2 Samuel 23:24

_ASAHEL THE BROTHER OF JOAB WAS ONE OF THE THIRTY; ELHANAN THE SON OF DODO OF BETHLEHEM,_ Asahel, х_ `ASAAH'EEL_ (H6214), made by God] - youngest son of Zeruiah, David's sister. ELHANAN, х_ 'ELCHAANAAN_ (H445), God bestowed]....

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 b...

Verse 2 Samuel 23:24. _ASAHEL _- WAS _ONE OF THE THIRTY_] Asahel was one of those officers, or troops, called the _shalishim_. This Asahel, brother of Joab, was the same that was killed by Abner, 2 Samuel 2:23....

etc. The early death of Asahel 2 Samuel 2:32 would make it very likely that his place in the 30 would be filled up, and so easily account for the number 31 in the list. Compare throughout the list in 1 Chronicles 11....

EXPOSITION 2 SAMUEL 23:1 NOW THESE BE THE LAST WORDS OF DAVID. A long interval separates this psalm from the preceding. The one was written when David had just reached the zenith of his power, and, when still unstained by foul crime, he could claim God's favour as due to his innocence. These last words were David's latest inspired utterance, written, probably, towards the end of the calm period which followed upon his restoration to his throne, and when time and the sense of God's renewed favour had healed the wounds of his soul. DAVID THE SON OF JESSE SAID. It was probably this account of the author, and its personal character, which caused the exclusion of this hymn from the Book of Psalms. It seemed to belong rather to David's private history than to a collection made for use in the public services of the temple....

ASAHEL THE BROTHER OF JOAB [WAS] ONE OF THE THIRTY,.... Or rather over the thirty n, who are next mentioned; since there are thirty reckoned besides him, and the Arabic version calls him the prince of the thirty; Joab is not named at all, because he was general of the whole army, and so not to be reckoned in any of the three classes: ELHANAN THE SON OF DODO OF BETHLEHEM: a townsman of David. n בשלישים "supra triginta istos", Junius Tremellius....

3. THE LAST WORDS OF DAVID AND THE RECORD OF THE MIGHTY MEN CHAPTER 23 _ 1. His last words (2 Samuel 23:1)_ 2. The names and records of David's mighty men (2 Samuel 23:8) In his last words an even greater and clearer vision is given to King David. “If Psalms 18 was a grand Hallelujah, with which David quitted the scene of life, these ‘his last words' are the divine attestation of all that he had sung and prophesied in the Psalms concerning the spiritual import of the kingdom which he was to found in accordance with the divine message that Nathan had been commissioned to bring to him. Hence these ‘last words' must be regarded as an inspired prophetic utterance by David, before his death, about th

DAVID'S HEROES (_continued)._ The Three and the Thirty (J). (_Cf._ above.) 2 SAMUEL 23:8. 2 Samuel 23:8 must be emended to read, instead of Josheb, etc., Ishbaal the Hachmonite, chief of the three, he lifted up his spear against eight hundred, etc. 2 Samuel 23:9 should read Eleazar ben Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men, was with David at Pas-dammim (1 Samuel 17:1), when the Philistines were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel retreated. Shammah's exploit was when the Philistines were assembled at Lehi ...

ASAHEL. The third of the second three. BROTHER OF JOAB, but not Joab. _His name_ here but not _himself,_ because when the time of the end comes. with its "last words", _loyalty_ will be the one test. Joab remained true in Absalom's rebellion, but fell away in Adonijah's. Hence in 1 Corinthians 16:22 _"love" is_ the test, in the light of "Maranatha", _not_ the "strifes" of 1 Corinthians 3, or the wrong judgments of 1 Corinthians 4, or the uncleanness of 1 Corinthians 5, or going to law of 1 Corinthia

David's Heroes and their exploits = 1 Chronicles 11:11-41 This section is placed in Chronicles after the account of David's election as King of Israel and his capture of Zion, and is prefaced by the heading: "These also are the chief of the mighty men whom David had, who shewed themselves strong with him in his kingdom with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the Lord concerning Israel." The list therefore belongs, at any rate in substance, to the earlier part of David's reign....