David’s mighty men were a legendary band of warriors who rallied to David when he was a fugitive on the run. Renowned for their valor, the mighty men became David’s most loyal and trusted warriors during his tenure as king. Today, the man of God can learn much from these courageous men.
Heralded for their valor and skill in battle, David’s mighty men were a unique group of fighting men who came to David in the caves of Adullam after he fled from King Saul (2 Samuel 22:1-2)
There, the man who had gone from family shepherd to giant slayer to military commander to hunted criminal had a new task. Once again, he became a shepherd to many in Israel—and even some from beyond. The author of the book of Samuel tells us that in addition to David’s brothers and father joining him, “everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him; and he became captain over them. Now there were about four hundred men with him.” (1 Samuel 22:2)
Who were these 400 men?
Some were members of David’s family. Others had fought alongside him in the army. Many more were ruffians, mercenaries, and outsiders to Israel.
Alone, they were notorious killers. Together, they became the land’s most feared and effective fighting force, proving themselves loyal to David for the rest of his life.
When David’s own son Absalom tried to usurp his father’s throne, one of David’s advisors (Hushai) warned Absalom not to attack his father and the small contingent who’d fled with him:
“… you know your father and his men, that they are mighty men and they are fierce, like a bear robbed of her cubs in the field, and your father is an expert in warfare.” (2 Samuel 17:8) Hushai would then say of the mighty men, “even the one who is valiant, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will completely lose heart; for all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man and those who are with are him are valiant men.” (2 Samuel 17:10, emphasis added)
By the time Absalom laid claim to the throne, the reputation of David’s mighty men was well-established and well-earned.
The Old Testament includes several stories about David’s mighty men and what made them such heroes and legends of Israel.
Three of David’s mighty men are heralded above the rest for their exceptional courage and fighting prowess. They are:
1. Josheb-basshebeth (Jashobeam): the chief of the captains, was nicknamed Adino the Eznite because he had slain eight hundred men with his spear at one time (2 Samuel 23:8; 1 Chronicles 11:11)
2. Eleazar: he remained with David at Pasdammim to fight the Philistines when the men of Israel had retreated. (2 Samuel 23:9) It is said that Eleazar fought the Philistines until his hand grew weary. However, he never let go of his sword, securing a victory by the Lord’s hand (1 Chronicles 11:12-14).
3. Shammah: tasked with defending a field of lentils that the Philistines intended to raid. Rather than flee, as the rest of Israel had done, Shammah stood his ground, defeating the Philistines.
In addition to these three, 30 of David’s most famous mighty men are recognized in 2 Samuel 23:24-39 and 1 Chronicles 11:26-47.
Who were some of the notable 30 mighty men?
Asahel: the brother of Joab and Abishai, the sons of Zeruiah, David’s sister (or half-sister), according to the genealogy of David (1 Chronicles 2:16). Unless the Zeruiah who gave birth to Asahel, Joab, and Abishai had the same name as David’s sister, these three were David’s nephews (2 Samuel 22:1-2). Asahel, who was “as swift-footed as one of the gazelles in the field,” had tried to kill Abner, the trusted general of King Saul’s army (2 Samuel 2:18-23). In the pursuit, however, Abner thrust the butt end of his spear through Asahel’s belly and out his back, killing him on sight. Asahel was later buried in his father’s tomb in Bethlehem (2 Samuel 2:32).
Elhanan: the son of Dodo the Bethlehemite, was another of the 30 men (2 Samuel 22:19; 1 Chronicles 11:26). A second man named Elhanan (the son of Jair) appears in 1 Chronicles 20:5. These may be the same person or two separate warriors. We do not know. In any case, the Elhanan of 1 Chronicles 20 is reported to have killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, “the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.” (1 Chronicles 20:5)
Sibbecai: also referred to as Mebunai the Hushathite (2 Samuel 23:26), killed Sippai, one of the giants of Gath and likely a relative of Goliath, who David had previously slain (1 Samuel 17).
Eliam: the son of Ahithophel the Gidonite, was the father of Bathsheba, the woman who David eventually committed adultery with (2 Samuel 11:3). His father Ahithophel was also one of David’s trusted advisors.
Uriah the Hittite: as his name suggests, Uriah started as an outsider to Israel—he came from one of the Canaanite nations that the Israelites drove out. However, Uriah became David’s God-fearing, God-worshipping ally at some point in his life. He even received a Hebrew name meaning “the Lord is my light.”
One spring, David remained in Jerusalem when his forces went out to battle. From the palace rooftops, he looked out and saw a beautiful woman bathing. That woman was Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam… and Uriah’s wife.
The Bible tells us that David lusted after Bathsheba and slept with her. David tried to cover his shame when she became pregnant by summoning Uriah back to Jerusalem to sleep with his wife. Uriah, however, refused to be with his wife while the rest of the army was at war.
David then instructed his commander Joab to place Uriah on the frontlines and retreat. Uriah died in the ensuing battle, as intended. David had one of his own mighty men murdered, taking his wife (who also happened to be the daughter of another mighty man) for himself.
There was, of course, another man complicit in the death of Uriah. That was Joab, son of Zeruiah and brother of Asahel and Abishai.
Like his brothers, Joab became an important leader in David’s army, serving as David’s top commander (1 Chronicles 11:4-6). Joab, however, is not listed as one of the mighty men, even though he led them in battle on countless occasions. In fact, his armor bearer is included among the 30 (1 Chronicles 11:39).
Joab’s exclusion may have to do with the fact that he frequently disregarded David’s direct orders. He murdered Saul’s general Abner (2 Samuel 3:25-30), David’s son Absalom (2 Samuel 18:14-15), and later his cousin and military replacement Amasa (2 Samuel 20) against David’s wishes.
Joab also backed David’s son Adonijah to succeed David when God had already chosen Solomon to replace his father as king (1 Kings 1-2). On his deathbed, David charged Solomon to bring Joab to justice and execute him once he took the throne (1 Kings 2:5-9).
Beyond the three and the 30, the Bible highlights two more of David’s most faithful mighty men:
Abishai: David’s nephew and the brother of Joab and Asahel. Abishai is often mentioned with his brother Joab and is also described as a skilled military leader, perhaps the next in the chain of command behind Joab.
As a young man, Abishai had gone with David into Saul’s camp when they found the king sleeping (1 Samuel 26:6). Abishai urged David to slay the king (1 Samuel 26:8), but David instructed Abishai not to strike the Lord’s anointed.
Abishai had also partnered with his brother Joab to kill Abner, avenging their brother Asahel (2 Samuel 3:30), and was said to have swung his spear, killing 30 of his enemies (1 Chronicles 11:20). In another story, Abishai stepped forward to kill Ishbi-benob, one of the giants of the Philistines, who intended to kill the much older and more frail King David (2 Samuel 21:15-17).
Abishai was put in command of the 30 and had a name as renowned as the three but did not attain the level of the three.
Benaiah: the son of Jehoida, put in charge of the Cherethites and Pelethites, who served as King David’s personal guard (2 Samuel 8:18; 20:23; 23:20). As the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, Benaiah became famous for striking down two sons of Ariel of Moab, killing a lion in the middle of a pit on a snowy day, and defeating a formidable Egyptian with his own spear (2 Samuel 23:20-23; 1 Chronicles 11:22-24).
When Adonijah, David’s fourth son, tried to become king on his father’s deathbed, Benaiah was entrusted with helping anoint and defend Solomon instead.
After David died, Benaiah administered the king’s justice by executing Joab for the murder of Abner and Amasa (1 Kings 2:28-35). He then served as the commander of Solomon’s army, presumably until his death (1 Kings 2:35, 4:4).
We don’t get specific details about when or how the mighty men died. However, the indications are that all the still-living ones remained loyal to their king until his death. They had rallied to David in the wilderness, risked their lives to defend him, fought beside him through two civil wars, supported him as king, and ultimately backed his son (Solomon) as their newly anointed king (1 Kings 1:8).
Beyond Benaiah, little is known about the mighty men or what happened to them after David’s death. Presumably, most remained in Israel to support Solomon. However, as his reign was marked by mostly peace, their job as warriors had essentially been fulfilled.
There is no denying that David’s mighty men were a formidable group of loyal but dangerous men. Born for their time, these men nonetheless have a lot to teach the Christian man of God even today.
For example, although David first became famous for his battle with the giant Goliath, he would not be the only giant slayer in Israel. As it turns out, the original giant slayer and leader of the mighty men inspired men like Abishai, Elhanan, Sibbecai, Shammah, and Benaiah to step forward and perform similar feats. David’s courage inspired courage in those who followed him. Sadly, the opposite was also true, as evident from the armies of Israel.
The mighty men did not run from the fight; they ran toward it. They saw victory where others saw defeat and seized opportunities where others hesitated or cowered in fear.
David’s mighty men may not have been large in number. Still, their courage, loyalty, and willingness to stand their ground, jump into snowy pits, and challenge giants were enough to win the day. We should never, therefore, underestimate just how much a small but committed group of valiant men can achieve.
Furthermore, though David had fled the palace of King Saul frightened and alone, he would not remain alone forever. God provided the help he needed through other men born of the same courage. As we often see, mighty men make other men mightier.
However, the Bible reminds us that strength or skill does not ultimately make a man mighty. In their time with “the man after God’s own heart,” many of these warriors also became mighty in their knowledge and understanding of the God He served (Jeremiah 9:23-24).
We would be hard-pressed to find a more loyal and fierce brotherhood of soldiers in all of Scripture. Their legend, like their name, speaks for itself.
Photo Credit: Getty Images/Media Whalestock
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