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1 Kings 20:1-43 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

1 And Benhadad H1130 the king H4428 of Syria H758 gathered H6908 all his host H2428 together: H6908 and there were thirty H7970 and two H8147 kings H4428 with him, and horses, H5483 and chariots: H7393 and he went up H5927 and besieged H6696 Samaria, H8111 and warred H3898 against it.

2 And he sent H7971 messengers H4397 to Ahab H256 king H4428 of Israel H3478 into the city, H5892 and said H559 unto him, Thus saith H559 Benhadad, H1130

3 Thy silver H3701 and thy gold H2091 is mine; thy wives H802 also and thy children, H1121 even the goodliest, H2896 are mine.

4 And the king H4428 of Israel H3478 answered H6030 and said, H559 My lord, H113 O king, H4428 according to thy saying, H1697 I am thine, and all that I have.

5 And the messengers H4397 came again, H7725 and said, H559 Thus speaketh H559 Benhadad, H1130 saying, H559 Although I have sent H7971 unto thee, saying, H559 Thou shalt deliver H5414 me thy silver, H3701 and thy gold, H2091 and thy wives, H802 and thy children; H1121

6 Yet I will send H7971 my servants H5650 unto thee to morrow H4279 about this time, H6256 and they shall search H2664 thine house, H1004 and the houses H1004 of thy servants; H5650 and it shall be, H1961 that whatsoever is pleasant H4261 in thine eyes, H5869 they shall put H7760 it in their hand, H3027 and take it away. H3947

7 Then the king H4428 of Israel H3478 called H7121 all the elders H2205 of the land, H776 and said, H559 Mark, H3045 I pray you, and see H7200 how this man seeketh H1245 mischief: H7451 for he sent H7971 unto me for my wives, H802 and for my children, H1121 and for my silver, H3701 and for my gold; H2091 and I denied H4513 him not.

8 And all the elders H2205 and all the people H5971 said H559 unto him, Hearken H8085 not unto him, nor consent. H14

9 Wherefore he said H559 unto the messengers H4397 of Benhadad, H1130 Tell H559 my lord H113 the king, H4428 All that thou didst send H7971 for to thy servant H5650 at the first H7223 I will do: H6213 but this thing H1697 I may H3201 not do. H6213 And the messengers H4397 departed, H3212 and brought H7725 him word H1697 again. H7725

10 And Benhadad H1130 sent H7971 unto him, and said, H559 The gods H430 do so H6213 unto me, and more also, H3254 if the dust H6083 of Samaria H8111 shall suffice H5606 for handfuls H8168 for all the people H5971 that follow H7272 me.

11 And the king H4428 of Israel H3478 answered H6030 and said, H559 Tell H1696 him, Let not him that girdeth H2296 on his harness boast H1984 himself as he that putteth it off. H6605

12 And it came to pass, when Benhadad heard H8085 this message, H1697 as he was drinking, H8354 he and the kings H4428 in the pavilions, H5521 that he said H559 unto his servants, H5650 Set H7760 yourselves in array. And they set H7760 themselves in array against the city. H5892

13 And, behold, there came H5066 a H259 prophet H5030 unto Ahab H256 king H4428 of Israel, H3478 saying, H559 Thus saith H559 the LORD, H3068 Hast thou seen H7200 all this great H1419 multitude? H1995 behold, I will deliver H5414 it into thine hand H3027 this day; H3117 and thou shalt know H3045 that I am the LORD. H3068

14 And Ahab H256 said, H559 By whom? And he said, H559 Thus saith H559 the LORD, H3068 Even by the young men H5288 of the princes H8269 of the provinces. H4082 Then he said, H559 Who shall order H631 the battle? H4421 And he answered, H559 Thou.

15 Then he numbered H6485 the young men H5288 of the princes H8269 of the provinces, H4082 and they were two H8147 hundred H3967 and thirty H7970 two: H8147 and after H310 them he numbered H6485 all the people, H5971 even all the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 being seven H7651 thousand. H505

16 And they went out H3318 at noon. H6672 But Benhadad H1130 was drinking H8354 himself drunk H7910 in the pavilions, H5521 he and the kings, H4428 the thirty H7970 and two H8147 kings H4428 that helped H5826 him.

17 And the young men H5288 of the princes H8269 of the provinces H4082 went out H3318 first; H7223 and Benhadad H1130 sent out, H7971 and they told H5046 him, saying, H559 There are men H582 come out H3318 of Samaria. H8111

18 And he said, H559 Whether they be come out H3318 for peace, H7965 take H8610 them alive; H2416 or whether they be come out H3318 for war, H4421 take H8610 them alive. H2416

19 So these young men H5288 of the princes H8269 of the provinces H4082 came out H3318 of the city, H5892 and the army H2428 which followed H310 them.

20 And they slew H5221 every one H376 his man: H376 and the Syrians H758 fled; H5127 and Israel H3478 pursued H7291 them: and Benhadad H1130 the king H4428 of Syria H758 escaped H4422 on an horse H5483 with the horsemen. H6571

21 And the king H4428 of Israel H3478 went out, H3318 and smote H5221 the horses H5483 and chariots, H7393 and slew H5221 the Syrians H758 with a great H1419 slaughter. H4347

22 And the prophet H5030 came H5066 to the king H4428 of Israel, H3478 and said H559 unto him, Go, H3212 strengthen H2388 thyself, and mark, H3045 and see H7200 what thou doest: H6213 for at the return H8666 of the year H8141 the king H4428 of Syria H758 will come up H5927 against thee.

23 And the servants H5650 of the king H4428 of Syria H758 said H559 unto him, Their gods H430 are gods H430 of the hills; H2022 therefore they were stronger H2388 than we; but H199 let us fight H3898 against them in the plain, H4334 and surely H3808 we shall be stronger H2388 than they.

24 And do H6213 this thing, H1697 Take H5493 the kings H4428 away, every man H376 out of his place, H4725 and put H7760 captains H6346 in their rooms:

25 And number H4487 thee an army, H2428 like the army H2428 that thou hast lost, H5307 horse H5483 for horse, H5483 and chariot H7393 for chariot: H7393 and we will fight H3898 against H854 them in the plain, H4334 and surely we shall be stronger H2388 than they. And he hearkened H8085 unto their voice, H6963 and did so. H6213

26 And it came to pass at the return H8666 of the year, H8141 that Benhadad H1130 numbered H6485 the Syrians, H758 and went up H5927 to Aphek, H663 to fight H4421 against Israel. H3478

27 And the children H1121 of Israel H3478 were numbered, H6485 and were all present, H3557 and went H3212 against H7125 them: and the children H1121 of Israel H3478 pitched H2583 before them like two H8147 little flocks H2835 of kids; H5795 but the Syrians H758 filled H4390 the country. H776

28 And there came H5066 a man H376 of God, H430 and spake H559 unto the king H4428 of Israel, H3478 and said, H559 Thus saith H559 the LORD, H3068 Because the Syrians H758 have said, H559 The LORD H3068 is God H430 of the hills, H2022 but he is not God H430 of the valleys, H6010 therefore will I deliver H5414 all this great H1419 multitude H1995 into thine hand, H3027 and ye shall know H3045 that I am the LORD. H3068

29 And they pitched H2583 one H428 over against H5227 the other H428 seven H7651 days. H3117 And so it was, that in the seventh H7637 day H3117 the battle H4421 was joined: H7126 and the children H1121 of Israel H3478 slew H5221 of the Syrians H758 an hundred H3967 thousand H505 footmen H7273 in one H259 day. H3117

30 But the rest H3498 fled H5127 to Aphek, H663 into the city; H5892 and there a wall H2346 fell H5307 upon twenty H6242 and seven H7651 thousand H505 of the men H376 that were left. H3498 And Benhadad H1130 fled, H5127 and came H935 into the city, H5892 into an inner H2315 chamber. H2315

31 And his servants H5650 said H559 unto him, Behold now, we have heard H8085 that the kings H4428 of the house H1004 of Israel H3478 are merciful H2617 kings: H4428 let us, I pray thee, put H7760 sackcloth H8242 on our loins, H4975 and ropes H2256 upon our heads, H7218 and go out H3318 to the king H4428 of Israel: H3478 peradventure he will save H2421 thy life. H5315

32 So they girded H2296 sackcloth H8242 on their loins, H4975 and put ropes H2256 on their heads, H7218 and came H935 to the king H4428 of Israel, H3478 and said, H559 Thy servant H5650 Benhadad H1130 saith, H559 I pray thee, let me live. H2421 H5315 And he said, H559 Is he yet alive? H2416 he is my brother. H251

33 Now the men H582 did diligently observe H5172 whether any thing would come from him, and did hastily H4116 catch H2480 it: and they said, H559 Thy brother H251 Benhadad. H1130 Then he said, H559 Go H935 ye, bring H3947 him. Then Benhadad H1130 came forth H3318 to him; and he caused him to come up H5927 into the chariot. H4818

34 And Benhadad said H559 unto him, The cities, H5892 which my father H1 took H3947 from thy father, H1 I will restore; H7725 and thou shalt make H7760 streets H2351 for thee in Damascus, H1834 as my father H1 made H7760 in Samaria. H8111 Then said Ahab, I will send thee away H7971 with this covenant. H1285 So he made H3772 a covenant H1285 with him, and sent him away. H7971

35 And a certain H259 man H376 of the sons H1121 of the prophets H5030 said H559 unto his neighbour H7453 in the word H1697 of the LORD, H3068 Smite H5221 me, I pray thee. And the man H376 refused H3985 to smite H5221 him.

36 Then said H559 he unto him, Because thou hast not obeyed H8085 the voice H6963 of the LORD, H3068 behold, as soon as thou art departed H1980 from me, a lion H738 shall slay H5221 thee. And as soon as he was departed H3212 from him, H681 a lion H738 found H4672 him, and slew H5221 him.

37 Then he found H4672 another H312 man, H376 and said, H559 Smite H5221 me, I pray thee. And the man H376 smote H5221 him, so that in smiting H5221 he wounded H6481 him.

38 So the prophet H5030 departed, H3212 and waited H5975 for the king H4428 by the way, H1870 and disguised H2664 himself with ashes H666 upon his face. H5869

39 And as the king H4428 passed by, H5674 he cried H6817 unto the king: H4428 and he said, H559 Thy servant H5650 went out H3318 into the midst H7130 of the battle; H4421 and, behold, a man H376 turned aside, H5493 and brought H935 a man H376 unto me, and said, H559 Keep H8104 this man: H376 if by any means H6485 he be missing, H6485 then shall thy life H5315 be for his life, H5315 or else thou shalt pay H8254 a talent H3603 of silver. H3701

40 And as thy servant H5650 was busy H6213 here and there, he was gone. H369 And the king H4428 of Israel H3478 said H559 unto him, So shall thy judgment H4941 be; thyself hast decided H2782 it.

41 And he hasted, H4116 and took the ashes H666 away H5493 from his face; H5869 and the king H4428 of Israel H3478 discerned H5234 him that he was of the prophets. H5030

42 And he said H559 unto him, Thus saith H559 the LORD, H3068 Because thou hast let go H7971 out of thy hand H3027 a man H376 whom I appointed to utter destruction, H2764 therefore thy life H5315 shall go for his life, H5315 and thy people H5971 for his people. H5971

43 And the king H4428 of Israel H3478 went H3212 to his house H1004 heavy H5620 and displeased, H2198 and came H935 to Samaria. H8111

Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 1 Kings 20

Commentary on 1 Kings 20 Matthew Henry Commentary


Chapter 20

This chapter is the history of a war between Ben-hadad king of Syria and Ahab king of Israel, in which Ahab was, once and again, victorious. We read nothing of Elijah or Elishain all this story; Jezebel's rage, it is probable, had abated, and the persecution of the prophets began to cool, which gleam of peace Elijah improved. He appeared not at court, but, being told how many thousands of good people there were in Israel more than he thought of, employed himself, as we may suppose, in founding religious houses, schools, or colleges of prophets, in several parts of the country, to be nurseries of religion, that they might help to reform the nation when the throne and court would not be reformed. While he was thus busied, God favoured the nation with the successes we here read of, which were the more remarkable because obtained against Ben-hadad king of Syria, whose successor, Hazael, was ordained to be a scourge to Israel. They must shortly suffer by the Syrians, and yet now triumphed over them, that, if possible, they might be led to repentance by the goodness of God. Here is,

  • I. Ben-hadad's descent upon Israel, and his insolent demand (v. 1-11).
  • II. The defeat Ahab gave him, encouraged and directed by a prophet (v. 12-21).
  • III. The Syrians rallying again, and the second defeat Ahab gave them (v. 22-30).
  • IV. The covenant of peace Ahab made with Ben-hadad, when he had him at his mercy (v. 31-34), for which he is reproved and threatened by a prophet (v. 35-43).

1Ki 20:1-11

Here is,

  • I. The threatening descent which Ben-hadad made upon Ahab's kingdom, and the siege he laid to Samaria, his royal city, v. 1. What the ground of the quarrel was we are not told; covetousness and ambition were the principle, which would never want some pretence or other. David in his time had quite subdued the Syrians and made them tributaries to Israel, but Israel's apostasy from God makes them formidable again. Asa had tempted the Syrians to invade Israel once (ch. 15:18-20), and now they did it of their own accord. It is dangerous bringing a foreign force into the country: posterity may pay dearly for it. Ben-hadad had with him thirty-two kings, who were either tributaries to him, and bound in duty to attend him, or confederates with him, and bound in interest to assist him. How little did the title of king look when all these poor petty governors pretended to it!
  • II. The treaty between these two kings. Surely Israel's defence had departed from them, or else the Syrians could not have marched so readily, and with so little opposition, to Samaria, the head and heart of the country, a city lately built, and therefore, we may suppose, not well fortified, but likely to fall quickly into the hands of the invaders; both sides are aware of this, and therefore,
    • 1. Ben-hadad's proud spirit sends Ahab a very insolent demand, v. 2, 3. A parley is sounded, and a trumpeter (we may suppose) is sent into the city, to let Ahab know that he will raise the siege upon condition that Ahab become his vassal (Nay, his villain), and not only pay him a tribute out of what he has, but make over his title to Ben-hadad, and hold all at his will, even his wives and children, the godliest of them. The manner of expression is designed to gall them; "All shall be mine, without exception.'
    • 2. Ahab's poor spirit sends Ben-hadad a very disgraceful submission. It is general indeed (he cannot mention particulars in his surrender with so much pleasure as Ben-hadad did in his demand), but it is effectual: I am thine, and all that I have, v. 4. See the effect of sin.
      • (1.) If he had not by sin provoked God to depart from him, Ben-hadad could not have made such a demand. Sin brings men into such straits, by putting them out of divine protection. If God may not rule us, our enemies shall. A rebel to God is a slave to all besides. Ahab had prepared his silver and gold for Baal, Hos. 2:8. Justly therefore is it taken from him; such an alienating amounts to a forfeiture.
      • (2.) If he had not by sin wronged his own conscience, and set that against him, he could not have made such a mean surrender. Guilt dispirits men, and makes them cowards. He knew Baal could not help, and had no reason to think that God would, and therefore was content to buy his life upon any terms. Skin for skin, and all that is dear to him, he will give for it; he will rather live a beggar than not die a prince.
    • 3. Ben-hadad's proud spirit rises upon his submission, and becomes yet more insolent and imperious, v. 5, 6. Ahab had laid his all at his feet, at his mercy, expecting that one king would use another generously, that this acknowledgment of Ben-hadad's sovereignty would content him, the honour was sufficient for the present, and he might hereafter make use of it if he saw cause (Satis est prostrasse leoni-It suffices the lion to have laid his victim prostrate); but this will not serve.
      • (1.) Ben-hadad is as covetous as he is proud, and cannot go away unless he have the possession as well as the dominion. He thinks it not enough to call it his, unless he have it in his hands. He will not so much as lend Ahab the use of his own goods above a day longer.
      • (2.) He is as spiteful as he is haughty. Had he come himself to select what he had a mind for, it would have shown some respect to a crowned head; but he will send his servants to insult the prince, and hector over him, to rifle the palace, and strip it of all its ornaments; nay, to give Ahab the more vexation, they shall be ordered, not only to take what they please, but, if they can learn which are the persons or things that Ahab is in a particular manner fond of, to take those: Whatsoever is pleasant in thy eyes they shall take away. We are often crossed in that which we most dote upon; and that proves least safe which is most dear.
      • (3.) He is as unreasonable as he is unjust, and will construe the surrender Ahab made for himself as made for all his subjects too, and will have them also to lie at his mercy: "They shall search, not only thy house, but the houses of thy servants too, and plunder them at discretion.' Blessed be God for peace and property, and that what we have we can call our own.
    • 4. Ahab's poor spirit begins to rise too, upon this growing insolence; and, if it becomes not bold, yet it becomes desperate, and he will rather hazard his life than give up all thus.
      • (1.) How he takes advice of his privy-council, who encourage him to stand it out. He speaks but poorly (v. 7), appeals to them whether Ben-hadad be not an unreasonable enemy, and do not seek mischief. What else could he expect from one who, without any provocation given him, had invaded his country and besieged his capital city? He owns to them how he had truckled to him before, and will have them advise him what he should do in this strait; and they speak bravely (Hearken not to him, nor consent, v. 8), promising no doubt to stand by him in the refusal.
      • (2.) Yet he expresses himself very modestly in his denial, v. 9. He owns Ben-hadad's dominion over him: "Tell my lord the king I have no design to affront him, nor to receded from the surrender I have already made; what I offered at first I will stand to, but this thing I may not do; I must not give what is none of my own.' It was a mortification to Ben-hadad that even such an abject spirit as Ahab's durst deny him; yet it should seem, by his manner of expressing himself, that he durst not have done it if his people had not animated him.
    • 5. Ben-hadad proudly swears the ruin of Samaria. The threatening waves of his wrath, meeting with this check, rage and foam, and make a noise. In his fury, he imprecates the impotent revenge of his gods, if the dust of Samaria serve for handfuls for his army (v. 10), so numerous, so resolute, an army will be bring into the field against Samaria, and so confident is he of their success; it will be done as easily as the taking up of a handful of dust; all shall be carried away, even the ground on which the city stands. Thus confident is his pride, thus cruel is his malice; this prepares him to be ruined, though such a prince and such a people are unworthy of the satisfaction of seeing him ruined.
    • 6. Ahab sends him a decent rebuke to his assurance, dares not defy his menaces, only reminds him of the uncertain turns of war (v. 11): "Let not him that begins a war, and is girding on his sword, his armour, his harness, boast of victory, or think himself sure of it, as if he had put it off, and had come home a conqueror.' This was one of the wisest words that ever Ahab spoke, and is a good item or momento to us all; it is folly to boast beforehand of any day, since we know not what it may bring forth (Prov. 27:1), but especially to boast of a day of battle, which may prove as much against us as we promise ourselves it will be for us. It is impolitic to despise an enemy, and to be too sure of victory is the way to be beaten. Apply it to our spiritual conflicts. Peter fell by his confidence. While we are here we are but girding on the harness, and therefore must never boast as though we had put it off. Happy is the man that feareth always, and is never off his watch.

1Ki 20:12-21

The treaty between the besiegers and the besieged being broken off abruptly, we have here an account of the battle that ensued immediately.

  • I. The Syrians, the besiegers, had their directions from a drunken king, who gave orders over his cups, as he was drinking (v. 12), drinking himself drunk (v. 16) with the kings in the pavilions, and this at noon. Drunkenness is a sin which armies and their officers have of old been addicted to. Say not thou then that the former days were, in this respect, better than these, though these are bad enough. Had he not been very secure he would not have sat to drink; and, had he not bee intoxicated, he would not have been so very secure. Security and sensuality went together in the old world, and Sodom, Lu. 17:26, etc. Ben-hadad's drunkenness was the forerunner of his fall, as Belshazzar's was, Dan. 5. How could he prosper that preferred his pleasure before his business, and kept his kings to drink with him when they should have been at their respective posts to fight for him? In his drink,
    • 1. He orders the town to be invested, the engines fixed, and every thing got ready for the making of a general attack (v. 12), but stirs not from his drunken club to see it done. Woe unto thee, O land! when thy king is such a child.
    • 2. When the besieged made a sally (and, by that time, he was far gone) he gave orders to take them alive (v. 18), not to kill them, which might have been done more easily and safely, but to seize them, which gave them an opportunity of killing the aggressors; so imprudent was he in the orders he gave, as well as unjust, in ordering them to be taken prisoners though they came for peace and to renew the treaty. Thus, as is usual, he drinks, and forgets the law, both the policies and the justice of war.
  • II. The Israelites, the besieged, had their directions from an inspired prophet, one of the prophets of the Lord, whom Ahab had hated and persecuted: And behold a prophet, even one, drew near to the king of Israel; so it may be read, v. 13.
    • 1. Behold, and wonder, that God should send a prophet with a kind and gracious message to so wicked a prince as Ahab was; but he did it,
      • (1.) For his people Israel's sake, who, though wickedly degenerated, were the seed of Abraham his friend and Jacob his chosen, the children of the covenant, and not yet cast off.
      • (2.) That he might magnify his mercy, in doing good to one so evil and unthankful, might either bring him to repentance or leave him the more inexcusable.
      • (3.) That he might mortify the pride of Ben-hadad and check his insolence. Ahab's idolatry shall be punished hereafter, but Ben-hadad's haughtiness shall be chastised now; for God resists the proud, and is pleased to say that he fears the wrath of the enemy, Deu. 32:26, 27. There was but one prophet perhaps to be had in Samaria, and he drew near with this message, intimating that he had been forced to keep at a distance. Ahab, in his prosperity, would not have borne the sight of him, but now he bids him welcome, when none of the prophets of the groves can give him any assistance. He enquired not for a prophet of the Lord, but God sent one to him unasked, for he waits to be gracious.
    • 2. Two things the prophet does:-
      • (1.) He animates Ahab with an assurance of victory, which was more than all the elders of Israel could give him (v. 8), though they promised to stand by him. This prophet, who is not named (for he spoke in God's name), tells him from God that this very day the siege shall be raised, and the army of the Syrians routed, v. 13. When the prophet said, Thus saith the Lord, we may suppose Ahab began to tremble, expecting a message of wrath; but he is revived when it proves a gracious one. He is informed what use he ought to make of this blessed turn of affairs: "Thou shalt know that I am Jehovah, the sovereign Lord of all.' God's foretelling a thing that was so very unlikely proved that it was his own doing.
      • (2.) He instructs him what to do for the gaining of this victory.
        • [1.] He must not stay till the enemy attacked him, but must sally out upon them and surprise them in their trenches.
        • [2.] The persons employed must be the young men of the princes of the provinces, the pages, the footmen, who were few in number, only 232, utterly unacquainted with war, and the unlikeliest men that could be thought of for such a bold attempt; yet these must do it, these weak and foolish things must be instruments of confounding the wise and strong, that, while Ben-hadad's boasting is punished, Ahab's may be prevented and precluded, and the excellency of the power may appear to be of God.
        • [3.] Ahab must himself so far testify his confidence in the word of God as to command in person, though, in the eye of reason, he exposed himself to the utmost danger by it. But it is fit that those who have the benefit of God's promises should enter upon them. Yet,
        • [4.] He is allowed to make use of what other forces he has at hand, to follow the blow, when these young men have broken the ice. All he had in Samaria, or within call, were but 7000 men, v. 15. It is observable that it is the same number with theirs that he not bowed the knee to Baal (ch. 19:18), though, it is likely, not the same men.
  • III. The issue was accordingly. The proud Syrians were beaten, and the poor despised Israelites were more than conquerors. The young men gave an alarm to the Syrians just at noon, at high dinner-time, supported by what little force they had, v. 16. Ben-hadad despised them at first (v. 18), but when they had, with unparalleled bravery and dexterity, slain every one his man, and so put the army into disorder, that proud man durst not face them, but mounted immediately, drunk as he was, and made the best of his way, v. 20. See how God takes away the spirit of princes, and makes himself terrible to the kings of the earth. Now where are the silver and gold he demanded of Ahab? Where are the handfuls of Samaria's dust? Those that are most secure are commonly least courageous. Ahab failed not to improve this advantage, but slew the Syrians with a great slaughter, v. 21. Note, God oftentimes makes one wicked man a scourge to another.

1Ki 20:22-30

We have here an account of another successful campaign which Ahab, by divine aid, made against the Syrians, in which he gave them a greater defeat than in the former. Strange! Ahab idolatrous and yet victorious, a persecutor and yet a conqueror! God has wise and holy ends in suffering wicked men to prosper, and glorifies his own name thereby.

  • I. Ahab is admonished by a prophet to prepare for another war, v. 22. It should seem, he was now secure, and looked but a little way before him. Those that are careless of their souls are often as careless of their outwards affairs; but the prophet (to whom God made known the following counsels of the Syrians) told him they would renew their attempt at the return of the year, hoping to retrieve the honour they had lost and be avenged for the blow they had received. He therefore bade him strengthen himself, put himself into a posture of defence, and be ready to give them a warm reception. God had decreed the end, but Ahab must use the means, else he tempts God: "Help thyself, strengthen thyself, and God will help and strengthen thee.' The enemies of God's Israel are restless in their malice, and, though they may take some breathing-time for themselves, yet they are still breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the church. It concerns us always to expect assaults from our spiritual enemies, and therefore to mark and see what we do.
  • II. Ben-hadad is advised by those about him concerning the operations of the next campaign.
    • 1. They advised him to change his ground, v. 23. They took it for granted that it was not Israel, but Israel's gods, that beat them (so great a regard was then universally had to invisible powers); but they speak very ignorantly of Jehovah-that he was many, whereas he is one and his name one,-that he was their God only, a local deity, peculiar to that nation, whereas he is the Creator and ruler of all the world,-and that he was a God of the hills only, because David their great prophet had said, I will lift up my eyes to the hills whence cometh my help (Ps. 121:1), and that his foundation was in the holy mountain (Ps. 87:1; 78:54), and much was said of his holy hill (Ps. 15:1; 24:3); supposing him altogether such a one as their imaginary deities, they fancied he was confined to his hills, and could not or would not come down from them, and therefore an army in the valley would be below his cognizance and from under his protection. Thus vain were the Gentiles in their imaginations concerning God, so wretchedly were their foolish hearts darkened, and, professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.
    • 2. They advised him to change his officers (v. 24, 25), not to employ the kings, who were commanders by birth, but captains rather, who were commanders by merit, who were inured to war, would not affect to make a show like the kings, but would go through with business. Let every man be employed in that which he is brought up to and used to, and preferred to that which he is fit for. Syria, it seems, was rich and populous, when it could furnish recruits sufficient, after so great a defeat, horse for horse, chariot for chariot.
  • III. Both armies take the field. Ben-hadad, with his Syrians, encamps near Aphek, in the tribe of Asher. It is probable that Asher was a city in his own possession, one of those which his father had won (v. 34), and the country about it was flat and level, and fit for his purpose, v. 26. Ahab, with his forces, posted himself at some distance over against them, v. 27. The disproportion of numbers was very remarkable. The children of Israel, who were cantoned in two battalions, looked like two little flocks of kids, their numbers small, their equipage mean, and the figure they made contemptible; but the Syrians filled the country with their numbers, their noise, their chariots, their carriages, and their baggage.
  • IV. Ahab is encouraged to fight the Syrians, notwithstanding their advantages and confidence. A man of God is sent to him, to tell him that this numerous army shall all be delivered into his hand (v. 28), but not for his sake; be it known to him, he is utterly unworthy for whom God will do this. God would not do it because Ahab had praised God or prayed to him (we do not read that he did either), but because the Syrians had blasphemed God, and had said, He is the God of the hills and not of the valleys; therefore God will do it in his own vindication, and to preserve the honour of his own name. If the Syrians had said, "Ahab and his people have forgotten their God, and so put themselves out of his protection, and therefore we may venture to attack them,' God would probably have delivered Israel into their hands; but when they go upon a presumption so very injurious to the divine omnipotence, and the honour of him who is Lord of all hosts, not only in hills and valleys, but in heaven and earth, which they are willingly ignorant of, they shall be undeceived, at the expense of that vast army which is so much their pride and confidence.
  • V. After the armies had faced one another seven days (the Syrians, it is likely, boasting, and the Israelites trembling), they engaged, and the Syrians were totally routed, 100,000 men slain by the sword of Israel in the field of battle (v. 29), and 27,000 men, that thought themselves safe under the walls of Aphek, a fortified city (from the walls of which the shooters might annoy the enemy if they pursued them, 2 Sa. 11:24), found their bane where they hoped for protection: the wall fell upon them, probably overthrown by an earthquake, and, the cities of Canaan being walled up to heaven, it reached a great way, and they were all killed, or hurt, or overwhelmed with dismay. Ben-hadad, who thought his city Aphek would hold out against the conquerors, finding it thus unwalled, and the remnant of his forces dispirited and dispersed, had nothing but secresy to rely upon for safety, and therefore hid himself in a chamber within a chamber, lest the pursuers should seize him. See how the greatest confidence often ends in the greatest cowardice. "Now is the God of Israel the God of the valleys or no?' He shall know now that he is forced into an inner chamber to hide himself, see ch. 22:25.

1Ki 20:31-43

Here is an account of what followed upon the victory which Israel obtained over the Syrians.

  • I. Ben-hadad's tame and mean submission. Even in his inner chamber he feared, and would, if he could, flee further, though none pursued. His servants, seeing him and themselves reduced to the last extremity, advised that they should surrender at discretion, and make themselves prisoners and petitioners to Ahab for their lives, v. 31. The servants will put their lives in their hands, and venture first, and their master will act according as they speed. Their inducement to take this course is the great reputation the kings of Israel had for clemency above any of their neighbours: "We have heard that they are merciful kings, not oppressive to their subjects that are under their power' (as governments then went, that of Israel was one of the most easy and gentle), "and therefore not cruel to their enemies when they lie at their mercy.' Perhaps they had this notion of the kings of Israel because they had heard that the God of Israel proclaimed his name gracious and merciful, and they concluded their kings would make their God their pattern. It was an honour to the kings of Israel to be thus represented, as indeed every Israelite is then dressed as becomes him when he puts on bowels of mercies. "They are merciful kings, therefore we may hope to find mercy upon our submission.' This encouragement poor sinners have to repent and humble themselves before God. "Have we not heard that the God of Israel is a merciful God? Have we not found him so? Let us therefore rend our hearts and return to him.' Joel 2:13. That is evangelical repentance which flows from an apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ; there is forgiveness with him. Two things Ben-hadad's servants undertake to represent to Ahab:-
    • 1. Their master a penitent; for they girded sackcloth on their loins, as mourners, and put ropes on their heads, as condemned criminals going to execution, pretending to be sorry that they had invaded his country and disturbed his repose, and owning that they deserved to be hanged for it. Here they are ready to do penance for it, and throw themselves at the feet of him whom they had injured. Many pretend to repent of their wrong-doing, when it does not succeed, who, if they had prospered in it, would have justified it and gloried in it.
    • 2. Their master a beggar, a beggar for his life: Thy servant Ben-hadad saith, "I pray thee, let me live, v. 32. Though I live a perpetual exile from my own country, and captive in this, yet, upon any terms, let me live.' What a great change is here,
      • (1.) In his condition! How has he fallen from the height of power and prosperity to the depths of disgrace and distress, and all the miseries of poverty and slavery! See the uncertainty of human affairs; such turns are they subject to that the spoke which was uppermost may soon come to be undermost.
      • (2.) In his temper-in the beginning of the chapter hectoring, swearing, and threatening, and none more high in his demands, but here crouching and whining and none more low in his requests! How meanly does he beg hi life at the hand of him upon whom he had there been trampling! The most haughty in prosperity are commonly most abject in adversity: an even spirit will be the same in both conditions. See how God glorified himself when he looks upon proud men and abases them, and hides them in the dust together, Job 40:11-13.
  • II. Ahab's foolish acceptance of his submission, and the league he suddenly made with him upon it. He was proud to be thus courted by him whom he had feared, and enquired for him with great tenderness: Is he yet alive? He is my brother, brother-king, though not brother-Israelite: and Ahab valued himself more upon his royalty than on his religion, and others accordingly. "Is he thy brother, Ahab? Did he use thee like a brother when he sent thee that barbarous message? v. 5, 6. Would he have called thee brother if he had been the conqueror? Would he now have called himself thy servant if he had not been reduced to the utmost strait? Canst thou suffer thyself to be thus imposed upon by a forced and counterfeit submission?' This word brother they caught at (v. 33), and were thereby encouraged to go and fetch him to the king. He that calls him brother will let him live. Let poor penitents hear God, in his word, calling them children (Jer. 31:20), catch at it, echo to it, and call him Father. Ben-hadad, upon his submission, shall not only be honourably conveyed (he took him up into the chariot), but treated with as an ally (v. 34): he made a covenant with him, not consulting God's prophets, or the elders of the land, or himself, concerning what was fit to be insisted on, but, as if Ben-hadad had been conqueror, he shall make his own terms. He might now have demanded some of Ben-hadad's cities, when all of them lay at the mercy of his victorious army; but was content with the restitution of his own. He might now have demanded the stores, and treasures, and magazines of Damascus, to augment the wealth and strength of his own kingdom, but was content with a poor liberty, at his own expense, to build streets there, a point of honour and no advantage, or no more than what the kings of Syria had had in Samaria, though they had never had so much power as he had now to support the demand of it. With this covenant he sent him away, without so much as reproving him for his blasphemous reflections upon the God of Israel, for whose honour Ahab had no concern. Note, There are those on whom success is ill bestowed; they know not how to serve God, or their generation, or even their own true interests, with their prosperity. Let favour be shown to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness.
  • III. The reproof given to Ahab for his clemency to Ben-hadad and his covenant with him. It was given him by a prophet, in the name of the Lord, the Jews say by Micaiah, and not unlikely, for Ahab complains of him (ch. 22:8) that he used to prophesy evil concerning him. This prophet designed to reprove Ahab by a parable, that he might oblige him to condemn himself, as Nathan and the woman of Tekoa did David. To make his parable the more plausible, he finds it necessary to put himself into the posture of a wounded soldier.
    • 1. With some difficulty he gets himself wounded, for he would not wound himself with his own hands. He commanded one of his brother prophets, his neighbour, or companion (for so the word signifies), to smite him, and this in God's name (v. 35), but finds him not so willing to give the blow as he is to receive it; he refused to smite him: others, he thought, were forward enough to smite prophets, they need not smite one another. We cannot but think it was from a good principle he declined it. "If it must be done, let another do it, not I; I cannot find it in my heart to strike my friend.' Good men can much more easily receive a wrongful blow than give one; yet because he disobeyed an express command of God (which was so much the worse if he was himself a prophet), like that other disobedient prophet (ch. 13:24), he was presently slain by a lion, v. 36. This was intended, not only to show, in general, how provoking disobedience is (Col. 3:6), but to intimate to Ahab (who no doubt was told the story) that if a good prophet were thus punished for sparing his friend and God's, when God said, Smite, of much sorer punishment should a wicked king be thought worthy, who spared his enemy and God's, when God said, Smite. Shall mortal man pretend to be more just than God, more pure or more compassionate than his Maker? We must be merciful as he is merciful, and not otherwise. The next he met with made no difficulty of smiting him (Volenti non fit injuria-He that asks for an injury is not wronged by it) and did it so that he wounded him, v. 37. He fetched blood with the blow, probably in his face.
    • 2. Wounded as he was, and disguised with ashes that he might not be known to be a prophet, he made his application to the king in a story wherein he charged himself with such a crime as the king was now guilty of in sparing Ben-hadad, and waited for the king's judgment upon it. The case in short is this-A prisoner taken in the battle was committed to his custody by a man (we may suppose one that had authority over him as his superior officer) with this charge, If he be missing, thy life shall be for his life, v. 39. The prisoner has made his escape through his carelessness. Can the chancery in the king's breast relieve him against his captain, who demands his life in lieu of the prisoner's? "By no means,' says the king, "thou shouldst either not have undertaken the trust or been more careful and faithful to it; there is no remedy (Currat lex-Let the law take its course), thou hast forfeited thy bond, and execution must go out upon it: So shall thy doom be, thou thyself hast decided it.' Now the prophet has what he would have, puts off his disguise, and is known by Ahab himself to be a prophet (v. 41) and plainly tells him, "Thou art the man. Is it my doom? No, it is thine; thou thyself hast decided it. Out of thy own mouth art thou judged. God, thy superior and commander-in-chief, delivered into thy hands one plainly marked for destruction both by his own pride and God's providence, and thou hast not carelessly lost him, but wittingly and willingly dismissed him, and so hast been false to thy trust, and lost the end of thy victory; expect therefore no other than that thy life shall go for his life, which thou hast spared' (and so it did, ch. 22:35), "and thy people for his people, whom likewise thou hast spared,' and so they did afterwards, 2 Ki. 10:32, 33. When their other sins brought them low, this came into the account. There is a time when keeping back the sword from blood is doing the work of the Lord deceitfully, Jer. 48:10. Foolish pity spoils the city.
    • 3. We are told how Ahab resented this reproof. He went to his house heavy and displeased (v. 43), not truly penitent, or seeking to undo what he had done amiss, but enraged at the prophet, exasperated against God (as if he had been too severe in the sentence passed upon him), and yet vexed at himself, every way out of humour, notwithstanding his victory. He who by his providence had mortified the pride of one king, by his word cast a damp upon the triumphs of another. Be wise therefore, O you kings! and be instructed to serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling, Ps. 2:10, 11.