THE INITIAL WAR WITH BENHADAD (1 KINGS 20:1). This war would appear to have been occasioned by a refusal by Ahab to pay the tribute due under a vassalage treaty. Because of this Benhadad came with his allies to enforce the treaty, at which point Ahab submitted. But when Benhadad then tried to extra... [ Continue Reading ]
WAR WITH BENHADAD KING OF ARAM (1 KINGS 20:1). There is no indication at what point in Ahab's reign these events occurred, but a situation is indicated where the power of the Aramaeans had now grown so great that they had made Ahab into a vassal king who paid tribute to Aram (Syria). This must have... [ Continue Reading ]
YHWH THWARTS BENHADAD'S SECOND ATTEMPT ON ISRAEL (1 KINGS 20:22). It was not likely that Benhadad would take this reverse lightly. While his forces had fled in panic with the result that he had forfeited all the gains and tribute that he had been expecting, and had lost a good number of men, he was... [ Continue Reading ]
AHAB IS SEEN BY THE PROPHETS AS HAVING DISOBEYED YHWH BY NOT PUTTING BEN-HADAD TO DEATH, AND IS WARNED OF WHAT THE CONSEQUENCES WILL BE (1 KINGS 20:35). We have not actually been told that Ben-hadad was ‘devoted to destruction' (as Agag had been in 1 Samuel 15:13) but it may well have been recognise... [ Continue Reading ]