Strange Story: OTHER EXAMPLES OF CHIVALRY IN ANCIENT COMBAT

JOSHEB          II Sam 23:8 and I Chron chapter 11

This is not a story, just the simple fact that Josheb killed 800 men with a spear in one battle. In cases like this, the spear was not thrown but was used to jab the enemy and then pulled out again. Josheb was an Israelite armed with nothing but a spear, which offered an advantage in one way and a disadvantage in another way. The spear could reach his opponent before they could reach him with their sword, but he must not thrust the spear too deeply or he wouldn’t be able to pull it out quickly and while he struggled to pull it out, another opponent could approach him with his sword while he was basically unarmed. The little bit of information we are given tells us that Josheb was really, really good with a spear. He had mastered the ability of using the spear’s advantage and minimizing its disadvantage.

If this were a free-for-all, spinning and swinging his spear would not have proved enough, and the first person he stabbed with it would create a pause allowing others who were already close to stab or cut him.

I think this incident favors the one-challenger-at-a-time method.

ELEAZAR      II Sam 23:9-10 and I Chron 11

Eleazar stood his ground and did not retreat even though all the other Israelites ran away. He struck down all the Philistines that came to him. This gave courage to his fellow Israelites, who stopped fleeing and came back to him, but when they got to him the only thing left to do was strip the dead of any weapons or other valuables because by now it was the Philistines who had run away. However, for some reason it was not practicable to pursue them – maybe because it was almost dark and they did not fight at night because it was hard to see which side someone belonged to.

SHAMMAN      II Sam 23:11-12

Shammah fought and defeated an entire band of Philistines in a field of lentils. He held his ground and did not retreat. In reality, it was not the field of lentils that was so important as to need defending at risk of one’s life; he was defending his people and their way of life. The point is that he had to fight in the place where he found himself at that moment. We say, “Grow where you are planted,” They would say, “Fight wherever you are when the battle comes to you.”

BENAIAH      I Samuel chapter 23 andI Chron chapter 11

 Benaiah killed two Moabite champions, a lion in a cistern, and an Egyptian who was a giant.

Other mighty men of David eliminated other giants and champion warriors. All these were examples of one-on-one combat.

DAVID      I Sam 18:25-27

David and his men killed 200 Philistines for the price required for David to marry Michal, the daughter of king Saul. Actually, Saul told David the price was proof of the killing of 100 Philistines (the body part used for proof is best left unexplained) but David brought twice that many, 200.  

It is my assumption that David was intent on meeting this challenge by himself, but some of his men insisted on going with him. Only 100 “trophies” from the Philistines were required and I think David got 100 of them by himself. But his companions also faced some challenges and therefore, together, they brought back 200 “trophies”.

I think it went down something like this. Simply by entering Philistine territory, David and his men were likely stopped and asked what they were doing. The Philistines distrusted them and accused them of all kinds of wrongdoing and a conflict ensued. Or better yet, David purposefully did something that was offensive or threatening to them and they responded by challenging him to one-on-one combat, which is what David wanted. David won all his encounters, and it appears that his men did also.

Saul thought that if David faced off against 100 Philistines, one of them would surely be able to beat him. In that way, Saul would not have to kill David, he could let the Philistines do it. But Saul seems to have forgotten about that incident with a guy named Goliath.

This is the last story I offer about chivalry in ancient combat during the life of David. Thank you for reading.