The Meaning of 1 Chronicles 11:20 Explained

1 Chronicles 11:20

KJV: And Abishai the brother of Joab, he was chief of the three: for lifting up his spear against three hundred, he slew them, and had a name among the three.

YLT: And Abishai brother of Joab, he hath been head of the three: and he is lifting up his spear against three hundred -- wounded, and hath a name among three.

Darby: And Abishai the brother of Joab, he was the chief of three; and he brandished his spear against three hundred and slew them; and he had a name among the three.

ASV: And Abishai, the brother of Joab, he was chief of the three; for he lifted up his spear against three hundred and slew them, and had a name among the three.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Abishai  the brother  of Joab,  he was chief  of the three:  for lifting up  his spear  against three  hundred,  he slew  [them], and had a name  among the three. 

What does 1 Chronicles 11:20 Mean?

Chapter Summary: 1 Chronicles 11

1  David Becomes King over All Israel
4  Jerusalem
10  David's Mighty Men

What do the individual words in 1 Chronicles 11:20 mean?

And Abishai the brother of Joab he was chief of [another] three and He had lifted up - his spear against three hundred [men] killed [them] - and won a name among [these] three
וְאַבְשַׁ֣י אֲחִֽי־ יוֹאָ֗ב ה֤וּא הָיָה֙ רֹ֣אשׁ הַשְּׁלוֹשָׁ֔ה וְהוּא֙ עוֹרֵ֣ר אֶת־ חֲנִית֔וֹ עַל־ שְׁלֹ֥שׁ מֵא֖וֹת חָלָ֑ל [ולא־] (וְלוֹ־) שֵׁ֖ם בַּשְּׁלוֹשָֽׁה

וְאַבְשַׁ֣י  And  Abishai 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲבִישַׁי 
Sense: grandson of Jesse, nephew of David via his sister Zeruiah, brother of Joab.
אֲחִֽי־  the  brother 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.
יוֹאָ֗ב  of  Joab 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄואָב  
Sense: son of David’s sister Zeruiah and general of David’s army.
רֹ֣אשׁ  chief 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: רֹאשׁ 
Sense: head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning.
הַשְּׁלוֹשָׁ֔ה  of  [another]  three 
Parse: Article, Number, masculine singular
Root: מִשְׁלֹשׁ 
Sense: three, triad.
וְהוּא֙  and  He 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
עוֹרֵ֣ר  had  lifted  up 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עוּר 
Sense: to rouse oneself, awake, awaken, incite.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
חֲנִית֔וֹ  his  spear 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: חֲנִית  
Sense: spear.
עַל־  against 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
שְׁלֹ֥שׁ  three 
Parse: Number, feminine singular construct
Root: מִשְׁלֹשׁ 
Sense: three, triad.
מֵא֖וֹת  hundred  [men] 
Parse: Number, feminine plural
Root: מֵאָה 
Sense: hundred.
חָלָ֑ל  killed  [them] 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חָלַל 
Sense: to profane, defile, pollute, desecrate, begin.
[ולא־]  - 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
(וְלוֹ־)  and  won 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
שֵׁ֖ם  a  name 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.
בַּשְּׁלוֹשָֽׁה  among  [these]  three 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Number, masculine singular
Root: מִשְׁלֹשׁ 
Sense: three, triad.