II Samuel 23:39

23:39 The very last name mentioned is Uriah the Hittite. There is an earlier reference to his father-in-law, Eliam, father of Bathsheba (23:34; see 11:3). By contrast, the Chronicler, who never mentioned David’s sins against Bathsheba and Uriah, placed Uriah’s name inconspicuously in the middle of the list of David’s mighty men (1 Chr 11:10-47). This author not only described the sins (2 Sam 11:1-27) but puts emphasis on Uriah’s name by placing it at the end of this list. Uriah was no ordinary conscript but a loyal member of David’s elite guard, which makes David’s treachery against him all the worse. • There were thirty-seven in all: Only thirty-six names are mentioned, assuming that “Shammah . . . from Harar” (23:11) is different from “Shammah from Harod” (23:25), and that “Benaiah son of Jehoiada” (23:20) is different from “Benaiah from Pirathon” (23:30). Perhaps the thirty-seventh warrior was Joab, who is mentioned only peripherally (23:18, 37) and is absent from the list of names. Many commentators say that he is excluded because he was David’s chief military leader and did not need to be included. The omission could also represent David’s long and troubled association with Joab, who was eventually executed when Solomon carried out David’s deathbed command (1 Kgs 2:5-6, 28-34).