1 Chronicles 11:22-47

11:22 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a brave warrior from Kabzeel who performed great exploits. He struck down the two sons of Ariel of Moab; he also went down and killed a lion inside a cistern on a snowy day. 11:23 He even killed an Egyptian who was seven and a half feet tall. The Egyptian had a spear as big as the crossbeam of a weaver’s loom; Benaiah attacked him with a club. He grabbed the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. 11:24 Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who gained fame along with the three elite warriors. 11:25 He received honor from the thirty warriors, though he was not one of the three elite warriors. David put him in charge of his bodyguard.

11:26 The mighty warriors were:

Asahel the brother of Joab,

Elhanan son of Dodo, from Bethlehem,

11:27 Shammoth the Harorite,

Helez the Pelonite,

11:28 Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,

Abiezer the Anathothite,

11:29 Sibbekai the Hushathite,

Ilai the Ahohite,

11:30 Maharai the Netophathite,

Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite,

11:31 Ithai 10  son of Ribai from Gibeah in Benjaminite territory,

Benaiah the Pirathonite,

11:32 Hurai 11  from the valleys of Gaash,

Abiel 12  the Arbathite,

11:33 Azmaveth the Baharumite, 13 

Eliahba the Shaalbonite,

11:34 the sons of Hashem 14  the Gizonite,

Jonathan son of Shageh 15  the Hararite,

11:35 Ahiam son of Sakar 16  the Hararite,

Eliphal son of Ur, 17 

11:36 Hepher the Mekerathite,

Ahijah the Pelonite,

11:37 Hezro 18  the Carmelite,

Naarai son of Ezbai,

11:38 Joel the brother of Nathan, 19 

Mibhar son of Hagri,

11:39 Zelek the Ammonite,

Naharai the Beerothite, the armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah,

11:40 Ira the Ithrite,

Gareb the Ithrite,

11:41 Uriah the Hittite,

Zabad son of Achli,

11:42 Adina son of Shiza the Reubenite, leader of the Reubenites and the thirty warriors with him,

11:43 Hanan son of Maacah,

Joshaphat the Mithnite,

11:44 Uzzia the Ashterathite,

Shama and Jeiel, the sons of Hotham the Aroerite,

11:45 Jediael son of Shimri,

and Joha his brother, the Tizite,

11:46 Eliel the Mahavite,

and Jeribai and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam,

and Ithmah the Moabite,

11:47 Eliel,

and Obed,

and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.


tc Heb “the two of Ariel, Moab.” The precise meaning of אֲרִיאֵל (’ariel) is uncertain; some read “warrior.” The present translation assumes that the word is a proper name and that בְּנֵי (bÿney, “sons of”) has accidentally dropped from the text by homoioarcton (note the preceding שְׁנֵי, shÿney).

tn Heb “five cubits.” Assuming a length of 18 inches for the standard cubit, this individual would be 7.5 feet (2.3 m) tall.

tn Heb “went down to.”

tn Or “more than.”

map For location see Map5-B1; Map7-E2; Map8-E2; Map10-B4.

tn The parallel text of 2 Sam 23:25 has the variant spelling of “Shammah.”

tn The parallel text of 2 Sam 23:26 has the variant spelling of “Paltite.”

tn In 2 Sam 23:27 this individual’s name is given as “Mebunnai.”

tn The parallel text of 2 Sam 23:28 has the variant “Zalmon.”

10 tn The parallel text of 2 Sam 23:29 has the variant spelling “Ittai.”

11 tn The parallel text of 2 Sam 23:28 has the variant spelling “Hiddai.”

12 tn The parallel text of 2 Sam 23:31 has the variant spelling “Abi-Albon.”

13 tn The parallel text of 2 Sam 23:31 has the variant spelling “Barhumite.”

14 tn In 2 Sam 23:32 this individual’s name is given as “Jashen.”

15 tn The parallel text of 2 Sam 23:33 has the variant spelling “Shammah.”

16 tn In 2 Sam 23:33 this individual’s name is given as “Sharar.”

17 tn The parallel text of 2 Sam 23:34 has the variant “Eliphelet son of Ahasbai the Maacathite.”

18 tn The parallel text of 2 Sam 23:35 has the variant spelling “Hezrai.”

19 tn The parallel text of 2 Sam 23:36 has the variant “Igal son of Nathan from Zobah.”