Reference: Abishai
American
A son of Zeruiah, David's sister, brother of Joab and Asahel, one of the bravest of David's mighty men, 1Ch 2:16, and always faithful to his royal uncle. He went with him alone to the tent of Saul, 1Sa 26:7-11; and was a leader in the war with Ish-bosheth, 2Sa 2.18,24, in the war with the Edomites, 1Ch 18:12-13, and with the Syrians and Ammonites,
2Sa 10:10. In a battle with the Philistines, he rescued David, and slew Ishbi-benob the giant, 2Sa 21:16-17. He lifted up his spear against three hundred, and slew them, 2Sa 23:18; and was with David in the affairs of Shimei, Absalom, and Sheb, 2Sa 16:9; 18:2; 20:6-7.
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So David and Abishai went to the army by night, and there Saul lay sleeping within the encampment with his spear stuck in the ground at his head; and Abner and the army lay round about him. Then said Abishai to David, God has given your enemy into your hands this day. Now therefore let me smite him to the earth at once with one stroke of the spear, and I will not strike him twice. read more. David said to Abishai, Do not destroy him; for who can raise his hand against the Lord's anointed and be guiltless? David said, As the Lord lives, [He] will smite him; or his day will come to die or he will go down in battle and perish. The Lord forbid that I should raise my hand against the Lord's anointed; but take now the spear that is at his head and the bottle of water, and let us go.
The rest of the men Joab gave over to Abishai his brother, that he might put them in array against the Ammonites.
Then said [David's nephew] Abishai son of Zeruiah to the king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and take off his head.
David sent forth the army, a third under command of Joab, a third under Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and a third under Ittai the Gittite. [He] told the men, I myself will go out with you also.
And David said to Abishai, Now will Sheba son of Bichri do us more harm than Absalom did. Take your lord's servants and pursue him, lest he get for himself fenced cities and snatch away our very eyes. And there went after him Joab's men and [David's bodyguards] the Cherethites and Pelethites and all the mighty men; they went out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba son of Bichri.
Ishbi-benob, who was of the sons of the giants, the weight of whose spear was 300 shekels of bronze, was girded with a new sword, and thought to kill David. But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to David's aid, and smote and killed the Philistine. Then David's men charged him, You shall no more go out with us to battle, lest you quench the lamp of Israel.
Now Abishai the brother of Joab son of Zeruiah was chief of the Three. He wielded his spear against 300 men and slew them, and won a name beside the Three.
Their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. The sons of Zeruiah: Abishai, Joab, and Asahel, three.
Easton
father of (i.e., "desirous of") a gift, the eldest son of Zeruiah, David's sister. He was the brother of Joab and Asahel (2Sa 2:18; 1Ch 2:16). Abishai was the only one who accompanied David when he went to the camp of Saul and took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul's bolster (1Sa 26:5-12). He had the command of one of the three divisions of David's army at the battle with Absalom (2Sa 18:2,5,12). He slew the Philistine giant Ishbi-benob, who threatened David's life (2Sa 21:15-17). He was the chief of the second rank of the three "mighties" (2Sa 23:18-19; 1Ch 11:20-21); and on one occasion withstood 300 men, and slew them with his own spear (2Sa 23:18). Abishai is the name of the Semitic chief who offers gifts to the lord of Beni-Hassan. See illustration facing page 10.
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David arose and came to the place where Saul had encamped, and saw where Saul lay with Abner son of Ner, commander of his army; and Saul was lying in the encampment, with the army encamped around him. Then David said to Ahimelech the Hittite and to Abishai son of Zeruiah, brother of Joab, Who will go down with me into the camp of Saul? And Abishai said, I will go down with you. read more. So David and Abishai went to the army by night, and there Saul lay sleeping within the encampment with his spear stuck in the ground at his head; and Abner and the army lay round about him. Then said Abishai to David, God has given your enemy into your hands this day. Now therefore let me smite him to the earth at once with one stroke of the spear, and I will not strike him twice. David said to Abishai, Do not destroy him; for who can raise his hand against the Lord's anointed and be guiltless? David said, As the Lord lives, [He] will smite him; or his day will come to die or he will go down in battle and perish. The Lord forbid that I should raise my hand against the Lord's anointed; but take now the spear that is at his head and the bottle of water, and let us go. So David took the spear and the bottle of water from Saul's head, and they got away. And no man saw or knew or wakened, for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen upon them.
Three sons of Zeruiah [the half sister of David] were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe or antelope.
David sent forth the army, a third under command of Joab, a third under Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and a third under Ittai the Gittite. [He] told the men, I myself will go out with you also.
The king commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave orders to all the commanders about Absalom.
The man told Joab, Though I should receive 1,000 pieces of silver, yet I would not put forth my hand against the king's son. For in our hearing the king charged you, Abishai, and Ittai, Have a care, whoever you be, for the young man Absalom.
The Philistines had war again with Israel. And David went down and his servants with him and fought against the Philistines, and David became faint. Ishbi-benob, who was of the sons of the giants, the weight of whose spear was 300 shekels of bronze, was girded with a new sword, and thought to kill David. read more. But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to David's aid, and smote and killed the Philistine. Then David's men charged him, You shall no more go out with us to battle, lest you quench the lamp of Israel.
Now Abishai the brother of Joab son of Zeruiah was chief of the Three. He wielded his spear against 300 men and slew them, and won a name beside the Three.
Now Abishai the brother of Joab son of Zeruiah was chief of the Three. He wielded his spear against 300 men and slew them, and won a name beside the Three. Was he not most renowned of the Three? So he was their captain; however, he did not attain to the Three.
Fausets
("father of gifts".) Nephew of David by his sister Zeruiah; brother of Joab and Asahel. Joab was more of the experienced general, Abishai the devoted champion for David. Thus, when David proposed to Ahimelech the Hittite and Abishai the perilous visit to Saul's camp, Abishai instantly volunteered, reckless of personal danger. His impulsive nature needed occasional checking, in his zeal for David. We find the consistency of character maintained throughout the history; the same spirit prompting the request at Hachilah," Let me smite Saul" (1Sa 26:8), as subsequently at Bahurim, when Shimei cursed David, prompted his exclamation "Why should this dead dog curse my Lord the king? let me take off his head" (2Sa 16:9).
He commanded one third of David's army at the battle with Absalom (2 Samuel 18), and rescued David when waxing faint and in imminent peril from the giant Ishbi-benob (2Sa 21:15-17). In the same war probably he, as chief of the three "mighties," chivalrously broke through the Philistine host to procure water for David from the well of his native Bethlehem (2Sa 23:14-17). Once he withstood 300 and slew them with his spear. In 2Sa 8:13 the victory over the 15,000 Edomites or Syrians in the Valley of Salt is ascribed to David; in 1Ch 18:12, to Abishai. Probably the commander in chief was David, but the victory actually gained by Abishai.
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Then said Abishai to David, God has given your enemy into your hands this day. Now therefore let me smite him to the earth at once with one stroke of the spear, and I will not strike him twice.
Then said Abishai to David, God has given your enemy into your hands this day. Now therefore let me smite him to the earth at once with one stroke of the spear, and I will not strike him twice.
David won renown. When he returned he slew 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt.
David won renown. When he returned he slew 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt.
Then said [David's nephew] Abishai son of Zeruiah to the king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and take off his head.
Then said [David's nephew] Abishai son of Zeruiah to the king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and take off his head.
The Philistines had war again with Israel. And David went down and his servants with him and fought against the Philistines, and David became faint.
The Philistines had war again with Israel. And David went down and his servants with him and fought against the Philistines, and David became faint. Ishbi-benob, who was of the sons of the giants, the weight of whose spear was 300 shekels of bronze, was girded with a new sword, and thought to kill David.
Ishbi-benob, who was of the sons of the giants, the weight of whose spear was 300 shekels of bronze, was girded with a new sword, and thought to kill David. But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to David's aid, and smote and killed the Philistine. Then David's men charged him, You shall no more go out with us to battle, lest you quench the lamp of Israel.
But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to David's aid, and smote and killed the Philistine. Then David's men charged him, You shall no more go out with us to battle, lest you quench the lamp of Israel.
And David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.
And David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. And David said longingly, Oh, that someone would give me a drink of water from the well of Bethlehem by the gate!
And David said longingly, Oh, that someone would give me a drink of water from the well of Bethlehem by the gate! And the three mighty men broke through the army of the Philistines and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem by the gate and brought it to David. But he would not drink it, but poured it out to the Lord.
And the three mighty men broke through the army of the Philistines and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem by the gate and brought it to David. But he would not drink it, but poured it out to the Lord. And he said, Be it far from me, O Lord, to drink this. Is it not [the same as] the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives? So he would not drink it. These things did the three mighty men.
And he said, Be it far from me, O Lord, to drink this. Is it not [the same as] the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives? So he would not drink it. These things did the three mighty men.
Hastings
Son of Zeruiah, David's step-sister (2Sa 17:25; 1Ch 2:16). His brothers were Joab and Asahel (2Sa 2:18). He was a hot-tempered, ruthless soldier. Accompanying David into Saul's camp, he would fain have killed the sleeper (1Sa 26:7). An editorial addition (2Sa 3:30) associates him with Joab in the blood-revenge taken on Abner. Abishai was second in command of the army (2Sa 10; 18), and if we make a slight necessary correction at 2Sa 23:18 f., we find that he was first of the famous thirty. He is credited with the slaughter of three hundred foes, and David once owed his life to Abishai's interposition (2Sa 23:18; 21:16 f.). Notwithstanding their relationship and their usefulness, there was a natural antipathy between the king and the two brothers (2Sa 3:39).
J. Taylor.
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So David and Abishai went to the army by night, and there Saul lay sleeping within the encampment with his spear stuck in the ground at his head; and Abner and the army lay round about him.
Three sons of Zeruiah [the half sister of David] were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe or antelope.
So Joab and Abishai his brother slew Abner because he had slain their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle.
And I am this day weak, though anointed [but not crowned] king; these sons of Zeruiah are too hard for me. May the Lord repay the evildoer according to his wickedness!
Absalom made Amasa captain of the army instead of Joab. Amasa was the son of an [Ishmaelite] named Ithra, who married Abigail daughter of Nahash, [half sister of David and] sister of Zeruiah, Joab's mother.
Ishbi-benob, who was of the sons of the giants, the weight of whose spear was 300 shekels of bronze, was girded with a new sword, and thought to kill David.
Now Abishai the brother of Joab son of Zeruiah was chief of the Three. He wielded his spear against 300 men and slew them, and won a name beside the Three.
Now Abishai the brother of Joab son of Zeruiah was chief of the Three. He wielded his spear against 300 men and slew them, and won a name beside the Three.
Morish
Abish'ai
Son of David's sister Zeruiah, and brother of Joab. He was one of David's officers and served him many years. He accompanied David into Saul's camp while he slept. 1Sa 26:6-9. With Joab he slew Abner. 2Sa 3:30. In his zeal for David he asked permission to slay Shimei. 2Sa 16:9; 19:21. In the rebellion of Absalom he commanded a third of David's army. 2Sa 18:2. He rescued David from Ishbi-benob the giant. 2Sa 21:17. He was captain of the second three of David's 'mighty men,' and slew three hundred men. 2Sa 23:18. To him is attributed the slaughter of eighteen thousand Syrians or Edomites in the valley of salt. 1Ch 18:12; 2Sa 8:13.
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Then David said to Ahimelech the Hittite and to Abishai son of Zeruiah, brother of Joab, Who will go down with me into the camp of Saul? And Abishai said, I will go down with you. So David and Abishai went to the army by night, and there Saul lay sleeping within the encampment with his spear stuck in the ground at his head; and Abner and the army lay round about him. read more. Then said Abishai to David, God has given your enemy into your hands this day. Now therefore let me smite him to the earth at once with one stroke of the spear, and I will not strike him twice. David said to Abishai, Do not destroy him; for who can raise his hand against the Lord's anointed and be guiltless?
So Joab and Abishai his brother slew Abner because he had slain their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle.
Then said [David's nephew] Abishai son of Zeruiah to the king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and take off his head.
David sent forth the army, a third under command of Joab, a third under Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and a third under Ittai the Gittite. [He] told the men, I myself will go out with you also.
But Abishai son of Zeruiah said, Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the Lord's anointed?
But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to David's aid, and smote and killed the Philistine. Then David's men charged him, You shall no more go out with us to battle, lest you quench the lamp of Israel.
Now Abishai the brother of Joab son of Zeruiah was chief of the Three. He wielded his spear against 300 men and slew them, and won a name beside the Three.
Watsons
ABISHAI, the son of Zeruiah, David's sister, who was one of the most valiant men of his time, and one of the principal generals in David's armies.