Benaiah

Benai'ah (Heb. Benayah', בּנָיָה, built [i.e. made or sustained] by Jehovah, 2Sa 20:23; 1Ch 4:36; 1Ch 11:22,31; 1Ch 27:14; 2Ch 20:14; Ezr 10:25,30,35,43; Eze 11:23; elsewhere and oftener in the prolonged form, בּנָיָהוּ, Benaya'hu; Sept. generally [also Josephus, Ant. 7, 11, 8] Βαναίας, in Chron. occasionally v. r. Βαναία, and in Ezra Βαναϊvα, rarely any other v. r., e.g. Βαναϊvας, Βαναϊv), the name of a large number of men in the O.T.

1. The son of Jehoiada a chief-priest (1Ch 27:5), and therefore of the tribe of Levi, though a native of Kabzeel (2Sa 23:20; 1Ch 11:22), in the south of Judah; set by David (1Ch 11:24) over his body-guard of Cherethites and Pelethites (2Sa 8:18; 1Ki 1:38; 1Ch 18:17; 2Sa 20:23), and occupying a middle rank between the first three of the Gibborim, or "mighty men," and the thirty "valiant men of the armies" (2Sa 23:22,30; 1Ch 11:24; 1Ch 27:6; and see Kennicott, Diss. p. 177). The exploits which gave him this rank are narrated in 2Sa 23:20-21; 1Ch 11:22: he overcame two Moabitish champions ("lions of God"), slew an Egyptian giant with his own spear, and went down into an exhausted cistern and destroyed a lion which had fallen into it when covered with snow. He was captain of the host for the third month (1Ch 27:5). B.C. 1046. Benaiah remained faithful to Solomon during Adonijah's attempt on the crown (1Ki 1:8,10,26), a matter in which he took part in his official capacity as commander of the king's body-guard (1Ki 1:32,36,38,44); and after Adonijah and Joab had both been put to death by his hand (1Ki 2:25,29-30,34), as well as Shimei (1Ki 2:46), he was raised by Solomon into the place of Joab as commander-in-chief of the whole army (1 Kings 2, 35; 4" class="scriptRef">4, 4). B.C. 1015. SEE DAVID.

Benaiah appears to have had a son called, after his grandfather, Jehoiada, who succeeded Ahithophel about the person of the king (1Ch 27:34). But this is possibly a copyist's mistake for "Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada." — Smith, s.v.

2. A Pirathonite of the tribe of Ephraim, one of David's thirty mighty men (2Sa 23:30; 1Ch 11:31), and the captain of the eleventh monthly course (1Ch 27:14). B.C. 1044. SEE DAVID.

3. A Levite in the time of David, who "played with a psaltery on Alamoth" at the removal of the ark (1Ch 15:18,20; 1Ch 16:5). B.C. 1043.

4. A priest in the time of David, appointed to blow the trumpet before the ark when brought to Jerusalem (1Ch 15:24; 1Ch 16:6). B.C. 1043.

5. The son of Jeiel, and father of Zechariah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph (2Ch 20:14). B.C. considerably ante 890.

6. A Levite in the time of Hezekiah, one of the "overseers (פּקַידַים) of offerings" (2Ch 31:13). B.C. 726.

7. One of the "princes" (נשַׂיאַים) of the families of Simeon who dispossessed the Amalekites from the pasture-grounds of Gedor (1Ch 4:36). B.C. cir. 713.

8. The father of Pelatiah, which latter was "a prince of the people" in the time of Ezekiel (Eze 11:1,13). B.C. ante 571.

9. One of the "sons" of Parosh, who divorced his Gentile wife after the return from Babylon (Ezr 10:25). B.C. 458.

10. Another Israelite, of the "sons" of Pahathmoab, who did the same (Ezr 10:30). B.C. 458.

11. Another, of the "sons" of Bani, who did likewise (Ezr 10:35). B.C. 458.

12. A fourth, of the "sons" of Nebo, who did the same (Ezr 10:43). B.C. 458.