2 Samuel 21:14-22

David's Heroes (first section). Cf. above. (J). These verses are probably from the same source as 2 Samuel 23:8 ff., and the source is no doubt ancient. The events in 2 Samuel 21:15 ff. and 2 Samuel 23:8 ff. belong to various periods in the life of David.

2 Samuel 21:15. Abishai Rescues David. The text of 2 Samuel 21:16 is corrupt; the general sense seems to have been:

At Gob, some place otherwise unknown, David was in danger from a giant whose name has been lost through corruption of the text.

2 Samuel 21:18. David's warriors slay three Philistine giants one of them Goliath, who is slain by Elhanan the son of Jair (so with 1 Chronicles 20:5). Note the varying tradition as to Goliath; it seems more likely that the exploit of an obscure individual should be credited to David than vice versa. Ch. removes the discrepancy by altering Bethlehemite into Lahmi the brother of (Goliath), and AV has made a similar alteration.