2 Samuel 23:12

12 stetit ille in medio agri et tuitus est eum percussitque Philistheos et fecit Dominus salutem magnam

2 Samuel 23:12 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 23:12

But he stood in the midst of the ground
The field of lentiles:

and defended it;
the field, so that the Philistines could not ravage it, and get food and forage from it:

and slew the Philistines;
made a great slaughter among them, entirely routed them, so that they that escaped his sword were obliged to flee:

and the Lord wrought a great victory;
to whom the glory of it belonged; a similar fact is ascribed to Eleazar before mentioned in ( 1 Chronicles 11:13 1 Chronicles 11:14 ) ; and, indeed, it seems to be the same, and in which they were both concerned; for it is plain from the account that there were more than one engaged in this action, since it is there said, "and they set themselves in the midst of that parcel"; and though that parcel of ground is said there to be full of barley, it may easily be reconciled by observing, that one part of it might be sowed with barley, and the other part with lentiles; so the Targum in ( 1 Chronicles 11:13 ) ; for it was half lentiles and half barley; and Eleazar might be placed to defend the one, and Shammah the other; from whence it appears it was about March when this action was, at the latter end of which barley harvest began.

2 Samuel 23:12 In-Context

10 cumque ascendissent viri Israhel ipse stetit et percussit Philistheos donec deficeret manus eius et obrigesceret cum gladio fecitque Dominus salutem magnam in die illa et populus qui fugerat reversus est ad caesorum spolia detrahenda

11 et post hunc Semma filius Age de Arari et congregati sunt Philisthim in statione erat quippe ibi ager plenus lente cumque fugisset populus a facie Philisthim

12 stetit ille in medio agri et tuitus est eum percussitque Philistheos et fecit Dominus salutem magnam

13 necnon ante descenderant tres qui erant principes inter triginta et venerant tempore messis ad David in speluncam Odollam castra autem Philisthim erant posita in valle Gigantum

14 et David erat in praesidio porro statio Philisthinorum tunc erat in Bethlee