שמואל ב, פרק כ״ג, פסוק י״א

The bravery of a lone warrior stands out most starkly when others flee in fear. During a fierce Philistine raid, the Israelites retreated, leaving one man to defend the vital crops. This defender was Shammah the son of Agee, a fighter whose origins traced back to the mountain region [רש"י, רד"ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. His placement in the historical account indicates that he was next in rank and greatness following the previously mentioned heroes of King David [מצודת דוד, אברבנאל].

The exact nature of the Philistine threat is understood in several ways. The primary approach among commentators is that they formed a brutal military or raiding unit, acting with the cruelty of wild beasts as they descended upon the land [רש"י, מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Others suggest they massed at a specific, vulnerable location, such as an unwalled city [רד"ק]. Alternatively, their gathering was driven purely by a desire for sustenance, aiming to plunder an agricultural estate [מצודת ציון] and steal the community's food supply [אברבנאל].

The historical records present a notable contrast regarding the details of this battle. While this account describes a field full of lentils saved by Shammah alone, a parallel record in the Book of Chronicles mentions a field of barley defended by multiple warriors, including Eleazar. Some scholars resolve this by suggesting these were two entirely separate battles occurring at different times [מצודת דוד].

However, other commentators view both accounts as different perspectives of a single event. One explanation is that the harvest had already taken place, and the estate served as a collection point for grain from various locations, resulting in piles of both lentils and barley in one place [רד"ק]. Another possibility is that there were two adjacent fields; Eleazar stood guard over the barley, while Shammah protected the lentils [מלבי"ם].

Although the present account singles out Shammah for his central role in preventing the field from being burned and looted, he did not fight entirely alone. King David and Eleazar ultimately fought alongside him. The parallel account uses the plural form to reflect this shared effort, acknowledging that the great victory and salvation delivered by God was brought about by all of them working together [מלבי"ם, אברבנאל].