Verses 22-25
(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.
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