Person Old Testament
Ishbi-benob
Also known as Ishbi-benob =ESV, NIV, KJV, LQ; Ishbo-benob =LK
Ishbi-benob, a Philistine giant, was killed by David's warrior Abishai when he threatened David's life. Mentioned once in Scripture, at 2 Samuel 21:16.
Why it matters. Philistine giant who fought against David's men.
- Primary passages
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
About Ishbi-benob
Ishbi-benob was a Philistine warrior described as a descendant of the giants (2Sa.21.16). During a battle at Gob, he wielded a bronze spear weighing three hundred shekels and was armed with a new sword. Ishbi-benob attempted to kill King David, who had grown weary in the fight. However, Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to David's aid and struck down the Philistine and killed him. After this incident, David's men urged him not to go out to battle anymore, lest he quench the lamp of Israel (2Sa.21.17). This event demonstrates the ongoing conflict between the Israelites and the Philistines during David's reign, as well as the loyalty of David's mighty men.
Description from STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0, lightly reformatted. This is background reference material, not Scripture and not a FaithGraph editorial claim.
Connections
No reviewed connections yet.
Family
Family links from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0). Where the dataset marks an identification as uncertain, the mark is kept. Matthew and Luke give different genealogies for Jesus; see the Lineage page, which never merges them.
- Parents
- Rapha
Appears in Scripture
Named in 1 verse across 1 book. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.
2 Samuel (1 verse)