Keraia
2 Samuel 23

2 Samuel 23:20

David’s Mighty Men · 2 Samuel 23:8–39
Read 2 Samuel 23

Translations

Modern
And Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a man of valor from Kabzeel, a man of many exploits. He struck down two champions of Moab, and on a snowy day he went down into a pit and killed a lion.
Traditional
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:
Literal
And Benaiah son of Jehoiada was son of a man of valor, great in deeds, from Kabzeel. He struck down two lion-like ones of Moab, and He went down and killed a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day.
Latin
Et Banaias filius Jojadæ viri fortissimi, magnorum operum, de Cabseel. Ipse percussit duos leones Moab, et ipse descendit, et percussit leonem in media cisterna in diebus nivis.

Original

Hebrew
English
And Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a man of valor from Kabzeel, a man of many exploits. He struck down two champions of Moab, and on a snowy day he went down into a pit and killed a lion.

Notes

2 Samuel 23:18–23

  • Here are examples of the skills of Abishai and Benaiah. Abishai was very aggressive toward David’s enemies, especially Saul (1 Samuel 26:6–9) and Saul’s relative Shimei (2 Samuel 16:9–11). Abishai saved David’s life during a Philistine war (2 Samuel 21:16–17).

  • Benaiah first appeared as the commander of the mercenaries who were David’s bodyguards. These men were separate from the regular army (2 Samuel 8:18; 20:23). He also led a 24,000-man division of the regular army that served the king every third month (1 Chronicles 27:5–6). He played a key role in Solomon’s rise to the throne (1 Kings 1:32–49) and became the commander of Solomon’s army, like Joab was for David.

2 Samuel 23:8–39

  • This section lists David's top warriors by name, highlighting their notable achievements. These warriors were like "iron tools" that God used to defeat the godless (2 Samuel 23:7).

  • The list is divided into the Three and the Thirty. Some Hebrew scholars suggest that the Thirty could mean "Officers." If true, the Three might have originally referred to a specific military role.

2 Samuel 21:1–24:25

The final chapters of 2 Samuel form a coda (a concluding section). This section brings together and summarizes the main themes from earlier chapters.

These chapters are thematic, not chronological (arranged by topic, not by time). Because of this, not all the events happened at the end of David’s reign (for example, 2 Samuel 22:1).

The material is arranged using a common Hebrew literary pattern called a chiasm (a mirror-like structure). In a chiasm, the first and last sections match, and the middle section is the focus.

The structure of this chiasm is as follows:

A chiasm draws attention to the center section. Here, the center is David’s hymns. These hymns do not focus on David himself. Instead, they focus on David’s God.

Theme notes and profiles

David

Events

Parallels

1 Chronicles 11:10–47

People

Ariel: Two lion-like men of Moab killed by Benaiah Benaiah: Son of Jehoiada, a mighty warrior and loyal supporter of David and Solomon Jehoiada: Father of one of David's warriors, Benaiah

Places

Kabzeel: A town in the Negev, home of Benaiah Moab: Ancient kingdom east of the Dead Sea in Jordan

Glossary

Ariel (Person) Benaiah Genealogy Harar, Hararite Hunting Kabzeel Samuel, Books of First and Second

Topics

Armies: March in Ranks: A Promotion Benaiah: Son of Jehoiada, Commander of the Cherethites and Pelethites: A Distinguished Warrior Kabzeel: A City of the Tribe of Judah Lion: Killed by Benaiah Moabites: Benaiah Slew Two Champions of Moabites: David Conquers Pit: Benaiah Kills a Lion In Snow in Palestine The Lion of Brave Men The Lion: Slain by Benaiah