles recounts many of the same warriors and exploits, including the dangerous mission to fetch water from Bethlehem, while Psalm shares the promise of God’s enduring covenant with David. David’s claim that God’s Spirit spoke through him connects with 2 Timothy’s teaching about Scripture’s divine source.

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After reading the whole chapter

What does David’s image of righteous rule suggest about the effects of leadership on those under it?

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How does David’s response to the Bethlehem water shape your view of costly loyalty?

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Questions people ask about 2 Samuel 23

Are 2 Samuel 23 David’s last words before he died?

The opening identifies this poem as David’s last words, but the chapter does not describe his death or give the speech’s precise date. It presents a closing testimony about God’s speech, righteous kingship, and the covenant with David’s house. The accounts of his warriors then follow.

Why did David pour out the water from Bethlehem?

David’s men had broken through the Philistine army to bring him water from Bethlehem. He regarded drinking it as consuming the blood of men who had risked their lives. By pouring it out to YHWH, David treated their costly gift as an offering to God.

Who were David’s mighty men in 2 Samuel 23?

They were warriors associated with David, remembered here for exceptional combat deeds and loyalty. The chapter distinguishes an elite three from a wider group called the thirty, though some rank descriptions are difficult to resolve. It names men such as Eleazar, Shammah, Abishai, and Benaiah, and closes with thirty-seven in all.

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2 Samuel · 24 chapters
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Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).