These be the names of the mighty men - This chapter should be collated with the parallel place, 1 Chronicles 11:11-47; and see Kennicott's First Dissertation on the printed Hebrew text, pages 64-471.
The Tachmonite that sat in the seat - Literally and properly, Jashobeam the Hachmonite. See 1 Chronicles 11:11.
The same was Adino the Eznite - This is a corruption for he lift up his spear. See 1 Chronicles 11:11.
Eight hundred, whom he slew at one time - Three hundred is the reading in Chronicles, and seems to be the true one. The word חלל chalal, which we translate slain, should probably be translated soldiers, as in the Septuagint, στρατιωτας ; he withstood three hundred Soldiers at one time. See the note on David's lamentation over Saul and Jonathan, 2 Samuel 1:21; (note), and Kennicott's First Dissertation, p. 101. Dr. Kennicott observes: "This one verse contains three great corruptions in the Hebrew text:
See Kennicott, ubi supr.
The duplicate of this passage is in 2 Samuel 23:8-9 is perhaps to be corrected by comparison with 1 Chronicles 11:11-12.
Chief among the captains - There is great doubt about the exact meaning of this phrase.
(1) the title is given to two other persons, namely, to Abishai in 2 Samuel 23:18; 1 Chronicles 11:20, and to Amasa in 1 Chronicles 12:18.
(2) the word translated “captain,” is of uncertain meaning, and the orthography repeatedly fluctuates throughout this and the duplicate passage in 2 Samuel 23:18. Such variations in numerals are very frequent. Compare the numbers in Ezra 2 and Nehemiah 7.