Abishai

Narrator: Chris Genthree
Duration: 1min
 •  1 min. read  •  grade level: 8
Listen from:
• BibleTruthPublishers.com
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 (1 Sam. 26:6-96Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with thee. 7So David and Abishai came to the people by night: and, behold, Saul lay sleeping within the trench, and his spear stuck in the ground at his bolster: but Abner and the people lay round about him. 8Then said Abishai to David, God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time. 9And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his hand against the Lord's anointed, and be guiltless? (1 Samuel 26:6‑9)). With Joab he slew Abner (2 Sam. 3:3030So Joab and Abishai his brother slew Abner, because he had slain their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle. (2 Samuel 3:30)). In his zeal for David he asked permission to slay Shimei (2 Sam. 16:9; 19:219Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head. (2 Samuel 16:9)
21But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said, Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the Lord's anointed? (2 Samuel 19:21)). In the rebellion of Absalom he commanded a third of David’s army (2 Sam. 18:22And David sent forth a third part of the people under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said unto the people, I will surely go forth with you myself also. (2 Samuel 18:2)). He rescued David from Ishbibenob the giant (2 Sam. 21:1717But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succored him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David sware unto him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the light of Israel. (2 Samuel 21:17)). He was captain of the second three of David’s mighty men, and slew three hundred men (2 Sam. 23:1818And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief among three. And he lifted up his spear against three hundred, and slew them, and had the name among three. (2 Samuel 23:18)). To him is attributed the slaughter of eighteen thousand Syrians or Edomites in the valley of salt (1 Chron. 18:1212Moreover Abishai the son of Zeruiah slew of the Edomites in the valley of salt eighteen thousand. (1 Chronicles 18:12); 2 Sam. 8:1313And David gat him a name when he returned from smiting of the Syrians in the valley of salt, being eighteen thousand men. (2 Samuel 8:13)).