Jashobeam

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

David's follower, a "Hachmonite", or rather "son of Hachmoni," i.e. of the family of Hachmon ( 1 Chronicles 11:11), son of Zabdiel ( 1 Chronicles 27:2): head of the first monthly course of officers and men (24,000) who waited by turns on the king (( 1 Chronicles 27:32).(See Hachmonite .) He may be the "Korhite" who joined David at Ziklag ( 1 Chronicles 12:6). In  2 Samuel 23:8 he is called the" Tachmonite that sat in the seat," Josheb basshebeth, a corruption of text for Jashobeam. Also he is here called "chief of the captains" or "the three" ( Shallishiy ), in Chronicles "chief of the thirty" (Hebrew Shalishim ):  2 Samuel 23:11;  2 Samuel 23:15;  2 Samuel 23:42;  1 Chronicles 12:4. "The thirty" formed the whole body of David's adjutants, "the three" were the king's aides de camp. He slays 300 in Chronicles, where the number may have crept in from  2 Samuel 23:18 in the case of Abishai; 800 is the correct number in Samuel; not all at one blow, but with successive throws of his spear.

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

Jashobeam . One of David’s mighty men (  1 Chronicles 11:11;   1 Chronicles 12:6;   1 Chronicles 27:2 ). There is reason to believe that his real name was Ishbosheth , i.e. Eshbaal (‘man of Baal’). Cf. Adino and Josheb-basshebeth.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Jasho'be-am. (To Whom The People Turn). Named first among the chief of the mighty men of David.  1 Chronicles 11:11. (B.C. 1046). He came to David at Ziklag. His distinguishing exploit was that he slew 300 (or 800),  2 Samuel 23:8, men at one time.

Holman Bible Dictionary

 1 Chronicles 12:6 1 Chronicles 11:11 2 Samuel 23:8  2 Samuel 23:8 1 Chronicles 27:2

Morrish Bible Dictionary

1. A Hachmonite, chief of David's captains.  1 Chronicles 11:11;  1 Chronicles 27:2 .

2. A Korhite who resorted to David at Ziklag.  1 Chronicles 12:6 .

Easton's Bible Dictionary

 1 Chronicles 11:11 2 Samuel 23:13-17

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

(Heb. Yashobanm', י שָׁבְעָם , Dweller among the People, or Returner to the People, otherwise, to whom the People Returns, Or a Returning People; Sept. in  1 Chronicles 11:11 , Ι᾿Εβαάμ v. R. Ι᾿Εσαβαδά ; in  1 Chronicles 12:6, Ι᾿Εσβαάμ , v.r. Σοβοκάμ ; in  1 Chronicles 27:2, Ι᾿Σβοάμ v. R. Ι᾿Σβοάζ ; Vulg. Jesbaam, but Jesboan in  1 Chronicles 27:2), the name of several of David's favorite officers.

1. One of the Korhites, or Levite of the family of Korah (and therefore probably not identical with the following), who joined David's band at Ziklag ( 1 Chronicles 12:6). B.C. 1053.

2. "Son" of Hachmoni, one of David's worthies, and the first named in the two lists which are given of them ( 2 Samuel 23:8;  1 Chronicles 11:11). One of these texts is held to have suffered through the negligence of copyists, and, as Jashobeam is not otherwise historically known, commentators have been much embarrassed in comparing them. The former passage attributes to him the defeat of 800, the latter of 300 Philistines; and the question has been whether there is a mistake of figures in one of these accounts, or whether two different exploits are recorded. Further difficulties will appear in comparing the two texts. We have assumed Jashobeam to be intended in both, but this is open to question. In Chronicles we read, "Jashobeam, the Hachmonite, chief of the captains: he lifted up his spear against 300 men, slain by him at one time;" but in Samuel [mar-gin], "Josheb-bassebet the Tachmonite, chief among the three, Adino, of Eznli, who lifted up his spear against: 800 men, whom he slew." That Jashobeam the Hachmonite and Josheb-bash-shebeth the Tachmonite are the same person, is clear; but may not Adino of Ezni, whose name forms the immediate antecedent of the exploit, which, as related here, constitutes the sole discrepancy between the two texts, be another person?

Many so explain it, and thus obtain a solution of the difficulty. But a further comparison of the two verses will again suggest that the whole of the verse last cited must belong to Jasbobeam; for not only is the parallel incomplete if we take the last clause from him and assign it to another, but in doing this we leave the "chief among the captains" without an exploit, in a list which records some feat of every hero. We incline, therefore, to the opinion of those who suppose that Jashobeam, or Josheb-bash-shebeth, was the name or title of the chief, Adino and Eznite being descriptive epithets, and Hachmonite the patronymic of the same person; and the remaining discrepancy we account for, not on the supposition of different exploits, but of one of those corruptions of numbers of which several will be found in comparing the books of Chronicles with those of Samuel and Kings. B.C. 1014. (See Adino); (See David); (See Eznite).

The exploit of breaking through the host of the Philistines to procure David's draught of water from the well of Bethlehem is ascribed to the three chief heroes, and therefore to Jashobeam, who was the first of the three ( 2 Samuel 23:13-17;  1 Chronicles 11:15-19). B.C. 1045.

3. We also find a Jashobeam who commanded 24,000, and did duty in David's court in the month Nisan ( 1 Chronicles 27:2). He was the son of Zabdiel; if, therefore, he was the same as the foregoing Jashobeam, his patronymic of "the Hachmonite" must be referred to his race or office rather than to his immediate father. (See Hachmoni).

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ja - shō´bē̇ - am ( ישׁבעם , yāshobh‛ām , probably "people will return"; see discussion of names compounded with עם , ‛am , in Hpn , 41-59): Jashobeam is mentioned in three passages ( 1 Chronicles 11:11;  1 Chronicles 12:6 (Hebrew 7);   1 Chronicles 27:2 f), but opinions vary as to the number of persons erred to. In   1 Chronicles 11:11 he is called "the son of a Hachmonite" (reference unknown) and "the chief of the three" ("Three," the best reading; the Revised Version (British and American) "thirty"; the King James Version, the Revised Version margin "captains"), mighty men of David. He is said to have slain 300 (800 in   2 Samuel 23:8 ) at one time, i.e. one after another.

The gibbōrı̄m , or heroes, numbered 600 and were divided into bands of 200 each and subdivided into smaller bands of 20 each, with a captain for each company large and small. Jashobeam had command of the first of the three bands of 200 (see Ewald, HI, 3 , 140 f; Stanley, Hj C, II, 78). From the indefiniteness of the description, "Three of the thirty chief," he can hardly be regarded as one of the three mighty men who broke through the ranks of the Philistines, and brought water from the well of Bethlehem to David on the hill-fortress of Adullam ( 1 Chronicles 11:15-17 ), and the fact that "the thirty" have not yet been mentioned would seem to indicate that this story is not in its proper place. But "Jashobe am" here ( 1 Chronicles 11:11 ) is probably an error for "Ishbaal," the reading of many of the manuscripts of the Septuagint ( HPN , 46, note).

In the parallel passage ( 2 Samuel 23:8 ) he is called "Joshebbasshebeth, a Tahchemonite." This verse, however, is probably corrupt (Revised Version margin), and the text should be corrected in accordance with Ch to "Ishbaal, the Hachmonite." In  1 Chronicles 27:2 f Jashobeam is said to have been "the son of Zabdiel," of the family of Perez, and the commander-in-chief of the division of David's army which did duty the first month. The army consisted of 12 divisions of 24,000 each, each division serving a month in turn. In   1 Chronicles 12:6 (Hebrew 7) Jashobeam is mentioned among those who joined David at Ziklag in the time of Saul, and is described as a Korahite, probably one belonging to a family of Judah (compare   1 Chronicles 2:43 ).

Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblial Literature

Jasho´beam son of Hachmoni, one of David's worthies, and the first named in the two lists which are given of them ( [the Tachmonite]; ).

The exploit of breaking through the host of the Philistines to procure David a draught of water from the well of Bethlehem, is ascribed to the three chief heroes, and therefore to Jashobeam, who was the first of the three .

A Jashobeam is named among the Korhites who came to David at Ziklag but this could scarcely have been the same with the preceding.

We also find a Jashobeam who commanded 24,000, and did duty in David's court in the month Nisan . He was the son of Zabdiel; if, therefore, he was the same as the first Jashobeam, his patronymic of 'the Hachmonite' must be referred to his race rather than to his immediate father. This seems likely.