I am now a forgotten hero . No children are named after me, and nobody knows me—yet I was a very important official and everybody knew me. Surprisingly there are numerous references to me in the Bible.

My father was Jehoiada the priest, leader of the family of Aaron, and he and I joined David at Hebron with 3,700 Levites—armed for battle, ready to deliver Saul’s kingdom to David.

I was in charge of the Kerethites and Pelethites, (David’s bodyguard). The reason I had such an important position was that I was a valiant fighter and I performed great exploits. I killed two of Moab’s best men. On a snowy day I went into a pit and killed a lion. And I battled against a seven-and-a-half-foot tall Egyptian who had a spear like a weaver’s rod and all I had was a club. But I snatched his spear from him and then killed him with his own spear. Because of these deeds, I was as famous as the three mighty men and was held in greater honor than the Thirty.

As the third army commander, I was in charge of 24,000 men who defended Israel during the third month.

My loyalty to David helped establish Solomon on his throne. When Adonijah tried to have himself anointed king, many of David’s officials, Joab the commander-in-chief of the army and Abiathar the priest, for example, supported him. But my loyalty was so firm that the conspirators did not even dare to invite me. When told to support the anointing of King Solomon I said,

Amen! May the Lord, the God of my lord and king, so declare it. As the Lord was with my lord the king, so may he be with Solomon to make his throne even greater than the throne of my lord King David.

So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, the king’s bodyguard and I placed Solomon on the king’s mule, anointed him, and crushed the rebellion.

Later when Adonijah requested Abishag as his wife, King Solomon told me to kill him, and I did.

Out of fright Joab ran to the tent of the Lord and took hold of the horns of the altar. King Solomon ordered me to kill him, but when Joab refused to leave the tabernacle, I returned to the king to ask for further instructions. I was ordered to kill Joab in the tabernacle—I did so—and despite this being against God’s Word, I was not struck down.

I also killed Shimei on King Solomon’s command.

I became the commander-in-chief of the army.

Lest you think that I was only a man of war, let me remind you that I was a priest, set apart to serve God. When the ark was brought into Zion for the first time, I was one of seven priests who blew the trumpet before. Later on Jahaziel and I blew trumpets regularly before the ark of covenant of God.

So there I am a mighty warrior, perhaps the fourth best in Israel , chief of King David’s bodyguard, a commander-in-chief of Solomon’s army, and last but not least a priest. With all these hints you obviously know who I am.

II Samuel 8:18; I Kings 1–2 ; I Chronicles 11:22–25;12:26–27; 27:5, 34; 15:24