II Samuel 23:36-39 · Bible study
2 Samuel 23:36-39 Commentary: Foreigners Among David's Mighty Men
Hebrew · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why did a king of Israel include Ammonites, Hittites, and Syrians in his elite guard? This study examines the inclusive makeup of David's mighty men.
Research Summary
- Meaning: David’s mighty men included foreigners, showing that loyalty and skill mattered more than ethnic origin in his kingdom.
- Key words: “armor bearer” (נֹשֵׂא כְּלֵי), a trusted position of carrying the general’s weapons; the phrase underscores Naharai’s close service to Joab.
- Main debate: Whether the total count of 37 includes Joab or counts only the named heroes; Barnes and Gill agree it includes Joab.
- Theological theme: The inclusion of Gentiles in the covenant community is foreshadowed in David’s multi-ethnic guard.
- Best use: Preaching on grace, inclusion, and the heart of God for all nations; also a caution that even the best human kingdom has flaws (Uriah).
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
36Igal son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite,
37Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, the armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah,
38Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,
39and Uriah the Hittite. There were thirty-seven in all.
WEB World English Bible 2000
36Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite,
37Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, armor bearers to Joab the son of Zeruiah,
38Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,
39and Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.
KJV King James Version 1769
36Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite,
37Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, armourbearer to Joab the son of Zeruiah,
38Ira an Ithrite, Gareb an Ithrite,
39Uriah the Hittite: thirty and seven in all.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
36Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite,
37Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, armorbearers to Joab the son of Zeruiah,
38Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,
39Uriah the Hittite: thirty and seven in all.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
36Igal son of Nathan from Zobah, Bani the Gadite,
37Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, bearer of the weapons of Joab son of Zeruiah,
38Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,
39Uriah the Hittite; in all thirty and seven.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
36Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite,
37Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, the armour-bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah,
38Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,
39Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
36Igaal the son of Nathan of Soba, Bonni of Gadi,
37Selec of Ammoni, Naharai the Berothite, armourbearer of Joab the son of Sarvia,
38Ira the Jethrite, Gareb also a Jethrite;
39Urias the Hethite, thirty and seven in all.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · II Samuel 23:36
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
The opening words of the passage present a simple list of names, but commentators agree that their ethnic and geographic variety is its point. Barnes observes that it is “remarkable that we have several foreigners at this part of the list”: Igal of Zobah (Syria), Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite (whose town, Beeroth, had Hivite origins but was later absorbed into Benjamin, according to 2 Samuel 4:2), and Uriah the Hittite. Gill suggests Zelek may have become a proselyte, and notes that Naharai’s role as “armour bearer to Joab” explains his high standing. The total of thirty-seven, as Barnes calculates, includes Joab the general as a separate figure. The Cambridge Bible adds that the list probably suffered textual corruption, but the presence of foreigners is not a scribal accident, it reflects David’s historical practice of attracting loyal fighters from outside Israel.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The list includes men from non-Israelite backgrounds, demonstrating that David welcomed skilled and loyal fighters regardless of their ethnicity.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Total number of 37 | The list names 36 individuals, and the total is 37, meaning one person (likely Joab) is counted separately as the general over the thirty-seven. | Some traditions count the two triads (three + three) plus the thirty named below, making 36, with Joab as the 37th. Others see textual variants where some names may have dropped out. |
| Ethnic identity of Beerothites | Naharai is called a Beerothite, and Beeroth was originally a Hivite city (Joshua 9:17) but later considered part of Benjamin (2 Samuel 4:2). | Some see Naharai as a naturalized foreigner; others argue that by David’s time Beeroth was culturally Israelite, so he was not technically a foreigner. |
| Comparison with 1 Chronicles 11 | Both lists describe David’s mighty men, and most names overlap, though Chronicles includes extra names after Uriah. | The differences are attributed to textual corruption or to the roster being updated over time as men died or were added. |
Historical & Cultural Context
David’s mighty men (Gibborim) were not a standing army of native Israelites alone. His career began with a band of “everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented” (1 Samuel 22:2), a mixed company that included non-Israelites from the start. When he became king, David did not purge these men. Instead, he formalised an elite corps of about six hundred, with a smaller inner circle of thirty-seven named here.
The presence of foreigners served both practical and symbolic purposes. Practically, David needed skilled warriors loyal only to him, not to tribal factions. Men like Igal of Zobah (former enemy soldiers from wars with Syria, 2 Samuel 8:3) brought battlefield expertise. Zelek the Ammonite came from a nation David had conquered (2 Samuel 12:26, 31). Naharai served as Joab’s personal armour-bearer, a role of deep trust. And Uriah the Hittite was so integrated that his later betrayal by David (2 Samuel 11) stands as a moral disaster precisely because it violated loyalty between king and warrior.
Symbolically, this multi-ethnic guard prefigured the Old Testament theme that God’s kingdom would draw people from all nations. David’s throne was established not on ethnic purity but on covenant loyalty. The list records men from Zobah (Arameans), Ammon, the Hivite-heritage city of Beeroth, and the Hittites, peoples Israel had been commanded to drive out. Yet here they stand among the heroes of the king “after God’s own heart.”
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for this passage. The list of names is generally stable across manuscripts, though commentators observe that the parallel in 1 Chronicles 11:41-47 contains additional names not found in 2 Samuel 23:36-39. This difference is best explained as a later expansion or as evidence that the roster was updated over time, rather than as a textual corruption of 2 Samuel.
Reception History
Throughout church history, this list was most often read as part of the larger portrait of David’s reign. Patristic writers like Ambrose saw the mighty men as types of the apostles, warriors of faith. The inclusion of foreigners was cited by early Protestant commentators (Geneva Bible, Matthew Henry) as evidence that God’s grace extended beyond Israel, prefiguring the inclusion of Gentiles. In Jewish tradition, the list emphasized the merit of David’s warriors and the king’s wise leadership in forming a loyal, mixed corps. More recently, preachers have used the list to highlight the theme of redemption: even Uriah the Hittite, the victim of David’s sin, is named among the heroes, showing that Scripture does not hide the cost of sin.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God’s kingdom crosses borders. David’s elite guard included Ammonites, Hittites, and Syrians. The Church today is called to be equally inclusive of every tribe and tongue (Revelation 7:9).
- Loyalty, not lineage, earns honor. These men were not Israelites by birth but became mighty men through brave service. God values faithfulness wherever it is found.
- One name haunts the list. Uriah the Hittite appears last. His inclusion reminds us that David’s greatest sin was committed against a foreigner who was utterly loyal. Grace does not erase history.
Five-point outline
- David built a coalition army from refugees and conquered enemies.
- Foreigners held high-trust roles like armour-bearer to the general.
- The presence of Igal of Zobah shows David recruited from former enemy states.
- Uriah’s name at the end creates a solemn pause, a narrative hook into chapter 11.
- The total “thirty-seven” includes Joab, underscoring the general’s distinct leadership.
Illustration hooks
- A sports coach who recruits the best players regardless of where they grew up, nationality matters less than teamwork and skill.
- A company that hires from rival firms and finds its most loyal employees are former competitors who chose to join.
- A local church whose congregation includes people from very different backgrounds, all serving side by side.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why would David, God’s anointed king, trust outsiders with his personal safety?
- Does this list show that ethnic or religious boundaries don’t matter to God?
- Why does the Bible include such a long list of obscure names?
Leading a Discussion
This passage is easy to skip, a list of unpronounceable names. But those names tell a quiet story about David’s leadership and God’s heart. As you discuss, notice the countries these men came from and what that meant for a nation called to be separate from the peoples around them.
Discussion questions
- Read aloud the names slowly. Which ones stand out to you, and why?
- Igal is described as “of Zobah.” What do you know about Zobah from 2 Samuel 8:3? Why might a former enemy become one of David’s elite?
- Uriah is the last name. What story does his presence call to mind? Why do you think the list ends with him?
- Naharai is called “armor bearer to Joab.” What does that role tell you about his proximity to power and his importance?
- David’s army included men from nations Israel had fought or been told to drive out. How does that square with Old Testament commands about separation from other nations?
- What does this list suggest about how God evaluates people, by ancestry or by character?
- If your church or community were to make a “list of the faithful,” what kinds of surprising people would be on it?
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 8:3 | David also struck Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his dominion at the River. |
| I Chronicles 11:38 | Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the son of Hagri, |
| II Samuel 4:2 | Saul’s son had two men who were captains of raiding bands. The name of one was Baanah and the name of the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, of the children of Benjamin (for Beeroth also is considered a part of Benjamin; |
| I Chronicles 11:37 | Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai the son of Ezbai, |
| I Chronicles 11:39 | Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite (the armor bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah), |
| II Samuel 20:26 | and Ira the Jairite was chief minister to David. |
| I Chronicles 2:53 | The families of Kiriath Jearim: the Ithrites, the Puthites, the Shumathites, and the Mishraites; from them came the Zorathites and the Eshtaolites. |
| I Chronicles 11:40 | Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, |
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
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke points out that the final verses of this passage are very obscure and offers the Dutch scholar De Dieu's interpretation. In that reading, David contrasts the transient natural cycles of sun, morning, and grass with his own lasting kingdom, which stands secure because God made an everlasting covenant with him.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes highlights that several of David's mighty men were foreigners, likely recruited after David's wars with Ammon. He also resolves the apparent count of thirty-seven by noting the second triad has only two recorded names, while the sixteen additional names in the parallel list were probably later replacements or additions.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentary notes that among David's elite warriors were foreigners like Zelek the Ammonite and Igal the Syrian, men from outside Israel who rose to high rank in his service. These heroes are often identified by their hometowns or clan names, with family heads sometimes giving their name to the settlement.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
II Samuel 23:36 Igal the sonne of Nathan of Zobah: Bani the Gadite: II Samuel 23:37 Zelek the Ammonite: Naharai the Becrothite, the armour bearer of Ioab the sonne of Zeruiah: II Samuel 23:39 Uriiah the Hittite, thirtie and seuen in all.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill identifies each of David's lesser-known warriors, tracing their tribal and geographic origins and explaining discrepancies between the lists in Samuel and Chronicles. He notes that Joab is omitted from the roll, likely because he commanded them all, and that the Chronicles include additional men of lower rank.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange treats David's heroes as the military counterpart to the prophetic school: just as prophets carried God's word, these warriors carried God's deliverance. Their exploits, repeatedly called "great deliverance," are God's own victories, and they serve the Lord's anointed with total devotion.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry observes that David treated the water not as a common drink but as a sacred offering, poured out to the Lord because his men had risked their lives for it. David’s refusal to drink shows a princely reverence for the price paid to obtain it.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley argues that the phrase "in the way" is deliberately included to stress that the example of parents or ancestors carries no weight when it goes against God’s will and word. Even the most respected family tradition must be abandoned if it contradicts Scripture.