The third of the Three was Shammah, the son of Agee the Hararite. His fight was over a plain patch of ground, and he would not give it up.
A Field Full of Lentils
The Philistines gathered into a troop where there was a plot of ground full of lentils, and the men fled from them (2 Samuel 23:11). Shammah stayed.
But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the LORD wrought a great victory.— 2 Samuel 23:12 (KJV)
Why a Lentil Field?
A field of lentils was food for families through the year. Giving it up meant hunger and surrender. Shammah planted his feet in the middle of it and drove off the enemy. 1 Chronicles 11:13–14 records a similar stand in a barley field alongside Eleazar.
Two Shammahs
Don't confuse him with Shammah of Harod (2 Samuel 23:25) or with Shammah the Hararite listed among the Thirty in verse 33. Several mighty men shared names.
What Shammah Teaches Young Men
Some ground is worth defending: your family, your word, the truth. Stand in the middle of it and do not move.
41 bold coloring pages of King David's warriors, straight from 2 Samuel 23 and 1 Chronicles 11. Ages 5–99+. Paperback, $9.99.
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