The History of the Old Testament Methodized, Chapter 4 · Section 202 – Section 203
SECT. CCII.
HEre now follows a Catalogue of David's Worthies, men renowned for valour and admirable exploits, and ſuch as were great ſupports to him in all his troubles, 1 Chron. 11.10. Theſe are the chief of the mighty men whom David had, who held ſtrongly with him in his Kingdom, and join'd with the Elders of the people to make him King. they were in all thirty ſeven, whereof Joab was the chief, being Captain General of the Hoſt, 1 Chron. 11.6. Next to him were ſix chief Colonels, and of them the firſt three were above the other three. The firſt three were Adino, Eleazar and Shammah. This Adino was call'd the Eznite from the Country where he was born or bred, and the Tachmonite, or Hackmonite from his Father, being the Son of one Tachmani, or Hackmani. And alſo Jaſhobeam, or Joſheph-Baſſebet, becauſe he ſat in the Chair, and was Preſident of the Council of War. Concerning his Exploits 'tis ſaid of him, [2 Sam. 23.8.] That he lifted up his Spear againſt eight hundred and ſlew them. In the 1 Chron. 11.11. There are only 300 mentioned. Therefore either 800 were ſlain by him at one time, and 300 at another; or elſe he diſcomfited 800, whereof only 300 were ſlain outright by himſelf, and the reſt by others, which yet are ſaid to be ſlain by him, becauſe they were ſlain by thoſe that fought under him.
The Second of the firſt three was Eleazar one of the poſterity of Ahoah a Benjamite, 1 Chron. 8.4. he was with David at Paſdammim when the Philiſtines were gathered together in battel againſt him, and there defended a field of barley againſt them when the reſt of the people fled away, and ſlew ſo many of them that at laſt the people returned to the ſpoil of the enemy. He ſmote the Philiſtines till his hand was weary, and clave unto his ſword, and was as it were glueed to the hilt of it with blood. The third of the firſt three was Shammah. He defended a field of lentils againſt a Troop of the Philiſtines when the people fled from them, and the Lord wrought a great victory by him. 'Tis probable that this exploit againſt the Philiſtines was jointly performed by both theſe Captains at one and the ſame time, and therefore 'tis ſaid 1 Chron. 11.14. That they ſet themſelves in the midſt of that parcel of ground and delivered it, and ſlew the Philiſtines; there being both barley and lentils in the ſame field. Eleazar it ſeems beat the Philiſtines from the barley-field, and Shammah from that part of it that had lentils. Theſe three Worthies alſo ventured their lives to fetch David water from the well of Bethlem, of which before at Ch. 5.18. Of the ſecond three Abiſhar the Brother of Joab was chief, he lift up his ſpear againſt three hundred and ſlew them. Other valiant deeds he did beſides, as when he went with David into the midſt of Sauls Camp, 1 Sam. 26.6. and his killing the Giant Iſhi-benob, whoſe Spear weighed three hundred ſhekels of braſs, 2 Sam. 21.16, 17. he was the moſt honourable of this three, but he attained not unto the firſt three. The ſecond of this three was Benaiah the ſon of Jehoiadah, he ſlew two Lion-like men of Moab, and he ſlew a Lion in the midſt of a pit, into which it had caſually fallen in the time of the ſnow, where the room being ſtraight he knew he muſt either kill or be kill'd; and this he enterpriz'd not out of a vain mind to ſhew his valour, but Heroically to deſtroy a noxi… … that had done ſo much miſchief to the Country. He ſlew alſo an Egyptian, a … of great ſtature, five cubits high, whoſe Spear was like a weavers beam; he went down to … only with a ſtaff, and pluckt the ſpear out of his hand, and ſlew him with his own ſpear. He was alſo Captain of the Kings guard. The third of this three ſeems to be Aſabel, who was above the thirty (a)V. 24. Supra Triginta iſtos., (as all thoſe before mentioned were) there being thirty named after him. This ſecond three attained not unto the firſt three, but yet were ſuperior to all others.
2 Sam Ch. 23. from v. 8, to the end.
SECT. CCIII.
DAvid having vanquiſhed his enemies abroad, and ſuppreſſed ſundry inſurrections at home, yet knowing that new wars or conſpiracies might be rais'd againſt him, therefore in this time of peace he thought fit ſo to ſettle his Militia and Souldiery, that they might be in a readineſs on all occaſions to defend the Kingdom. In order hereunto he divided them into twelve courſes, twenty four thouſand in each courſe, who in their turns one month in a year were ſtill in arms ready to be imployed in any ſervice for the State as the King ſhould appoint; by which means all the able men in the Kingdom were ſtill trained up in the uſe of their Armes, and there was always a ſufficient number ready in arms, if on a ſudden there ſhould be any occaſion for them. Jaſhobeam (who it ſeems was of the poſterity of Perez or Pharez the ſon of Judah, Gen. 46.12.) had the preeminence of being Commander in chief over the firſt courſe for the firſt month. Over the courſe of the ſecond month was Dodai, and Mikloth was the Captain of this courſe after his death. The Captain of the Hoſt for the third month was Benaiah a principal Officer. The Captain of the fourth courſe was Zebadiah the ſon of Aſahel, (who was kill'd in the beginning of David's reign by Abner, 2 Sam. 2.23.) but being a valiant man, and brother to Joab and Abiſhai, and of kin to David, his name is put both into the Catalogue of David's Worthies, 1 Chron. 11.26. and here into the Catalogue of chief Commanders the courſe poſſibly bearing his name, though his ſon was Captain of it. The names of the other Captains that were over the other courſes are here alſo ſet down, as alſo the Princes and Rulers of the Tribes who had the chief power in the Civil Government, where thirteen are mentioned, of whom one is ſaid to be of the Levites, and another of the Aaronites, one of the half Tribe of Manaſſeh, and another of the other half; the Princes of Gad and Aſher are not here named, poſſibly they might be join'd with thoſe Tribes that bordered upon them. Then are ſet down who was over the Kings Treaſure, and over his ſtore-houſes in the Fields, Cities and Villages, and over the Tillage, and over the increaſe of the Vineyards for the Wine-cellars, and over the Olive-trees, and Cellars of Oyl, and over the herds in Sharon, and over the herds in the vallies, over the Camels, over the Aſſes, and over the Flock, and in ſum all the Officers belonging to the King.
1 Chron. Ch. 27. whole Chapter.