Synopsis of the Chapter
David is anointed king of Israel and expels the Jebusites from the citadel of Zion. Then, from verse 10 to the end, the names and heroic deeds of his mighty men are listed.
Verse 2: You Shall Shepherd ¶
2. YOU SHALL SHEPHERD — that is, you shall rule. For the king is the shepherd of peoples, as Homer says of Agamemnon.
Verse 22: The Two Heroes of Moab ¶
22. HE (Benaiah) STRUCK DOWN TWO HEROES OF MOAB — that is, two lions of Moab, as is said in 2 Kings XXIII, 20. They are called Ariel, that is 'lions of God,' meaning very great and powerful. The Hebrews, Josephus, Lyranus, the Gloss, and Cajetan think these were two very brave and fierce commanders of the Moabites, like lions. But others simply take them as literal lions, as the words suggest. See what was said at 2 Kings XXIII, 20.
Verse 25: David's Personal Guard ¶
25. DAVID SET HIM OVER HIS BODYGUARD — that is, he made him his secretary and intimate counselor and advisor; who would remind him of things to be done, and suggest everything that needed to be done, just as those do whom in Rome they call Auditors to the Cardinals.