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BENAIAH
(Be·naiʹah) [Jah has built].
1. Son of a Levitical chief priest named Jehoiada, and father of at least two sons, Ammizabad and Jehoiada. (1 Chron. 27:5, 6, 34) Benaiah was a mighty warrior of great valor and courage, “distinguished even more than the thirty” mighty men of David’s forces though “to the rank of the three he did not come.”—2 Sam. 23:20-23.
Benaiah demonstrated his prowess in a threefold way: by striking down two of Moab’s powerful heroes, by fearlessly descending into a water pit and killing a lion, and by overcoming exceptional odds to slay an Egyptian giant with the victim’s own spear. (1 Chron. 11:22-24) David put this courageous man over his personal bodyguard. (1 Chron. 11:24, 25) The Cherethites and Pelethites, headed by Benaiah, remained loyal to the king during the rebellions of Absalom and Adonijah. (2 Sam. 8:18; 15:18; 20:23; 1 Ki. 1:8, 10, 26; 1 Chron. 18:17) Additionally, Benaiah was appointed over the third rotating division of the army, a force of 24,000 men. (1 Chron. 27:5, 6) In David’s old age Benaiah and the Cherethites and Pelethites supported the coronation of Solomon. (1 Ki. 1:32-40) Later, under Solomon’s reign he was assigned to carry out the execution of Adonijah, Joab and Shimei, and was also put in command of the army by Solomon.—1 Ki. 2:24, 25, 28-46; 4:4.
2. One of David’s mighty men, commander of the eleventh rotational army division; a Pirathonite of the tribe of Ephraim.—2 Sam. 23:30; 1 Chron. 11:31; 27:14.
3. A Levite musician who played his stringed instrument accompanying the ark of the covenant when it was brought to Jerusalem and placed in the tent David had prepared for it.—1 Chron. 15:18, 20; 16:1, 5.
4. A priest who played a trumpet when the Ark was brought to Jerusalem during David’s reign.—1 Chron. 15:24; 16:6.
5. A Levite descendant of Asaph.—2 Chron. 20:14.
6. A Simeonite, possibly a contemporary of King Hezekiah.—1 Chron. 4:24, 36-43.
7. A Levite appointed by Hezekiah to help care for the bounteous contributions to Jehovah’s house.—2 Chron. 31:12, 13.
8. Father of Pelatiah, one of the wicked princes seen in Ezekiel’s vision.—Ezek. 11:1, 13.
9, 10, 11, 12. Four men who, at Ezra’s admonition, dismissed their foreign wives and sons. These four were descendants of Parosh, Pahath-moab, Bani and Nebo respectively.—Ezra 10:25, 30, 35, 43, 44.
