Taken as a whole, David’s mighty men read almost like an epic action-adventure story. Many writers have compared them to a Biblical version of today’s U.S. Special Forces – like the Green Berets, Rangers, Delta Force, and Seals all rolled into one.
But to say it like that – and I mean absolutely no disrespect to any of my readers who happen to be serving in the Special Forces – would be to undermine these men.
David’s mighty men can better be compared to the Avengers – a team that is so powerful, whose feats are almost so indescribable, that they border on legendary. Just consider what just a few of these men did.
Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, would eventually become captain of Solomon’s army (1 Kings 2:35). Before that, he served as the head of David’s personal bodyguard unit (2 Samuel 23:23), as well as the Cherethites and the Pelethites (2 Samuel 8:18). He’s the one responsible for killing Joab at the express order of Solomon (1 Kings 2:30-34), but he had performed many other feats besides that, such as killing a lion and a towering Egyptian with the man’s own weapon (2 Samuel 23:20).
And that’s one of the least impressive feats the Bible records for us.
Josheb-Basshebeth the Tachchemonite (also known as the Adino the Eznite, which is much easier to say), killed eight hundred (!) people at one time.
Eleasar the son of Dodo the Ahohtite stood alone with David and “defied” the Philistines when the rest of Israel fled. He fought so long and so hard that his muscles cramped and made him unable to let the sword loose from his hand.
Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite stood alone against entire troop of Philistines (2 Samuel 23:8-12).
Taken together, these men (almost) make Samson look like a lightweight.
Who Were David’s Mighty Men?
It’s no secret that every king of any kingdom throughout time has looked for warriors to ally themselves with. Charlemagne had Count Roland. Ceasar had Sceava. Cao Cao had Xiahou Dun.
And Saul had David, for better or for worse, who attached David to his person after his monumental victory over Goliath. But David wasn’t the only one that Saul surrounded himself with; 1 Samuel 14:52 records that Saul had a habit of recruiting any valiant man he came across.
David most likely did the same thing, since having the mightiest warriors in your kingdom can only be a good thing. According to 1 Chronicles 11:10, these 30+ mighty men not only helped fight David’s battles, they also “gave him strong support in his kingdom” and helped “together with Israel, to make him king.” No doubt, David had an incredible amount of loyalty to these guys.
Or did he?
David’s Men Were Loyal. Was He?
At the bottom of the list of David’s mighty men in 2 Samuel 23:39 is one name that should stand out to even the most casual Bible reader: Uriah the Hittite. We know him as the man who lost his wife to David when the king decided to take a late-night stroll on top of his house and happened to catch her bathing not far away. Wanting her for himself, he took her, had an affair, got her pregnant, and murdered Uriah to cover up the incident. It’s one of the darkest periods of David’s life – if not the darkest.
But in the midst of it all, Uriah’s loyalty shines through. He not only carried the instructions for his own murder to Joab – and presumably didn’t read it – he also refused to go to Bathsheba when he was in town to report to the king. He not only was loyal to his king, but to his comrades-in-arms as well.
Uriah’s place among the mighty men makes this whole incident even more tragic. In one story, David is thirsty and wants a drink from the well in Bethlehem. To help out their king, three men break through enemy lines to get it for him, risking their own lives in the process.
David’s mighty men are willing to die to give their king a drink, and David has the gall to steal one of their wives and have him murdered.
And keep in mind, this is in a time period when loyalty to their king was almost non-existent. One simple glance through the annals of the book of Kings, and you’ll see assassination after assassination. Coup after coup. One person rising up against the king, killing him, and taking his place. At a time where loyalty seems to be in short supply, David’s mighty men are fiercely loyal to him. They epitomize what it means to fight for something bigger than themselves.
Where David Should Have Been All Along
Many commentators have commented on the fact that David should have been in the field with his army instead of at home, walking around on his roof (2 Samuel 11:1). That’s a valid point, and one that has spawned thousands of lessons about taking responsibility and keeping priorities.
But what most people forget in the aftermath of the Uriah and Bathsheba incident is what David does after. Yes, he loses his child in the process, and yes, he fathers Solomon. But right after those verses is a portion of text that reveals that David’s heart has truly changed:
“Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the sons of Ammon and captured the royal city. Joab sent messengers to David and said, ‘I have fought against Rabbah, I have even captured the city of waters. Now therefore, gather the rest of the people together and camp against the city and capture it, or I will capture the city myself and it will be named after me.’ So David gathered all the people and went to Rabbah, fought against it and captured it. Then he took the crown of their king from his head; and its weight was a talent of gold, and in it was a precious stone; and it was placed on David’s head.”
- 2 Samuel 12:26-30
The capture of Rabbah forms a nice bookend to the tragic beginning of David’s affair. It shows that even though David spent a considerable amount of time thinking only of himself, his allegiance ultimately turned back to his people, his God, and his men.
Just where it should have been all along.
