2 Samuel 23:18–39 (ESV)

Now Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the thirty. And he wielded his spear against three hundred men and killed them and won a name beside the three. He was the most renowned of the thirty and became their commander, but he did not attain to the three.

And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was a valiant man of Kabzeel, a doer of great deeds. He struck down two ariels of Moab. He also went down and struck down a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen. And he struck down an Egyptian, a handsome man. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand, but Benaiah went down to him with a staff and snatched the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and won a name beside the three mighty men. He was renowned among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David set him over his bodyguard.

Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, Shammah of Harod, Elika of Harod, Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh of Tekoa, Abiezer of Anathoth, Mebunnai the Hushathite, Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai of Netophah, Heleb the son of Baanah of Netophah, Ittai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the people of Benjamin, Benaiah of Pirathon, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash, Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth of Bahurim, Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan, Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite, Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai of Maacah, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, Hezro of Carmel, Paarai the Arbite, Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite, Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai of Beeroth, the armor-bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah, Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.

The list of David’s thirty mighty men actually includes more than thirty men. No one is sure how to reconcile this. Possible explanations include that thirty is just a round number, or a euphemism for a group (like a platoon), or the name “thirty” stuck even after more were added (like the “big ten” conference), or that the complete list includes replacements for those who were killed in action.

The number of men isn’t critical, but two specifics about this list are. First, Joab doesn’t make the list. This is astonishing given Joab’s major roles throughout David’s lifetime. He was David’s right-hand man more often than not. He commanded the whole army.

Joab’s name appears twice in this passage, but in regard to others. This only serves to highlight it’s absence. This is by design. Long lists like this tend to bury individual names. It’d be easy to not notice that Joab isn’t there. But the two mentions of his name draw attention to the absence.

This is Joab’s final punishment for disobeying David’s order to protect Absalom.

Secondly, saving the name of Uriah the Hittite until the end is also by design. This is to highlight the fact that David didn’t try to cover up his adultery by knocking off some random soldier; he killed one of his thirty mighty men.

God, and His scripture, aren’t going to just let this go.