Jashobeam
Jashobeam, also known as Josheb-basshebet, was the chief of David's mighty men and the son of Hachmoni.
Biography
Jashobeam son of Hachmoni (also called Josheb-basshebet the Tahchemonite in 2 Samuel 23:8) held the supreme position among David's Thirty, distinguished as the foremost of the Three, the innermost circle of elite warriors. He is credited with a staggering military feat: single-handedly slaying eight hundred enemy soldiers in a single engagement, a figure the parallel account in 2 Samuel renders as three hundred. His name means "the people will return" or "the people dwell," perhaps reflecting messianic aspirations. As chief of David's Mighty Men, he embodied the martial excellence and fierce devotion that characterized the inner circle of warriors who made the Davidic kingdom possible.
Significance
Jashobeam's extraordinary military achievement, slaying hundreds of enemies in a single battle, places him in the tradition of divinely enabled warriors whose feats surpass normal human capacity. Like Samson and other charismatic warriors before him, his deeds point to a God who equips His servants for seemingly impossible tasks. As chief of the Mighty Men, Jashobeam represents the pinnacle of covenant loyalty and martial dedication. The Mighty Men as a collective served to secure the Davidic kingdom, which Scripture consistently presents as the prototype of the eternal Kingdom of God. Their exploits thus carry typological weight in the broader sweep of biblical redemptive history.
Verse Appearances (3)
2Sam
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
- Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]