2 Samuel 23:21
in 2 Samuel 23He 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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.
KJV
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.
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This verse in 2 Samuel 23
Commentary
5 notes on this verseHe slew an Egyptian - This man in 1Ch 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.
This site's exposition
the son of a valiant man, of Kabzeel
on 2 Samuel 23:20-23
Benaiah's three exploits are a soldier's resume told in one breath: two lionlike men of Moab, a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow, and an Egyptian disarmed with a staff and killed with his own spear, the enemy's weapon turned as Goliath's sword was. David set him over his guard, and under Solomon he rises to command the whole host in Joab's place at 1 Kings 2:35. The list is also a preview of the next reign for those reading on.
This site's exposition
with his own spear
The parallel at 1 Chronicles 11:23 gives the height of this huge Egyptian as five cubits, which Adam Clarke reckons at about seven feet six inches. Clarke adds that he had seen a man armed only with a staff beat the weapon from a soldier's hand. The club of Benaiah was a real defence against a spear.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And he slew an Egyptian, a goodly man,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
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.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The words behind it
20 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהוּא־ | vehu'- | and he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| הִכָּה֩ | hikah | he struck down | H5221 → | 499 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אִ֨ישׁ | ʾish | a man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| מִצְרִ֜י | mitzri | Egyptian | H4713 → | 70 times |
| אִ֣ישׁ | ʾasher | a man of | H376 → | 1663 times |
| מַרְאֶ֗ה | mareh | appearance | H4758 → | 103 times |
| וּבְיַ֤ד | uveyad | and [was] in [the] hand of | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| הַמִּצְרִי֙ | hamitzri | the Egyptian | H4713 → | 70 times |
| חֲנִ֔ית | chanit | a spear | H2595 → | 47 times |
| וַיֵּ֥רֶד | vaiyered | and he went down | H3381 → | 381 times |
| אֵלָ֖יו | ʾelav | to him | H413 → | 5510 times |
| בַּשָּׁ֑בֶט | bashavet | with the staff | H7626 → | 190 times |
| וַיִּגְזֹ֤ל | vaiyigzol | and he seized | H1497 → | |
| אֶֽת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַחֲנִית֙ | hachanit | the spear | H2595 → | 47 times |
| מִיַּ֣ד | miyad | from [the] hand of | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| הַמִּצְרִ֔י | hamitzri | the Egyptian | H4713 → | 70 times |
| וַיַּהַרְגֵ֖הוּ | vaiyahargehu | and he killed him | H2026 → | 167 times |
| בַּחֲנִיתֽוֹ׃ | bachanito | with own spear his | H2595 → | 47 times |
וְהוּא־and he
vehu'-H1931 →1879 times
הִכָּה֩he struck down
hikahH5221 →499 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אִ֨ישׁa man
ʾishH376 →1663 times
מִצְרִ֜יEgyptian
mitzriH4713 →70 times
אִ֣ישׁa man of
ʾasherH376 →1663 times
מַרְאֶ֗הappearance
marehH4758 →103 times
וּבְיַ֤דand [was] in [the] hand of
uveyadH3027 →1618 times
הַמִּצְרִי֙the Egyptian
hamitzriH4713 →70 times
חֲנִ֔יתa spear
chanitH2595 →47 times
וַיֵּ֥רֶדand he went down
vaiyeredH3381 →381 times
אֵלָ֖יוto him
ʾelavH413 →5510 times
בַּשָּׁ֑בֶטwith the staff
bashavetH7626 →190 times
וַיִּגְזֹ֤לand he seized
vaiyigzolH1497 →
אֶֽת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַחֲנִית֙the spear
hachanitH2595 →47 times
מִיַּ֣דfrom [the] hand of
miyadH3027 →1618 times
הַמִּצְרִ֔יthe Egyptian
hamitzriH4713 →70 times
וַיַּהַרְגֵ֖הוּand he killed him
vaiyahargehuH2026 →167 times
בַּחֲנִיתֽוֹ׃with own spear his
bachanitoH2595 →47 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Colossians 2:15And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
it leads to
- Hebrews 2:14
Now since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity, so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death, that is, the devil,
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Ephesians 4:8
This is why it says: “When He ascended on high, He led captives away, and gave gifts to men.”
- Matthew 12:29
Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and steal his possessions, unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.
- John 12:31–32
Now judgment is upon this world; now the prince of this world will be cast out.
- Isaiah 53:12
Therefore I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the spoils with the strong, because He has poured out His life unto death, and He was numbered with the…
- Hebrews 2:14
Through
1 Samuel 17:51David ran and stood over him. He grabbed the Philistine’s sword and pulled it from its sheath and killed him; and he cut off his head with the sword. When the Philistines saw that…
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 21:9
The priest replied, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, is here; it is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you want, you may take…
- Hebrews 11:34
quenched the raging fire, and escaped the edge of the sword; who gained strength from weakness, became mighty in battle, and put foreign armies to flight.
- 1 Samuel 21:9
Through
1 Chronicles 11:23He also killed an Egyptian, a huge man five cubits tall. Although the Egyptian had a spear like a weaver’s beam in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club, snatched the spear…
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 17:7
The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels. In addition, his shield bearer went before him.
- 1 Samuel 17:7
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 2 Samuel
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Books of Samuel.