Shammah

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

Shammah . 1 . Son of Reuel, son of Esau, a tribal chief (  Genesis 36:13 ). 2 . Third son of Jesse, present when Samuel sought a successor to Saul (  1 Samuel 16:9 ); with Saul in the battlefield when David visited the camp (  1 Samuel 17:13 ). He is the same as Shimeah , father of Jonadab (  2 Samuel 13:3 ), the Shimea of   1 Chronicles 2:16 , and the Shimei , father of Jonathan who slew the giant (  2 Samuel 21:21 ). In   1 Chronicles 20:7 Jonathan is called son of Shimea. 3 . Son of Agee, a Hararite, one of the three mighty men of David. Alone he held the field against the Philistines (  2 Samuel 23:11 ). The parallel passage,   1 Chronicles 11:10 f., wrongly attributes the feat to Eleazar. He is probably identical with ‘Shammah, the Harodite’ (Hararite) of   2 Samuel 23:25 .   2 Samuel 23:38 should read ‘Jonathan son of Shammah, the Hararite.’ In   1 Chronicles 11:34 , ‘son of Shage ’ is probably confused with ‘son of Agee.’ Read, with Lucian, ‘son of Jonathan.’ Shimei , son of Ela (  1 Kings 4:18 ), should also appear here if we accept Lucian’s reading of ‘Ela’ for ‘Agee’ (  2 Samuel 23:11 ). 4 . An officer in David’s employ, called Shammoth in   1 Chronicles 11:27 , and Shamhuth in   1 Chronicles 27:8 . Probably the same as No. 3 .

J. H. Stevenson.

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

1.  Genesis 36:13;  Genesis 36:17;  1 Chronicles 1:37.

2. Jesse's third son, Shimea, Shimeah, Shimma ( 1 Samuel 16:9;  1 Samuel 16:13); present at David's anointing and at the battle with Goliath ( 1 Samuel 17:13). (See Shimma .)

3. One of David's three mighties; son of Agee the Hararite. Single handed he withstood the Philistines in a field of lentils ("barley" according to  1 Chronicles 11:13-14;  1 Chronicles 11:27, where also by a copyist's error Shammah is omitted and the deed attributed to Eleazar), when the rest fled before them and Jehovah by him wrought a great victory ( 2 Samuel 23:11-12).  2 Samuel 23:4. (See Shamhuth .)

5.  2 Samuel 23:32-33, instead of "Jonathan Shammah," should read "Jonathan son of Shage," or combining both as Kennicott suggests, "Jonathan son of Shamha" ( 1 Chronicles 11:34).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Sham'mah. (Astonishment).

1. The son of Reuel, the son of Esau.  Genesis 36:13;  Genesis 36:17;  1 Chronicles 1:37. (B.C. about 1700).

2. The third son of Jesse, and brother of David.  1 Samuel 16:9;  1 Samuel 17:13. Called also Shimea, Shimeah and Shimma.

3. One of the three greatest of David's mighty men.  2 Samuel 23:11-17. (B.C. 1061).

4. The Harodite, one of David's mighties.  2 Samuel 23:25. He is called "Shammoth , the Harorite" in  1 Chronicles 11:27, and "Shamhuth , the Izrahite."  1 Chronicles 27:8.

5. In the list of David's mighty men in  2 Samuel 23:32-33, we find "Jonathan, Shammah, the Hararite;" while in the corresponding verse of  1 Chronicles 11:34 it is Jonathan. See Shamhuth; Shammoth .

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

1. One of the three chiefs of David's thirty heroes, who shared with David and Eleazar the honor of the exploit recorded in  2 Samuel 23:11,12;  1 Chronicles 11:12-14 . Another feast is described in  2 Samuel 23:13 -  17 .

2. A brother of David,  1 Samuel 16:9;  17:13; elsewhere called Shimeah,  2 Samuel 13:3,22;  1 Chronicles 2:13 .

Others of this name are mentioned,  Genesis 36:13,17;  2 Samuel 23:25,33;  1 Chronicles 11:27;  27:8 .

Morrish Bible Dictionary

1. Son of Reuel, a son of Esau.  Genesis 36:13,17;  1 Chronicles 1:37 .

2. Son of Jesse and brother of David.   1 Samuel 16:9;  1 Samuel 17:13 . Called SHIMEAHin  2 Samuel 13:3; and SHIMMAin  1 Chronicles 2:13 .

3. Son of Agee a Hararite and one of David's mighty men.   2 Samuel 23:11 .

4,5. Two of David's mighty men, one a Harodite and the other a Hararite.   2 Samuel 23:25,33 .

Easton's Bible Dictionary

One of David's mighties ( 2 Samuel 23:25 ); called also Shammoth ( 1 Chronicles 11:27 ) and Shamhuth (27:8).

Copyright Statement These dictionary topics are from M.G. Easton M.A., DD Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition, published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. Public Domain.

Bibliography Information Easton, Matthew George. Entry for 'Shammah'. Easton's Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/ebd/s/shammah.html. 1897.

Holman Bible Dictionary

 Genesis 36:13 2 1 Samuel 16:9 1 Samuel 17:13 2 Samuel 13:32 2 Samuel 21:21 2 Samuel 23:25 1 Chronicles 11:27 4 2 Samuel 23:33ShammaShamhuth

Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary

See Jehovah-Shammah

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

(Heb. Shammah', שִׁמָּה , Astonishment or Desolation ) , the name of four or five Hebrews.

1. (Sept. Σομέ v.r. in Chron . Σομμέ . ) Son of Reuel and head of a family along Esau's descendants ( Genesis 36:13;  Genesis 36:17;  1 Chronicles 1:7). B.C. ante 1850. David ( 1 Samuel 16:9;  1 Samuel 17:13). From these two passages we learn that he was present at David's anointing by Samuel, and that with his two elder brothers he joined the Hebrew army in the valley of Elah to fight with the Philistines. B.C. 1068. He is elsewhere, by a slight change in the name, called SHIMEA (See Shimea) [q.v.] ( 1 Chronicles 20:7), SHIMEAH ( 2 Samuel 13:3;  2 Samuel 13:32), and SHIMMA ( 1 Chronicles 2:13).

3. (Sept. Σαμαϊ v Α vr. Σαμμεάς . ) The son of "Agee the Hararite," and one of the three chief of the thirty champions of David. B.C. 1061. The exploit by which he obtained this high distinction, as described in  2 Samuel 23:11-12, is manifestly the same as that which in  1 Chronicles 11:12-14 is ascribed to David himself, assisted by Eleazar, the son of Dodo. The inference, therefore, is that Shammah's exploit lay in the assistance which he had thus rendered to David and Eleazar. It consisted in the stand which the others had enabled David to make, in a cultivated field, against the Philistines. Shammah also shared in the dangers which Eleazar and Jashobeam incurred in the chivalric exploit of forcing a way through the Philistine host to gratify David's thirst for the waters of Bethlehem ( 2 Samuel 23:16). — Kitto. The scene of Shammah's exploit is said in Samuel to be a field of lentiles ( עֲדָשַׁי ם ), and in 1 Chronicles a field of barley ( שְׂעוֹרְי ם ). Kennicott proposes in both cases to read "barley," the words being in Hebrew so similar that one is produced from the other by a very slight change and transposition of the letters (Dissert. p. 141). It is more likely, too, that the Philistines should attack and the Israelites defend a field of barley than a field of lentiles. In the Peshito-Syriac, instead of being called "the Hararite," he is said to be "from the king's mountain," and the same is repeated at  2 Samuel 23:25. The Vat. MS. of the Sept. makes him the son of Asa ( Υἱὸς Ασα Οα῾᾿Ρουχαῖος , where Ἀρουδαῖος was perhaps the original reading). Josephus ( Ant. 7, 12, 4) calls him Cesaboeus the son of Ilus ( Ι᾿Λοῦ Μέν Υἱὸς Κησαβαῖος Δὲ Ὄνομα ) ,

4. (Sept. Σαιμά v.r. Σαμμαἰ . ) The Harodite, one of David's mighties ( 2 Samuel 23:25). He is called "Shammoth the Harorite" in  1 Chronicles 11:27, and in 27:8 "Shamhuth the Izrahite." Kennicott maintained the true reading in both to be "Shamhoth the Harodite" (Dissert. p. 181). He is evidently different from the preceding, as still ranking among the lower thirty.  2 Samuel 23:32-33, we find "Jonathan, Shammah the Hararite;" while in the corresponding verse of  1 Chronicles 11:34 it is "Jonathan, the son of Shage the Hararite." Combining the two, Kennicott proposes to read "Jonathan, the son of Shamha, the Hararite," David's nephew who slew the giant in Gath ( 2 Samuel 21:21). Instead of "the Hararite," the Peshito-Syriac has "of the Mount of Olives;" in 23:33, and in  1 Chronicles 11:34, "of Mount Carmel;" but the origin of both these interpretations is obscure. The term "Hararite" (q.v.) may naturally designate a Mountaineer, i.e. one from the mountains of Judah. Not only is the name Shammah here suspicious, as having already been assigned to two men in the list of David's heroes, but the epithet "Shage" is suspiciously similar to "Agee," and "Harorite" to "Hararite" given above. (See David) .

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

sham´a ( שׁמּה , shammāh ):

(1) The son of Reuel, the son of Esau, a tribal chief of Edom ( Genesis 36:13 ,  Genesis 36:17;  1 Chronicles 1:37 , Σομέ , Somé ).

(2) The third son of Jesse and brother of David. Together with his two other brothers he fought under Saul in the campaign against the Philistines and was with the army in the valley of Elah when David slew Goliath ( 1 Samuel 17:13 ff). One redactor states that he was a witness of the anointing of David by Samuel (  1 Samuel 16:1-13 ). He was the father of Jonadab, the friend of Amnon ( 2 Samuel 13:3 ff), and that Jonathan whose victory over a Philistine giant is narrated in   2 Samuel 21:20 ff was also his son. His name is rendered as "Shammah" (  1 Samuel 16:9;  1 Samuel 17:13 ), "Shimeah" ( 2 Samuel 13:3 ,  2 Samuel 13:12 ), "Shimei" ( 2 Samuel 21:21 ), and "Shimea" ( 1 Chronicles 2:13;  1 Chronicles 20:7 ).

(3) The son of Agee, a Hararite, one of the "three mighty men" of David ( 2 Samuel 23:11 , Septuagint Σαμαιά , Samaiá ), who held the field against the Philistines. The parallel passage ( 1 Chronicles 11:10 ff) ascribes this deed to Eleazar, the son of Dodo. The succeeding incident (  2 Samuel 23:13 ff), namely, the famous act of three of David's heroes who risked their lives to bring their leader water from the well of Bethlehem, has frequently been credited to Shammah and two other members of "the three"; but the three warriors are plainly said (  2 Samuel 23:13 ) to belong to "the thirty";  2 Samuel 23:33 should read "Jonathan, son of Shammah, the Hararite." Jonathan, one of David's "thirty," was a son of Shammah; the word "son" has been accidentally omitted (Driver, Budde, Kittel, etc.). The parallel passage (  1 Chronicles 11:34 ) has "son of Shagee," which is probably, a misreading for "son of Agee." Lucian's version, "son of Shammah," is most plausible. "Shimei the son of Ela" ( 1 Kings 4:18 ) should also appear in this passage if Lucian's reading of "Ela" for "Agee" ( 2 Samuel 23:11 ) be correct.

(4) A H arodite ( 2 Samuel 23:25 ,  2 Samuel 23:33 ), i.e. probably a native of ‛Ain - ḥarod ( ‛Ain Jalūd ,  Judges 7:1; see Harod ). One of "the thirty" and captain of Solomon's 5th monthly course. In the parallel lists ( 1 Chronicles 11:27 ) he is called "the Harorite" (this last being a scribal error for Harodite) and "Shamhuth the Izrahate" ( 1 Chronicles 27:8 ).

Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblial Literature

Sham´mah (astonishment), one of the three chief of the thirty champions of David. The exploit by which he obtained this high distinction, as described in , is manifestly the same as that which in , is ascribed to David himself, assisted by Eleazar the son of Dodo. The inference, therefore, is that Shammah's exploit lay in the assistance which he thus rendered to David and Eleazar. It consisted in the stand which the others enabled David to make, in a field of lentiles, against the Philistines. Shammah also shared in the dangers which Eleazar and Jashobeam incurred in the chivalric exploit of forcing a way through the Philistine host to gratify David's thirst for the waters of Bethlehem .

Other persons of this name occur. 2. A son of Reuel . 3. A brother of David , who is elsewhere called Shimeah and Shimma . 4. One of David's thirty champions, seemingly distinct from the chief of the same name . 5. Another of the champions distinguished as Shammah the Harodite; he is called Shammoth in , and Shamhuth in . That three of the thirty champions should bear the same name is somewhat remarkable.