Lives of Scripture

Eleazar, son of Dodo the Ahohite, was one of David's three mightiest warriors, a small, elite group whose exploits are recorded in Israel's history (2 Samuel 23:8-9). In one battle, when the Philistines gathered at Pas-dammim for war, the men of Israel withdrew, but Eleazar stood his ground with David and kept fighting (23:9-10). He struck the Philistines until his hand grew weary and literally clung to his sword, unable to let go, and the LORD brought about a great victory that day. Only after the fighting ended did the rest of the army return -- not to fight, but to strip the fallen enemy of their plunder (23:10). Eleazar's account is one of Scripture's clearest single-combat pictures of extraordinary courage: while others retreated, he held the line until his own body could not release the weapon, and the victory that followed is credited explicitly to the LORD's action through him, not merely his own strength. His name appears among David's mighty men in the parallel list of 1 Chronicles 11:12 as well, cementing his place among Israel's most honored warriors under David's reign.