The duplicate of this passage is in 1 Chronicles 11, where it is in immediate connection with David’s accession to the throne of Israel, and where the mighty men are named as those by whose aid David was made king. The document belongs to the early part of David’s reign. The text of 2 Samuel 23:8-9 is perhaps to be corrected by comparison with 1 Chronicles 11:11-12.
Chief among the captains - There is great doubt about the exact meaning of this phrase.
(1) the title is given to two other persons, namely, to Abishai in 2 Samuel 23:18; 1 Chronicles 11:20, and to Amasa in 1 Chronicles 12:18.
(2) the word translated “captain,” is of uncertain meaning, and the orthography repeatedly fluctuates throughout this and the duplicate passage in 1 Chronicles 11, between “Shalish” a captain, and “Sheloshah” three.
(3) if, however, the text of Chronicles be taken as the guide, then the sense of “captain” will not come into play, but the word will be a numeral throughout, either “three” or “thirty,” and will describe David’s band of thirty mighty men, with a certain triad or triads of heroes who were yet more illustrious than the thirty.
In the verse before us, therefore, for “chief among the captains,” we should render, “chief of the thirty.”
Eight hundred - The parallel passage in 1 Chronicles has “three hundred,” as in 2 Samuel 23:18. Such variations in numerals are very frequent. Compare the numbers in Ezra 2 and Nehemiah 7.