(22-25) Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. — Captain of the royal guard (1 Chronicles 18:17) and third “captain of the host” (1 Chronicles 27:5-6).
Son of a valiant man. — “Son” is probably a spurious addition here, as elsewhere. The Syriac has “Benaiah son of Joiada, a strong warrior.” The LXX., however, reads, “son of a mighty man.”
Kabzeel. — A town of southern Judah, site unknown (Joshua 15:21); Nehemiah 11:25 (Jekabzeel).
Who had done many acts. — The margin is correct. This poetic phrase only occurs in this and the parallel passage.
He slew two lionlike men of Moab. — See 1 Chronicles 18:2. So the Syriac: “He slew two giants of Moab.” The Hebrew has, “He smote the two Ariel of Moab.” Ariel, “lion of God” — a title of heroes with the Arabs and Persians — appears to be used as an appellative (Isaiah 33:7): “Lo, the heroes (‘arîêlîm) cry without!” (Heb.) The LXX. of 2 Samuel 23:20 reads, “The two sons of Ariel of Moab;” whence some think that Ariel denotes here the king of Moab; but the former sense is better.
Also he went down and slew a lion. — Literally, And he (it was who) went down and smote the lion in the middle of the cistern in the day of snow. The article pointedly refers to some well-known feat of Benaiah’s.