Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible
1 Kings 20:1-21
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 extract considerably more than was due, and to humiliate Ahab, Ahab resisted, and was promised by YHWH that victory would be his so that he would recognise YHWH for Whom He was. And the result was that he achieved a great victory.
Analysis.
a And Ben-hadad the king of Aram (Syria) gathered all his host together, and there were thirty and two kings with him, and horses and chariots, and he went up and besieged Samaria, and fought against it (1 Kings 20:1).
b And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel, into the city, and said to him, “Thus says Ben-hadad, Your silver and your gold is mine, your wives also and your children, even the finest, are mine” (1 Kings 20:2)
c And the king of Israel answered and said, “It is in accordance with your saying, my lord, O king. I am yours, and all that I have” (1 Kings 20:4).
d And the messengers came again, and said, “Thus speaks Ben-hadad, saying, I sent indeed to you, saying, You shall deliver me your silver, and your gold, and your wives, and your children, but I will send my servants to you tomorrow about this time, and they will search your house, and the houses of your servants, and it shall be, that whatever is pleasant in your eyes, they will put it in their hand, and take it away” (1 Kings 20:5).
e Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said, “Mark, I pray you, and see how this man seeks mischief, for he sent to me for my wives, and for my children, and for my silver, and for my gold, and I did not refuse him.” And all the elders and all the people said to him, “Do not listen, or give consent” (1 Kings 20:7).
f For which reason he said to the messengers of Ben-hadad, “Tell my lord the king, All that you sent for to your servant the first time I will do, but this thing I may not do.” And the messengers departed, and brought him word again (1 Kings 20:9).
g And Ben-hadad sent to him, and said, “The gods do so to me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria will suffice for handfuls for all the people who follow me” (1 Kings 20:10).
h And the king of Israel answered and said, “Tell him, Let not him that who girds on his armour boast himself as he who puts it off” (1 Kings 20:11).
g And it came about, when Ben-hadad heard this message, as he was drinking, he and the kings, in the pavilions, that he said to his servants, “Set yourselves in array.” And they set themselves in array against the city (1 Kings 20:12).
f And, behold, a prophet came near to Ahab king of Israel, and said, “Thus says YHWH, Have you seen all this great host? behold, I will deliver it into your hand this day, and you will know that I am YHWH” (1 Kings 20:13).
e And Ahab said, “By whom?” And he said, “Thus says YHWH, By the young men of the princes of the provinces.” Then he said, “Who will begin the battle?” And he answered, “You”. Then he mustered the young men of the princes of the provinces, and they were two hundred and thirty-two, and after them he mustered all the people, even all the children of Israel, being seven thousand (1 Kings 20:14).
d And they went out at noon. But Ben-hadad was drinking himself drunk in the pavilions, he and the kings, the thirty and two kings who helped him. And the young men of the princes of the provinces went out first; and Ben-hadad sent out, and they told him, saying, “There are men come out from Samaria” (1 Kings 20:16).
c And he said, “Whether they are come out for peace, take them alive, or whether they are come out for war, take them alive” (1 Kings 20:18).
b So these went out of the city, the young men of the princes of the provinces, and the army which followed them, and they slew every one his man, and the Aramaeans (Syrians) fled, and Israel pursued them, and Ben-hadad the king of Aram (Syria) escaped on a horse with horsemen (1 Kings 20:19).
And the king of Israel went out, and smote the horses and chariots, and slew the Aramaeans (Syrians) with a great slaughter (1 Kings 20:21).
Note that in ‘a' Benhadad gathered together his host and his horses and chariots, and in the parallel they are all smitten by the king of Israel. In ‘b' Benhadad made his demands on Ahab including his children (bn), even the finest, and in the parallel the pick of the ‘children' (n‘r) go out to him and defeat him utterly. In ‘c' the king of Israel says that all that he has is Benhadad's and in the parallel Benhadad looks forward to seizing what the king has sent out. In ‘d' Benhadad renews his demands and claims not only his silver, gold, wives and children, but also the right to search through all Ahab's possessions and take what he wanted, and in the parallel report comes to him that young men (n‘r - young men, children) were coming out of Samaria. In ‘e' Ahab is advised not to listen to the demands of Benhadad, and in the parallel he instead musters his retaliatory forces at the command of YHWH Who pinpoints the ‘young men (children)'for the purpose. In ‘f' Ahab refuses the demands of Benhadad, and in the parallel YHWH assures him not to be afraid because he will give him victory over Benhadad's response to his refusal. In ‘g' Benhadad promises to grind Samaria to dust, and in the parallel he sets his men in array for that purpose. Central in ‘h' is the injunction from Ahab to Benhadad not to count himself as having won until he has actually done so. It was a reminder to the readers and hearers that when YHWH was involved nothing was certain except that His will would be done
‘ And Ben-hadad the king of Aram (Syria) gathered all his host together, and there were thirty and two kings with him, and horses and chariots, and he went up and besieged Samaria, and fought against it.'
The crisis now facing Ahab was a severe one. Benhadad of Aram had gathered his forces together and with thirty two ‘kings', and horses and chariots, was besieging Samaria. This was seemingly because Ahab had previously become Benhadad's vassal, but had withheld tribute. It was Benhadad who now controlled the trade routes, and had grown rich and powerful.
It is quite clear from this that Benhadad, king of Aram, reigning in Damascus, was the new power in the area. From small beginnings when Rezon had made it his base at the end of Solomon's reign (1 Kings 11:23), Damascus had gradually begun to establish itself, and to organise the Aramaean tribes, and taking advantage of the continual squabbles between Israel and Judah, had grown ever more and more powerful, even assisting Asa against Israel in return for adequate reward (1 Kings 15:17), when the Aramaeans had raided Israel's northern borderlands.
Seemingly by the time of this incident he had gone further, and had reduced Ahab to vassalship. But it would appear from what follows that Ahab had withheld tribute, and Benhadad now therefore called on thirty two ‘kings' (some local petty kings but mainly tribal chieftains) to aid him in punishing his rebellious vassal, Ahab. The threat of Assyria, which would in the future unite the two kingdoms with others in a common cause, had not yet appeared over the horizon, although we know from Assyria's assessment of Omri that they had certainly been taking an interest in the area. This incident must have taken place some time before the coming Battle of Qarqar in c.853 BC when the kings of the area united in common cause to fight off the Assyrians under Shalmaneser III, and Ahab contributed ‘two thousand chariots and ten thousand men'. He would die in the following year.
The prophetic author's interest, however, is not in the history of the period, but in the fact that after His revelation of Himself at Mount Carmel YHWH was making clear that if only Ahab would turn back to YHWH with all his heart, YHWH would be able to deliver him from all his enemies.
‘ And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel, into the city, and said to him, “Thus says Ben-hadad, Your silver and your gold is mine, your wives also and your children, even the finest, are mine” '
With Samaria under siege Benhadad sent messengers to Ahab to point out that he was Benhadad's vassal. It was his intention to receive a large amount of silver and gold, and to take Ahab's wives and children as hostages to Damascus, hostages for his good behaviour. (Ahab could get many more wives, and he would know that his children would be well treated as long as he kept to the terms of the treaty. Benhadad would probably not have wanted to offend Tyre by taking Jezebel).
‘ And the king of Israel answered and said, “It is in accordance with your saying, my lord, O king. I am yours, and all that I have.” '
Ahab, recognising that he had little alternative, yielded to Benhadad's demands. He was prepared to swear fealty, pay his ransom, and hand over the hostages, in return for Benhadad's withdrawal.
‘ And the messengers came again, and said, “Thus speaks Ben-hadad, saying, I sent indeed to you, saying, You shall deliver me your silver, and your gold, and your wives, and your children, but I will send my servants to you tomorrow about this time, and they will search your house, and the houses of your servants, and it shall be, that whatever is pleasant in your eyes, they will put it in their hand, and take it away.” '
But Benhadad was not satisfied with that. He wanted to demonstrate his complete superiority over Ahab by humiliating him and walking in and taking whatever could be found of value in Samaria, on top of what had originally been demanded. As Ahab recognised, it was a deliberate insult.
‘ Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said, “Mark, I pray you, and see how this man seeks mischief, for he sent to me for my wives, and for my children, and for my silver, and for my gold, and I did not refuse him.”
Ahab then called together his council, the leading men of the land who had taken shelter in the capital city. He pointed out the humiliating nature of the demand that was now being made, which was on top of the original demand to which he had acceded and sought their advice.
‘ And all the elders and all the people said to him, “Do not listen, or give consent.” '
Moved to anger by the demands, and probably feeling safe in Samaria which was built to withstand a long siege, the elders and all the people urged Ahab to resist.
‘ For which reason he said to the messengers of Ben-hadad, “Tell my lord the king, All that you sent for to your servant the first time I will do, but this thing I may not do.” And the messengers departed, and brought him word again.'
That was the reason why Ahab sent the messengers back, repeating the original terms, by which he was willing to abide, but pointing out that he could not accede to the new demands. At this the messengers returned to Benhadad.
‘ And Ben-hadad sent to him, and said, “The gods do so to me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria will suffice for handfuls for all the people who follow me.” '
Benhadad's reply was that he would grind Samaria into such a small pile of dust that there would hardly be sufficient to give a handful to all those who followed him. Alternately he may have had in mind the thought that his followers were so numerous that what Samaria could contribute after he had finished with them would be an insufficiency.
‘ And the king of Israel answered and said, “Tell him, Let not him that who girds on his armour boast himself as he who puts it off.” '
Ahab, who was no coward, and whose adrenalin was now flowing, sent his own reply back and suggested to Benhadad that the time for boasting was after he had won the battle, not before. The words are emphasised by the author (central in the chiasmus) as a reminder that man should beware of boasting when YHWH was around.
‘ And it came about, when Ben-hadad heard this message, as he was drinking, he and the kings, in the pavilions, that he said to his servants, “Set yourselves in array.” And they set themselves in array against the city.'
The message reached Benhadad as he was drinking in his splendid tent with his loyal kings and chieftains, and infuriated he sent out immediate orders that preparations should instantly go forward for reducing the besieged city. The time for talking was at an end.
‘ And, behold, a prophet came near to Ahab king of Israel, and said, “Thus says YHWH, Have you seen all this great host? behold, I will deliver it into your hand this day, and you will know that I am YHWH.” '
Meanwhile unknown to Benhadad a new power was entering into the equation, for a prophet came from YHWH to Ahab and assured him that the great host that he saw before him would be delivered into his hand that very day so that Ahab would be able to appreciate that YHWH truly was YHWH, the great Deliverer of Israel from Egypt. After the exhibition at Mount Carmel YHWH was giving Ahab another chance.
‘ And Ahab said, “By whom?” And he said, “Thus says YHWH, By the young men of the princes of the provinces.” Then he said, “Who will begin the battle?” And he answered, “You.” '
Ahab had been sufficiently impressed by what had happened at Mount Carmel to listen, and he then asked the prophet by whom this deliverance was to take place. Who were those to be involved? The reply brings out YHWH's sense of humour. Benhadad had demanded Ahab's children, had he? Well, he could have them. The deliverance would by ‘the young men' (the word can also mean children) of the princes of the provinces, those not defiled by contact with the court and the Baalism of Samaria.
Ahab then asked whether he should wait for Benhadad to attack, or whether he should attack first, to which the prophet replied that he should attack first.
‘ Then he mustered the young men of the princes of the provinces, and they were two hundred and thirty-two, and after them he mustered all the people, even all the children of Israel, being seven thousand.'
So Ahab mustered the young men of the princes of the provinces, of which there were two hundred and thirty two, and then he mustered all the available fighting men in Samaria. These numbered ‘seven thousand' (seven military units). In view of the mention of ‘seven thousand' chosen servants of YHWH in 1 Kings 19:18, where the idea was of YHWH's divinely perfect ‘reserved chosen ones', we are probably intended to see this as indicating YHWH's divinely perfect fighting force.
‘ And they went out at noon. But Ben-hadad was drinking himself drunk in the pavilions, he and the kings, the thirty and two kings who helped him.'
Meanwhile Benhadad, confident that Ahab was trapped in the city and could do little or nothing, was getting himself and all his accompanying kings blind drunk. The thought of a full scale attack from within the city was outside his comprehension. Thus when the initial foray of ‘Ahab's children' came out of the city at noon he treated it as a joke, something to be dismissed out of hand.
‘ And the young men of the princes of the provinces went out first, and Ben-hadad sent out, and they told him, saying, “There are men come out from Samaria.”
The initial foray was by the young men of the provinces, and when Benhadad sent out in order to discover what the commotion was about, he was informed that men had come out of Samaria.
‘ And he said, “Whether they are come out for peace, take them alive, or whether they are come out for war, take them alive.” '
He probably dismissed the idea with a wave of his hand. His commanders in the field could deal with that. And he was so confident that he gave the command that, regardless of whether they had come out to make terms, or whether their aim was more belligerent, the men be taken alive. He did not realise that by this he was merely hampering his forces, who would seek to carry out his wishes. It is much more difficult to take men alive than dead, and his officers would know what the consequences would be for them if too many of their opponents died after they had received that command. Benhadad would not be lenient.
‘ So these went out of the city, the young men of the princes of the provinces, and the army which followed them, and they slew every one his man, and the Aramaeans (Syrians) fled, and Israel pursued them, and Ben-hadad the king of Aram (Syria) escaped on a horse with horsemen.'
Meanwhile the young men came forward determined to prove their worth and to show Ahab that he had chosen wisely, and, with all eyes concentrated on them, they were followed by the seven large units who had also been mustered, but were probably virtually unnoticed. It is possible at this stage that recognising in the young men the usual offer of a ‘trial by combat' in which chosen men of each side would first fight in order to see whose side the gods were on, Benhadad's captains sent out the equivalent number of young men to do battle. We can compare how Goliath had similarly challenged the hosts of Israel to provide a champion (1 Samuel 17), and how Joab's young men had met Abner's before the battle began (2 Samuel 2:14). It was a method of the day.
But the young men of Ahab prevailed, each slaying his man. And in that superstitious age such a portent was devastating to the morale of the opposing army, especially one which was as loosely affiliated as the Aramaeans (1 Kings 20:24). With this portent, and with their kings and chieftains drunk in their tent, and with seven organised units of Israelites suddenly appearing and bearing down on them the different tribal sections turned and fled (as the Philistines had on the death of Goliath - 1 Samuel 17:51). If the gods were against you, what was the point in fighting?
Meanwhile Benhadad, now aroused from his drunken stupor, recognised the danger and, caught up in the general panic, seized a horse and fled with his cavalry. Cavalry were a relatively new idea in Palestine at the time, and from the Assyrian descriptions of the battle of Qarqar we know that the Aramaeans had twelve hundred of them.
‘ And the king of Israel went out, and smote the horses and chariots, and slew the Aramaeans (Syrians) with a great slaughter.'
Seeing the success of his men, Ahab then gathered together all in Samaria who were remotely capable and went out to take advantage of the situation, smiting the horses and chariots, which would not have been anticipating a battle and would have been unprepared, and slaughtering great numbers of fleeing Aramaeans. YHWH had triumphed on behalf of Israel once again. It was a rout.