1 Chronicles 11:13

(13) He was with David at Pas-dammim.—Or Ephes-dammim, between Shochoh and Azekah in the Mountains of Judah, where David encountered Goliath. The name does not now appear in 2Sa_23:5, being probably concealed under the word rendered “when they defied.”

And there the Philistines were gathered together to battle.—After these words several lines have been lost, as may be seen by comparison of 2Sa_23:9-10. The text may be restored thus: “He was with David at Pas-dammim, and there the Philistines had gathered to the battle; and the men of Israel went up (perhaps, up the mountain side, in retreat). And he stood his ground, and smote the Philistines until his hand was benumbed, and clave to the sword. And Iahweh wrought a great victory on that day. And the people began returning (from flight) behind him only to spoil (the slain). And after him (was) Shammah ben Agê, an Hararite. And the Philistines gathered together unto Lehi (Jdg_15:9). And there there was a parcel, etc.,” 1Ch_11:13. The cause of this serious omission was perhaps the double occurrence of the phrase “the Philistines gathered together.” The eye of some copyist wandered from one to the other. What was originally told of Eleazar the second hero, was that his prowess turned the flight at Pas-dammim into a victory.

Where was a parcel of ground full of barley.—The scene of the exploit of the third hero, Shammah, son of Agê. Perhaps the Philistines were intent on carrying off the crop (1Sa_23:1). Samuel reads lentils. The Hebrew words for barley and lentils are very similar. We cannot tell which text is right.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He was with David at Pas-dammim--It was at the time when he was a fugitive in the wilderness, and, parched with thirst under the burning heat of noonday, he wistfully thought of the cool fountain of his native village [Sa2 23:15; Ch1 11:17]. This is a notice of the achievement, to which Eleazar owed his fame, but the details are found only in Sa2 23:9-11, where it is further said that he was aided by the valor of Shammah, a fact corroborated in the passage before us (Ch1 11:14), where it is recorded of the heroes, that "they set themselves in the midst of that parcel." As the singular number is used in speaking of Shammah (Sa2 23:12), the true view seems to be that when Eleazar had given up from exhaustion, Shammah succeeded, and by his fresh and extraordinary prowess preserved the field.

barley--or lentils (Sa2 23:11). Ephes-dammim was situated between Shocoh and Azekah, in the west of the Judahite territory. These feats were performed when David acted as Saul's general against the Philistines.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

13. at Pasdammim] The same place under the name “Ephes-dammim” is mentioned in 1Sa_17:1 as the gathering-place of the Philistines. It was in the S.W. of Judah.

a parcel of ground] R.V. a plot of ground. The same use of “parcel” occurs Gen_33:19; Rth_4:3; Joh_4:5 (even in R.V.).

barley] Samuel “lentils.” The two words resemble each other in Heb. and might be confused by an unwary scribe.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Compare this passage with 2Sa 23:9-10.

Barley - In 2Sa 23:11, “lentiles.” The words for barley and lentils are so similar in the Hebrew that we may fairly explain the diversity by an accidental corruption.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

CHAPTER XI.

And. "Who could have discovered that thirty-four words are here omitted, if they had not been preserved in 2 Kings xxiii.," though with some inaccuracy? We should read, "And when the men of Israel were fled, he arose and smote the Philistines, until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword. And the Lord wrought a great deliverance that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil. And after him was Shammah, the son of Agee, the Hararite: and the Philistines were gathered together at Lechi, where was a piece of ground full of barley....14. But he placed himself in the midst of the field, (of barley) and saved it, and smote the Philistines; and the Lord wrought a great deliverance." (Kennicott) --- The name of Samma must have been omitted by the transcriber. (Calmet) --- Without it, how will the number 37 be made out?

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Pas-dammim. This word, appears in 1Sa_17:1 as spa, and is supposed to mean, in either form, "the boundary of blood;" it was the scene of frequent conflicts with the Philistines, and was the spot where they were encamped at the time of Goliath"s challenge to Israel. It was near Shocoh, or Soech, in Judah, some fourteen miles south-west of Jerusalem. Full of barley. The Authorized Version reading in the parallel passage (2Sa_23:11) is "full of lentiles," the Hebrew for "barley" is for "lentiles"

Possibly the words should be the same, one being here spelt, by accident, wrongly for the other (so Kennicott). The first Bible mention of "barley" occurs in Exo_9:31, Exo_9:32, from which verses we learn that it, together with "flax," was an earlier crop than "rye" and "wheat." It was not only used for food for man (Num_5:15; Jud_1:7:13; Eze_4:12) but also for horses. (1Ki_4:28) That it was nevertheless of the less-valued grain, we have significant indications, in its being prescribed for the "jealousy offering" (Num_5:15, comp. with, Lev_2:1) and in its being part of the purchase price of the adulteress. (Hos_3:2) Its derivation in the Hebrew, from a verbal root signifying "to bristle," is in noticeable analogy with the Latin hordeum, from horreo. Gesenius"s observation, that the singular of the word given above in the Hebrew marks the "growing crop," and the plural the "grain" itself, seems hardly corroborated by this single passage at all events. The lentile, on the other hand, was a species of bean, and used much for soup, of which Egyptian tomb-paintings furnish illustration (Gen_25:29-34; 2Sa_17:28; Eze_4:9) Sonnini, in his "Travels" (translation of Hunter, 3:288), tells us that still the Egyptian poor eat lentile-bread, but, what is more apropos of this passage, that in making it they prefer to mix a little "barley" with it. This apparent discrepancy between the parallel accounts not only counts in itself for very little, but may easily be surmounted by supposing that, though it be written that the "parcel" of ground was "full of lentiles," and again "full of barley," the description may only amount to this, that such parcels were in close juxtaposition. But if not, our allusion above to the possible error in the Hebrew words will sufficiently explain the variation.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

in Pas-Dammim a name of a place, and in Samuel (I 17:1): “in Ephes-Dammim.”

and the Philistines gathered there for war they were eager to avenge themselves upon Israel and those mighty men who reviled them, as delineated in Samuel (II 23:9): “...when they reviled the Philistines.”

full of barley and the Philistines wished to reap it and to set it afire.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.