Jashobeam, Jesbaam or Jesbaham ( 10th or 9th century BC), also called Josheb-Basshebeth and possibly Adino the Eznite, was chief of the Three Mighty Warriors,2 Sam. 23:81 Chron. 11:11 and an officer appointed under King

David David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. The Tel Dan stele, an Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by a king of Aram-Dam ...

in charge of the first division of 24,000 men, on duty for the first month of the year, according to the list given in 1 Chronicles 27.1 Chron. 27:2 Jashobeam was a

Benjamite According to the Torah, the Tribe of Benjamin () was one of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. The tribe was descended from Benjamin, the youngest son of the patriarch Jacob (later given the name Israel) and his wife Rachel. In the Samaritan Pentateuc ...

from Hakmon (he is variously called a "Hakmonite" or "Tahkemonite"). His father was Zabdiel, a descendant of Korah. He was also a descendant of Pharez of the

Tribe of Judah According to the Hebrew Bible, the tribe of Judah (, ''Shevet Yehudah'') was one of the twelve Tribes of Israel, named after Judah (son of Jacob), Judah, the son of Jacob. Judah was one of the tribes to take its place in Canaan, occupying it ...

Biblical narrative

Jashobeam was renowned in the Kingdom of Israel for having singlehandedly killed several hundred troops with his spear (800 according to Samuel, 300 according to Chronicles). However, in 2 Samuel 23:8–17, in a passage describing the Three (Jashobeam,

Eleazar Eleazar (; ) or Elazar was a priest in the Hebrew Bible, the second High Priest, succeeding his father Aaron after he died. He was a nephew of Moses. Biblical narrative Eleazar played a number of roles during the course of the Exodus, from ...

, and

Shammah Shammah is a name mentioned several times in the Hebrew Bible. In the Book of Samuel, Shammah () was the son of Agee, a Hararite (2 Samuel 23:11) or Harodite (23:25), and one of King David's three legendary " mighty men". His greatest deed was the ...

), the Hebrew and most

Septuagint The Septuagint ( ), sometimes referred to as the Greek Old Testament or The Translation of the Seventy (), and abbreviated as LXX, is the earliest extant Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible from the original Biblical Hebrew. The full Greek ...

manuscripts read, "Josheb-Basshebeth, a Tahkemonite, was chief of the Three; it was Adino the Eznite who killed eight hundred men in one encounter" (2 Samuel 23:8b). It is unclear textually whether "Adino the Eznite" is meant to refer to someone else apart from the Three (in which case it is out of place in the passage), whether it is another name for Jashobeam, or whether it is a textual corruption. During a battle with the

Philistines Philistines (; LXX: ; ) were ancient people who lived on the south coast of Canaan during the Iron Age in a confederation of city-states generally referred to as Philistia. There is compelling evidence to suggest that the Philistines origi ...

Ephes Dammim Ephes Dammim, meaning "border of blood," () or Pas Dammim () is a biblical place name. Mentioned in the Bible, a place in the tribe of Judah where the Philistines camped when David fought with Goliath (1 Samuel 17:1). Probably so called as having ...

, Jashobeam, along with Eleazar and Shammah, taunted the Philistines. The Israelite army retreated in fear, but the Three defeated the Philistine army themselves in a barley field. While David was encamped in the

Cave of Adullam The Cave of Adullam () was originally a stronghold referred to in the Old Testament, near the town of Adullam, where future King David sought refuge from King Saul. The word "cave" is usually used but "fortress", which has a similar appearance i ...

on a campaign against the Philistines, who were garrisoned in

Bethlehem Bethlehem is a city in the West Bank, Palestine, located about south of Jerusalem, and the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate. It had a population of people, as of . The city's economy is strongly linked to Tourism in the State of Palesti ...

, Jashobeam, as part of the Three, broke the Philistine lines to reach a well near Bethlehem's gate to get David a drink. However, David poured the water out as a

drink offering The drink offering (Hebrew: נֶסֶך, ''nesekh'') was a form of libation forming one of the sacrifices and offerings of the Law of Moses. Etymology The Hebrew noun ''nesekh'' is formed from the Qal form of the verb ''nasakh'', "to pour," hence ...

to God, saying, "Is it not the blood of men who went at the risk of their lives?"1 Chron. 11:15–19

Notes

References

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Biblical narrative

See also

Notes

References