Benaiah

A lion in a pit on a snowy day: that is where Benaiah’s story is told. The son of Jehoiada “went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow,” and he took the spear from a tall Egyptian and used it against him. Honoured among the thirty but not reaching “the first three,” he was set by David over his guard, and over the Cherethites and Pelethites. Other men with the same name appear among the musicians and priests before the ark, and in a list in Ezra. See 2 Samuel 23:20-23.

16 verses

2 Samuel

2 Samuel 8:18

And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over both the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David's sons were chief rulers.

2 Samuel 23:20

And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man, of Kabzeel, who had done many acts, he slew two lionlike men of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow:

2 Samuel 23:21

And he slew an Egyptian, a goodly man: and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and slew him with his own spear.

2 Samuel 23:22

These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had the name among three mighty men.

2 Samuel 23:23

He was more honourable than the thirty, but he attained not to the first three. And David set him over his guard.

2 Samuel 23:30

Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash,

1 Kings

1 Kings 1:2

Wherefore his servants said unto him, Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin: and let her stand before the king, and let her cherish him, and let her lie in thy bosom, that my lord the king may get heat.

1 Chronicles

1 Chronicles 11:22

Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done many acts; he slew two lionlike men of Moab: also he went down and slew a lion in a pit in a snowy day.

1 Chronicles 11:23

And he slew an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits high; and in the Egyptian's hand was a spear like a weaver's beam; and he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and slew him with his own spear.

1 Chronicles 11:24

These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had the name among the three mighties.

1 Chronicles 11:25

Behold, he was honourable among the thirty, but attained not to the first three: and David set him over his guard.

1 Chronicles 11:31

Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah, that pertained to the children of Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite,

1 Chronicles 15:18

And with them their brethren of the second degree, Zechariah, Ben, and Jaaziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, Eliab, and Benaiah, and Maaseiah, and Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obededom, and Jeiel, the porters.

1 Chronicles 15:20

And Zechariah, and Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, and Eliab, and Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with psalteries on Alamoth;

1 Chronicles 15:24

And Shebaniah, and Jehoshaphat, and Nethaneel, and Amasai, and Zechariah, and Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, did blow with the trumpets before the ark of God: and Obededom and Jehiah were doorkeepers for the ark.

Ezra

Ezra 10:43

Of the sons of Nebo; Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jadau, and Joel, Benaiah.

From Easton's Bible Dictionary

Matthew George Easton, 1897

Built up by Jehovah. (1.) The son of Jehoiada, chief priest (1 Chr. 27:5). He was set by David over his body-guard of Cherethites and Pelethites (2 Sam. 8:18; 1 Kings 1:32; 1 Chr. 18:17). His exploits are enumerated in 2 Sam. 23:20, 21, 22; 1 Chr. 11:22. He remained faithful to Solomon (1 Kings 1:8, 10, 26), by whom he was raised to the rank of commander-in-chief (1 Kings 2:25, 29, 30, 34, 35; 4:4).

(2.) 2 Sam. 23:30; 1 Chr. 11:31.

(3.) A musical Levite (1 Chr. 15:18, 20).

(4.) A priest (1 Chr. 15:24; 16:6).

(5.) The son of Jeiel (2 Chr. 20:14).

From Smith's Bible Dictionary

William Smith, 1884

(made by the Lord).

(1.) The son of Jehoiada the chief priest, (1 Chronicles 27:5) of the tribe of Levi, though a native of Kabzeel, (2 Samuel 23:20) set by David, (1 Chronicles 11:25) over his body-guard. (2 Samuel 8:18; 20:23; 1 Kings 1:38; 1 Chronicles 18:17) One of the mighty men. (2 Samuel 23:22,23; 1 Chronicles 11:25; 27:6) The exploits which gave him this rank are narrated in (2 Samuel 23:20,21; 1 Chronicles 11:22) He was captain of the host for the third month. (1 Chronicles 27:5) Benaiah remained faithful to Solomon during Adonijah’s attempt on the crown, (1 Kings 1:8,10,32,38,44) and was raised unto the place of Joab as commander-in-chief of the whole army. (1 Kings 2:35; 4:4) (B.C. 1005.)

Read the full entry

(2.) Benaiah the Pirathonite, an Ephraimite, one of David’s thirty mighty men, (2 Samuel 23:30; 1 Chronicles 11:31) and the captain of the eleventh monthly course. (1 Chronicles 27:14)

(3.) A Levite in the time of David, who "played with a psaltry on Alamoth." (1 Chronicles 15:18,20; 16:5)

(4.) A priest in the time of David, appointed to blow the trumpet before the ark. (1 Chronicles 15:24; 16:6)

(5.) A Levite of the sons of Asaph. (2 Chronicles 20:14)

(6.) A Levite in the time of Hezekiah. (2 Chronicles 31:13)

(7.) One of the "princes" of the families of Simeon. (1 Chronicles 4:36)

(8.) Four laymen in the time of Ezra who had taken strange wives. (Ezra 10:25,30,35,43)

(9.) The father of Pelatiah. (Ezekiel 11:1,13)

Based on Nave's Topical Bible by Orville J. Nave (1896). Dictionary entries from Easton's Bible Dictionary and Smith's Bible Dictionary. Public domain. KJV scripture text, public domain.