1 Chronicles 11:25

1Ch 11:25 Behold, he was honourable among the thirty, but attained not to the [first] three: and David set him over his guard.

Ver. 25. Behold, he was honourable among the thirty.] Yea, and above them too.

And David set him over his guard.] Heb., Over his hearing; that is, over those praetorian soldiers that were ever within his hearing and at his hand, viz., the Cherethites and the Pelethites, who stuck to him in all his troubles, and were now his bodyguard. 1Ch 11:26

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Meaning, those three which brought the water to David.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

David set him over his guard--the Cherethites and Pelethites that composed the small bodyguard in immediate attendance on the king.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 25. David set him over his guard] "Made him chief ruler over his disciples." - T.

FOR other particulars, see the notes on the parallel places, where the subject is farther considered.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(25) Behold, he was honourable among the thirty.—Rather, above the thirty behold he was honoured.

But attained not to the first three.—For he was a member of the second triad of heroes. The third member is omitted here, as in the case of the first triad.

Over his guard.—Literally, over his obedience; an abstract for concrete, as in Isa_11:14 (= vassals). The Cherethites and Pelethites, a small corps probably of foreigners, who constituted David’s body-guard, and were under his direct orders, appear to be meant here. (See 2Sa_8:18; 2Sa_20:23.) The word has this precise sense only in this place and its parallel.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

25. he was honourable among the thirty] R.V. (cp. 1Ch_11:21), he was more honourable than the thirty. The verse probably comes from some poem written in praise of Benaiah. Cp. 1Ch_27:6.

but attained not to the first three] Cp. note on 1Ch_11:21.

guard] The same Heb. word, mishma‘ath, is translated “council” in 1Sa_22:14. The literal meaning of the word is “obedience”; it seems both here and in Sam. (l.c.) to designate those who executed the king’s commands, i.e. his ministers. (Minister = “servant”.)

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Among, or rather "above," as he was the second captain of this series, and not one of the body of Thirty. (Kennicott) --- Council. Literally, "placed him at his ear," (Haydock) fecit eum auricularium a secreto; (2 Kings) though the word is the same. (Calmet) --- It seems, however, to have been read differently. (Haydock) --- Septuagint, "he placed him over his family, (Calmet, Greek: patrian) or native place." (Haydock) --- Syriac, "guard of his spear, and chief of his heroes." Arabic, "over all his riches." Some would translate, "captain of his guards." (Grotius) --- Banaias was a man of consummate prudence, as well as a great warrior. (Calmet) --- David "gives Banaias the command of his life-guard." (Josephus, [Antiquities?] vii. 12.) --- Hebrew, "Behold! he was more honourable than the Thirty; but he attained not unto the first three, and David set him over his guard," the Cerethites, &c., chap. xviii. 17. (Kennicott) --- This author adopts the correction of Grotius, as the Protestants do; though he acknowledges there is not impropriety in the present reading, "over his hearing or obedience." He also adds "first," by way of explanation, as [in] ver. 21. (Haydock)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Heb. his hearing, or obedience, i.e. those that were always ready to hear and obey or execute his commands, to wit, the guards of his body.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Over his guard. If the reference is not as above (see ver. 22), the margin of the parallel 2Sa_23:23) may be followed, which would translate "guard" as council. This Gesenius adopts, and translates "privy council." There seems, however, no necessity for this, with the references before us above given (2Sa_8:18, etc., to which may be added ch. 27:6, which shows Benaiah to be captain of the third division).

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Of the thirty, he was the most honored, but to the three he did not come To the heroic feats of the three he did not reach; i.e., to those three mentioned above (verse 20). Therefore, לא is written above with an “aleph.”

over his guard עַל מִשְׁמַעְתּוֹ, an expression of appointment, and likewise, (Isa. 11:14): “... and the children of Ammon will be their appointees מִשְׁמַעְתָּם.”

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.