2 Samuel 23 · Verse 20

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:
2 Samuel 23:20, King James Version

2 Samuel 23:20 in other translations

BSBAnd 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.
WEBBenaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done mighty deeds, killed the two sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went down and killed a lion in the middle of a pit in a time of snow.
ASVAnd Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a 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.
YLTAnd Benaiah son of Jehoiada (son of a man of valour, great in deeds from Kabzeel), he hath smitten two lion-like men of Moab, and he hath gone down and smitten the lion in the midst of the pit in a day of snow.
DARBYAnd Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, son of a valiant man, great in exploits, of Kabzeel: he it was that smote two lions of Moab; and he went down and smote a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day.
BBEAnd Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, a fighting man of Kabzeel, had done great acts; he put to death the two sons of Ariel of Moab: he went down into a hole and put a lion to death in time of snow:
WebsterAnd Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man, of Kabzeel, who had done many acts, he slew two lion-like men of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow:

What does 2 Samuel 23:20 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 2 Samuel 23:19-39

19-39. the first three--The mighty men or champions in David's military staff were divided into three classes--the highest, Jashobeam, Eleazar, and Shammah; the second class, Abishai, Benaiah, and Asahel; and the third class, the thirty, of which Asahel was the chief. There are thirty-one mentioned in the list, including Asahel; and these added to the two superior orders make thirty-seven. Two of them, we know, were…

Read the full comment on 2 Samuel 23:19-39 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary
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 שני אראל מואב sheney ariel Moab may signify, as the Targum has rendered it, ית תרין רברבי מואב yath terein rabrebey Moab, "The two princes of Moab."

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 2 Samuel 23:8-39

David once earnestly longed for the water at the well of Bethlehem. It seems to be an instance of weakness. He was thirsty; with the water of that well he had often refreshed himself when a youth, and it was without due thought that he desired it. Were his valiant men so forward to expose themselves, upon the least hint of their prince's mind, and so eager to please him, and shall not we long to approve ourselves to…

Read the full comment on 2 Samuel 23:8-39 →

2 Samuel 23:20 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וּבְנָיָ֨הוּu.ve.na.Ya.huand BenaiahH1141
בֶן\־ven-[the] son ofH1121
יְהוֹיָדָ֧עye.ho.ya.Da'JehoiadaH3077
בֶּן\־ben-[was] a son ofH1121
אִֽישׁ\־'ish-a manH376
חַ֛יִלchaiof strengthH2428
רַב\־rav-great ofH7227
פְּעָלִ֖יםpe.'a.LimdeedsH6467
מִֽקַּבְצְאֵ֑לmi.kav.tze.'Elfrom KabzeelH6909
ה֣וּאhu'heH1931
הִכָּ֗הhi.Kahhe struck downH5221
אֵ֣ת'et<obj.>H853
שְׁנֵ֤יshe.Nei[the] twoH8147
אֲרִאֵל֙'a.ri.'El[the] lion-like men ofH739
מוֹאָ֔בmo.'AvMoabH4124
וְ֠הוּאVe.hu'and heH1931
יָרַ֞דya.Radhe went downH3381
וְהִכָּ֧הve.hi.Kahand he struck downH5221
אֶֽת\־'et-<obj.>H853
הָאֲרִ֛יha.'a.ri.yahthe lionH738
בְּת֥וֹךְbe.Tokhin [the] midst ofH8432
הַבֹּ֖ארha.Borthe pitH953
בְּי֥וֹםbe.Yomon [the] day ofH3117
הַשָּֽׁלֶג\׃ha.Sha.legthe snowH7950

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 2 Samuel 23:20

  • Joshua 15:21

    And the uttermost cities of the tribe of the children of Judah toward the coast of Edom southward were Kabzeel, and Eder, and Jagur,

  • 2 Samuel 20:23

    Now Joab was over all the host of Israel: and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites:

  • 2 Samuel 8:18

    And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over both the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David’s sons were chief rulers.

  • 1 Chronicles 11:22-24

    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: also he went down and slew a lion in a pit in a snowy day. And 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. These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had the name among the three mighties.

  • 1 Samuel 17:34-37

    And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee.

  • 1 Kings 1:8

    But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty men which belonged to David, were not with Adonijah.

  • 1 Kings 1:38

    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 upon king David’s mule, and brought him to Gihon.

  • 1 Kings 2:29-35

    And it was told king Solomon that Joab was fled unto the tabernacle of the Lord; and, behold, he is by the altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, Go, fall upon him. And Benaiah came to the tabernacle of the Lord, and said unto him, Thus saith the king, Come forth. And he said, Nay; but I will die here. And Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me. And the king said unto him, Do as he hath said, and fall upon him, and bury him; that thou mayest take away the innocent blood, which Joab shed, from me, and from the house of my father. And the Lord shall return his blood upon his own head, who fell upon two men more righteous and better than he, and slew them with the sword, my father David not knowing thereof, to wit, Abner the son of Ner, captain of the host of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the host of Judah. …

  • Exodus 15:15

    Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away.

  • 1 Kings 1:26

    But me, even me thy servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and thy servant Solomon, hath he not called.

  • 1 Kings 2:46

    So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; which went out, and fell upon him, that he died. And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.

  • Judges 14:5-6

    Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared against him. And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Benaiah.
8:18; 20:23; 1Ki 1:8,26,38; 2:29-35,46; 1Ch 18:17; 27:5,6
Kabzeel.
Jos 15:21
who had done many acts. Heb. great of acts. he slew.
Ex 15:15
lion-like men. Heb. lions of God.
1:23; 1Ch 11:22-24; 12:8
slew a lion.
Jud 14:5,6; 1Sa 17:34-37

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 2 Samuel 23:19

    Was he not most honourable of three? therefore he was their captain: howbeit he attained not unto the first three.

  • 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:

  • 2 Samuel 23:21

    And he slew an Egyptian, a goodly man: 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.

Read all of 2 Samuel 23

2 Samuel 23:20 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Después, Benaía hijo de Joiada, hijo de un varón esforzado, grande en hechos, de Cabseel. Este hirió dos leones de Moab: y él mismo descendió, é hirió un león en medio de un foso en el tiempo de la nieve:
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et Benaïa, fils de Jehoïada, fils d’un homme vaillant, de Kabtseël, grand en exploits, lui, frappa deux lions de Moab; et il descendit, et frappa le lion dans une fosse, par un jour de neige.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und Benaja, der Sohn Jojadas, der Sohn eines tapferen Mannes, groß an Taten, von Kabzeel; selbiger erschlug zwei Löwen von Moab. Und er stieg hinab und erschlug den Löwen in der Grube an einem Schneetage.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
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.