2 Samuel 23:29

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.

Heleb the son of Baanah, a Netophathite,.... Called Heled, 1 Chronicles 11:30 , Ittai the son of Ribai out of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin: sometimes called Gibeah of Benjamin, Judges 20:10, and Gibeah of Saul, 1 Samuel 11:4, being a city in the tribe of Benjamin, and the birth place of Saul king of Israel; and this man is distinguished hereby from Ittai the Gittite, 2 Samuel 15:19.

Verse 29. - Heleb . He is called Heled and Heldai in the parallel places in Chronicles, where we are told that he was a descendant of Othniel, and commander of the twelfth brigade. Ittai . He is called Ithai , by a very slight change, in Chronicles. Gibeah is the Geba so closely connected with the history of Saul (see 1 Samuel 13:3, 15 , etc.). (For Ittai the Philistine, a distinct person, see 2 Samuel 15:19 .) 2 Samuel 23:29

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.

Cheleb, more correctly Cheled ( 1 Chronicles 11:30 ; or Cheldai, 1 Chronicles 27:15 ), also of Netophah, was chief of the twelfth division of the army. Ittai (Ithai in the Chronicles), the son of Ribai of Gibeah of Benjamin, must be distinguished from Ittai the Gathite ( 2 Samuel 15:19 ). Like all that follow, with the exception of Uriah, he is not further known.

Verse 27. - The... words of David . Although there are many instances of the expression, "the words of" David or some other king, as equivalent to his "doings" ( 1 Chronicles 29:29 ; 2 Chronicles 9:29 ), and not a few instances of the same phrase, standing for the "account" or "history' of any one ( 1 Chronicles 27:24 ; 1 Chronicles 29:29 , three times; 2 Chronicles 9:29 ), the expression here may rather parallel passages like 2 Samuel 23:1 ; 2 Chronicles 29:30 . 1 Chronicles 23:27