Benaiah - UPDV Updated Bible Version

Benaiah the son of Jehoiada steps onto the page as one of David's named warriors and remains there as the captain who closes Solomon's accession. The Hebrew Bible carries other Benaiahs as well — a Pirathonite among David's Thirty, Levitical musicians and trumpeters, a Simeonite chief, the father of Pelatiah in Ezekiel's vision, and four men of that name in the post-exilic list of those who had married foreign wives — but the chief Benaiah is the priest's son who commanded the Cherethites and the Pelethites.

Son of Jehoiada and Captain of the Guard

Benaiah is introduced in David's roster of officers: "and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David's sons were chief rulers" (2Sa 8:18). The Chronicler repeats the appointment: "and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and the sons of David were chief about the king" (1Ch 18:17). David sets him over his personal guard after his exploits, "And David set him over his guard" (2Sa 23:23; 1Ch 11:25). His monthly division at court is recorded with care: "The third captain of the host for the third month was Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada the priest, chief: and in his course were twenty and four thousand. This is that Benaiah, who was the mighty man of the thirty, and over the thirty: and his course was Ammizabad his son" (1Ch 27:5-6).

A Distinguished Warrior

The doublet at 2Sa 23:20 and 1Ch 11:22 fixes the legend: "Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a man of valor of Kabzeel, who had done mighty deeds, he slew the two [sons of] Ariel of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow." The same passages add the duel with the Egyptian. The Samuel form runs, "And he slew a handsome Egyptian: 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" (2Sa 23:21). The Chronicler's parallel adds the dimensions, "an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits high; and in the Egyptian's hand was a spear like a weaver's beam" (1Ch 11:23). On these deeds rests his standing: "These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had a name among the three mighty men. He was more honorable than the thirty, but he didn't attain to the three" (2Sa 23:22-23; 1Ch 11:24-25).

Loyal to Solomon

When Adonijah the son of Haggith exalts himself and says, "I will be king" (1Ki 1:5), Benaiah stays with David. The king summons him with Zadok and Nathan to anoint Solomon, and Benaiah's answer to the order is the formal Amen of the guard: "And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, and said, Amen: Yahweh, the God of my lord the king, says so [too]" (1Ki 1:36). The procession to Gihon then forms around him: "So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites, went down, and caused Solomon to ride on king David's mule, and brought him to Gihon" (1Ki 1:38).

Under the new king, Benaiah carries out the executions David had charged Solomon to settle. When Joab flees to the Tent of Yahweh, "Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, Go, fall on him" (1Ki 2:29), and the deed is reported with the same name: "Then Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up, and fell on him, and slew him; and he was buried in his own house in the wilderness" (1Ki 2:34). In Solomon's settled court he holds Joab's old place: "and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the host; and Zadok and Abiathar were priests" (1Ki 4:4).

Benaiah the Pirathonite

A second Benaiah, of Ephraim, stands in the lists of David's Thirty: "Benaiah a Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash" (2Sa 23:30); "Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the sons of Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite" (1Ch 11:31). He too holds a monthly course: "The eleventh [captain] for the eleventh month was Benaiah the Pirathonite, of the sons of Ephraim: and in his course were twenty and four thousand" (1Ch 27:14).

Levitical Musicians and Priests

In the chronicler's roster of those David appointed to the music of the ark, Benaiah appears among "their brothers of the second degree" (1Ch 15:18) and again among those "with psalteries set to Alamoth" (1Ch 15:20), and once more in the standing complement of Asaph's house: "Asaph the chief, and second to him Zechariah, Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obed-edom, and Jeiel, with psalteries and with harps" (1Ch 16:5). A Benaiah is also numbered among the priests who blew the trumpets: "And Shebaniah, and Joshaphat, and Nethanel, and Amasai, and Zechariah, and Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, blew the trumpets before the ark of God" (1Ch 15:24); "and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests with trumpets continually, before the ark of the covenant of God" (1Ch 16:6).

Other Bearers of the Name

Several other Benaiahs round out the lists. A grandfather appears in Jahaziel's lineage when the Spirit comes on him in Jehoshaphat's day: "Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, the Levite, of the sons of Asaph" (2Ch 20:14). A Levite of Hezekiah's reorganization is among the temple overseers: "And Jehiel, and Azaziah, and Nahath, and Asahel, and Jerimoth, and Jozabad, and Eliel, and Ismachiah, and Mahath, and Benaiah, were overseers under the hand of Conaniah" (2Ch 31:13). A Simeonite chief stands in the genealogies: "and Elioenai, and Jaakobah, and Jeshohaiah, and Asaiah, and Adiel, and Jesimiel, and Benaiah" (1Ch 4:36).

In Ezekiel's vision a Benaiah is named as the father of Pelatiah, one of the twenty-five "princes of the people" at the east gate: "I saw in the midst of them Jaazaniah the son of Azzur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people" (Eze 11:1). When Pelatiah dies under the prophet's word, Ezekiel recalls the patronymic: "And it came to pass, when I prophesied, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died" (Eze 11:13).