King David’s military forces featured a distinct hierarchy, crowned by an elite team of three supreme warriors whose bravery far surpassed that of his other thirty recognized heroes. Within this exclusive trio, Eleazar held a specific rank. He was not merely the next to fight in a chronological sequence, but was firmly established as the second in command and status [רש י ומצודת דוד]. His title points to his family lineage or his place of origin [ביאור שטיינזלץ], firmly placing him within this highly restricted upper echelon of fighters.
The historical record of Eleazar in the Book of Chronicles is intentionally brief, relying on the reader's familiarity with the more detailed account found in the Book of Samuel. A comparison between the two records reveals a striking difference. While the Book of Samuel explicitly names all three elite warriors (Jashobeam, Eleazar, and Shammah), the account in Chronicles omits Shammah's name entirely, mentioning only the first two [רש״י]. This glaring omission, combined with the sudden use of plural language to describe the events of the ensuing battle, creates a complex picture of how Eleazar and Shammah actually operated together on the battlefield.
One perspective suggests that the mere mention of a three-man team serves as a hidden nod to the missing Shammah. Although Shammah was the central figure in this specific conflict, Eleazar was present and fought directly alongside him, which naturally results in the plural description of their actions [רד״ק]. Taking this partnership further, another approach explains that the two warriors actually divided their responsibilities during the campaign to save a vital plot of land. While Shammah positioned himself inside the field to physically defend it, Eleazar took the offensive, striking down the Philistine forces that had gathered for war. In this way, the historical record merges their distinct but complementary acts of bravery into a single event [רלב״ג].
Conversely, a third view argues that the Book of Chronicles is not merely summarizing the older record, but rather revealing entirely new information. The earlier account describes Shammah saving a field of lentils and Eleazar striking the Philistines. The newer account, however, adds that Eleazar also saved a field of his own, a field of barley. In this context, the plural language used to describe the battle does not refer to Eleazar and Shammah fighting together, but rather indicates that Eleazar achieved this specific victory with the assistance of his own soldiers [מלבי״ם].