Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 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:

20. Benaiah the son of Jehoiada ] Commander of the body-guard (ch. 2Sa 8:18, 2Sa 20:23), and general of the third division of the army (1Ch 27:5-6). He was an active supporter of Solomon against Adonijah, and was rewarded by being made commander-in-chief in place of Joab. See 1Ki 1:8 ; 1Ki 1:26; 1Ki 1:32 ff., 1Ki 2:25-35 ; 1Ki 2:46; 1Ki 4:4. His father Jehoiada was “the chief priest” (1Ch 27:5), that is, probably, the high priest’s deputy, and leader of the “Aaronites,” i.e. priests, who joined David at Hebron (1Ch 12:27).

the son of a valiant man ] Better, a valiant man.

Kabzeel ] A town in the extreme south of Judah towards the border of Edom (Jos 15:21), reoccupied after the Captivity and called Jekabzeel. Its exact site is unknown.

two lion-like men of Moab ] Ariel, translated lion-like man, means lion of God, a title applied by the Arabs and Persians to celebrated warriors. The Sept. reads “the two sons of Ariel,” and it has been conjectured that Ariel was a title of the Moabite king; but 1Ch 11:22 supports the reading of the Heb. text. The exploit may have been an incident in the Moabite war recorded in ch. 2Sa 8:2.

a lion, &c.] The lion had probably been driven by the severity of the winter into the neighbourhood of some village, to the terror of the inhabitants.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Benaiah the son of Jehoiada – He commanded the Cherethites and Pelethites all through Davids reign 2Sa 8:18; 2Sa 20:23, and took a prominent part in supporting Solomon against Adonijah when David was dying, and was rewarded by being made captain of the host in the room of Joab 1Ki 1:8, 1Ki 1:26, 1Ki 1:32-40; 1Ki 2:25-35; 1Ki 4:4. It is possible that Jehoiada his father is the same as Jehoiada 1Ch 12:27, leader of the Aaronites, since Benaiah the son of Jehoiada is called a chief priest 1Ch 27:5.

Two lion-like men – The Hebrew word ‘ary’el, means literally lion of God, and is interpreted to mean an eminent hero. Instances occur among Arabs and Persians of the surname lion of God being given to great warriors. Hence, it is supposed that the same custom prevailed among the Moabites. But the Vulgate has two lions of Moab, which seems to be borne out by the next sentence.

Slew a lion … – Rather, THE lion, one of those described above as a lion of God, if the Vulgate Version is right. Apparently in a severe winter a lion had come up from its usual haunts to some village in search of food, and taken possession of the tank or cistern to the terror of the inhabitants, and Benaiah attacked it boldly and killed it.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

2Sa 23:20

He went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow.

A lion in the snow

Perhaps, like me, you have at times found yourself wondering how it was that Palestine was chosen to be the land of She Bible? There is a reason, if we did but know it. Perhaps because, so far as I know the world, there is no other country which for climate and other things is so much of a world in itself. For instance, we read of a man who slew a lion in time of snow. Now we dont often think of lions and snow in the same place, but the Holy Land was a place where you could get all sorts of weather and all sorts of beasts. The fact is, the old Book was written for all the world; and, live where you like, you find it speaking of something which you see every day. Whoever reads the Bible should, however, use his imagination. For instance, in this story, as we read, we must think Of that old quarry, and how it would look when the snow was falling. Was the hero of the tale a farmer, and had he gone out to look after the stock, and did he see, to his horror, the footprints of a large beast? The marks on the snow are like those of a cats feet, but very much larger. We can hear him say, Theres a lion down there! He has gone for shelter. Wont he be hungry? When the snow-storm is over, he will have my calves or sheep. No, he wont! if I am the man I ought to be, there shall be a dead lion or a dead man in five minutes; so he went down and slew the great cat that would have otherwise robbed his flock or his family.

I. God always did like courage, especially the sort that is not afraid of great odds. He who always waits to count his enemies will never wear the Victoria Cross. If you are the only Christian in She shop, theres a chance for you to distinguish yourself. When I was a lad, elections were much rougher than they are nowadays. You could get your head broken without any trouble. A man I knew was electioneering, and strayed into the wrong committee-room. However, he found out his mistake in time, and pulled off his ribbon, put it in his mouth, and swallowed it. That is what some fellows do with their religion when they are in the midst of Gods foes.

II. Difficulties and dangers which give the chance of promotion. If you will follow this man to other parts of the Bible, you will find him at the head of four-and twenty thousand men. Now David did not make men captains because their fathers before them were officers; they had to rise by merit; and King Davids greater Son,. the Prince of Peace, lifts privates into captains when they have shown their mettle. They tell a tale in Lancashire of an Oldham man enlisting with the distinct understanding that he was to he an officer; but next morning, when he woke from his drunken slumbers, he found himself a full private. I am afraid if he ever got a stripe it was only one of many, and they were on his back and not on his arm! Distinguish yourself, and ignominy cannot claim you. The higher you get up the hill the less crowding you will find. When a collection is taken, and some one drops in a piece of gold, it may be hidden by penny pieces while in the box, but when counting begins they will soon see. This man Benaiah little dreamed that three thousand years after he killed the lion somebody would think it worth his while to talk of what happened that snowy day. The fact is, we are making history every day, and it is for ourselves to settle whether it is to be sheen or shade. (T. Champness.)

Benaiah

Benaiah went down also and slew a lion in the midst of the pit in the time of snow. That is a man worth looking at! It is a snow day; think of it. It is difficult to be brave on a day like that. But that was the day when Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done many mighty acts, went and did another. Did it ever occur to you that that man was wonderfully like another Benaiah? Did you ever think he was wonderfully like the Lord Jesus Christ, who, on one of the dullest and darkest days that ever the world saw, went down into the pit, and encountered, face to face, the devourer and the destroyer of men. And He had nobody to encourage and nobody to cheer. All His disciples forsook Him and fled; and single, unaided, and alone, He went down into the pit, and slew the lion, the dragon, the devourer. He fought and He won. There is a lion-like strength of evil in every one of us, and we are not saved till our foot is upon its neck, and its power is broken. With some, the lion is out, ranging and roaring, as that lion might be supposed to have been before this snowy day when he fell into the pit. No, the big work is to be done yet. Go down into the pit; go down into the deeps of your own fallen nature, the depths of Satan in you; go down there quick, in the strength of Benaiah, and win that fight, or you are not saved yet. None of us, old or young, ignorant or learned, has a right to feel safe until he has done Benaiahs deed, and gone down into the depths of sin that are in himself with the lamp of God and the sword of God, and stabbed to the heart the life of sin that is in the very deep places of his soul. What does Benaiah mean? Benaiah means, literally, the man whom God built. There is something in a name, after all The man whom God built from the protoplasm upward and onward, the God-built, God-strengthened, God-nerved, God-sustained man. May God grant that all of us shall have that pedigree! Born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of man, but born of God. Born again! Spiritual men, whose foundations God hath laid in Christ Jesus; and out of whom God is making strong, stalwart, heroic, spiritual, men, because He has built them and founded them on the Eternal Rock of His own dear Son. (J. McNeill.)

Possible achievement of a man plus God

The Rev. F. B. Meyer had been shown a wonderful collection of chrysanthemums. The horticulturist said to him, And all these glorious blooms come from a common field daisy. In response to Mr. Meyers questions, the expert told how, by long processes of patient cultivation pursued through a number of years, the simple wild-flower had become a triumph of scientific development. I see, he said, the chrysanthemum is a field-daisy, plus a man. Yes, said the gardener, that is it. And, said Mr. Meyer, with impressive intensity, A Christian is a man plus God–God in Christ, who came to give us life, abundantly.

Possibility of great achievements

There is a wonderful power in honest work to develop latent energies and reveal a man to himself. I suppose, in most cases, nobody is half so much surprised at a great mans greatest deed as he is himself. They say that, there is dormant electric energy enough to make a thunderstorm in a few rain drops, and there is dormant spiritual force enough in the weakest of us to flush into beneficent light, and peal notes of awaking into many a deaf ear. (A. Malaren, D. D.)

Enterprise essential to success

Success is the reward of endeavour not of accident. Rufus Cheats, when someone remarked that great achievements often resulted from chance, thundered out, Nonsense! as well talk of dropping the alphabet and picking up the Iliad.

Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell

Verse 20. Two lion-like men of Moab] Some think that two real lions are meant; some that they were two savage gigantic men; others, that two fortresses are meant. The words sheney ariel Moab may signify, as the Targum has rendered it, yath terein rabrebey Moab, “The two princes of Moab.”

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

Of Kabzeel; a place in Judah, Jos 15:21.

Who had done many acts: this may belong either to Benaiah, or to his father, to note that Benaiah was a son becoming such a father.

Two lionlike men, for courage and strength. Or, lions of God, i.e. great and strong lions. Or, two gigantic persons; and therefore both so called, as being either equal in might, or brethren by birth.

In the midst of a pit; where he put himself under a necessity, either of killing, or being killed.

In time of snow; when lions are most fierce, both from the sharpness of their appetite in cold seasons, and from want of provisions, cattle being then shut up, and fed at home.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel,…. A city in the tribe of Judah, Jos 15:21; the father of this man was a man of great vivacity, valour, and strength, so that it was like father like son. Procopius Gazaeus says Benaiah was David’s brother’s son, and a grandson of Jesse:

who had done many acts; which may refer either to the father of Benaiah or to Benaiah himself; and indeed the Syriac and Arabic versions refer the preceding character, “a valiant man”, not to the father, but the son:

he slew two lionlike men of Moab; two princes of Moab, as the Targum, or two giants of Moab, as the Syriac and Arabic versions; men who were comparable to lions for their strength and courage; for this is not to be understood of two strong towers of Moab, as Ben Gersom, which were defended by valiant men like lions, or which had the form of lions engraved on them: nor of Moabitish altars, as Gussetius f, the altar of the Lord, being called by this name of Ariel, the word used; but of men of uncommon valour and fortitude:

he went down also, and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow; not Joab, 1Ki 2:34, as is the tradition g, but a real lion, the strongest among the beasts; and that in a pit where he could not keep his distance, and turn himself, and take all advantage, and from whence he could not make his escape; and which indeed might quicken his resolution, when he must fight or die; and on a snowy day, when lions are said to have the greatest strength, as in cold weather, or however are fiercer for want of food; and when Benaiah might be benumbed in his hands and feet with cold. Josephus h represents the case thus, that the lion fell into a pit, where was much snow, and was covered with it, and making a hideous roaring, Benaiah went down and slew him; but rather it was what others say, that this lion very much infested the places adjacent, and did much harm; and therefore, for the good of the country, and to rid them of it, took this opportunity, and slew it; which one would think was not one of the best reasons that might offer; it seems best therefore what Bochart i conjectures, that Benaiah went into a cave, for so the word used may signify, to shelter himself a while from the cold, when a lion, being in it for the same reason, attacked him, and he fought with it and slew it; or rather it may be an hollow place, a valley that lay between Acra and Zion, where Benaiah, hearing a lion roar, went down and slew it k.

f Ebr. Comment p. 95. g Hieron. Trad. Heb. in 2 Reg. fol. 80. C. h Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 7. c. 12. sect. 4.) i Hierozoic. par. 1. l. 3. c. 4. col. 758. k See the Universal History, vol. 4. p. 227.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

(20) Benaiah.He was the general of the third division of the army (1Ch. 27:5-6). This probably included the Cherethites and Pelethites, since he was also their commander (2Sa. 8:18; 2Sa. 20:23). In consequence of his faithfulness to Solomon in the rebellion of Adonijah, he was finally made commander-in-chief (1Ki. 1:8; 1Ki. 1:26; 1Ki. 1:32; 1Ki. 2:25; 1Ki. 2:29-35; 1Ki. 4:4). His father Jehoiada is called a chief priest in 1Ch. 27:5, and in 1Ch. 12:27 mention is made of a Jehoiada the leader of the Aaronites, who came to David at Hebron, and who may have been the same person.

Kabzeel.A town on the extreme south of Judah, on the border of Edom (Jos. 15:21).

Lion-like men.Literally, lion of God, an expression used among Arabs and Persians of great warriors.

Slew a lion.Comp. 1Sa. 17:34-37. It is not said with what weapons he slew him, but the act was evidently a great feat of valour.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

20. Kabzeel In the south of Judah. Jos 15:21.

Who had done The who refers to the valiant man of Kabzeel, Benaiah’s ancestor. The margin is more literal, great of acts.

Two lionlike men Fierce, bold, and terrible champions, whom few would dare molest.

In the midst of a pit in time of snow An unusually heavy fall of snow had probably driven the lion into the neighbourhood of human habitations, and it had taken refuge in a pit, or, rather, cistern.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments