Bible Strands
1 Chronicles 11:23
He also struck down 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 from his hand, and killed the Egyptian with his own spear.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The chronicler records David’s military exploits at this point in the narrative, cataloging Benaiah’s specific feats alongside the three mighty men. The words — הִכָּה (hi.Kah) means “he struck down,” and מִדָּה (mi.Dah) denotes “stature,” anchoring the description of the Egyptian’s physical size. The thread — The weaver’s-beam spear reappears in 1 Samuel 17:7 describing Goliath, while the five-cubit height echoes the giant measurements in 1 Samuel 17:4 and Deuteronomy 3:11. Why it lands — The text states Benaiah disarmed a towering opponent and killed him with his own weapon, requiring the reader to note how tactical precision and recorded valor secure Benaiah’s reputation among David’s commanders.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And he slew an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits high; and in the Egyptian’s hand was a spear like a weaver’s beam; and 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.
Cross-references
- 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.
- Deuteronomy 3:11 (For only Og king of Bashan had remained of the remnant of the Rephaim. His bed of iron, nine cubits long and four cubits wide, is still in Rabbah of the Ammonites.)
- 1 Samuel 17:4 Then a champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out from the Philistine camp. He was six cubits and a span in height,
- 1 Samuel 17:51 David 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 their hero was dead, they turned and ran.
- 1 Chronicles 20:5 Once again there was a battle with the Philistines, and Elhanan son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.