seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
1 Chronicles 11:12 Next to him was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite, one of the three mighty warriors. 13 He was with David at Pas Dammim when the Philistines gathered there for battle. At a place where there was a field full of barley, the troops fled from the Philistines. 14 But they took their stand in the middle of the field. They defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the Lord brought about a great victory.
This is the easy English commentary.
The three most powerful soldiers were Jashobeam, Eleazar and Shammah. These three soldiers were not in the 30 special soldiers. They were of a superior rank. Jashobeam was the chief of the three of them. Shammah is not in this list but he is in 2 Samuel 23:11-12.
Eleazar was with David’s army at the place called Pas-Dammim. The Philistine army attacked them. David’s army ran away but Eleazar did not run. He fought against the Philistines until his arm grew tired. But with the help of the LORD, he beat them (2 Samuel 23:10). There was a battle in a barley field. (Barley is a type of grain.) Again, the Israelites ran away. But David, Eleazar and Shammah fought and they beat the Philistines. The account of this event in 2 Samuel 23:11-12 mentions only Shammah. It is possible that these passages are describing a series of different battles.
Eleazar was with David’s army at the place called Pas-Dammim. The Philistine army attacked them. David’s army ran away but Eleazar did not run. He fought against the Philistines until his arm grew tired. But with the help of the LORD, he beat them (2 Samuel 23:10). There was a battle in a barley field. (Barley is a type of grain.) Again, the Israelites ran away. But David, Eleazar and Shammah fought and they beat the Philistines. The account of this event in 2 Samuel 23:11-12 mentions only Shammah. It is possible that these passages are describing a series of different battles.
Well.... was he there or not?
These notes are from bible-studys.org.
“Where was a parcel of ground full of barley”: The scene of the exploit of the third hero, Shammah, son of Agê. Perhaps the Philistines were intent on carrying off the crop (1 Sam. 23:1). Samuel reads lentils. The Hebrew words for barley and lentils are very similar. We cannot tell which text is right.
"Pas-dammim" means the boundary of blood. Barley was cheaper than wheat. It was used to feed animals as well as people. There appeared to have been many battles fought in this place. In fact, this was where David had come against Goliath and slew him. In the battle mentioned in the verse above, the people fled before the Philistines.
"Pas-dammim" means the boundary of blood. Barley was cheaper than wheat. It was used to feed animals as well as people. There appeared to have been many battles fought in this place. In fact, this was where David had come against Goliath and slew him. In the battle mentioned in the verse above, the people fled before the Philistines.
This is from the blueletterbible.org site.
Jashobeam the son of a Hachmonite, chief of the captains: This man is also mentioned in 2 Samuel 23:8 records a slightly different name for this man, and records that he killed 800 instead of three hundred here in 1 Chronicles. The difference is probably due to scribal error in copying.
After him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite: This man led a singular battle against a far more numerous foe, so much so that his hand was stuck to his sword (2 Samuel 23:10).
The fact that Jashobeam was a chief of the captains shows that he was a leader among leaders. This means that even leaders need leaders. Also, his victory alone was counted, showing that numbers are important, but they are not the only measure.
After him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite: This man led a singular battle against a far more numerous foe, so much so that his hand was stuck to his sword (2 Samuel 23:10).
Before anyone gets weird... this is not some scene out of a cartoon where the hero is blasted with an ice beam causing his hand to bond to the sword.... like some super power..... [although... we are talking God here and that is possible]. IMHO.... he held that sword for so long.... that heavy sword and the stress of holding it during a stressful battle.... caused his muscles and tendons to freeze up.
I crochet.... sometimes, especially this time of year, I may sit for an hour or two repeating the same motion over and over... my left hand... the hand I hold my work in.... doesn't get as much exercise as my right hand.... the hand I hold my hook in. Sometimes... after being carried away by a particular project.... my left hand will freeze up so bad... I generally have to stop for a few hours. Sometimes I have to go to the freezer for a rice pack I have hidden there. The ice cold against the muscles and tendons... resets my hand and releases it from that grip position.
So that's what was happening to Eleazar... he was doing stressful work in a very stressful situation and his hand cramped up... and it this case... it helped him hold on to the sword and carry on to the end. Good Job Eleazar!
Now about the counting.... 800 is a slew more than 300. The commentaries made a big deal about counting the dead. According to this commentary.... God didn't want David to count the troops.
QUESTION: The books of 1Samuel and 1Chronicles discuss King David and his taking of a census. Why was David punished by God for doing this? Is taking a census a SIN?
ANSWER: The taking of census is not a sin - but the REASON for doing it could be. The book of Chronicles tells us that Satan, who was against ancient Israel, moved or provoked King David to count his troops (1Chronicles 21:1).
Satan moved in spiritual warfare against the whole nation of Israel - not just the king. With his cunning ways, the devil set out to entice David to sin by numbering his army - which is exactly what he did (2Samuel
ANSWER: The taking of census is not a sin - but the REASON for doing it could be. The book of Chronicles tells us that Satan, who was against ancient Israel, moved or provoked King David to count his troops (1Chronicles 21:1).
Satan moved in spiritual warfare against the whole nation of Israel - not just the king. With his cunning ways, the devil set out to entice David to sin by numbering his army - which is exactly what he did (2Samuel
So... I'm not sure if the scribe misunderstood the number of dead.... or if he misread the number of dead.... or a cricket walked over the wet ink and changed the number.... but 500 Philistines.... giant hairy angry Philistines.... is nothing to shake a stick at.... or a sword... no matter how frozen you muscles might be. Goliath was only one giant hairy angry Philistine and he held them off for days.... if one guy took on 300 of them [and survived victorious] that's a big deal.... and if that same guy took on 800 instead [and survived victorious] well that should get your name in the Bible!
And... just so you have a new name to call your cousin at the dinner table when they grab that last biscuit right out of your hands.... the Philistines were fighting the Israelites over food.... so call your biscuit thieving cousin a Philistine.... and that might open the door for a Bible story....
