New American Standard Bible 1995

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2 Samuel

23

:

20

Then Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done mighty deeds, killed the two sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went down and killed a lion in the middle of a pit on a snowy day.

Lexicon

Verse part Definition: Part of speech: Strong's: Hebrew: Transliteration:
Then Benaiah "Yah has built up," the name of several Isr. Noun H1141 וּבְנָיָ֨הוּ u·ve·na·ya·hu
the son son Noun H1121 בֶן־ ven-
of Jehoiada, "the LORD knows," the name of several Isr. Noun H3077 יְהֹויָדָ֧ע ye·ho·v·ya·da
the son son Noun H1121 בֶּן־ ben-
of a valiant strength, efficiency, wealth, army H2428    
man man Noun H376 אִֽישׁ־ ish-
of Kabzeel, "God gathers," a city in S. Judah Noun H6909 מִֽקַּבְצְאֵ֑ל mik·kav·tze·'el;
who had done mighty much, many, great Adjective H7227 רַב־ rav-
deeds, doing, deed, work Noun H6467 פְּעָלִ֖ים pe·'a·lim
killed to smite Verb H5221 הִכָּ֗ה hik·kah
the two two (a card. number) Noun H8147 שְׁנֵ֤י she·nei
Analysis:

Two: Two divergent opinions

The classic example for the number "two" is found in Matthew chapter 26. There, Yeshua says to His disciples,

"You know that after two days comes the Passover, and the Son of Man will be given over for crucifixion."  Matthew 26:2

The phrase "after two days" is somewhat meaningless because after two days can mean three or more days. The period is unspecified. The reason for such ambiguous language is because the purpose of the number two in this passage is not solely numerical. This means that the text is not intending to provide the reader with some definite information concerning a time period. Rather, the purpose of the number two in this context is one of the numerological meanings of the number two.  Often the number two relates to two divergent opinions. In the aforementioned verse, the author wants to inform the reader that there are two very different understandings for this coming Passover. Yeshua wants to emphasize that He is going up to Jerusalem in order to die as the true Passover sacrifice. Even though Yeshua states this emphatically, the disciples did not receive this. In fact, the disciples did not perceive at all what was going to take place during Passover in regard to Yeshua. In other words, Yeshua and the disciples have two divergent opinions concerning the Passover.

This same principle is also found in the Hebrew Bible (Old Covenant). In the book of Amos one reads,

"Can two walk together without them having agreed" Amos 3:3

The word which was translated into English with the phrase "them having agreed" is נועדו. The root of this word is יעד, which relates to a specific destination. The word which precedes this word is בלתי and in this context the word implies a change to the condition. In other words, had there not been a change in the condition, then the two could not walk together, i.e. they could not have arrived at the common destination.

The concept of divergent or different is also seen in the book of Genesis. In speaking about the sun and moon one reads, "And God made two great lights…" (Genesis 1:16). Obviously the sun and moon are very different, as one is a source of light, while the latter just reflects light. Also in the book of Genesis, one encounters the account of the flood. Here Noah is commanded to bring onto the ark two sorts of each type of animal. In this passage, the two relates to two different (or divergent) kinds of the same sort, i.e. male and female. 

Likewise, two angels came to Sodom, demonstrating that the people of Sodom had a very different way of living from that of the Law of God. Once again, the reader should not assume that every occurrence of the number two in the Bible demands this interpretation. However, one will find in a great majority of Biblical passages, the reader will be assisted in arriving at the proper interpretation, when he considers this divergent quality for the number two. 

Loveisrael.org - Baruch Korman, Ph.D. - All Rights Reserved - Used with Permission 2016 

[sons of] Ariel "lioness of El," an Isr. name, also a man of Moab Noun H739 אֲרִאֵל֙ a·ri·'el
Analysis:
Read more about: Ariel, Ariel
of Moab. a son of Lot,also his desc. and the territory where they settled Noun H4124 מֹואָ֔ב mo·v·'av,
Analysis:
Read more about: Moab
He also went down to come or go down, descend Verb H3381 יָרַ֞ד ya·rad
and killed to smite Verb H5221 וְהִכָּ֧ה ve·hik·kah
a lion a lion H743    
in the middle midst Noun H8432 בְּתֹ֥וךְ be·to·vch
of a pit a cistern, pit, well H877    
on a snowy snow Noun H7950 הַשָּֽׁלֶג׃ ha·sha·leg.
day. day Noun H3117 בְּיֹ֥ום be·yo·vm

Locations

Moab

MOAB; MOABITESmo'-ab, mo'-ab-its (Moab, mo'abh, Moabite Stone, M-'-B; Greek (Septuagint) Moab, he Moabeitis, Moabitis; Moabite, mo'abhi; Moabites, bene mo'abh):1. The Land:Moab was the district East of the Dead Sea, extending from a point some distance North of it to its southern end. The eastern boundary was indefinite, being the border of the desert which... View Details

People

Ariel

|lioness of El,| an Israelite name, also a man of Moab

Ariel

|lioness of El,| a symbolic name for Jer.

Parallel Verses

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New American Standard Bible 1995 Then Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done mighty deeds, killed the two sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went down and killed a lion in the middle of a pit on a snowy day.
King James Bible Then And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man man, of Kabzeel, who had done mighty deeds, killed the many acts, he slew two sons lionlike men of Ariel of Moab. He also Moab: he went down also and killed slew a lion in the middle midst of a pit on a snowy day.in time of snow:
Hebrew Greek English Then Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done mighty deeds, killed the two sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went down and killed a lion in the middle of a pit on a snowy day.