Benaiah, son of the priest Jehoiada , was David's general for the army of the Kingdom of Israel. In Hebrew, his name means "God has established."

He was one of David's "mighty men" (I Chron. 27:6) who commanded the Cherethites and Pelethites. He was renowned for his heroism; with Zadok and Nathan, he kept his position under Solomon, and was appointed chief of Solomon's army.

In the Bible, Benaiah's story is told primarily in I Chronicles 27, II Samuel 23, and I Kings 1.

The stories of him follow that he once killed an eight foot egyptian. Also he was said to have killed a lion in a pit for the amusement of King David.