1 Chronicles 11:22
And 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.
And Benaiah son of Jehoiada

Benaiah belonged to a distinguished family, and Jehoiada is elsewhere identified as a priest. Benaiah’s later service under David and Solomon shows that faithful courage and proven character brought him into positions of great responsibility.

2Sa 20:23 Now Joab was over the whole army of Israel;…
2Sa 8:18 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites…
1Ki 1:8 But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada,…

was a man of valor from Kabzeel,

Kabzeel stood in the southern region of Judah near Edom’s border, an area familiar with danger and conflict. Benaiah’s homeland and reputation marked him as a seasoned defender of Israel.

Jos 15:21 These were the southernmost cities of Judah in the Negev…
2Sa 23:20 And Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a man of valor…
Jdg 6:12 And the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon and said,…

a man of many exploits.

Benaiah’s courage was demonstrated repeatedly, not merely in one celebrated act. He was numbered among David’s mighty men and later became commander of the royal guard and captain of Solomon’s army.

2Sa 23:22-23 These were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada,…
1Ki 2:25 So King Solomon gave orders to Benaiah son of Jehoiada,…
1Ki 2:35 And the king appointed Benaiah son of Jehoiada…

He struck down two champions of Moab,

Moab had often opposed Israel, and Benaiah’s defeat of its formidable warriors displayed the strength God gave Israel against its enemies. His victories served David’s kingdom and helped secure the land entrusted to God’s people.

Jdg 3:28-30 So they followed him down and seized the fords of the Jordan…
2Sa 8:2 David also defeated the Moabites, made them lie down…
2Ki 3:24-25 But when the Moabites came to the camp of Israel,…

and on a snowy day he went down into a pit and killed a lion.

Snow and the confined pit made the encounter especially dangerous, yet Benaiah did not retreat before a deadly enemy. His courage illustrates the faithfulness required of those who serve the Lord: strength is not shown by avoiding danger, but by standing firm where duty calls.

2Sa 23:21 He also struck down an Egyptian, a huge man.…
1Sa 17:34-36 David replied, “Your servant has been tending…
Jdg 14:5-6 Then Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother…

Persons / Places / Events
1. Benaiah
A valiant warrior, son of Jehoiada, known for his bravery and significant exploits. He later became a chief officer in King David's army and was renowned for his loyalty and courage.

2. Jehoiada
The father of Benaiah, possibly a priest or a notable figure, indicating Benaiah's noble lineage.

3. Kabzeel
A town in the southern part of Judah, near the border with Edom, known as the hometown of Benaiah.

4. Moab
A neighboring nation often in conflict with Israel. Benaiah's defeat of two Moabite champions highlights his military prowess.

5. The Lion in the Pit
An event showcasing Benaiah's courage and skill, where he killed a lion in adverse conditions, symbolizing overcoming great challenges.
Teaching Points
Courage in Adversity
Benaiah's actions teach us the importance of facing challenges head-on, even in difficult circumstances, such as a snowy day in a pit. We are called to trust in God's strength to overcome our fears.

Faithfulness and Loyalty
Benaiah's loyalty to David and later to Solomon exemplifies the Christian call to be faithful to our commitments and leaders, reflecting our ultimate loyalty to God.

God's Empowerment
Benaiah's victories remind us that God empowers His people to accomplish great things, often beyond their natural abilities. We should seek God's strength in our endeavors.

Legacy of Righteousness
Benaiah's life encourages us to build a legacy of righteousness and valor, impacting future generations and serving as a model of godly character.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Benaiah's courage in facing the lion inspire you to confront your own fears or challenges?

2. In what ways can you demonstrate loyalty and faithfulness in your relationships and commitments, as Benaiah did with David and Solomon?

3. Reflect on a time when you felt empowered by God to accomplish something beyond your natural abilities. How did that experience strengthen your faith?

4. How can Benaiah's legacy of righteousness influence the way you live your life today?

5. Consider the symbolic meaning of the lion in the pit. What "lions" are you facing, and how can you rely on God's strength to overcome them?
Connections to Other Scriptures
2 Samuel 23:20-23
This passage parallels 1 Chronicles 11:22, providing additional context about Benaiah's exploits and his role in David's mighty men.

1 Kings 2:29-35
Benaiah's loyalty to Solomon and his role in executing justice, further establishing his character and importance in Israel's history.

Proverbs 28:1
The righteous are as bold as a lion, a verse that metaphorically connects to Benaiah's literal encounter with a lion, emphasizing courage rooted in righteousness.
Benaiah the Son of JehoiadaR. Glover 1 Chronicles 11:22
Valiant MenJ. Parker, D. D.1 Chronicles 11:22
David's Mighty MenF. Whitfield 1 Chronicles 11:10-25
The Moral of the Mighty MenW. Clarkson 1 Chronicles 11:10-14, 20-47
People
Abiel, Abiezer, Abishai, Adina, Ahiam, Ahijah, Ahlai, Anathoth, Ariel, Asahel, Azmaveth, Baanah, Benaiah, Benjamin, Benjaminites, David, Dodai, Dodo, Eleazar, Elhanan, Eliahba, Eliel, Eliphal, Elnaam, Ezbai, Gareb, Hachmoni, Haggeri, Hanan, Hashem, Heled, Helez, Hepher, Hezro, Hotham, Hothan, Hurai, Ikkesh, Ilai, Ira, Israelites, Ithai, Ithmah, Ittai, Jaasiel, Jashobeam, Jasiel, Jebusites, Jediael, Jehiel, Jehoiada, Jeiel, Jeribai, Joab, Joel, Joha, Jonathan, Joshaphat, Joshaviah, Maacah, Maachah, Maharai, Mibhar, Moabites, Naarai, Naharai, Nathan, Obed, Reubenites, Ribai, Sacar, Samuel, Saul, Shage, Shama, Shammoth, Shimri, Shiza, Sibbecai, Sibbechai, Uriah, Uzzia, Zabad, Zelek, Zeruiah
Places
Adullam, Anathoth, Baharum, Beeroth, Bethlehem, Carmel, Gaash, Gibeah, Harod, Hebron, Jebus, Jerusalem, Kabzeel, Millo, Moab, Netophah, Pas-dammim, Pirathon, Tekoa, Valley of Rephaim, Zion
Topics
Acts, Altar-hearths, Ariel, Ariels, Benaiah, Benai'ah, Beniah, Best, Death, Deeds, Doer, Exploits, Fallen, Fighter, Fighting-man, Hole, Inside, Jehoiada, Jehoi'ada, Kabzeel, Killed, Lion, Lionlike, Lion-like, Lions, Midst, Mighty, Moab, Moabites, Moab's, Performed, Pit, Secret, Slew, Smitten, Smote, Snow, Snowy, Sons, Struck, Valiant, Valour
Dictionary of Bible Themes
1 Chronicles 11:22

     4849   snow

1 Chronicles 11:10-47

     5544   soldiers

1 Chronicles 11:11-23

     5776   achievement

1 Chronicles 11:15-25

     1652   numbers, 3-5

1 Chronicles 11:15-42

     1654   numbers, 11-99

1 Chronicles 11:20-22

     5956   strength, human

Library
The Story of a Cup of Water
BY THEODORE T. MUNGER [From "Lamps and Paths," by courtesy of Houghton, Mifflin & Co.] Be noble! and the nobleness that lies In other men, sleeping, but never dead, Will rise in majesty to meet thine own. --James Russell Lowell: Sonnet IV Restore to God his due in tithe and time: A tithe purloined cankers the whole estate. Sundays observe: think, when the bells do chime, 'Tis angels' music; therefore come not late. God there deals blessings. If a king did so, Who would not haste, nay give, to see
Philip P. Wells—Bible Stories and Religious Classics

Some Buildings in Acra. Bezeiha. Millo.
Mount Sion did not thrust itself so far eastward as mount Acra: and hence it is, that mount Moriah is said, by Josephus, to be "situate over-against Acra," rather than over-against the Upper City: for, describing Acra thus, which we produced before, "There is another hill, called Acra, which bears the Lower City upon it, steep on both sides": in the next words he subjoins this, "Over-against this was a third hill," speaking of Moriah. The same author thus describes the burning of the Lower City:
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica

Epistle cxxii. To Rechared, King of the visigoths .
To Rechared, King of the Visigoths [82] . Gregory to Rechared, &c. I cannot express in words, most excellent son, how much I am delighted with thy work and thy life. For on hearing of the power of a new miracle in our days, to wit that the whole nation of the Goths has through thy Excellency been brought over from the error of Arian heresy to the firmness of a right faith, one is disposed to exclaim with the prophet, This is the change wrought by the right hand of the Most High (Ps. lxxvi. 11 [83]
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

Epistle Xlv. To Theoctista, Patrician .
To Theoctista, Patrician [153] . Gregory to Theoctista, &c. We ought to give great thanks to Almighty God, that our most pious and most benignant Emperors have near them kinsfolk of their race, whose life and conversation is such as to give us all great joy. Hence too we should continually pray for these our lords, that their life, with that of all who belong to them, may by the protection of heavenly grace be preserved through long and tranquil times. I have to inform you, however, that I have
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

Chronicles
The comparative indifference with which Chronicles is regarded in modern times by all but professional scholars seems to have been shared by the ancient Jewish church. Though written by the same hand as wrote Ezra-Nehemiah, and forming, together with these books, a continuous history of Judah, it is placed after them in the Hebrew Bible, of which it forms the concluding book; and this no doubt points to the fact that it attained canonical distinction later than they. Nor is this unnatural. The book
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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