Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 Chronicles 11:13

"He was with David at Pasdammim, and there the Philistines were gathered together to battle, where was a plot of ground full of barley; and the people fled from before the Philistines." — 1 Chronicles 11:13 (ASV)

He was with David at Pas-dammim. —Or Ephes-dammim, between Shochoh and Azekah in the Mountains of Judah, where David encountered Goliath. The name does not now appear in 2 Samuel 23:5, being probably concealed under the word rendered when they defied.

And there the Philistines were gathered together to battle. —After these words, several lines have been lost, as can be seen by comparison with 2 Samuel 23:9–10. The text may be restored as follows: He was with David at Pas-dammim, and there the Philistines had gathered to the battle; and the men of Israel went up (perhaps, up the mountain side, in retreat). And he stood his ground, and struck the Philistines until his hand was numb, and clung to the sword. And Iahweh brought about a great victory on that day. And the people began returning (from flight) behind him only to spoil (the slain). And after him (was) Shammah ben Agê, an Hararite. And the Philistines gathered together to Lehi (Judges 15:9). And there there was a plot of ground, etc., (1 Chronicles 11:13).

The cause of this serious omission was perhaps the double occurrence of the phrase the Philistines gathered together. The eye of some copyist wandered from one to the other. What was originally told of Eleazar the second hero was that his prowess turned the flight at Pas-dammim into a victory.

Where was a plot of ground full of barley. —The scene of the exploit of the third hero, Shammah, son of Agê. Perhaps the Philistines were intent on carrying off the crop (1 Samuel 23:1). Samuel reads lentils. The Hebrew words for barley and lentils are very similar. We cannot tell which text is right.