I Chronicles 11:12-14 · Bible study
1 Chronicles 11:12-14 Commentary: The Stand at Pasdammim
Hebrew · 7 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why does 1 Chronicles 11:12 list only two of the three mighty men? Discover the meaning of Eleazar's courage and God's deliverance at Pasdammim.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Two men stood their ground in a field when the army fled, and God gave a great victory.
- Key words: 'took their stand' (Hithpael of יָצַב), a deliberate, fixed position; 'deliverance' (תְּשׁוּעָה), God’s saving act.
- Main debate: Why is Shammah omitted? Most attribute it to scribal eye-skip; some see intentional focus on Eleazar.
- Theological theme: Divine sovereignty and human courage work together; the Lord saves, but he works through people who refuse to flee.
- Best use: A model for trusting God in a crisis and refusing to abandon what matters.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
12Next in command was Eleazar son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men.
13He was with David at Pas-dammim when the Philistines gathered there for battle. At the place with a field full of barley, the troops fled from the Philistines.
14But Eleazar and David stationed themselves in the middle of the field and defended it. They struck down the Philistines, and the LORD brought about a great victory.
WEB World English Bible 2000
12After him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighty men.
13He was with David at Pasdammim, and there the Philistines were gathered together to battle, where there was a plot of ground full of barley; and the people fled from before the Philistines.
14They stood in the middle of the plot, defended it, and killed the Philistines; and Yahweh saved them by a great victory.
KJV King James Version 1769
12And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighties.
13He was with David at Pas–dammim, and there the Philistines were gathered together to battle, where was a parcel of ground full of barley; and the people fled from before the Philistines.
14And they set themselves in the midst of that parcel, and delivered it, and slew the Philistines; and the Lord saved them by a great deliverance.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
12And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighty men.
13He was with David at Pasdammim, and there the Philistines were gathered together to battle, where was a plot of ground full of barley; and the people fled from before the Philistines.
14And they stood in the midst of the plot, and defended it, and slew the Philistines; and Jehovah saved them by a great victory.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
12And after him is Eleazar son of Dodo the Ahohite, he is among the three mighty;
13he hath been with David in Pas-Dammim, and the Philistines have been gathered there to battle, and a portion of the field is full of barley, and the people have fled from the face of the Philistines,
14and they station themselves in the midst of the portion, and deliver it, and smite the Philistines, and Jehovah saveth--a great salvation.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
12And after him, Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite; he was one of the three mighty men.
13He was with David at Pas-dammim, where the Philistines were gathered together to battle; and there was [there] a plot of ground full of barley; and the people had fled from before the Philistines.
14And they stood in the midst of the plot and delivered it, and smote the Philistines; and Jehovah wrought a great deliverance.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
12And after him was Eleazar his uncle's son the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighties.
13He was with David in Phesdomim, when the Philistines were gathered to that place to battle: and the field of that country was full of barley, and the people fled from before the Philistines.
14But these men stood in the midst of the field, and defended it: and they slew the Philistines, and the Lord gave a great deliverance to his people.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · I Chronicles 11:12
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that the passage memorializes a moment of extraordinary courage when Eleazar (and likely Shammah) stood their ground while the Israelite army fled. The omitted third man, Shammah, appears in 2 Samuel 23:11-12, leading most to conclude that a scribal eye-skip occurred when copying the manuscript. Lange and Ellicott note that the repeated phrase 'the Philistines gathered together' likely caused the copyist to jump from one line to the next. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown adds that Eleazar and Shammah may have fought side by side, one taking over when the other tired. Despite the textual discrepancy, the core event is undisputed: a barley field became the site of a decisive stand, and the Chronicler frames the victory as wholly the Lord's doing. Barnes observes the variation between 'barley' and 'lentils' (2 Samuel 23:11) and ascribes it to accidental corruption, but the point remains that the heroes defended a crop that meant sustenance for Israel. Every consulted commentator reads this scene as a demonstration of faithful courage that the Chronicler preserved to encourage God's people in their own battles.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Textual corruption: The omission of Shammah and the crop variation (barley vs. lentils) suggest a copyist error when the manuscript was reproduced. Lange and Ellicott argue the eye jumped over lines containing Shammah's name.
- Intentional selection by Chronicler: The Chronicler may have omitted Shammah to focus on Eleazar as representative of the three, perhaps because the author wanted to include only those who acted with David personally at this moment.
- Harmonized reading: Some readers harmonize the accounts by proposing that Eleazar and Shammah fought together, with Shammah taking over when Eleazar tired, and the Chronicler chose to highlight the pair rather than the full trio.
What is clear: Eleazar (and at least one other) stood their ground in a barley field at Pasdammim while the Israelite army fled, defended the field, defeated the Philistines, and the Lord gave a great victory.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Number of mighty men listed | Both Chronicles and Samuel agree there was a group of three elite warriors. Jashobeam and Eleazar are common to both lists. | Some hold that Shammah's omission is a copying error (Lange, Ellicott). Others think the Chronicler intentionally selected only two for thematic reasons, perhaps linking Eleazar's exploit with David. |
| Barley vs. lentils | The field was planted with a grain or legume crop (Hebrew שְׂעוֹרִים 'barley' in Chronicles; עֲדָשִׁים 'lentils' in 2 Samuel 23:11). | Barnes and Lange suggest a scribal confusion because the Hebrew words are visually similar. Most accept that the type of crop does not affect the narrative's truth. |
| David's role in the battle | David was present with Eleazar at Pasdammim (v.13). The victory is attributed to Yahweh. | Some envision David fighting alongside Eleazar; others (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown) think David may have been a witness or commander coordinating the stand. The passage does not detail his personal combat. |
| The literary purpose of the list | The list celebrates men who helped David establish God's kingdom, as a model for the post-exilic community. | Catholic and Orthodox traditions often read the 'mighty men' as types of saintly intercessors; Protestant readings emphasize individual courage and divine grace. Both agree the passage honors faithful service. |
Historical & Cultural Context
This battle took place at Pasdammim, also called Ephes-dammim, a location between Shocoh and Azekah in western Judah (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown). The area was a border region frequently contested by the Philistines during David's rise. The Chronicler places this event within the list of David's mighty men who 'strengthened themselves with him in his kingdom' (1 Chronicles 11:10, Keil and Delitzsch). It was a time when David was still a fugitive, not yet king over all Israel, and the Philistines were a constant threat.
The mention of a 'plot of ground full of barley' (or lentils in 2 Samuel) is significant. Keil and Delitzsch suggest that the Chronicler chose the list to show how God's promise to David was fulfilled through human agents. The field was likely a vital food source for the local population, so allowing it to fall to the enemy meant more than losing territory, it meant hunger. When 'the people fled,' the heroic stand exposed the vulnerability of Israel's army, a theme the Chronicler often uses to contrast human failure with divine deliverance. The victory is explicitly credited to Yahweh: 'Yahweh saved them by a great victory' (v.14). This framing reminds readers that even the bravest fighters depend on God.
The surrounding context (1 Chronicles 11:10-47) catalogs heroes from different periods of David's career. The Cambridge Bible notes that the list includes names from various sources, brought together to celebrate those who served the kingdom. This narrative structure, a list broken by a vignette of courage, draws attention to the kind of loyalty and faith that builds a nation. For the post-exilic community that first received Chronicles, such stories modeled what it meant to trust God when circumstances looked desperate.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note a significant discrepancy between 1 Chronicles 11:12-14 and its parallel in 2 Samuel 23:9-12. In Chronicles, Eleazar is the only named hero in this episode, and the third man (Shammah) is missing entirely. Lange and Ellicott attribute the omission to a scribal eye-skip caused by the repeated phrase 'the Philistines gathered together' (found in both Samuel and the Chronicles context). The crop in the field varies: Chronicles has 'barley' (שְׂעוֹרִים), Samuel has 'lentils' (עֲדָשִׁים). Barnes calls this an accidental corruption due to similarity in Hebrew script. No variant appears in the surviving Hebrew manuscripts of Chronicles itself; the issue is between two biblical books that likely shared a source. The pattern of the names 'Dodo' vs. 'Dodai' (2 Samuel 23:9) also shows variation.
Reception History
In the early church, this passage was rarely used for doctrine but was cited as an example of faithful courage under fire. Matthew Henry (1710) highlights God's deliverance as the center: 'They slew the Philistines, and the Lord saved them by a great deliverance.' He sees the men as instruments of divine power. The Geneva Bible (1599) frames the event as a literal historical victory that shows God's care for Israel. In more recent centuries, military chaplains have drawn on the mighty men as models of loyalty and bravery, emphasizing the verse 'they stood in the middle of the plot' as a picture of steadfastness under pressure. The passage has also been read typologically: Eleazar and David prefiguring Christ and his saints who stand fast in a fallen world while others flee. Traditional Christian teaching has consistently seen both human responsibility and divine sovereignty active in the victory.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- When others flee, you can still stand. The Israelite army ran. Eleazar and David did not. Courage is not the absence of fear; it is the decision to hold your ground because you trust the one who fights for you.
- Small fields hold big battles. A barley plot seems insignificant. But in God's economy, no place is too small for a great victory. Faithfulness in ordinary space makes room for extraordinary deliverance.
- The Lord saves, not the sword. They struck down the enemy, but the verse ends with Yahweh saving by a great victory. Human effort and divine help are not opposites; they work together.
Five-point outline
- The crisis: Philistines gathered for battle (v.13).
- The collapse: The people fled in fear (v.13).
- The stand: Eleazar and David took their position in the middle of the field (v.14).
- The victory: They defended the field, killed the Philistines, and the Lord gave a great deliverance (v.14).
- The memory: The act is preserved in Scripture to inspire faith across generations (v.12).
Illustration hooks
- A farmer watching a wildfire head toward his crop. He could run. Instead he stays and fights the flames with a shovel and a water pump. He does not defeat the fire alone, but his stand saves the field.
- A group of parents who refuse to let a struggling school close. They volunteer, raise funds, and stay when others have moved their children elsewhere. Their perseverance turns the school around.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why does the Bible say there were three mighty men in 2 Samuel but only two here? Does that mean the Bible has an error?
- What does it mean that the Lord saved them 'by a great victory'? Did they fight, or did God do it all?
- How can I stand firm when everyone around me is giving up?
Leading a Discussion
This passage shows us a moment when two men refused to run. The people fled; the Philistines pressed. In that crisis, Eleazar and David stood in the middle of a barley field and fought. Their stand led to a victory that the Bible says the Lord gave. As you discuss these verses, consider where you need to hold your ground today, not in pride, but in trust that God fights for you.
Discussion questions
- What do you notice about how the Chronicler introduces Eleazar (v.12)? What does his title 'one of the three mighty men' prepare you to expect?
- According to verse 13, what did the people do when the Philistines gathered? Why do you think they ran?
- What did Eleazar and David do that was different? The Hebrew verb 'they took their stand' (וַיִּֽתְיַצְּבוּ) suggests a deliberate, determined posture. What does that posture mean in your life?
- How does verse 14 describe the outcome? Who gets the credit for the victory, and how do the actions of the men relate to God's action?
- The parallel in 2 Samuel 23 names Shammah as the hero. Why might the Chronicler have omitted him here? Does the discrepancy bother you or open a conversation about how Scripture was copied and preserved?
- What 'barley field' do you face today, a situation that seems small but has high stakes? Where is God asking you to stand rather than run?
- How can your group support one another in taking a stand that honors God, especially when it feels like everyone else has retreated?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| II Samuel 23:9 | After him was Eleazar the son of Dodai the son of an Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David when they defied the Philistines who were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel had gone away. |
| II Samuel 23:17 | He said, “Be it far from me, Yahweh, that I should do this! Isn’t this the blood of the men who risked their lives to go?” Therefore he would not drink it. The three mighty men did these things. |
| II Samuel 23:19 | Wasn’t he most honorable of the three? Therefore he was made their captain. However he wasn’t included as one of the three. |
| II Samuel 23:23 | He was more honorable than the thirty, but he didn’t attain to the three. David set him over his guard. |
| I Chronicles 8:4 | Abishua, Naaman, Ahoah, |
| I Chronicles 11:19 | and said, “My God forbid me, that I should do this! Shall I drink the blood of these men who have put their lives in jeopardy?” For they risked their lives to bring it. Therefore he would not drink it. The three mighty men did these things. |
| I Chronicles 11:21 | Of the three, he was more honorable than the two, and was made their captain; however he wasn’t included in the three. |
| I Chronicles 27:4 | Over the division of the second month was Dodai the Ahohite and his division, and Mikloth the ruler; and in his division were twenty-four thousand. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes points out a textual variation between this account and a parallel one: one says "barley" while the other says "lentils." He explains that the Hebrew words for these two crops look so similar that a scribe likely copied the wrong one by accident.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentary treats the list of David's mighty men as a composite record, assembled from different sources at different times. It notes that parts of the eulogy for Abishai and Benaiah appear to be quoted from a lost poem, and that Chronicles adds sixteen names not found in Samuel.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva notes highlight how Eleazar and David stood their ground when everyone else fled. By holding the field together against the Philistines, they demonstrated that courage combined with faith opens the way for God to grant the victory.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that only two of the three mighty men are named in this passage. He explains that the third, Shammah, actually took over when Eleazar was exhausted, and his fresh valor preserved the field. The two accounts together show how these heroes complemented each other in battle.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch point out that the Chronicler enlarged the superscription to show these heroes helped establish David's kingdom according to God's word. They note the register lists only the chiefs, not all the valiant men who supported David, and that a copyist's error dropped three lines, causing Shammah's deed to be wrongly attached to Eleazar.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange observes that the Chronicler deliberately presents only the bright side of David's rise, omitting the rival kingdom of Ishbosheth and Joab's violent deeds. This glorifying tendency, combined with a statistical rather than historical method, places the hero list at the start of David's story rather than the end, shaping the narrative to highlight ideal kingship.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that David would not drink the water his men risked their lives to bring, instead pouring it out as an offering to the Lord. David saw the water as the price of his men's blood and would not treat it as ordinary refreshment, honoring both their sacrifice and God.