2 Samuel 23 · Verse 21

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.
2 Samuel 23:21, King James Version

2 Samuel 23:21 in other translations

BSBHe also killed an Egyptian, a huge man. Although the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club, snatched the spear from his hand, and killed the Egyptian with his own spear.
WEBHe killed a huge 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 killed him with his own spear.
ASVAnd 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.
YLTAnd he hath smitten the Egyptian man, a man of appearance, and in the hand of the Egyptian is a spear, and he goeth down unto him with a rod, and taketh violently away the spear out of the hand of the Egyptian, and slayeth him with his own spear.
DARBYHe also smote the Egyptian, an imposing man: and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; 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.
BBEAnd he made an attack on an Egyptian, a tall man: and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him with a stick, and pulling the spear out of the hands of the Egyptian, put him to death with that same spear.
WebsterAnd 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.

What does 2 Samuel 23:21 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 21 He slew an Egyptian - This man in 1Chr 11:23 is stated to have been five cubits high, about seven feet six inches. He went down to him with a staff - I have known men who, with a staff only for their defense, could render the sword of the best practiced soldier of no use to him. I have seen even a parallel instance of a man with his staff being attacked by a soldier with his hanger; he soon beat the weapon out of the soldier's hand, and could easily have slain him with his own sword. We have a good elucidation of this in a duel between Dioxippus the Athenian and Horratas a Macedonian, before Alexander: "The Macedonian, proud of his military skill, treated the naked Athenian with contempt, and then challenged him to fight with him the ensuing day. The Macedonian came armed cap-a-pie to the place; on his left arm he had a brazen shield, and in the same hand a spear called sarissa; he had a javelin in his right hand, and a sword girded on his side; in short, he appeared armed as though he were going to contend with a host. Dioxippus came into the field with a chaplet on his head, a purple sash on his left arm, his body naked, smeared over with oil, and in his right hand a strong knotty club, (dextra validum nodosumque stipitem praeferebat). Horratas, supposing he could easily kill his antagonist while at a distance, threw his javelin, which Dioxippus, suddenly stooping, dexterously avoided, and, before Horratas could transfer the spear from his left to his right hand, sprang forward, and with one blow of his club, broke it in two. The Macedonian being deprived of both his spears, began to draw his sword; but before he could draw it out Dioxippus seized him, tripped up his heels, and threw him with great violence on the ground, (pedibus repente subductis arietavit in terram). He then put his foot on his neck, drew out his sword, and lifting up his club, was about to dash out the brains of the overthrown champion, had he not been prevented by the king." - Q. Curt. lib. ix., cap. 7. How similar are the two cases! He went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hands, and slew him with his own spear. Benaiah appears to have been just such another clubsman as Dioxippus.

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 23:21 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.

וְהוּא\־ve.hu'-and heH1931
הִכָּה֩hi.Kahhe struck downH5221
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
אִ֨ישׁ'isha manH376
מִצְרִ֜יmitz.RiEgyptianH4713
אִ֣ישׁ'a.Shera man ofH376
מַרְאֶ֗הmar.'EhappearanceH4758
וּבְיַ֤דu.ve.Yadand [was] in [the] hand ofH3027
הַמִּצְרִי֙ha.mitz.Rithe EgyptianH4713
חֲנִ֔יתcha.Nita spearH2595
וַיֵּ֥רֶדvai.Ye.redand he went downH3381
אֵלָ֖יו'e.Lavto himH413
בַּשָּׁ֑בֶטba.Sha.vetwith the staffH7626
וַיִּגְזֹ֤לvai.yig.Zoland he seizedH1497
אֶֽת\־'et-<obj.>H853
הַחֲנִית֙ha.cha.Nitthe spearH2595
מִיַּ֣דmi.Yadfrom [the] hand ofH3027
הַמִּצְרִ֔יha.mitz.Rithe EgyptianH4713
וַיַּהַרְגֵ֖הוּvai.ya.har.Ge.huand he killed himH2026
בַּחֲנִיתֽוֹ\׃ba.cha.ni.Towith own spear hisH2595

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

Cross references for 2 Samuel 23:21

  • Colossians 2:15

    And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

  • 1 Chronicles 11:23

    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.

  • 1 Samuel 17:51

    Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
a goodly man. Heb. a man of countenance, or sight. called.
1Ch 11:23
a man of great stature. slew him.
1Sa 17:51; Col 2:15

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

Context

  • 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.

  • 2 Samuel 23:22

    These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had the name among three mighty men.

Read all of 2 Samuel 23

2 Samuel 23:21 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
También hirió él á un Egipcio, hombre de grande estatura: y tenía el Egipcio una lanza en su mano; mas descendió á él con un palo, y arrebató al Egipcio la lanza de la mano, y matólo con su propia lanza.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et c’est lui qui frappa un homme égyptien qui était de grande apparence, et l’Égyptien avait en sa main une lance; et il descendit vers lui avec un bâton, et arracha la lance de la main de l’Égyptien, et le tua avec sa propre lance.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und er war es, der einen ägyptischen Mann erschlug, einen stattlichen Mann. Und der Ägypter hatte einen Speer in der Hand; er aber ging zu ihm hinab mit einem Stabe, und riß dem Ägypter den Speer aus der Hand und tötete ihn mit seinem eigenen Speere.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Ipse quoque interfecit virum ægyptium, virum dignum spectaculo, habentem in manu hastam: itaque cum descendisset ad eum in virga, vi extorsit hastam de manu Ægyptii, et interfecit eum hasta sua.