Of the three, he was more honorable than the two, and was made their captain; however he wasn’t included in the three.
Parallel translations
- KJV Of the three, he was more honourable than the two; for he was their captain: howbeit he attained not to the first three.
- BSB He was doubly honored above the Three, and he became their commander, even though he was not included among the Three.
- NKJV Of the three he was more honored than the other two men. Therefore he became their captain. However he did not attain to the first three.
- NASB Of the three in the second rank he was the most honored, and he became their commander; however, he did not attain the reputation of the first three.
- NLT Abishai was the most famous of the Thirty and was their commander, though he was not one of the Three.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Abishai was the most honored of his group and became their captain, though he did not reach the rank of the elite three. He was renowned yet just below the highest tier.
Overview
The Chronicler carefully ranks David's warriors, noting Abishai's distinction as captain while clarifying he did not attain to the first three. These gradations honor each man's place without inflating reputations. Such honest accounting reflects a kingdom ordered under God, where honor is given as due, anticipating the just rewards Christ assigns in His kingdom.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 2
- Matt 13:8Others fell on good soil, and yielded fruit: some one hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty.
- 1 Cor 15:41There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory.
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Christ at the center
The genealogies and the everlasting covenant with David trace the single thread of promise running through the generations straight to the Christ in whom the line reaches its goal.
How 1 Chronicles 11:21 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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