³The chief was Ahiezer, then Joash, the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite; and Jeziel, and Pelet, the sons of Azmaveth; and Beracah, and Jehu the Anathothite; =3.= _The chief was A., then J._] Read (compare LXX.) =A. the chief, J. the son= (singular) =of Shemaah=. _Jehu the Anathothite_] i.e. man of Anathoth. See xi. 28, note. ⁴and Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty man among the thirty, and over the thirty; and Jeremiah, and Jahaziel, and Johanan, and Jozabad the Gederathite; ⁵Eluzai, and Jerimoth, and Bealiah, and Shemariah, and Shephatiah the Haruphite; =4.= _among the thirty, and over the thirty_] Ishmaiah’s name does not occur among _the thirty_ (2 Samuel xxiii. 24‒39); the phrase is therefore perhaps only a kind of superlative; Ishmaiah was worthy to be ranked with _the thirty_ or even above them. Probably however the list in chapter xi. and that in chapter xii. belong to different times. _the Gederathite_] i.e. the man of Gederah. The only Gederah known was in the Judean Shephelah (Joshua xv. 36), so that it would seem that some men of Judah are reckoned along with the Benjamites in these verses. Similarly in verse 7 men of the Judean town of _Gedor_ (iv. 4; Joshua xv. 58) are mentioned. Perhaps therefore some words introducing the names of Judean heroes have dropped out. But an identification with a Benjamite village _Jedireh_, North of Jerusalem, is also possible. ⁶Elkanah, and Isshiah, and Azarel, and Joezer, and Jashobeam, the Korahites; ⁷and Joelah, and Zebadiah, the sons of Jeroham of Gedor. =6.= _the Korahites_] Probably not the Levitic but the Calebite _sons of Korah_ (ii. 43), who belonged to Judah, are meant. =8‒15.= GADITE ADHERENTS OF DAVID. ⁸And of the Gadites there separated themselves unto David to the hold in the wilderness, mighty men of valour, men trained for war, that could handle shield and spear; whose faces were like the faces of lions, and they were as swift as the roes upon the mountains; ⁹Ezer the chief, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third; =8.= _And of the Gadites_] The Gadites had the name of marauders (Genesis xlix. 19), and David’s mode of life would attract them. Chronologically verse 8 should precede verse 1; David was first “in the hold” and afterwards in Ziklag. On the reference to Gad and Manasseh (verse 19) see 2 Chronicles xv. 9. _separated themselves_] i.e. left their brethren east of Jordan and came west. _to the hold in the wilderness_] It is uncertain whether this _hold_ be or be not the _cave of Adullam_. On the latter see xi. 15, note.