What does 1 Chronicles 11:23 mean?
What is the meaning of 1 Chronicles 11:23?

He also struck down an Egyptian

Benaiah’s action is presented as a historical fact, underscoring his bravery and God-given strength.

• Parallel account: “He also killed an impressive Egyptian” (2 Samuel 23:21).

• God’s people often faced foreign threats; Exodus 15:4–6 recalls how the Lord “hurled Pharaoh’s chariots… into the sea,” showing a pattern of God granting victory over Egyptians.

• The text reminds us that true courage flows from trusting the Lord, as in Joshua 1:9.


A huge man five cubits tall

At roughly 7½ feet, this opponent towered above ordinary soldiers.

• Scripture records other giants: Goliath measured “six cubits and a span” (1 Samuel 17:4), and still God delivered him into David’s hand.

• The size detail invites comparison to Numbers 13:33 where Israel feared the Anakim; here, faith replaces fear.


Although the Egyptian had a spear like a weaver’s beam in his hand

The weapon’s description stresses overwhelming odds.

• Goliath’s spear is described the same way (1 Samuel 17:7), linking Benaiah’s feat with David’s earlier triumph.

Psalm 20:7 contrasts trust in weaponry with trust in “the name of the LORD our God.”


Benaiah went against him with a club

Benaiah faced superior arms with a simple staff, illustrating reliance on God rather than human advantage.

Judges 3:31 shows Shamgar using an oxgoad, and Judges 15:15 tells of Samson and a donkey’s jawbone—ordinary tools in extraordinary hands.

2 Corinthians 10:4: “The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the world.”


Snatched the spear from his hand

The moment of turning the enemy’s strength into weakness.

• David ran toward Goliath and then used the giant’s own sword (1 Samuel 17:51).

Proverbs 21:31: “The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory belongs to the LORD.”


And killed the Egyptian with his own spear

The conclusion displays total reversal: what threatened God’s servant becomes the instrument of deliverance.

Esther 7:10 records Haman hanging on the gallows he built, another example of wicked plans reversed.

Romans 8:31 assures believers, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”


summary

1 Chronicles 11:23 highlights God’s power working through a faithful warrior. Benaiah, armed only with a club, defeats an imposing giant wielding a massive spear. Each detail—from the enemy’s stature to the weapon—magnifies the Lord’s supremacy over human strength. The passage calls readers to courageous faith, confident that God can turn every apparent disadvantage into decisive victory.

How does the story of Benaiah challenge our understanding of divine protection?
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