Benaiah


Benaiah the son of Jehoiada

King David set him over the Cherethites and the Pelethites. (2 Samuel 8:18; 2 Samuel 20:23) King Solomon set him as commander over the army in Joab's place. (1 Kings 2:35)

Account

Benaiah anoints Solomon as king

Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did not support Adonijah when he was exalting himself, saying "I will be king," during King David's old age. Neither did Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, or David's mighty men.

After Bathsheba and Nathan the prophet told King David about Adonijah's exaltation, he called Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah to himself to instruct them to anoint Solomon as king.

They obeyed. Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites had Solomon ride on King David's mule on their way to Gihon. Zadok anointed Solomon with a horn of oil. Then they blew the trumpet and said, "Long live King Solomon!" All the people went up after him, playing on pipes, and rejoicing with great joy, "so that the earth was split by their noise."

(1 Kings 1)

Benaiah, the executioner

When Adonijah manipulated Bathsheba to ask King Solomon for Abishag the Shunammite as a wife, King Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada to strike Adonijah down and kill him. (1 Kings 2:25)

When Joab fled to the horns of the altar, King Solomon sent Benaiah to strike him down. He returned, telling him that Joab refused to come out and wanted to die there. Solomon replied, "Do as he has said, strike him down and bury him, and thus take away from me and from my father's house the guilt for the blood that Joab shed without cause. The LORD will bright back his bloody deeds on his own head, because, without the knowledge of my father David, he attacked and killed with the sword two men more righteous and better than himself, Abner the son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah. So shall their blood come back on the head of Joab and on the head of his descendants forever. But for David and for his descendants and for his house and for his throne there shall be peace from the LORD forevermore." Benaiah left to strike him down. (1 Kings 2:28-35)

King Solomon set Benaiah the son of Jehoiada over the army in Joab's place. (1 Kings 2:35)

When Shimei broke his house arrest, King Solomon commanded Benaiah to strike him down also. (1 Kings 2:46)

Benaiah of Pirathon

Benaiah of Pirathon is one of the thirty of David. (2 Samuel 23:30)