What are "veha'Kreisi veha'Pleisi"?
Rashi citing Targum Yonasan: [Benayahu] was appointed over the archers and slingshot shooters. 1 Radak - the prefix Vov is in place of Al or Im. We find like this - "v'Yosef Hayah b'Egypt" (Shemos 1:5), "Aven va'Atzarah" (Yeshayah 1:13). In Divrei ha'Yamim (1:18:17), it says "Al ha'Kreisi."
Rashi citing Brachos 4a: It is the Urim v'Tumim. 2 (The Gemara says there that Benayahu was the Av Beis Din; after asking him, they would ask the Urim v'Tumim.)
Mahari Kara (here and in Melachim I, 1:38): They are Giborim from Eretz Keresim; Peletim are residents of Chavel Yam Pelishtim - "Hoy Yoshvei Chavel ha'Yam Goy Keresim" (Tzefanyah 2:5).
Radak: Some say that these were two families obedient to the king, who constantly saw him; Benayahu headed them.
Malbim (15:18): The Kreisi are David's Giborim.
Why was he not mentioned together with Yo'av over the army? And also below (20:23), it says that Benayah was over the Kreisi u'Pleisi, even though it says that Yo'av was over "Kol ha'Tzava"! (PF)
Radak (15:18) questions this, for there it says "v'Chol ha'Kreisi v'Chol ha'Pleisi." (Also, the Urim v'Tumim should be mentioned next to the Kohen Gadol! And below (20:7) it says that also ha'Kreisi veha'Pleisi chased after Sheva ben Bichri, and it does not mention any Kohen! These are not difficult if the Gemara merely expounds an additional Perush of the words. - PF)
What does it mean that Bnei David were Kohanim?
Rashi citing Targum Yonasan: They were great [officers]. Radak - they were appointed over everything.
Radak: It is like it says in Divrei ha'Yamim I, 18:17 - they were first at the king's hand [Rashi there - to do all his needs].
Radak citing Nedarim 62a: They were Chachamim. Why are they called Kohanim? Just like the Kohen Gadol is first to take a portion [of Kodshim], so a Chacham is first to take a portion.
