2 Samuel 23:21

21 Once, armed only with a club, he killed an imposing Egyptian warrior who was armed with a spear. Benaiah wrenched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with it.

2 Samuel 23:21 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 23:21

And he slew an Egyptian, a goodly man
A person of good countenance and shape, very large and tall; in ( 1 Chronicles 11:28 ) , he is said to be a man of great stature, and five cubits high, and so wanted a cubit and a span of the height of Goliath, ( 1 Samuel 17:4 ) ;

and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand;
as large as Goliath's; for in ( 1 Chronicles 11:23 ) , it is said to be like a weaver's beam, as Goliath's was, (See Gill on 1 Samuel 17:7):

and he went down to him with a staff;
with a walking staff only, having no other weapon:

and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand;
and therefore must be a man very nimble and dexterous, as well as bold and courageous:

and slew him with his own spear;
as David cut off Goliath's head with his own sword. This is supposed ^F12 to be Shimei, the son of Gera, ( 1 Kings 2:46 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F12 Hieron. Trad. Heb. ut supra. (in. 2 Reg. fol. 80. C.)

2 Samuel 23:21 In-Context

19 Abishai was the most famous of the Thirty and was their commander, though he was not one of the Three.

20 There was also Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant warrior from Kabzeel. He did many heroic deeds, which included killing two champions of Moab. Another time, on a snowy day, he chased a lion down into a pit and killed it.

21 Once, armed only with a club, he killed an imposing Egyptian warrior who was armed with a spear. Benaiah wrenched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with it.

22 Deeds like these made Benaiah as famous as the Three mightiest warriors.

23 He was more honored than the other members of the Thirty, though he was not one of the Three. And David made him captain of his bodyguard.