Jashobeam, a Hacmonite, was head of the officers. 2 He killed three hundred men with his spear in a single battle. 3
11:20 Abishai the brother of Joab was head of the three 4 elite warriors. He killed three hundred men with his spear 5 and gained fame along with the three elite warriors. 6
20:5 There was another battle with the Philistines in which Elhanan son of Jair the Bethlehemite killed the brother of Goliath the Gittite, 7 whose spear had a shaft as big as the crossbeam of a weaver’s loom. 8
1 tn Heb “and these are the number of the warriors who were David’s.”
2 tc The marginal reading (Qere) has “officers;” the consonantal text (Kethib) has “the Thirty” (see v. 15).
3 tn Heb “he was wielding his spear against 300, [who were] slain at one time.”
4 tc The Syriac reads “thirty” here and at the beginning of v. 21; this reading is followed by some English translations (cf. NAB, NASB, NRSV, NLT).
5 tn Heb “he was wielding his spear against three hundred, [who were] slain.”
6 tn Heb “and to him [reading with the Qere] there was a name among the three.”
7 tc The Hebrew text reads, “Elchanan son of Jair killed Lachmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite.” But it is likely that the accusative marker in front of לַחְמִי (lakhmiy, “Lachmi”) is a corruption of בֵּית (bet), and that אֶת־לַחְמִי (’et-lakhmiy) should be emended to בֵּית הַלַּחְמִי (bet hallakhmiy, “the Bethlehemite”). See 2 Sam 21:19.
8 tc See tc note on the parallel passage in 2 Sam 21:19.