2 Samuel 23:12 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But he took his stand in the midst of the plot and defended it and struck down the Philistines, and the Lord worked a great victory.

NIV: But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field. He defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the Lord brought about a great victory.

NASB: But he took his stand in the midst of the plot, defended it, and struck the Philistines; and the Lord brought about a great victory.

CSB: but Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field, defended it, and struck down the Philistines. So the Lord brought about a great victory.

NLT: but Shammah held his ground in the middle of the field and beat back the Philistines. So the Lord brought about a great victory.

KJV: But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the Lord wrought a great victory.

NKJV: But he stationed himself in the middle of the field, defended it, and killed the Philistines. So the Lord brought about a great victory.

Second Samuel 23:11–12 indicates that Shammah was David's third most powerful warrior. "Hararite" may be a Gentile designation. He was not David's brother, the Shammahs listed among "the thirty," or Reuel's son (1 Samuel 17:13; 2 Samuel 25:17, 33; 1 Chronicles 1:32). He isn't mentioned in 1 Chronicles 11.

Second Samuel 23 has two distinct sections. David has already written a psalm honoring God for his deliverance and blessing (2 Samuel 22). Second Samuel 23:1–7 is a shorter psalm that identifies David as a prophet and compares good kings, God, and bad men. Second Samuel 23:8–39 lists many of the men God used to protect David, make him king, and keep Israel safe. The roll call is repeated, with some variations, in 1 Chronicles 11:10–47. The book of 1 and 2 Samuel ends with David's decision to count his troops; a sin that God punishes with a pestilence that kills 70,000 men (2 Samuel 24).

Second Samuel 23 gives David's last psalm and a roll call of his warriors. The psalm is part of the center of a reflection structure seen in 2 Samuel 21—24. The mirror of themes, called a "chiasm," emphasizes that God alone is responsible for David's success and safety. Second Samuel 21:15–22 and 23:8–39 list some of the warriors God used to protect David and Israel. Second Samuel 21:1–14 and 24:1–25 show that God's blessings are despite the kings' failures, not because they deserved God's favor. The book of 1 Kings begins the transfer of power from David to his son Solomon.

Second Samuel continues the story of David, who will become king over Judah. The other tribes of Israel are resistant, eventually sparking a civil war. David wins and makes Jerusalem his capital. Early success is followed by moral failure and controversy in David's house. The book of 1 Kings will begin by detailing David's decline and death.

Accessed 5/25/2026 2:14:38 AM