18 Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the three. He lifted up his spear against three hundred and killed them, and had a name among the three.
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
Three - "The three" 2-Samuel 23:22. It was Abishai's prowess on this occasion that raised him to be chief of this triad.
And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief among the three,.... Another triumvirate, of which he was the head:
and he lifted up his spear against three hundred, and slew them; Josephus (e) says six hundred; this seems to confirm the reading of 2-Samuel 23:8, that the number eight hundred is right, for if it was only three hundred, Abishai would have been equal to one, even the first, of the former three; which yet is denied him in 2-Samuel 23:19,
and had the name among three; of which he was one; and he had the chief name among them, or was the most famous of them.
(e) Antiqu. l. 7. c. 12. sect. 4.
*More commentary available at chapter level.