Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 Chronicles 11:22-25

"Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done mighty deeds, he slew the two [sons of] Ariel of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow. And he slew an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits high; and in the Egyptian`s hand was a spear like a weaver`s beam; and he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian`s hand, and slew him with his own spear. These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had a name among the three mighty men. Behold, he was more honorable than the thirty, but he attained not to the [first] three: and David set him over his guard." — 1 Chronicles 11:22-25 (ASV)

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: The word “Son” is probably a spurious addition here, as elsewhere. The Syriac has, “Benaiah son of Joiada, a strong warrior.” The Septuagint, however, reads, “son of a mighty man.”

Kabzeel: A town of southern Judah, its site unknown (Joshua 15:21); Nehemiah 11:25 (Jekabzeel).

Who had done many acts: The marginal note is correct. This poetic phrase only occurs in this passage and the parallel one.

He killed two lionlike men of Moab: See 1 Chronicles 18:2. The Syriac similarly states: “He killed two giants of Moab.” The Hebrew text has, “He struck the two Ariel of Moab.” Ariel, “lion of God”—a title for heroes among the Arabs and Persians—appears to be used as an appellative (Isaiah 33:7): “Lo, the heroes (‘arîêlîm) cry without!” (Hebrew). The Septuagint of 2 Samuel 23:20 reads, “The two sons of Ariel of Moab,” from which some think that Ariel here denotes the king of Moab; but the former meaning is better.

Also he went down and killed a lion: Literally, And he (it was who) went down and struck the lion in the middle of the cistern on a snowy day. The definite article pointedly refers to some well-known feat of Benaiah’s.