Benaiah

Author: P.H. Thompson
Genre: Biblical Fiction

What happens when the king’s most obedient soldier is issued a wicked command?

Benaiah is valiant against men and beasts. He is known for three heroic deeds that lead to his appointment in the elite force of David’s Mighty Men: aggressively going down into a pit on a snowy day to kill a lion; fighting two Moabite ariels; and challenging a giant Egyptian, armed with only a staff, and killing him with the man’s own spear.

When David is crowned king, Benaiah is made his chief bodyguard and eventually head of the whole army of Israel under King Solomon.

Reeling from the tragic cost of disobedience when he was young, Benaiah directs his life toward one chief aim: to be found a faithful, loyal, valiant and obedient soldier, servant of the King and follower of Yahweh.

But when “just following orders” leads to his part in adultery, murder and death, he
questions his life’s direction. If both obedience and disobedience cause death, how can he ever find redemption?

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Reviewer: Camille Murray

The biblical events are well-researched, and I liked how the author made sense of some things that are a little bit hard to follow in the Bible. I loved the theme; it was well thought out. The theme didn’t stay in the forefront very well, but when it did show up it did well.
 
I was confused about the title of Benaiah vs the story in the pages. Benaiah is the point-of-view character, but the lion’s share of the story is a reenactment of King David’s life. Benaiah has his scenes here and there, but mainly he just stands by and watches David. That being so, the plot is very weak, except for the few scenes where the theme shows up.
 
Overall, I enjoyed seeing the author’s take on David’s life as described in the Bible. However, this book is more for the historical interest than for entertainment purposes.

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