Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and Pelethites; and David’s sons were priestly leaders.
Parallel translations
- WEB Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites, David’s sons were chief ministers.
- KJV And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over both the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David’s sons were chief rulers.
- NKJV Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over both the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David’s sons were chief ministers.
- NASB Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David’s sons were chief ministers.
- NLT Benaiah son of Jehoiada was captain of the king’s bodyguard. And David’s sons served as priestly leaders.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Benaiah led the royal guard, and David's sons served as chief ministers. The list rounds out the structure of David's well-ordered court.
Overview
Benaiah commanded the Cherethites and Pelethites, the king's loyal bodyguard, while David's sons held positions of honor (1 Chronicles 18:17 clarifies their leading role). The summary portrays a secure, orderly kingdom under God's blessing. This stable reign provides the backdrop for the acts of covenant kindness that follow.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- 1 Sam 30:14We raided the Negev of the Cherethites, the territory of Judah, and the Negev of Caleb, and we burned down Ziklag.”
- 2 Sam 20:7So Joab’s men, along with the Cherethites, the Pelethites, and all the mighty men, marched out of Jerusalem in pursuit of Sheba son of Bichri.
- 2 Sam 20:23Now Joab was over the whole army of Israel; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and Pelethites;
- 1 Chr 18:17Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and Pelethites; and David’s sons were chief officials at the king’s side.
- 2 Sam 15:18and all his servants marched past him—all the Cherethites and Pelethites, and six hundred Gittites who had followed him from Gath.
- 1 Kgs 1:38Then Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, along with the Cherethites and Pelethites, went down and set Solomon on King David’s mule, and they escorted him to Gihon.
- 2 Sam 23:20–23And 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.
- 1 Kgs 1:44And with Solomon, the king has sent Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, along with the Cherethites and Pelethites, and they have set him on the king’s mule.
- 1 Kgs 4:4Benaiah son of Jehoiada was in charge of the army; Zadok and Abiathar were priests;
- Zeph 2:5Woe to the dwellers of the seacoast, O nation of the Cherethites! The word of the LORD is against you, O Canaan, land of the Philistines: “I will destroy you, and no one will be left.”
- 2 Sam 20:26and Ira the Jairite was David’s priest.
- 1 Kgs 2:34–35So Benaiah son of Jehoiada went up, struck down Joab, and killed him. He was buried at his own home in the wilderness.
- Ezek 25:16therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: Behold, I will stretch out My hand against the Philistines, and I will cut off the Cherethites and destroy the remnant along the coast.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
God's covenant with David — a son whose throne and kingdom would last forever (7:12–16) — finds its yes in Jesus, the Son of David who reigns without end.
How 2 Samuel 8:18 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.