valiant man 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. 23And 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. 24These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had a name among the three mighty men. 25Behold, he was more honourable than the thirty, but he attained not to the first three: and David set him over his [1]guard.
26Also the mighty men of the armies; Asahel the brother
Kabzeel] It was in the south of Judah; Josh. xv. 21.
he slew the two sons of Ariel of Moab] So LXX. of 2 Sam. xxiii. 20. The phrase is very difficult. Some, emending the text, read "He slew two young lions, having gone down to their lair." Another but an improbable conjecture is "he smote the two altar-pillars of Moab," i.e. he overthrew the two high columns on which the sacred fire of the Moabites was kept (Robertson Smith, Religion of the Semites, Additional Note L). To injure or defile the sacred place of an enemy was a common practice in ancient war.
in time of snow] "The beast had strayed up the Judaean hills from Jordan, and had been caught in a sudden snowstorm. Where else than in Palestine could lions and snow thus come together?" G. A. Smith, Hist. Geog. p. 65.
23. of great stature] Sam. has a better reading, "a goodly man" (man of presence), "goodliness" according to the Hebrews consisting in being well-built for warlike exercises.
a staff] Heb. shēbhet, i.e. the "rod" or "club" carried by shepherds as a defence against wild-beasts; Ps. ii. 9 ("rod"); xxiii. 4 "rod"); 2 Sam. xviii. 14 ("darts"). This "rod" had a point at one end, so that it could on occasion be used as a stabbing weapon.
25. more honourable than the thirty] On the phrase, see ver. 21, note. The verse probably comes from some poem written in praise of Benaiah. Cp. xxvii. 6.
guard] The same Heb. word, mishma'ath, is translated "council" in the mg. here and also in 1 Sam. xxii. 14. The literal meaning is "obedience"; it seems both here and in Sam. (l.c.) to designate those who executed the king's commands, i.e. his ministers. (Minister = "servant.")
26. Asahel] Whose death at the hands of Abner, the general of Ishbosheth, was the cause of the famous feud between Abner and Joab, cp. 2 Sam. ii. 18 ff., iii. 27.
- ↑ Or, council
