=8.= _from Millo even round about_] Literally “the Millo,” meaning perhaps “The filling up,” was some part of the defences of the “city of David,” either a _solid_ tower or perhaps an armoury, or a piece of supplementary work intended to strengthen an existing wall (LXX. 2 Chronicles xxxii. 5, ἀνάλημμα, “support”). See Smith, _Jerusalem_ II. 40 f. _Joab_] This tradition about Joab is not mentioned in Samuel. _repaired the rest of the city_] literally _revived_, compare Nehemiah iv. 2 (= Hebrew iii. 34). Peshitṭa translates: “Joab gave his right hand to the rest of the men who were in the city”; and it has been proposed to render the clause _spared_ or _kept alive the rest of the city_ (i.e. the remaining people, the Benjamites who dwelt there with the Jebusites [Judges i. 21]). The rendering _repaired_ is to be preferred. =10‒41a= (compare 2 Samuel xxiii. 8‒39). DAVID’S MIGHTY MEN AND THEIR DEEDS. This section seems to consist of elements drawn from different sources and brought together (probably by the author of Samuel) in order to give as complete a list as possible of the heroes who at different times in David’s career did good service to Israel. The names of twelve of these heroes reappear in chapter xxvii. as the commanders of David’s twelve “courses.” Verses =11‒14= (= 2 Samuel xxiii. 8‒12) deal with two (in Samuel three) heroes otherwise unknown. Verses =15‒19= (= 2 Samuel xxiii. 13‒17) are independent of the foregoing and narrate an exploit of three unnamed heroes. Verses =20‒25= (= 2 Samuel xxiii. 18‒23) seem in turn to be independent of =15‒19=, and verses 21, 25 in particular seem to be quoted from some lost poem. These verses contain the eulogy of Abishai and Benaiah. Verses =26‒41a= (= 2 Samuel xxiii. 24‒39) contain thirty names of heroes whose exploits are not recorded. It is to be noted that Chronicles, verses =41b‒47=, adds some sixteen names at the end which are not given in Samuel. Joab is not included in the formal list because he has been already mentioned (verse 6). Lists of names are favourite features in oriental Histories. Thus Ibn Hishām in his _Life_ of Mohammed gives a list of the 83 Moslems who took refuge in Abyssinia from the persecution of the Koreish, of the 75 inhabitants of Medina who swore allegiance to the Prophet before the Hegira, and even of the 314 Moslems who were present at the battle of Bedr. ¹⁰Now these are the chief of the mighty men whom David had, who shewed¹ themselves strong with him in his kingdom, together with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the LORD concerning Israel. ¹ _held strongly with him_. =10.= _Now these_] This verse is the Chronicler’s own heading which he prefixes to the list of heroes taken from Samuel, while retaining (in verse 11) the original heading given in Samuel. _who shewed themselves strong with him_] Render as margin, =who held strongly with him=. Compare xii. 23.