Lives of Scripture

Jehoiada was a leader of the house of Aaron -- a senior figure among the priestly clan of Levi -- who joined David's growing forces at Hebron with 3,700 men when Saul's kingdom was passing to David, part of a much larger gathering of tribal leaders who came "to turn the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the word of the LORD" (1 Chronicles 12:23-27). Scripture says little else about Jehoiada directly; nearly everything else recorded under his name concerns his son, Benaiah, one of David's most celebrated warriors. Benaiah struck down two of Moab's finest fighters, killed a lion in a pit on a day of heavy snow, and killed a spear-wielding Egyptian giant armed with only a staff, feats that placed him among David's inner circle of mighty men (2 Samuel 23:20-22; 1 Chronicles 11:22-24). David made Benaiah commander of his personal bodyguard, the Cherethites and Pelethites (2 Samuel 8:18; 20:23; 1 Chronicles 18:17), and at the end of David's reign, Benaiah backed Solomon over the coup attempted by Adonijah, then personally executed Adonijah, Joab, and Shimei on Solomon's orders (1 Kings 1:8-44; 2:25-46). Solomon rewarded that loyalty by making Benaiah commander of the entire army (1 Kings 4:4; 1 Chronicles 27:5-6) -- a rise Jehoiada, whoever he was personally, never lived to see, but that his own early, decisive loyalty to David's cause helped make possible.