2 Samuel 23:21

2Sa 23:21 And he slew an Egyptian, a goodly man: and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but 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.

Ver. 21. A goodly man.] A man of great stature. {1Ch 11:23}

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.

Or, a comely man.

Which was as big as a weaver’s beam, 1 Chron. 11:23.

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

Verse 21. He slew an Egyptian] This man in 1Ch 11:23 is stated to have been five cubits high, about seven feet six inches.

He went down to him with a staff] I have known men who, with a staff only for their defence, could render the sword of the best practised soldier of no use to him. I have seen even a parallel instance of a man with his staff being attacked by a soldier with his hanger; he soon beat the weapon out of the soldier's hand, and could easily have slain him with his own sword.

We have a good elucidation of this in a duel between Dioxippus the Athenian and Horratas a Macedonian, before Alexander: "The Macedonian, proud of his military skill, treated the naked Athenian with contempt, and then challenged him to fight with him the ensuing day. The Macedonian came armed cap-a-pie to the place; on his left arm he had a brazen shield, and in the same hand a spear called sarissa; he had a javelin in his right hand, and a sword girded on his side; in short, he appeared armed as though he were going to contend with a host. Dioxippus came into the field with a chaplet on his head, a purple sash on his left arm, his body naked, smeared over with oil, and in his right hand a strong knotty club, (dextra validum nodosumque stipitem praeferebat.) Horratas, supposing he could easily kill his antagonist while at a distance, threw his javelin, which Dioxippus, suddenly stooping, dexterously avoided, and, before Horratas could transfer the spear from his left to his right hand, sprang forward, and with one blow of his club, broke it in two. The Macedonian being deprived of both his spears, began to draw his sword; but before he could draw it out Dioxippus seized him, tripped up his heels, and threw him with great violence on the ground, (pedibus repente subductis arietavit in terram.) He then put his foot on his neck, drew out his sword, and lifting up his club, was about to dash out the brains of the overthrown champion, had he not been prevented by the king." - Q. Curt. lib. ix., cap. 7.

How similar are the two cases! He went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hands, and slew him with his own spear. Benaiah appears to have been just such another clubsman as Dioxippus.

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

(21) A goodly man.—The meaning is explained in the parallel place in Chronicles, where he is called “a man of stature,” and it is added “five cubits high.” Benaiah’s exploit, therefore, consisted in coming, armed only with a staff, to this giant Egyptian, wresting his spear from him, and then slaying him with it.

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

21. a goodly man] Lit. a man of appearance, a notable man; which is explained in 1Ch_11:23 to mean “a man of great stature,” with the addition, “five cubits high.”

a spear] The Sept. adds, like the beam of a bridge (or, of a ladder): Chron. like a weaver’s beam, as in ch. 2Sa_21:19.

with a staff] Cp. (though the word is different) 1Sa_17:40; 1Sa_17:43.

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.

And he slew an Egyptian, a goodly man,.... A person of good countenance and shape, very large and tall; in Ch1 11:28, he is said to be a man of great stature, and five cubits high, and so wanted a cubit and a span of the height of Goliath, Sa1 17:4,

and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; as large as Goliath's; for in Ch1 11:23, it is said to be like a weaver's beam, as Goliath's was; see Gill on Sa1 17:7,

and he went down to him with a staff; with a walking staff only, having no other weapon:

and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand; and therefore must be a man very nimble and dexterous, as well as bold and courageous:

and slew him with his own spear; as David cut off Goliath's head with his own sword. This is supposed (l) to be Shimei, the son of Gera, Kg1 2:46.

(l) Hieron. Trad. Heb. ut supra. (in. 2 Reg. fol. 80. C.)

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Sight, for size. (Josephus) --- Hebrew, "a man of great aspect," which 1 Paralipomenon properly explains "five cubits high." --- Hand. Septuagint supply what seems to be omitted, "like a weaver’s beam," (Kennicott) as it is found in Paralipomenon. --- Rod, or rather "a staff," like David’s, 1 Kings xvii. 43., and xl. 43. (Haydock) --- Some men, with a stick or codgel, will not fear to encounter a man armed; (Calmet) as we see exemplified in Q. Curtius, (ix. 7,) where Dioxippus, the Athenian wrestler, overcame Horratas of Macedon, who had challenged him out in a fit of drunkenness. (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).

A goodly man; for stature, as it is expressed, 1Ch 11:23.

With a staff; without a sword, or any warlike weapon.

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

2Sa 21:21-22. An Egyptian, a goodly man — A person of great stature, 1Ch 11:23. He plucked the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand — This shows him to have been both fearless, and a person of great skill and dexterity in managing a combat, either with man or beast. And had the name among three mighty men — That is, among the three in the second rank, for it is said in the following verse that he did not attain or come up to the first three. Who the third was of this second rank of mighty men is not mentioned.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

21. A goodly man — A man of commanding aspect. Chronicles says: “A man of great stature, five cubits high.”

Went down to him with a staff — By the dexterous use of which he made the Egyptian’s sword of no avail to him. “I have seen,” says Clarke, “a parallel instance of a man with his staff being attacked by a soldier with his hanger; he soon beat the weapon out of the soldier’s hand, and could easily have slain him with his own sword.”

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

A goodly man. The Hebrew text has "who a sight," for which the Massorites read, "a man of sight," that is, handsome, and worth looking at. In Chronicles 11:23 we find what, no doubt, is the right reading, "a man of measure equivalent to "a tall man", five cubits high." The height of Goliath was six cubits and a span. (1Sa_17:4)

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

Pit - Where he put himself under a necessity, either of killing, or being killed. Of snow - When lions are most fierce, both from the sharpness of their appetite in cold seasons, and from want of provisions.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.