Benaiah is mentioned again in 20.23, and 23.20-23 tells of his brave deeds.
Was over: these words are not actually in the Hebrew text. The text says “and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and the Cherethites….” But the words [was] over do appear in the parallel passage in 1 Chr 18.17. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament gives a {B} rating to the Masoretic Text and recommends that translators follow it, but even Traduction œcuménique de la Bible and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, which almost always follow the MT, correct the text here to state that Jehoiada was commander over the Cherethites and the Pelethites. Translators should not follow the MT here. In some languages translators will use a form of the verb “to be” followed by a noun indicating Benaiah’s position: “was the commander of” (Contemporary English Version), “was master [or, chief] of,” or “was captain of.” Compare verse 16.
The Cherethites and the Pelethites: as indicated by the Good News Translation rendering, these two groups constituted the bodyguards of King David (compare 23.23). Apparently David recruited a private army while he was living in Ziklag (1 Sam 27–31), which according to 1 Sam 30.14 was close to “the Negeb of the Cherethites,” presumably the home of the first-named group. Certain scholars have suggested that the Pelethites is a variant name for the Philistines, but the evidence for this is far from conclusive. Most likely the Cherethites and the Pelethites were both non-Israelites. Some translators may prefer to retain the form along with the sense in this passage by saying something like “the Kerethites and the Pelethites, who were the king’s bodyguards” or “those who protected the king, that is, the Kerethites and the Pelethites.” As in 1 Sam 30.14, Bible en français courant and Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente speak of “Cretans” in place of Cherethites, that is, inhabitants of the island of Crete, and in other languages also it may be better to use the modern name “Cretans,” as in Bible en français courant. These Cretans no longer lived on the island of Crete; they had settled along the southwest coast of Palestine.
David’s sons were priests: the sons of David were not members of the tribe of Levi, and perhaps for this reason some interpreters have suggested that the word that usually means “priests” may have had some other meaning in this context. Early versions of the Old Testament, such as the ancient Greek, have a different reading here. It is for this reason that such translations as the following are found: “royal advisors” (New International Version); “important leaders” (New Century Version); “ministers” (Knox); and “chief ministers” (New American Standard Bible). La Bible du Semeur calls them “administrators” and states in a footnote that the Hebrew terms “priests” and “administrators” are similar.
The parallel passage in 1 Chr 18.17 does, in fact, call them “chief officials.” However, in view of the clear meaning of the Hebrew term used in this verse, translators are advised to use the normal word for “priests” in the text at this point and confine comments and other possibilities to a footnote.
Some scholars have taken this verse as evidence that at the time of David the priesthood was not yet seen as being limited to the tribe of Levi. And there is also a question about the relationship of these priests to Zadok and Abiathar mentioned in the previous verse. Was their function different or the same? Whatever the case may have been, having David’s sons in this position does not seem to have been a permanent arrangement. Compare 2 Sam 20.26, where a Jairite is said to have been a priest to David, and 1 Kgs 4.1-6, where David’s descendants are not included among the priests while Solomon was king.
Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .