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BENAIAH
Popular name meaning “the Lord has built,” used primarily by Levites.
1. Son of Jehoiada the priest, from the south Judean town of Kabzeel. Benaiah was engaged in military service, and his loyalty gained for him the rank of commander in chief of the army during the reign of Solomon (1 Kgs 2:35; 4:4).
Before David became king, Benaiah distinguished himself in a number of daring military and protective feats to become one of the mighty men (2 Sm 23:20-22) during David’s flight from King Saul. He attained command of “the thirty” (1 Chr 27:6), a group second only to “the three” of highest valor (2 Sm 23:23). He later had a high place in the armed forces when Joab was commander in chief and was placed over King David’s elite troops, the Cherethites and Pelethites (8:18). He was also made third commander by David, with 24,000 men under him, and with annual responsibility for priestly service in the temple during the third month of the year (1 Chr 27:5-6).
Benaiah stayed loyal to David during the rebellion of Absalom (2 Sm 20:23; see 15:18) as well as during the attempt by Adonijah to seize David’s throne (1 Kgs 1:8), and therefore had the privilege of assisting in Solomon’s coronation at Gihon (vv 32-40). As army commander and chief bodyguard to Solomon he was responsible for executing Adonijah (2:25), Joab (v 34), and Shimei (v 46) by orders of the new king.
2. Warrior from the town of Pirathon who was among David’s mighty men known as “the thirty” (2 Sm 23:30; 1 Chr 11:31). Benaiah commanded the 11th division of the army in the rotation system established by David (1 Chr 27:14).
3. Prince in Simeon’s tribe who participated in the conquest of Gedor during Hezekiah’s reign (1 Chr 4:36).
4. Levitical musician who played the harp when King David brought the ark to Jerusalem (1 Chr 15:18, 20; 16:5, rsv). Afterward, he was appointed to minister daily before the ark under the direction of Asaph (16:5).
5. Priestly musician who blew the trumpet before the ark when King David brought it to Jerusalem (1 Chr 15:24). Afterward he was appointed to play regularly before the ark (16:6).
6. Father of Jehoiada, King David’s counselor after the death of Ahithophel (1 Chr 27:34; see also 2 Sm 17:1-14).
7. Levite Asaph’s descendant and grandfather of Jahaziel (2 Chr 20:14). Jahaziel delivered an encouraging prophecy to King Jehoshaphat of Judah before his battle against the Moabites and Ammonites (vv 1-29).
8. Levite appointed by King Hezekiah to help oversee the tithes and contributions brought to the temple (2 Chr 31:13).
9. Parosh’s son (or descendant), who obeyed Ezra’s exhortation to divorce his pagan wife after the Babylonian exile (Ezr 10:25).
10. Pahath-moab’s son (or descendant), who also obeyed Ezra’s exhortation to divorce his pagan wife after the exile (Ezr 10:30).
11. Bani’s son (or descendant), another who divorced his pagan wife after the exile (Ezr 10:35).
12. Nebo’s son (or descendant), who also divorced his pagan wife after the exile (Ezr 10:43).
13. Pelatiah’s father (Ez 11:1, 13). Pelatiah was a prince of the people of Israel during the time of the prophet Ezekiel.