Ben Hadad the king of Syria gathered all his army together; and there were thirty-two kings with him, with horses and chariots. He went up and besieged Samaria, and fought against it. He sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel, into the city, and said to him, “Ben Hadad says, ‘Your silver and your gold is mine. Your wives also and your children, even the best, are mine.’ ”
The king of Israel answered, “It is according to your saying, my lord, O king. I am yours, and all that I have.”
The messengers came again, and said, “Ben Hadad says, ‘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; whatever is pleasant in your eyes, they will put it in their hand, and take it away.” ’ ”
Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said, “Please notice 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 didn’t deny him.”
All the elders and all the people said to him, “Don’t listen, and don’t consent.”
Therefore he said to the messengers of Ben Hadad, “Tell my lord the king, ‘All that you sent for to your servant at the first I will do; but this thing I cannot do.’ ” The messengers departed, and brought him back the message.
Ben Hadad sent to him, and said, “The gods do so to me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria will be enough for handfuls for all the people who follow me.”
The king of Israel answered, “Tell him, ‘Don’t let him who puts on his armor brag like he who takes it off.’ ”
When Ben Hadad heard this message, as he was drinking, he and the kings, in the pavilions, he said to his servants, “Prepare to attack!” They prepared to attack the city.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv1, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12 Or, Shomeron.
Or, Shomeron.
Or, Syria
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That is, governors and rulers of provinces.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv1–12 1Ki 20:1 And Benhadad the king of Syria gathered…
1Ki 20:1 And Benhadad the king of 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 warred against it.
Ver. 1. And there were thirty and two kings with him.] Reguli; petty kings, such as once were the kings of Canaan, thirty-two likewise in number; {Jos 12:7, &c.} such as were once the kings of this land. Caesar telleth us of four kings of Kent in his time, viz., Cingentorix, Carvilius, Taximagulus, and Segonax, who shared that country amongst them.
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And he went up and besieged Samaria.] Some towns of Israel Benhadad or his father had taken thirty years before, {1Ki 15:17-20} and now he would have all; like as the Gauls, having once tasted of the sweet wines of Italy, would never be at rest till they had got that whole country. {a}
{a} Plutarch in Camillo.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Ben-hadad; called Adad by Josephus, and Ader by the…
Ben-hadad; called Adad by Josephus, and Ader by the LXX., and Adores by Justin; such changes of names being usual in their translations into other languages, and by other authors.
Gathered all his host together, to war against Israel; wherein his design was to amplify the conquests which his father had made, 1Ki 15:20, but God’s design was to punish Israel for their apostacy and idolatry. Thirty and two kings; petty kings, such as were in Canaan in Joshua’s time, who indeed were no more than governors of cities or small territories. These were either subject or tributary to Ben-hadad, or hired by him.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Matthew Henry 1710 · Public Domain On vv1, 12 Here is, I. The threatening descent which Ben-hadad made…
Here is, I. The threatening descent which Ben-hadad made upon Ahab's kingdom, and the siege he laid to Samaria, his royal city, Kg1 20:1. 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 (Kg1 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,
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1. Ben-hadad's proud spirit sends Ahab a very insolent demand, Kg1 20:2, Kg1 20:3. 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, Kg1 20:4. 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, Kg1 20:5, Kg1 20:6. 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 (Kg1 20:7), 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, Kg1 20:8), promising no doubt to stand by him in the refusal. (2.) Yet he expresses himself very modestly in his denial, Kg1 20:9. 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 (Kg1 20:10), 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 (Kg1 20:11): "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 (Pro 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.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708–1710) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv1–12 And Benhadad the king of Syria gathered all his…
And Benhadad the king of Syria gathered all his host together,.... This was Benhadad the second, the son of that Benhadad, to whom Asa sent to help him against Baasha, Kg1 15:18.
and there were thirty and two kings with him; these were heads of families, so called, and at most governors of cities under Benhadad; petty princes, such as were in the land of Canaan in Joshua's time:
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and horses and chariots; how many is not said:
and he went up and besieged Samaria, and warred against it; he went up with such an intent, but had not as yet done it in form; what moved him to it cannot be said precisely, whether an ambitious view of enlarging his dominions, or because the king of Israel paid not the tribute his father had imposed upon him, see Kg1 20:34, however, so it was, through the providence of God, as a scourge to Ahab for his impiety.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11 Ben-hadad's invasion of Israel and insolent demand, ver. 1-…
Ben-hadad's invasion of Israel and insolent demand, ver. 1- 12. Ahab, encouraged by a prophet, overthrows him twice, ver. 13-30. Makes a covenant with him, ver. 31-34. Is reproved and threatened by a prophet, ver. 35-43.
Gathered his host - To war against Israel: wherein his design was to enlarge the conquest which his father had made, but God's design was to punish Israel for their apostacy and idolatry.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv1, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12 Ben-hadad, king of Syria, and thirty-two kings, besiege
CHAPTER XX
Ben-hadad, king of Syria, and thirty-two kings, besiege
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Samaria, 1.
He sends an insulting message to Ahab; and insists on pillaging
the whole city, 2-7.
The elders of Israel counsel the king not to submit to such
shameful conditions, 8.
He sends a refusal to Ben-hadad; who, being enraged, vows
revenge, 9-12.
A prophet comes to Ahab, and promises him victory, and gives him
directions how he should order the battle, 13-19.
The Syrians are discomfited, and Ben-hadad scarcely escapes,
20, 21.
The prophet warns Ahab to be on his guard, for the Syrians would
return next year, 22.
The counsellors of the king of Syria instruct him how he may
successfully invade Israel, 23-25.
He leads an immense army to Aphek, to fight with Ahab, 26, 27.
A man of God encourages Ahab, who attacks the Syrians, and kills
one hundred thousand of them, 28, 29.
They retreat to Aphek, where twenty-seven thousand of them are
slain by a casualty, 30.
Ben-hadad and his courtiers, being closely besieged in Aphek,
and unable to escape, surrender themselves with sackcloth on
their loins, and halters on their heads; the king of Israel
receives them in a friendly manner, and makes a covenant with
Ben-hadad, 31-34.
A prophet, by a symbolical action, shows him the impolicy of his
conduct in permitting Ben-hadad to escape, and predicts his
death and the slaughter of Israel, 35-43.
NOTES ON CHAP. XX
Verse 1. Ben-hadad] Several MSS., and some early printed editions, have Ben-hadar, or the son of Hadar, as the Septuagint. He is supposed to be the same whom Asa stirred up against the king of Israel, 1Kg 15:18; or, as others, his son or grandson.
Thirty and two kings] Tributary chieftains of Syria and the adjacent countries. In former times every town and city had its independent chieftain. Both the Septuagint and Josephus place this war after the history of Naboth.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv1, 3, 5, 7, 9 1Ki 20:1. Gathered all his host — To war…
1Ki 20:1. Gathered all his host — To war against Israel: wherein his design was to enlarge the conquest which his father had made; but God’s design was to punish Israel for their apostacy and idolatry. There were thirty and two kings with him — Petty kings, such as were in Canaan in Joshua’s time, who indeed were no more than governors of cities or small territories: these were either subject or tributary to Ben-hadad, or hired by him. He were up and besieged Samaria — He did not actually besiege it; for his army was routed before he could do it. But the sense is, He went up in order to besiege it.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12 Ben-hadad, the king of Syria - Probably the son…
Ben-hadad, the king of Syria - Probably the son of the Ben-hadad who assisted Asa against Baasha (1Ki 15:18 note).
Thirty and two kings with him - Not allies, but feudatories 1Ki 20:24. Damascus had in the reign of this Ben-hadad become the center of an important monarchy, which may not improbably have extended from the Euphrates to the northern border of Israel. The Assyrian inscriptions show that this country was about the period in question parcelled out into a multitude of petty kingdoms, the chief tribes who possessed it being the Hittites, the Hamathites, and the Syrians of Damascus.
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Horses and chariots - The Assyrian inscriptions show us how very important an arm of the service the chariot force was reckoned by the Syrians. A king, who has been identified with this Ben-hadad, brought into the field against Assyria nearly four thousand chariots.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv1, 3, 4, 6, 10, 11, 12 And. The Roman Septuagint and Josephus place this war…
And. The Roman Septuagint and Josephus place this war after the account of Naboth, chap. xxi. But the Alexandrian copy follows the order of the Hebrew. (Haydock) --- The style Benadad, "the son of Ader." He succeeded (ver. 34.) the king who attacked Baasa, chap. xv. 18. We know not the time nor the occasion of this war. (Calmet) --- Probably Achab had refused to pay tribute, and God had a mint to try if his obstinacy would yield to kindness, ver. 13., and 28. (Salien, the year before Christ 919.) --- Kings. Almost every city had one.
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures 1864 · Public Domain On v1 The Deeds Of Ahab
SECOND SECTION
The Deeds Of Ahab
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1 Kings 20, 21, 22
A.—The Victories of Ahab over the Syrians
Chap. 120:1–43
1And Ben-hadad2 the king of 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 warred against it. 2And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city,3 and said unto him, Thus saith Ben-hadad, 3Thy silver and thy gold is mine; thy wives also and thy children, even the goodliest,4 are mine. 4And the king of Israel answered and said, My lord, O king, according to thy saying, I am thine, and all that I have. 5And the messengers came again, and said, Thus speaketh Ben-hadad, saying, Although5 I have sent unto thee, saying, Thou shalt deliver me thy silver, and thy gold, and thy wives, and thy children; 6yet I will send my servants unto thee to-morrow about this time, and they shall search thine house, and the houses of thy servants; and it shall be, that whatsoever is pleasant in thine eyes,6 they shall put it in their hand,and take it away. 7Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said, Mark, I pray you, and see how this man seeketh mischief: for he sent unto me for my wives, and for my children,7 and for my silver, and for my gold; and I denied him not. 8And all the elders and all the people said unto him, Hearken not unto him, nor8 consent. 9Wherefore he said unto the messengers of Ben-hadad, Tell my9 lord the king, All that thou didst send for to thy servant at the first, I will do: but this thing I may not do. And the messengers departed, and 10brought him word again. And Ben-hadad sent unto him, and said, The gods10 do so unto me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls11 for all the people that follow me. 11And the king of Israel answered and said, Tell him, Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off. 12And it came to pass, when Ben-hadad heard this message as he was drinking, he and the kings in the pavilions, that he said unto his servants, Set yourselves in array. And they set themselves in array against the city.
13And behold, there came a prophet unto Ahab king of Israel, saying, Thus saith the Lord [Jehovah], Hast thou seen all this great multitude? behold, I will deliver it into thine hand this day; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord [Jehovah]. 14And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, Thus saith the Lord [Jehovah], Even by the young men of the princes of the provinces. Then he said, Who shall order [begin12] the battle? And he answered, Thou. 15Then he numbered the young men of the princes of the provinces, and they were two[13] hundred and thirty-two: and after them he numbered all the people, even all the children of Israel, being seven thousand. 16And they went out at noon. But Benhadad was drinking himself drunk in the pavilions, he and the kings, the thirty and two kings that helped him. 17And 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 of Samaria. 18And he said, Whether they be come out for peace, take them alive; or whether they be come out for war, take them alive.[14] 19So these young men of the princes of the provinces came out of the city, and the army which followed them. 20And they slew every one his man15: and the Syrians fled; and Israel pursued them: and Ben-hadad the king of Syria escaped on an horse with the horsemen. 21And the king of Israel went out, and smote the horses and chariots, and slew the Syrians with a great slaughter.
22And the prophet came to the king of Israel, and said unto him, Go, strengthen thyself, and mark, and see what thou doest: for at the return of the year the king of Syria will come up against thee. 23And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him, Their gods are gods of the hills; therefore they16 were stronger than we; but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. 24And do this thing, Take the kings away, every man out of his place, and put captains in their rooms: 25and number thee an army, like the army that thou hast lost, horse for horse, and chariot for chariot: and we will fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. And he hearkened unto their voice, and did so. 26And it came to pass at the return of the year, that Ben-hadad numbered the Syrians, and went up to Aphek, to fight against Israel. 27And the children of Israel were numbered, and were all present [were provided for17], and went against them: and the children of Israel pitched before them like two little flocks of kids; but the Syrians filled the country. 28And there came a man of God, and spake unto the king of Israel, and said, Thus saith the Lord [Jehovah], Because the Syrians have said, The Lord [Jehovah] is God of the hills, but he is not God of the valleys, therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye18 shall know that I am the Lord [Jehovah]. 29And they pitched one over against the other seven days. And so it was, that in the seventh day the battle was joined: and the children of Israel slew of the Syrians an hundred thousand footmen in one day. 30But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city; and there a [the19] wall fell upon twenty and seven thousand of the men that were left. And Ben-hadad fled, and came into the city, into an inner chamber.
31And his servants said unto him,20 Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings:. let us, I pray thee, put sackcloth on our loins, and ropes upon our heads, and go out to the king of Israel: peradventure he will save thy life. 32So they girded sackcloth on their loins, and put ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, Thy servant Ben-hadad saith, I pray thee, let me live. And he said, Is he yet alive? he is my brother. 33Now the men did diligently observe whether any thing would come from him [and the men interpreted this favorably21], and did hastily catch it:22 and they said, Thy brother Ben-hadad. Then he said, Go ye, bring him. Then Ben-hadad came forth to him; and he caused him to come up into the chariot. 34And Ben-hadad said unto him, The cities which my father took from thy father, I will restore; and thou shalt make streets for thee in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria. Then said Ahab,23 I will send thee away with this covenant. So he made a covenant with him, and sent him away.
35And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said unto his neighbor in the word of the Lord [Jehovah], Smite me, I pray thee. And the man refused to smite him. 36Then said he unto him, Because thou hast not obeyed the voice of the Lord [Jehovah], behold, as soon as thou art departed from me, a lion shall slay thee. And as soon as he was departed from him, a lion found him, and slew him. 37Then he found another man, and said, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man smote him, so that in smiting he wounded him. 38So the prophet departed, and waited for the king by the way, and disguised himself with ashes upon his face 39[with a band over his eyes24]. And as the king passed by, he cried unto the king: and he said, Thy servant went out into the midst of the battle; and behold, a man turned aside, and brought a man unto me, and said, Keep this man: if by any means he be missing, then shall thy life be for his life, or else thou shalt pay a talent of sil1 Kings 1Ki_20:40 And as thy servant was busy here and there, he was gone. And the king of Israel said unto him, So shall thy judgment be; thyself hast decided it. 41And he hasted, and took the ashes away from his face [band away from his eyes]; and the king of Israel discerned him that he was of the prophets. 42And he said unto him, Thus saith the Lord [Jehovah], Because thou hast let go out of thy hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore thy life shall go for his life, and thy people for his people. 43And the king of Israel went to his house heavy and displeased, and came to Samaria.
Exegetical and Critical
1Ki_20:1-9. And Ben-hadad. &c. The entire account of chap. 20. was derived, as we have already remarked, from a different source than chaps. 17, 18, and 19. There can be no other reason for our author’s having introduced it here than this, that the victory of Ahab over the Syrians occurred previous in time to the execution of Naboth (chap. 21), which gave occasion for the reappearance of Elijah.—Concerning Ben-hadad, see 1Ki_15:18. The thirty-two kings were not rulers over entire territories, but were lords of single cities and their districts (cf.Jos. 1Ki_12:7), vassals (Grotius: reguli in clientela ipsius), who paid tribute to Ben-hadad, and in the event of war, were obliged to furnish auxiliaries. The cause and aim of the expedition was, according to 1Ki_20:3, to plunder Ahab, and make him a vassal. הַטּוֹבִים can hardly refer, as Thenius and Keil would have it, to wives and sons, but only to the latter; by them are meant not Ahab’s own sons, but the best, that is, the most eminent young men of the city or the country, whom Ben-hadad demanded as hostages. The import of his message was, “surrender to me all these, and I will withdraw.” When Ahab, without hesitation, consented so submissively and timorously, Ben-hadad grew only the more audacious and insolent in his demands; he was sorry for having demanded so little, and he now threatens to give over the king’s palace and the dwellings of the king’s servants to be plundered (the pillaging of the entire city can hardly be meant, as Keil and Kimchi think).—Whatsoever is pleasant in thine eyes,i.e., not merely silver and gold, but everything costly and valuable. According to Maurer, Gesenius, Keil, and others, כִּי, of 1Ki_20:5, serves, like ὃτι, only to introduce the oratio directa; and כִּי before אִם, 1Ki_20:6, is a repetition for the sake of emphasis merely; אִם, however, meaning in that place “when;” better Thenius: “כּיִ, 1Ki_20:5, serves to strengthen the assertion; כִּי אִם, 1Ki_20:6, to strengthen it still more, so that the latter is, according to the sense, to be rendered: but since Ben-hadad increases his demand.” The elders of the land (1Ki_20:7), in distinction from the elders of the city (1Ki_21:8), being the highest officials, perhaps, had their court at their residences, or, upon the approach of Ben-hadad, had betaken themselves thither with their treasures. Ahab calls them together to say to them: Ben-hadad is not satisfied with my treasures, he wants yours also. רָעָח does not here mean “mischief” (Luther: how malevolent his purpose is), but “disaster,” “destruction:” he intends to ruin us completely.
1Ki_20:10-12. And Ben-hadad sent unto him, &c., 1Ki_20:10. He seeks, by boasting in the genuine oriental style, to overawe Ahab (cf.2 Sam. 1Ki_17:13); the import of his words is, My army is so large that if, in the impending desolation of Samaria, every one of my people desired to take away with him only a handful of rubbish, many would have to go back empty-handed. The explanation of the Rabbins and the Chaldean: Si suffecerit pulvis Somron, ut feratur soleis plantarum pedum populi qui mecum est, is incorrect, since שֹׁעָל in Isa_40:12; Eze_13:19, the only other places where the wore occurs, means not vola pedis, but the hollow of the hand. Just as incorrect is the interpretation of Josephus: “He could, with his army, cast up a dike higher than his walls were, if every one of his people contributed only a handful of earth.” Ahab’s somewhat defiant response, expressed in words of a proverb, 1Ki_20:11, proceeded, perhaps, from the elders, who were much more determined and courageous, and were willing to await the utmost. The import of the proverb is the Latin: ne triumphum canas ante victoriam; the German: Verkaufe das Fell des Bären nicht, bevor du ihn hast. Let not him who is arming for the fight, boast as though he had already laid aside his weapons, i.e., had gained the victory. The סֻכּוֹת, 1Ki_20:12, in which the drinking-bout occurred, were not tents of sailcloth, but huts made of branches of trees, like those put up to-day for the Turkish pashas and Agas on their expeditions (Keil, Rosenmüller A. u. N. Morgenland III. s. 198). The translation of שִׂימוּ, “bring up! (the siege instruments) as a command to prepare for immediately storming the place” (so Thenius, following the Sept. οἰκοδομήσατε χάρακα), does not accord with the use of the word elsewhere: in 1Sa_11:11; Job_1:17, the word seems to refer simply to setting the army in array.
1Ki_20:13. There came a prophet unto Ahab. The conjecture of the Rabbins that this prophet may have been Micaiah (1Ki_22:8) has no historical basis. The entrance of a prophet here and in 1Ki_20:28; 1Ki_20:35 Thenius thinks inconsistent with the statements, chap, 1Ki_18:4; 1Ki_18:22; 1Ki_19:10; 1Ki_19:14. But the statement is nowhere made that in the persecution of the prophets all had been put to death; Obadiah, in fact, had concealed a hundred of them who did not perish, and Elijah mentioned himself as the only remaining one, because at that time he was the only one who openly appeared as a prophet. The persecution appears to have taken place principally at the time of the famine, and to have ceased after the flight of Elijah. On the approach of Ben-hadad there were other things to be thought of beside the extermination of the prophets, and in the time of their distress a prophet who foretold victory was even welcome. From what quarter this prophet came to Samaria, whether he lived there, or whether he had been sent there from one of the schools of the prophets, must remain undecided. In no case, however, could the compiler of our books have been so thoughtless as to have inserted in chap. 20 anything which stands in contradiction to the immediately preceding chapters. Where Elijah sojourned at the time of the war we do not learn. That it was not he but some other prophet who announced the promise of victory to Ahab cannot be wondered at under the existing circumstances. Elijah was the least suited of all for such a message.
1Ki_20:14-16. By the servants of the princes, 1Ki_20:14. Gerlach: “The administrators appointed over separate districts of the country appear at that time to have assembled with the army in Samaria, and each one among them had a sort of body-guard, or such servants about him as generally executed his orders” (2Sa_18:15). The נְעָרִים are therefore not “pages unaccustomed to fight” (Thenius), or “young lads of very tender age” (Ewald); much rather are we to suppose that they were a very select body of strong young men. Ahab would not have consented to appoint weak, inexperienced boys for the advance guard, without at least having expressed some scruples. The extraordinary divine aid consisted not in this, that the victory should be gained by boys, but by such a small number (for that very reason the number is so explicitly specified). Ahab’s question, Who shall open the battle? represents him as by no means a “courageous and resolute man” (Thenius), for such a man, in a struggle where it was a question of life or death, would not first ask a prophet who was to make the attack. The thou in the reply, moreover, does not mean that Ahab was to lead the two hundred and thirty-two, but that the attack was to be made by Israel. According to 1Ki_20:21, Ahab did not march out until the Syrians had betaken themselves to flight. The very small army of only seven thousand is a token of a not very glorious condition of the might of the kingdom under Ahab. The position of Jarchi is that of a true Rabbi, viz., that the seven thousand were those who had not bowed the knee to Baal (1Ki_19:18); the number, without doubt, is here an historical one. At noon they marched out, that is, at the time when Ben-hadad, haughty and confident, had given, himself up with his vassals to the table, news of which had probably been received in the city.
1Ki_20:17-21. And Ben-hadad sent out, &c., 1Ki_20:17. When he was made aware that something was going on, and the messengers who had been sent out brought him news that a troop was drawing near, in his haughtiness he gave the command to take them all prisoners, even in case they had come to treat or capitulate. Starke, indeed, fills out the idea of alive with “that they may be cut down before mine eyes,” which thought, however, is not necessarily contained in the word. According to 1Ki_20:20 they fought man to man, each one coping with the enemy immediately opposed to him; the addition of the Sept.: καὶ ἐδευτέρωσεν ἔκαστος τὸν παρ’ αὐτοῦ is gloss, and does not justify an alteration of the text. עַל־סוּם וּפָּרָשִׁים does not mean equis mutatis alternis (Schulz), nor according to the Sept. ἐφ ἵππων ἵππέων, but upon a horse (according to Thenius: on a hastily seized chariot-horse) with his rider, i.e., in company with the horsemen. Not till now did the king march out of the city with the remainder of the garrison. In place of וַיַּךְ the Sept. has καὶ ἔλαβε, therefore Thenius would read וַיִּקַח, which is unnecessary, as the idea of “taking posession of” is contained in the word “slew,” according to Vatablus: he smote those who were endeavoring to escape upon horses and chariots. In any case the idea of butchering of the horses and the demolishing of the chariots is not intended.
1Ki_20:22-25. And the prophet came, &c. 1Ki_20:22. The same prophet as that mentioned in 1Ki_20:13, as we see by the article. The translation of הִתְחַזַּק “be of good cheer!” or “be brave!” is not suitable, inasmuch as Ahab had just now gained the victory; therefore: fortify yourself, make yourself strong—namely, by collecting your forces of war. At the return of the year, i.e., with the beginning of the next year, “when, after the close of the winter rains, campaigns were customarily commenced, 2Sa_11:1” (Keil). 1Ki_20:23-25 do not belong to the speech of the prophet, who only announced the coming war; the man of God (1Ki_20:28) is the first to tell the king what was to happen in that conflict; 1Ki_20:23-25 are thus an insertion of the narrator’s. The sense of 1Ki_20:23 is this: in the mountainous region of Samaria we were defeated by the Israelites, because we were there obliged to contend against their gods who are gods of the mountains; in the plains, on the other hand, where these gods do not reside, we will most certainly be victorious. The dii montium, who are enthroned on mountains and direct and watch over everything that takes place within their region, and accordingly prosper and defend the inhabitants of the mountains, are mentioned in other places in heathen antiquities (Deyling, Observatt. III. 12; Winer, Real-Wört.-Buch I. p. 154). The advice to remove the kings was caused, perhaps, by the fact that they as vassals marched with him only through compulsion, and therefore were not in earnest, or not entirely to be depended upon in a fight, while the leaders appointed by Ben-hadad himself would be bound to obey him absolutely, and thus there would be greater harmony in inaugurating the war (cf. 1Ki_22:31). The removal of the princes was accompanied with the loss of the auxiliaries furnished by them, therefore Benhadad was obliged to form an army from his own people that would equal the former one, including the auxiliary troops.
1Ki_20:26-30. And it came to pass at the return of the year, &c., 1Ki_20:26. Ben-hadad’s wish being to fight in the plain, this Aphek spoken of can be neither that one at the foot of Lebanon, in the tribe of Asher (Jos_13:4; Jos_19:30), nor the highly elevated one of the east of the sea of Galilee; it is rather Aphek in the plain of Jezreel, in the tribe of Issachar, “the largest plain of Palestine, where from the times of Joshua to Napoleon so many great battles have been fought” (Keil). cf. 1Sa_29:1; 1Sa_28:4; Robinson’s Palestine III. p. 477.—חֲשִׂיף 1Ki_20:27 means properly something separated (from חָשַׂף in its original meaning—to separate), literally, then, like two flocks of kids, i.e., “like two little flocks of kids separated from the main herd ”(Keil). These flocks pasture mostly on the cliffs, and are smaller than the flocks of sheep. “The figure was used, without question, to present in a vivid manner the insignificance of the Israelitish army, separated into two bands, as contrasted with that of the Syrians which covered the entire plain” (Thenius). The seventh day (1Ki_20:29) was probably chosen for the attack as being a day of good omen (Jos_6:15). There is a difficulty in the number one hundred thousand; to slaughter so many men in one day seems scarcely possible. Either נכה here has, like our word “beat,” the meaning of “defeat,” so that by 100,000 the size of the entire army is designated, or the number is a mistake, to be classed with those mistakes in numbers which arise from confounding figures of similar appearance. The falling of the wall (1Ki_20:30), according to the old interpreters, resulted from a miracle; according to others, from an earthquake; according to Gerlach and Keil, through a special interposition of God. Thenius supposes a plan for undermining carried on by night on the part of the Israelites; they then enticed a part of the besieged away to the place, and at the capture which occurred thereupon the rest were put to death. Ewald says: the rubbish of the quickly devastated city buried the remaining 27,000. The Sept. translates חֶדֶר בְּחָדֶר, εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ κοιτῶνος εἰς τὸ ταμεῖον; the Vulgate; in cubiculum, quod erat intra cubiculum; it is, however, not necessary to refer it to a bed-chamber. Josephus has εἰς ὑπογαῖον οἶκον ἐκρύβη. Thenius interprets arbitrarily: Ben-hadad fled into the fortress of the city, and there from one chamber into another (cf. 1Ki_22:25; 2Ch_18:24).
1Ki_20:31-34. And his servants said, &c., 1Ki_20:31. Sackcloth was a sign of penitence, the ropes about the neck signs of most complete subjection. The latter custom still exists in the East. “The peasants in the region of Ningpo (China) are obliged to bring the contributions levied upon them to the city with ropes about their necks, as a sign of their subjection.” (Allg. Zeitung, 1862, Suppl. s. 2,931). In place of thy life the Sept. and Vulg. have, our lives; evidently incorrect. יְנַחֲשׁוּ (1Ki_20:33) Vulg. Quod acceperunt viri pro omine; they took the expression of Ahab’s to be a good omen. The words וַיַּחְלְטוּ חֲמִמֶּנּוּ are variously understood. The Talmud interprets the verb חָלַט, occurring only in this place, by declare, and this Maurer and Keil follow: declarare eum fecerunt, an ex ipso pronunciation esset, num ex animi sententia hoc dixisset. Others consider חָלַט equivalent to הָלַץ, to snatch, and according to the Syriac, Chald., and some manuscripts unite the ה standing before מִמֶּנּוּ with the verb as a suffix: arripuerunt id ex eo (ex ejus ore, ne istud revocare posset); so likewise the Vulg.: rapuerunt verbum ex ore ejus; the Sept. has καὶ ἀνελέξαντο τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ ἐκ τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ; following this Ewald would read: הַדָּבָר ממנו in place of הממנו, i.e., they hastily quoted his own word, and adopted it as theirs. Thenius: they took him immediately at his own word. The words “my brother” contained more than they demanded; namely, not only that he would grant Ben-hadad his life, but that he would treat him not even as captive, rather as a king of equal rank, in fine, as though, nothing had happened between them.
1Ki_20:34. The cities which my father, &c. The cities mentioned in 1Ki_15:20 cannot he referred to here, since these were taken in the time of Baasha, and Baasha was not the father of Ahab, and the city of Samaria, besides, was not yet built; we are therefore compelled to assume that Ben-hadad’s father, as formerly with Baasha, so afterwards with Omri, Ahab’s father, had a war, and that, too, after the building of Samaria, which war was concluded by the surrender of certain cities, and can easily be included in what is spoken of in 1Ki_16:27. The חֻצוֹת are neither fortified places, nor places for paying customs, nor pasture grounds, but streets, in which the Syrians were accustomed to live and do business; thoroughfares for licensed merchants (Böttcher), bazars (Thenius). The words וַאֲנִי בַּבְּרִית אֲשַׁלֹּחֶךָ, can only he translated: but I will permit you to go hence free, in accordance with the covenant, i.e., the concluded treaty; thus translated they could only have been the words of Ahab, and we are compelled to supply at the beginning—“Ahab replied.” This is much more admissible than, following the grammatically incorrect translation of the Vulgate (et ego [Benadad] fœderatus recedam a te), to alter the text as Thenius does, and read, אַשֻׁלַּח־נָא, i.e., “and I, on the other, wish to be sent away in accordance with an agreement concluded and sworn to.” Opposed to this is the emphatic וַאֲנִי, which throughout is not suited to Ben-hadad; moreover, the two following verbs, of which Ahab is the subject, compel us to refer the אני to him.
1Ki_20:35. And a certain man of the sons of the prophets, &c. The expression בְּנֵי הַנְּבִיאִים appears here for the first time; we are not to consider the “sons of the prophets” young men necessarily, but rather members of the society of prophets, or, if we will, of the order of prophets; according to 2Ki_4:1, there were married men among them. They were called sons in distinction from the heads and leaders of the separate communities of prophets (cf. Winer, Real-Wört.-Buch II. p. 282). The רֵעַ is a fellow-prophet. Concerning בִּדְבַר see under 1Ki_13:1. The passage 1Ki_20:35-43 is not a part which is arbitrarily appended to the preceding narrative, while not originally belonging to it (Thenius), but is an essential constituent part of it—its fitting conclusion, for it furnishes the solemn announcement of the divine punishment for Ahab’s perverse procedure with Ben-hadad (1Ki_20:32-34). All that the prophet says and does, is summed up in the declaration of v. 42, which must not be lost sight of, as the principal thing. Just as the victory was foretold to the king by a prophet, as an act of God, so also the punishment for his conduct, after the victory had been granted him, was made known to him by a prophet (whether by the same one or some other is unknown), as a judgment of God upon him. This happened in a peculiar, but in every respect in a genuinely prophetic and solemn manner, namely, by means of symbolic action followed by explicit declaration (see above, p. 119). The symbolic action, however, was of such a kind as not only to present to the eyes of the king the blamableness of his conduct, but also to lead him, without his knowing it or wishing it, to pass sentence upon himself, and by that means declare that the prophesied punishment was justly deserved.
1Ki_20:35. Smite me, I pray thee, &c., that is, wound me (cf. 1Ki_20:37). The prophet was shortly about to represent himself as a warrior returning from a severe fight (cf. 1Ki_20:39 : into the midst of the battle); the wounding of the prophet renders all the remaining symbolic action conditional, and just for that reason it is made so markedly prominent. The demand: Smite me! was accompanied without doubt with a statement of the reason and with an appeal to the “word of Jehovah,” and for that very reason the refusal to fulfil the demand, on the part of a fellow-prophet especially, was not at all justifiable. But because the prophet without being wounded could not carry out the action which he had been charged with, nor make a prophetic announcement of the coming punishment, he turned and made his request of another, who consented. What is related besides in 1Ki_20:36 of the fellow-prophet who refused, does not really belong to the main action, but is a side feature of the narrative, and shows itself to be such from the brevity and fragmentary character of the statements. It is nevertheless important, because by it the main action is made only the more conspicuous, and is at the same time referred to the necessity of unconditional obedience to the “word of God” within the society of prophets. To oppose this word is a thing not consistent with the nature of the prophet’s position, whose calling consists wholly in being the instrument of “Jehovah’s word” (cf. 1Ki_13:21, p. 144). 1Ki_20:37 : הַכֵּה וּפָצֹעַ, smiting and wounding, i. e., he smote him in such a manner as to wound him. אֲפֵר, 1Ki_20:38, is not equivalent to אֵפֶר ashes, as the Vulg., Luther, and others translate, but means (from אָפַר to enwrap, to surround) head-bandage, Sept. τελαμών, bandage (not turban, as Maurer and others would have it). The bandages betokened one severely wounded, and served at the same time to conceal his features, so that Ahab, who was to be made to pass sentence upon himself, could not recognize him (1Ki_20:41). By the way he stationed himself, because the proceeding was to take place previous to the king’s return home, in the open street, and before the eyes of his entire retinue, as an open testimony against himself.
1Ki_20:39-41. Thy servant went out, &c. 1Ki_20:39. De Wette translates אִישׁ־סָר, a man approached, but סוּר does not mean “to approach,” but “turn aside,” turn away from the road (Exo_3:3; Jdg_14:8); here, then, one who has left the field of battle. Ewald, whom Thenius follows, would read סַר which is used for שַׂר, and then translates “captain,” i. e., “one whom he (the wounded man) as king, a common soldier must obey,” an officer. The parable would, under these circumstances, certainly be more complete, since this officer would represent Jehovah, who had given Ben-hadad into the power of Ahab; but another lection is not required. If the wounded man should suffer the prisoner committed to him to escape, he would have to forfeit his life or a talent of silver, i. e., 2,600 thalers. “The prisoner is thus represented to be a very important personage” (Thenius).—In place of עשֶֹׁה (1Ki_20:40), Houbigant reads שֹׁעֶה, Thenius פֹנֶה (turning his eyes this way and that); wherefore the translations read: Sept., περιεβλέπετο; Vulg. dum ego turbatus huc illucque me verterem. This alteration of the text is absolutely unnecessary.—Concerning the signification of the parable, so much is indisputable, that the young man who had gone out into the battle is representative of Ahab, and the man intrusted to his keeping, but allowed to escape through carelessness, is the representative of King Ben-hadad. The signification of the wounding is not so apparent, inasmuch, indeed, as Ahab was not wounded. The hostile treatment which Ahab suffered soon after at the hands of the released Ben-hadad (chap. 22), cannot possibly be signified, since the wounding happened before the man’s escape, and besides it was not the work of the captive; still less possible is the idea of older interpreters, that it was a symbol of the wound which Ahab had inflicted on himself and the people by his idolatry and the release of Ben-hadad. Neither is Ewald’s explanation acceptable, that the prophet allowed himself to be wounded by another, “and as though he had a right, on account of the bloody injury which he had received, to call aloud on the king for help,” put himself in Ahab’s way. It is not acceptable, because the wounded man did not cry to the king for help, but demanded of him, as the chief judge, a decision as to whether he was punishable or not; moreover, the king answered him, “thyself hast decided it” (מִשְׁפָּטֶךָ 1Ki_20:40). We would do better to recognize in the wounded man a picture not only of Ahab, but at the same time of the people of Israel, inasmuch as the king is the people—individualized, is the deputy and representative of his people. The sentence of punishment (1Ki_20:42) especially shows this: Thy life shall go for his life, and thy people for his people. Israel had just endured a hard, bloody fight, and had carried off the promised victory; but now, in the person of its king, it had let the arch-enemy, whom the Lord had given into their hands, go free and unpunished. They sinned therefore against Jehovah, whose will it was that this enemy, who had sworn to destroy Israel, should not be suffered to escape out of their hands, but should suffer merited punishment; their suffering him to escape was a practical denial of the might, the goodness, and the justice of Jehovah. After the king had pronounced his own sentence, the aim of the disguise by means of bandages, indeed the aim of the entire symbolic proceeding was attained, and hence the prophet threw aside the bands, and allowed himself to be recognized as a prophet, as one who declares the word of Jehovah; following the symbolic-prophetic action comes (1Ki_20:42) the solemn, prophetic declaration, as in 1Ki_11:31.
1Ki_20:42-43. Thus saith the Lord, Because, &c., 1Ki_20:42. Ben-hadad is called אִישׁ־הֶרְמִי, i. e., man of my curse, the man whom I appointed to destruction. Cf. Isa_34:5 : My sword shall come down upon Idumea, וְעַל־עַם הֶרְמִי לְמִשְׁפָּט (Mal. 3:24). The punishment which Ben-hadad and his people had deserved, but which thou, disobeying the Lord, hast remitted completely, and on thine own authority, shall fall upon thee and thy nation. King and people seem here inseparable from one another, as head and members. Ahab probably had a great desire to seize the prophet for this independent outspoken reproof and curse, but he had the less courage to do it since he had given the sentence of judgment himself; still he was deeply moved to resistance in his heart, and angrily withdrew (סַר, from סרר, to be stubborn, refractory, Deu_21:18; Isa_30:1, meaning more than disheartened or low-spirited).
Historical and Ethical
1. The two victories over the Syrians were designed, according to the declaration of both the prophets who foretold them, to effect “that thou, (king) and ye (the entire nation) may know that I am Jehovah,” that is to say, that Jehovah is the only true God, the God of Israel. In this declaration we have specified the purpose of the entire narrative, and at the same time the stand-point from which it is to be comprehended. That day on Mount Carmel, if it did not put an end to idolatry at once, had at least broken its power, as was already evident from the mere fact that the prophets were no longer persecuted and put to death, but could again go about openly and continue the work begun by Elijah; they even had access to Ahab again. Still the conversion was by no means complete, but rather, being weak, it needed support and strength from above if a complete relapse was to be prevented from setting in. This assistance came from the display of the power of Jehovah, a power which rescued in a time of great need and distress. The attack of the Syrian king, who had grown so mighty, threatened Ahab and his kingdom with destruction; at this crisis God, who never forsakes his people, who is “merciful and gracious, long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth” (Exo_34:6), repeatedly grants them the victory, which was so extraordinary and wonderful, that it could not possibly be ascribed to human power and strength, but only to God, to His might, His grace and truth. It was designed to make king and people unmistakably certain that it is not Baal or any other god but the God Jehovah who “doeth wonders, and declareth His strength among His people, and redeemeth His people with a strong arm” (Psa_77:15). And in order that every one may know whence and from whom such a victory came, he caused it to be foretold by his servants the prophets. If ever anything could be, this double victory was designed to open the eyes of king and people, and bring them to a recognition of the “thus saith the Lord, ‘I am Jehovah.’ ” We have thus in this account, not merely an ordinary history of wars, but a part of the divine history of salvation before us, which in an individual instance is what the entire history of Israel is in its completeness, namely, a display of the special dealings with a guidance of His people on God’s part. Although the first victory is a marked evidence of the saving might and grace of Jehovah, the second, by which the entire Syrian power was destroyed, was for Israel as well as for the Syrians themselves a still more remarkable proof of the fact, that Jehovah was no mere mountain, and local, or national divinity, but that the whole earth was His, and He was God of all nations (Exo_19:5; Psa_24:1). He who reduces the God of Israel to a mere local or national deity, as is so often done even nowadays, stands on the same footing with the “servants of the king of Syria” (1Ki_20:23; 1Ki_20:28).
2. King Ahab appears by no means in the present part of the historical narrative “in a more favorable light than in those [previously alluded to, traditional] passages” (Thenius); on the contrary he is just as weak, faithless, and devoid of character. There is not the slightest evidence of a single religious emotion, in a time of need and distress; he neither calls upon the Lord for help and assistance, nor renders thanks to him after his rescue from danger. The name of Jehovah does not pass his lips. He does not oppose himself to the haughty, boastful enemy “as a resolutely determined man,” but is faint-hearted and timorous, calls himself his “servant,” submits to his demands, and is ready to surrender to him not only his gold and silver, but also his wives and sons. It is only when the whole nation cries out to him, “You have no right to do that!” that he plucks up courage and assumes quite a different tone: to-day despairing and way down, to-morrow defiant and lofty; still for some time he inquired of the very prophet who foretold to him his victory, whether indeed he should make the attack and place himself at the head of his people. When the danger was past it did not occur to him to prepare for a similar peril; a prophet must first suggest it to him and give him instructions to that end. After the second victory, which brings into his power the bold, dangerous enemy who was constantly threatening Israel, and who, as circumstances afterwards gave evidence, was a false and treacherous foe, he acknowledges him as a brother, treats him with royal honor, and allows him to depart on the easiest possible conditions. This last-mentioned act later interpreters and historians have set down as greatly to his credit; it was “an act which did honor to his heart” (Bauer), a token of a “naturally very noble mind” (J. D. Michaelis), or of “natural kindness of heart and confiding disposition” (Thenius), he had “magnanimously granted life and liberty to a wounded and captive enemy” (Duncker). Not much can be said, however, concerning kindness of heart in connection with that man who at one time permitted the slaughter of defenceless prophets because they opposed the wild, lascivious Baal and Astarte worship, and subsequently permitted the innocent Naboth to be executed through deceit and treachery, merely because he wanted his vineyard; and when he called that barbarous Syrian Ben-hadad, who had set out on an expedition merely to plunder and devastate, and, persevering, sought to destroy Israel at once, his “brother,” and at the same time honored him as a king—whereas he had found fault with such a man as Elijah, charging him with being a disturber of Israel (chap, 1Ki_18:17). We see no evidence in such action of generosity and magnanimity, but simply that foolishness which is usually allied with weakness and lack of character. He is flattered that the highest servants and generals of Benhadad should come to him in sackcloth and with ropes around their necks, and recite to him all manner of things about the well-known mercy and high-mindedness of the kings of the house of Israel, but about which in reality nothing had been known since the time of Jeroboam. That he should allow himself to be immediately influenced and entrapped by their flattery, is only a proof of his fickle character and his want of serious moral conduct. The sequel (1Ki_22:31 sq.) shows how wretchedly he had allowed himself to be deceived.
3. The solemn prophetic denunciation which Ahab drew down upon himself was in every sense justly deserved. Concerning the fitness of it and the method of its accomplishment Hess says (loc. cit. O. p. 146): “A very striking scene, if we take the affair out from its old surroundings, and transfer it to the present time. Considered from the point of view of the theocracy, as the old narrator looked at it, it has by no means any of the impropriety which the sense of the present day ascribes to it, but it is a noticeable evidence of the delicate insight into human nature, and the noble independence with which the prophets understood how to resent the encroachments of the kings on the rights of the theocracy.” If ever a man ought to have been made harmless once for all, it was this Benhadad, who had twice wantonly commenced war for the mere sake of robbing and exercising power, who had set a small value on the lives of thousands of his subjects, and who proposed to change Samaria into a heap of ruins and utterly exterminate Israel. This is no question of relations between private individuals; just as Ahab was not so much victor as Jehovah, so Ben-hadad was not Ahab’s but Jehovah’s prisoner. Ahab had then no right to let him go free and unpunished, for by so doing he arbitrarily interfered with the righteous decision of God, and instead of being an instrument of divine justice he became the toy of his own foolishness and imbecility. The nature and method of the prophetic denunciation was similar to that of Nathan, who caused David to utter sentence against himself concerning his deed (2Sa_12:1 sq.). What took place there by means of a spoken parable took place here through an acted one, whose peculiarity is by no means any more striking than the one which we find pro ex. in Jer_13:1 sq.; Jer_27:2 sq.; Eze_5:1 sq.; Eze_24:3 sq. At the same time, however, it gives us an opportunity, as Von Gerlach observes, “to gain an insight into the awful solemnity of the prophetic office at this period of the revolt.” What an obedience to the word of Jehovah, what independence and courage were required to do what this son of the prophets did! When Duncker says (loc. cit. p. 412): “The prophets of Jehovah were very much dissatisfied with this merciful forbearance; as Samuel had once blamed Saul, so now they blamed Ahab passionately and bitterly,” his remarks spring from the same spirit of animosity, in accordance with which they discover something noble and good in the actions of Ahab and men like him, but place the doings of the prophets in the worst possible light. Clericus has indeed remarked with justice: Factum Ahabi, quamvis clementiœ speciem prœ se ferat, non erat verœ clementiœ, quœ non est erga latrones exercenda; qui si dimittantur, multo magis nocebunt, quam antea, quemadmodum re vera fecit Benhadad.
Homiletical and Practical
1Ki_20:1-43. The twice repeated victory of Ahab over the Syrians proclaimed aloud and distinctly (a) the power and strength of the Lord (Ben-hadad came with thirty-two kings, horses and chariots, and a great army, 1Ki_20:1; 1Ki_20:10, the first time, with more than a hundred thousand men the second time, 1Ki_20:29. Ahab had only seven thousand; two hundred and thirty-two decided the battle, 1Ki_20:15, the first time, and the second time his army was like two flocks of kids, 1Ki_20:27; nevertheless, he conquered. If ever, it could be said in this case: the horse is prepared against the day of battle, but safety is of the Lord, Pro_21:31; 1Ma_3:18-19. Every king who goes to battle should consider what is written in Psa_33:16 sq., and his army should sing: By our own strength nothing is done, &c., through God we shall do valiantly, Ps. 60:14; 84:6). (b) The grace and mercy of the Lord. (Ahab had deserved nothing as little as he had this repeated victory, for he had introduced the worship of idols, abandoned the confederacy, &c., divine judgments had been fruitless. However, God granted him the victory, not from any merit of his, but out of pure grace and compassion. He endured with much long-suffering, &c., Rom_9:22. He is long-suffering, not willing that any, &c., 2Pe_3:9; Eze_18:23. But the great triumph, cried out to Ahab and Israel: Despisest thou the riches, &c., Rom_2:4-6. Great victories ought not to make a king and his people haughty, but humble, and bring them to the knowledge that He, the Lord, is God alone.) 1Ki_20:1-21. The war between Ben-hadad and Ahab; (a) Ben-hadad’s invasion and demands; (b) Ahab’s danger and distress; (c) Israel’s victory. 1Ki_20:1-11. The messages of Ben-hadad to Ahab, and his responses, (a) The first one, 1Ki_20:1-4; (b) the second, 1Ki_20:5-9; (c) the third, 1Ki_20:10-11.
1Ki_20:1-4. Würt Summ.: In these two kings we see what a thing the human heart is, how insolent and timorous by turns (Jer_17:9). It is insolent when man, grown prosperous, powerful, and rich, places his confidence in his success, and haughtily despises his neighbor. But it is timid when man falls into difficulty, and neither sees nor knows any help, just as was the despairing, womanly heart of king Ahab, who took it for granted that everything was lost when he saw the hosts of his enemies.
1Ki_20:1-3. Ben-hadad thought that because he had the power to rob and appropriate, ho also had the right to do so. But God gives power and might to kings, not to distort the right, but to protect it. The power of that one who, confiding in his own strength, treads the right under his feet, will sooner or later miserably decline.
1Ki_20:4. Those who no longer have a Lord in heaven whom they fear, and before whom they bow, cringe and fawn before all men who can harm or serve them. If Ahab had said to the King of kings what he sent as a response to the royal robber and boaster: “I am thine and all that I have;” he would then have had the trust and assurance: He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty, &c. (Psa_91:1-3). He who bows before God is sure to be humble before men; but he does not cringe to them nor throw himself away. To submit to the superior power and force that demands gold and silver is no disgrace; but to surrender wife and child is contrary to honor, duty, and conscience.
1Ki_20:5-6. Haughty and insolent men grow all the more overbearing and ungovernable, and the more one submits to them and crawls before them and gratifies their desires, the more exorbitant they become in their demands. It is the curse that rests upon avarice, that the more the appetite after money and property is gratified, the more it grows, not diminishes (Pro_16:8).
1Ki_20:7-9. Ahab and his people, (a) Ahab feels himself helpless and perplexed. Adversity teaches us how to pray, but Ahab had turned from the living God, who is a helper in every time of trouble, to a dumb idol that cannot help; he had forgotten how to pray, forgotten the word of the Psa_50:15 : Call on me in a day of trouble, &c.; he had sought to help himself by cowardly submission, and now he seeks help of men. In every distress we should turn first to the Lord, Psa_118:8-9; Psa_108:13; Hymn: Wenn wir in höchsten Nöthen sein, und wissen nicht wo aus und ein, &c. (“God is the refuge of his saints, when storms of deep distress invade”), 1Ki_20:1-2. (b) The elders and the people reproach him. Instead of his giving instructions to them with the words of Joe_3:15, like a king, they give commands to him: Hearken not unto him. He is no real king, realizing the position which has been given to him by God, whom the people control instead of allowing themselves to be controlled by him. Tyrants are of this class: at first they do not consult the people, and do not scruple to appropriate their most sacred possessions, take away their faith, and burden their consciences. Ahab did not consult his people about the introduction of the worship of Baal and the persecution of the prophets; but now when he does not know how to counsel or help himself, he applies to the wish of the nation, the aid of the people is now very acceptable.
1Ki_20:10. Boasting and braggadocio are never a sign of true strength and ability, much rather of moral weakness. Ben-hadad, who speaks of the dust of Samaria, shows himself by that very act to be of dust, Psa_75:5-6; Jer_17:5 (Mat_26:33; Mat_26:69).
1Ki_20:11. Cramer: It is presumption for a man to celebrate a triumph before he has gained the victory; so that those who propose doing anything should say: If the Lord will, &c. (Jam_4:15). Starke: We have no need to stand in fear of men who put their confidence in themselves.
1Ki_20:12. No success or blessing can rest upon orders which issue from drunken revelries.
1Ki_20:13. Formerly Ahab wished no instruction from the prophets; now in his danger and distress he admits them and listens to them. In days of prosperity the world does not care for any advice from the faithful servants of the divine word; it looks down upon them and despises them; but in the hour of sorrow and mourning it grants them access, and is glad to avail itself of their consolation. Temptation teaches us to observe God’s word. They who do accept it and obey it will have as little cause as Ahab to repent of it. Before a great troop which has been abandoned of God, you have no cause to fear if God has said to you: I will help thee (Isa_41:13). You are to acknowledge: I am the Lord. This is the end and aim of all God’s guidings and providences; if they do not attain this end in your case, your life and existence are vain and of no value, to no purpose.
1Ki_20:14-15. Cf. 1Sa_14:6; 2Ch_14:11. A little band of brave men accomplishes more than a great troop of such as fight in a bad cause and with a wicked conscience.
1Ki_20:16. Ben-hadad must have sorely repented his drunkenness, as it resulted in the loss of his army, his horses and chariots. How often still is drunkenness the original cause of great sorrow and distress (Ephes. 1Ki_5:18; Isa_5:22; Pro_23:29-30).
1Ki_20:18. Great men often think, when they have been disturbed in their carnal rest and security, that they only need to speak the word of command in order to be relieved from everything disagreeable and wearisome, but they must learn that they cannot rid themselves by a command of what God has sent for their humiliation.
1Ki_20:19-21. The way of the godless shall perish (Psa_1:6). Their way is covetousness and pillage (1Ki_20:3; 1Ki_20:6), haughtiness, insolence, and assurance (1Ki_20:10; 1Ki_20:18), service of their belly, wantonness (1Ki_20:16). This way shall perish; they are as chaff which the wind driveth away, “utterly consumed with terrors” (1Ki_20:20-21; Psa_73:19).
1Ki_20:22-34. The second expedition of the Syrians against Israel. (a) The motive; (b) the issue.
1Ki_20:22. The advice of the prophet; Go, strengthen thyself, and mark, &c. is applicable in another, higher sense to us all. Our enemies are not idle, they are constantly returning to the attack. Even if we have by the help of the Lord conquered a victory over sin, the world, and the devil, that is not all there is to be done; we must even after the victory be on our guard and arm ourselves, so that the enemy may not fall upon us unawares (1Co_16:13; Ephes 1Ki_6:10 sq.; 1Pe_5:8; Hymn: Rüstet euch, ihr Christenleute, die Feinde suchen euch zur Beute, &c., “My soul be on thy guard. Ten thousand foes arise,” &c.).
1Ki_20:23-25. The evil counsellors of Ahab. (a) They urge him on to war and battle instead of counselling peace, because their pride was wounded and their hope of booty had been frustrated. Place no confidence in the man who incites you to begin a quarrel. The saying of Scripture (Heb_12:14) is applicable to all, in private as well as public life, for individuals and entire nations, for masters and servants. (b) They plead religious reasons, and make use of the superstition of their unwitting lord. It is possible for a bad, unholy thing to become confirmed through superstition; the man who plants himself on truth, however, will not permit himself to be deceived on such a foundation, (c) They shove the blame of the ignominious defeat on to the thirty-two kings, instead of seeking for it in themselves. A man always prefers to find the cause of his own misfortune and distress in another’s rather than in his own sin and guilt.
1Ki_20:26. Ben-hadad followed their foolish and perverse advice because it was entirely in accordance with his own wish. So strong and overpowering is sinful desire in the human heart, that even the bitterest dispensation and chastisement of God suppresses it only for a time, and, as soon as the external impression ceases, it breaks forth afresh.
1Ki_20:28. He who calls the God of Israel, who made heaven and earth and filled them both (Jer_23:23-24), a god of the hills or a national divinity, blasphemes His name; the Lord, however, will not let him go unpunished, who takes His name in vain.
1Ki_20:29 sq. God is a judge who putteth down one and setteth up another (Psa_75:8). Hymn: Es sind ja Gott geringe Sachen, und seiner Allmacht gilt es gleich, den Reichen arm und klein zu machen, &c. Today a king and lord over hundreds and thousands, to-morrow a man who is obliged to sneak about and beg for mercy; to-day haughty and insolent, to-morrow a slave in sackcloth, and with a rope about the neck (Jer_16:6-7).—Würt. Summ.: Nothing among mortal affairs is so inconstant as temporal prosperity. There is a time for everything. For that reason let no man place his dependence on his good fortune and exalt himself on its account, for he does not know whether he shall possess in the evening what was his in the morning (Sir_18:26).
1Ki_20:31-42. Lisko: Ahab’s wicked conduct after the victory. (a) In what it consisted. (b) How he was punished for it.—Cramer: When authority is compassionate out of proper season and neglects its office of correction, it draws upon itself the guilt of the other. God wants no mercy to be shown where he has ordered punishment. 1Ki_20:31-33. Praise, flattery, and subserviency are only too often the snare with which kings and great men are caught, so that under the appearance of generosity and magnanimity they may be led astray and act contrary to the will of God. They ought, indeed, to be merciful and gracious, but not forget that to do justice is their first duty, and that they do not carry the sword in vain.—Ahab persecutes an Elijah in every kingdom (chap, 1Ki_18:10), and threatens him with death, but he permits a robber and a plunderer to sit beside him in his chariot and makes a covenant with him. What to the eyes of the world looks like generosity, in the eyes of God, who trieth the heart and reins, is only weakness and folly. Great injury can be done by seeming ill-timed generosity.
1Ki_20:33. Cramer: After a word has been once spoken, we cannot recall it. Therefore learn to guard thy mouth: he who does will not offend by his words (Sir_23:7).
1Ki_20:35-43. The proclamation of the divine punishment for Ahab’s conduct. (a) How it occurred; (b) how it was received by him (vide Historical and Ethical).
1Ki_20:35-37. He who has his calling and service from the word of God ought to allow no danger to detain him from making an announcement of the fact (2Ti_4:2), and must obediently submit himself to his commands even when the fulfilment of them is joined with pain and sacrifice.
1Ki_20:38-40. A genuine preacher of repentance must first of all convict the sinner of his guilt and bring him to the point where he condemns himself, just as Nathan did with David.
1Ki_20:42-43. Ahab listened well pleased to the falsehood from the lips of the Syrian nobles, for it gave nourishment to his folly; the truth from the mouth of the prophet made him restless and angry, because it punished his folly. There is no help for the man who allows himself to be irritated by the truth instead of receiving it with meekness (Jam_1:21). There is nothing that so rouses and provokes an unconverted and unbelieving man as to have his sinful character so unveiled and set before his eyes that he can no longer justify or excuse himself.
Footnotes:
[1][The Vat. Sept. transposes chapters 20 and 21, thus making the affair of Naboth precede the deliverance and victories of Ahab, but making the narrative of the wars of Israel under Ahab with the Syrians continuous.
[2]1Ki_20:1.—[Many MSS., followed by the Sept., have this name uniformly with the final letter r instead of d.
[3]1Ki_20:2.—[1Ki_20:3 begins at this point in the arrangement of our Heb. Bibles, of Luther, and of our author; the Sept. divides as in the A. V.
[4]1Ki_20:3.—[The Vat. Sept. omits this qualification of Ben-hadad’s demand.
[5]1Ki_20:5.—[On this form of oath, כִּי אִם cf. 1Ki_17:1.
[6]1Ki_20:6.—The Sept., Vulg., and Syr., by taking the pronoun in the plural, make this refer to the officers of Ben-hadad—whatsoever they should fancy.
[7]1Ki_20:7.—[The Sept. more particularly, “my sons and my daughters.”
[8]1Ki_20:8.—[The negative is here printed לוֹא, which form occurs but twice elsewhere, but many MSS. give the more usual form לֹא.
[9]1Ki_20:9.—[The Sept changes the pronoun, and reads, “tell your lord.” The other VV. all follow the Heb., but below the Alex. Sept. omits the words “at the first.”
[10]1Ki_20:10.—[אֱלֹהִים is here, as in 1Ki_19:2, connected with verbs in the plural, and is rightly translated as referring to the false gods of Ben-hadad. The Vat. Sept., however, has ὁ Θεός in the singular, and the Chald. דַּחֲלָתָא = the terrors.
[11]1Ki_20:10.—[On the meaning of שֹׁעָל see the Exeg. Com.
[12]1Ki_20:14.—[מִיִ־יֶאְסֹר הַמִּלְחָמָה = who shall join the battle, i. e., begin the fight?
[13]1Ki_20:15.—[The Alex. Sept. alters this number to 332, an evident error.
[14]1Ki_20:19.—The Sept., by introducing the negative μή and changing the form of the verb to ἐξελθάτωσαν makes 1Ki_20:19 a part of Ben-hadad’s order: “Let not the princes. … go out,” &c.
[15]1Ki_20:20.—[The Sept. very unnecessarily reduplicates: καὶ ἐδευτέρωσιν ἕκαστος τὸν παρ’ αὐτοῦ.
[16]1Ki_20:23.—[The Sept., by putting the verb in the singular, refers the superiority more immediately to the God of Israel.
[17]1Ki_20:27.—[The translation of the A. V. is certainly wrong, resting upon a false derivation of כָּלְכְּלוּ from כָּל. The word is Polp.: from כּוּל, and means “were supplied with provisions.” Vulg. acceptis cibariis. Our author renders [mit Lebensmitteln] versorgt; Keil, too fully, “were supplied with ammunition and provisions.” The Vat. Sept. neglects the word altogether, but the Alex, renders διοικήθησαν.
[18]1Ki_20:28.—[The Sept. puts this in the sing., “thou shalt know.”
[19]1Ki_20:30.—[הַחוֹמָה = the wall sc. of the city. “The fleeing Syrians probably, in order to make a stand in Aphek against the pursuing Israelites, bad partly climbed and occupied the city walls, and partly sought behind them a shelter for their protection,” Keil. Many MSS. read without the ו, and Kennicott, adopting this reading, would understand the word of the Simoom, or pestilential wind, by which so many of the Syrians were destroyed. There seems little support for this.
[20]1Ki_20:31.—[The Vat. Sept. makes this the address of Ben-hadad to his servants. At the close of the verse both recensions have the plural pronoun of the first person—save our lives.
[21]1Ki_20:33.—[וְהָֽאֲנָשִׁים יֲנֽחֲשׁוּ. The verb נָחַשׁ seems to be always used of augury, foreboding, presentiment, &c. (cf. Gen_44:5; Gen_44:15; Lev_19:26; 2Ki_17:17, &c). and is always translated in this general sense in the A. V. except in this passage and in Gen_30:27, where it should be. All the versions here concur in this sense, e. g. the Vulg. Quod acceperunt viri pro omine. Our author translates as in the brackets—Und die Münner deuteten es günstig. So also Keil: “These took the words of Ahab as a good omen.”
[22]1Ki_20:33.—[וַיַּחְלְטוּ הֲמִמֶּנּוּ. These words are of much more difficult interpretation, especially because of the ἅπαξ λεγ. word חָלַט. For a discussion of its meaning see the Exeg. Com.
[23]1Ki_20:34.—[All the VV. concur in making this clause a continuation of the words of Ben-hadad. Keil agrees with our author and with the AV. in changing the speaker to Ahab.
[24]1Ki_20:38 —אֲפֵר is rendered in the A. V. as in the Vulg. and some of the other VV. as if it had been pointed אֵפֶר. The Chald. and Sept. (τελαμών) have undoubtedly hit the true sense, which in the Chald, is expressed by the very similar word מַעְפָּרָת. This is agreeable to the following words עַל־עֵינָיו, and also to the readiness with which it was removed, 1Ki_20:41.—F. G.]
Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures (Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical), ed. John Peter Lange, English translation edited by Philip Schaff (1864–1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On vv2, 12 Thus said Ben-hadad, Thy silver and thy gold is…
Thus said Ben-hadad, Thy silver and thy gold is mine--To this message sent him during the siege, Ahab returned a tame and submissive answer, probably thinking it meant no more than an exaction of tribute. But the demand was repeated with greater insolence; and yet, from the abject character of Ahab, there is reason to believe he would have yielded to this arrogant claim also, had not the voice of his subjects been raised against it. Ben-hadad's object in these and other boastful menaces was to intimidate Ahab. But the weak sovereign began to show a little more spirit, as appears in his abandoning "my lord the king" for the single "tell him," and giving him a dry but sarcastic hint to glory no more till the victory is won. Kindling into a rage at the cool defiance, Ben-hadad gave orders for the immediate sack of the city.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12 BEN-HADAD’S WARS AGAINST AHAB, 1Ki_20:1-34.
BEN-HADAD’S WARS AGAINST AHAB, 1Ki_20:1-34.
1. Ben-hadad the king of Syria — He reigned at Damascus, and was probably son of the king of the same name whom Asa hired with the treasures of the temple to smite the cities of Israel, and trouble king Baasha. 1Ki_15:18-20.
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Thirty and two kings — Not confederate kings of neighbouring independent nations, but vassal kings, or lords of single cities and their surrounding country, which were tributary to Ben-hadad. 1Ki_20:24 shows the power and authority Ben-hadad wielded over them.
Horses and chariots — Many of the latter had probably been obtained from Egypt in the days of Solomon. 1Ki_10:29.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv1–12 Ch. 1Ki_20:1-12. Ben-hadad king of Syria besieges Samaria. His…
Ch. 1Ki_20:1-12. Ben-hadad king of Syria besieges Samaria. His messages to Ahab (Not in Chronicles)
1. In the LXX. Chapters 20. and 21. are transposed, apparently with a view of bringing the history in which Elijah plays a part into closer connexion. Josephus also adopts the same order of events in his history. See Ant. viii. 13. 8 and viii. 14. i.
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Ben-hadad the king of Syria] See above on 1Ki_15:18. The LXX. always translates the first syllable of this name, writing υἱὸς Ἄδερ. There is nothing to help us to conclude with certainty whether the Ben-hadad of this verse was the same who made a treaty with Asa king of Judah against Baasha king of Israel. Between the death of Baasha and the beginning of Ahab’s reign was only about 14 years, so that it is not impossible that he may be the same Ben-hadad mentioned before, but perhaps the probability is in favour of his being a son or grandson with the same name.
gathered all his host together] The LXX. adds here ‘and went up and besieged Samaria,’ and repeats nearly the same words in the next verse.
thirty and two kings with him] These would be princes from the different provinces of Aram (Syria) over whom Ben-hadad at Damascus would be lord superior. They would probably include princes from among the Hittites and Hamathites, who dwelt near at hand and who would be in alliance or perhaps tributaries.
and horses] The LXX. gives πᾶς ἵππος ‘all his cavalry.’
besieged Samaria] Josephus says that Ahab did not feel equal to meeting his powerful adversary in the field and so shut up himself, and all that he could collect, in the strongest fortresses in the land, himself continuing in Samaria as the best defended.
and warred (R.V. fought) against it] The change of rendering is made because the verb is nearly always translated ‘fight’ elsewhere. It is so rendered in 1Ki_20:23; 1Ki_20:25 of this chapter.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv1, 6, 10 (1) Ben-hadad.—This is the inherited title of the Syrian…
(1) Ben-hadad.—This is the inherited title of the Syrian kings. (See Amo_1:4; Jer_49:27.) From the allusion in 1Ki_20:34 it appears that this Ben-hadad was the son of a king who had been victorious against Omri—possibly pushing still further the advantage gained in the time of Baasha. It is evident that he assumed, perhaps by inheritance, a sovereignty over Israel.
Thirty and two kings.—All the notices of Syria show it as divided into small kingdoms, confederated from time to time under some leading power. In the days of David this leading power was that of Hadadezer of Zobah (2Sa_8:3-13; 2Sa_10:19), although Hamath was apparently independent. Now Damascus, under the dynasty of Hadad, assumes a most formidable predominance. Ahab cannot stand before it, but shuts himself up, probably after defeat, within the strong walls of Samaria.
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(2–4) And he sent.—This message and the answer of Ahab (“My lord, O king”) are the assertion and acceptance of Syrian sovereignty over Israel: all the possessions and the family of the vassal are acknowledged to be the property of his superior lord. Ahab surrenders, but not at discretion. Ben-hadad refuses all qualified submission.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv1–12 THE INVASIONS OF ISRAEL BY THE SYRIANS AND THEIR…
THE INVASIONS OF ISRAEL BY THE SYRIANS AND THEIR RESULTS. The insertion of this chapter, which contains an account of two invasions of Israel by the hosts of Syria, and of the utter defeat of the latter, and which therefore constitutes a break in the history of Elijah, which has occupied the historian up to the end of ch. 19., and which is resumed with ch. 21. the insertion of this twentieth chapter in this place is apparently due to the compiler of these records, who seems to have adopted this arrangement as the more chronological. It is not absolutely certain, however, that we owe this disposition of his materials to the original compiler, as the Vatican LXX, which sometimes appears to represent an older and purer text, places ch. 20. after ch. 21., thereby concluding the history of Elijah so far as it was comprehended in the reign of Ahab before entering on the subject of the Syrian wars. It is not improbable, consequently, that this latter was the original order; and it is quite certain that the account of Elijah"s ministry, of which ch. 21. forms a part, is of a piece with ch. 19., and by the same hand, and is by a different hand from the author, or authors, of chaps, 20. and 22. Ch. 22:1 also supplies a reason why that chapter should follow ch. 20. There seems, moreover to be a close connexion between ch. 22. and the denunciation of 1Ki_20:42. But the present arrangement evidently dates from very early times.
And Ben-hadad See on 1Ki_11:14 and 15:18. The LXX uniformly spells the name Ader (uiJovAder). The form dda is found 1Ki_11:17, and d and r are frequently interchanged; cf. Gen_25:15, Gen_36:39 with 1Ch_1:30, 1Ch_1:46. We learn from ver. 34 that this prince was the son of a Syrian king who had conquered some of the cities of Israel, but we cannot nevertheless be certain that he was the son of that Ben-hadad (1Ki_15:18) who invaded Israel in the reign of Baasha (Ewald), See on ver. 34. the king of Syria gathered all his host See note on 1Ki_10:2, where we have same word together: and there were thirty and two kings with him Evidently these were vassals, not allied powers. The number alone proves that they must have been petty princes or chieftains of Hittite tribes, ruling over very limited districts" and all acknowledging the suzerainty of the king of Damascus, all paying tribute (1Ki_10:25) and furnishing a contingent in time of war "The Assyrian inscriptions show that this country was, about the period in question, parcelled out into a number of petty kingdoms," etc. (Rawlinson. See "Records of the Past," vol. 12. p. 20), and horses, and chariots Heb. horse and chariot; cf. ver. 21 and 1Ki_1:5 1Ki_10:26 1Ki_16:9, etc. Both are collective nouns. We see here the fruit and retribution of Solomon"s irreligious policy. (1Ki_10:29 and Homiletics, p. 216) "A king who has been probably identified with this Ben-hadad brought into the field against Assyria nearly 4000 chariots" (Rawlinson): and he went up and besieged Samaria, and warred against it. The object of this expedition was clearly to humble and to plunder the kingdom of Samaria. It would almost appear, from the animus of the Syrian king and the studied offensiveness of his messages, as if Ahab or Israel must have given him dire offence. But Ben-hadad was clearly a vain and overbearing and tyrannical prince, and the only crime of Israel may have been that it was independent of him, or had refused to do him homage.
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Vers. 1-43.
The Purgatory of Nations and Kings.
The two invasions of Israel by the armies of Syria, and their defeat by the finger of God, may suggest some lessons as to God"s dealings with nations, and with oppressive and tyrannical kings. Two considerations must, however, be borne in mind here. First, that the present age, unlike the Mosaic, is not a dispensation of temporal rewards and punishments. It is true that even now men do receive a rough sort of retribution, according to their deserts, from the operation of natural laws; but that retribution is uncertain and indirect. Sometimes vengeance overtakes the wrong doer, but as often as not he escapes scathless. The Jewish economy, however, had absolutely none but temporal sanctions. A "judgment to come" formed no part of its system. It dealt with men as if there were no hereafter. It taught them to expect an exact and proportionate and immediate recompense; an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. It preached an ever-present Deity, the true King of the country, visiting every transgression and disobedience with its just recompense of reward. (Heb_2:2) And so long as that economy was practised in its integrity, so long, either through the immediate dispensations of God, or the mediate action of the authorities who represented Him, did vice and crime, extortion and oppression, infidelity and apostasy, receive their just deserts. But with the advent of our Lord, and His apocalypse of life and immortality, all this was changed. We no longer look for temporal judgments because we are taught to wait for the judgement seat of Christ. It is only within very narrow limits that we expect to see vice punished or virtue rewarded. It causes us no surprise, consequently, to find even the tyrant and oppressor escaping all the whips and stings of vengeance. We know that he will not always escape; that though "the mills of God grind slowly, yet they grind exceeding small;" and that he and all such as he will surely satisfy the inexorable claims of Justice hereafter.
But there is apparently one exception and this is the second consideration to this general rule. If the individual is not judged here, the nation is. For nations, as such, have no existence apart from this life present. In the kingdom of the future, nationalities have no place. (Col_2:11) "Mortals have many tongues, immortals have but one." If, then, men are ever to be dealt with in their corporate capacity, they must, and as a matter of fact they do, receive their reckoning here. It surely is not difficult to trace the finger of God in the history of Europe as well as of Israel, of modern as of ancient times. In our own generation have not both Austria and Prussia paid in blood for the spoliation of Denmark? Have not the United States suffered for their overweening pride and greed and reckless speculation? Has not France paid a heavy forfeit for the corruption, the profligacy, the secularity which marked the latter years of the Empire? Has not England, too, had to lament her intermeddling? have not her late reverses suggested to many minds the painful thought that the hand of the Lord is gone out against her? Is she not suffering at this moment for her past misgovernment of Ireland? Is not Turkey, by the agonies of dissolution, expiating the uncleanness and injustice of the last four centuries? Yes, it should be clear that whatever arraignment awaits the individual hereafter, the community, the nation, receives its requital and acquittance here.
And if this be so, it is obvious that the king, the representative of the country, or the sovereign power, who is responsible primarily for the action of the community, will have a share, and by far the largest share, in whatever good or evil befalls it. On him primarily does the disgrace and blow of a disaster fall. It is not always true that "the kings make war and their subjects have to pay for it," for the king, in case of defeat, pays the heaviest toll of all. And though there is no one to call him to an account for internal misgovernment, yet even that does not go unrecompensed, as the history of Rome, of Russia, of Turkey, of England shows. We are warranted in looking, consequently, for the punishment of aggressive nations and tyrannical kings in this present age.
Now this chapter describes two invasions of the territory of Israel, and two successive defeats of the invaders. In the invasions we see the punishment of Israel and of Ahab; in the defeats the punishment of Syria and Benhadad. Let us inquire, in the first place, what each had done to provoke and deserve his respective chastisement.
I THE INVASIONS. That these were punishments hardly needs proof. For can any land be overrun with a horde of barbarians, such as the Syrians and their confederates, the Hittite chieftains, were, without widespread and profound suffering? We know what invasion means in modern times, when warfare is conducted with some approach to humanity, but what it meant in the Old World and the Orient, we are quite unable to realize. It is idle to say that the Syrians were defeated in the end. Who shall picture to us what the thousands of Israel suffered during the advance, possibly during the retreat, of that unwieldy and rapacious host, certainly during the occupation of the country? "Before them the garden of Eden, behind them a desolate wilderness". (Joe_2:3) Fire, rapine, famine, these three fell sisters marched in their train. The invasions, then, though repelled, would entail prodigious loss and suffering on the people. It would not compensate the Jewish farmer for the loss of his corn and oil and wine, still less the Jewish father for the dishonour of his daughters, to know that the siege was raised, that the king had fled to an inner chamber, that thousands of their enemies lay buried under the walls of Aphek. No, each invasion was nothing short of a national calamity, and we do well to ask what it was had provoked this chastisement. It was
1. The sin of the people at large. The sin of Israel at this epoch was idolatry. The sin of Jeroboam had already received, in part at least, its recompense. A Syrian invasion in a preceding generation (1Ki_15:20) had wasted the territory of Daniel But the calf worship was continued, and vile idolatry was now associated with it. It is true this had been fostered, if not introduced, by Jezebel, but it is impossible to acquit the people of blame. The pleasant vices of the Phoenician ritual were sweet to their taste. They loved to have it so. Justice demanded, consequently, that they should share in the punishment. Idolatry had already procured the investment and spoliation of Jerusalem; it now accounts for the march of the Syrians and the siege of Samaris, the centre of the Baal-worship. This is the third time that a foreign army has appeared before a polluted shrine. "How can they expect peace from the earth who do wilfully fight against heaven?
2. The sin of its rulers. We have just seen that Ahab and Jezebel were primarily responsible for this last great apostasy. It was Jezebel really who "reared up an altar for Baal," etc., (1Ki_16:32) though Ahab was a facile instrument in her hands. We find, consequently, that king and queen were the first to suffer, and suffered most. It is easy to picture the abject wretchedness and despair to which Ahab was reduced by the insolent messages of the northern barbarian. Those were indeed days of trouble and rebuke and blasphemy. The iron must have entered into his soul as he found himself utterly without resources, at the mercy of one who showed no mercy, but absolutely gloated over his misery. Nor did Jezebel escape her share of torture. She had to face the prospect of being handed over with the other ladies of the harem, to the will of the brutal, sensual, drunken despot who was thundering at their gates. Had her hair turned white, like that of another queen, in one night, we could not have wondered at it. Strong-willed, desperate woman that she was, (2Ki_9:31) she must have known too well how cruel are the tender mercies of the wicked not to have trembled. It is clear, therefore, that that prince and princess reaped some fruit of their doings in this life.
But it may be said that this reign of terror did not last long, and that despair was speedily succeeded by the joy and triumph of victory. But the victory was not one which could afford unmixed satisfaction, either to king or people. It was not won by their prowess. It was Of such a kind that all boasting was excluded. In the first place, they owed it to a prophet of the Lord one of the order whom Jezebel had persecuted. It Would therefore heap coals of fire upon Ahab"s head. Secondly, it was achieved by a handful of boys. His trained veterans had to follow their lead and enter into their labours. It was therefore more of a humiliation than a glory for his arms. It left him, in the presence of his people, a helpless debtor to that God whose altars he had overthrown; to that prophet whose companions he had slain.
Such were the immediate causes of the invasion. Two others, which were more remote, must be briefly indicated.
1. The unwisdom and unbelief of Asa. He it was who first taught the Syrians that the way to Samaria lay open to them, and that the spoils of the country repaid the cost and trouble of invasion. (1Ki_15:18, 1Ki_15:19)
2. The impiety of Solomon. The horses and chariots furnished by that great prince to the "kings of the Hittites and the kings of Syria" (1Ki_10:29) now overrun the great plain and stream into the valleys of Samaria. The Syrians owed the most important arm of their service (vers. 1, 25) to the disobedience of the Lord"s anointed. The two-and-thirty subject princes had once been the vassals of Solomon. (1Ki_4:21) We now turn to
II THE DEFEATS. If this prodigious host was really called together to chastise the idolatries of Israel, it seems strange that it was not allowed to effect its purpose; that in the very hour of victory it was utterly and irretrievably defeated. But the explanation is not far to seek. Its advance was the punishment of Ahab"s sin; its dispersion the punishment of Ben-hadad"s. "Well may God plague each with other who means vengeance to them both." And Ben-hadad"s sin consisted in
1. Defiance of God. The Battles of the Old World, as this chapter shows, were regarded as the contests of national deities. The defeat of Pharaoh was a judgment upon the gods of Egypt. (Exo_12:12) It was to altars, hecatombs, incantations that Balak looked for help (Num_22:23) It was the mighty gods of Israel that the Philistines feared. (1Sa_4:7, 1Sa_4:8) And we know how Goliath (1Sa_17:45) and Sennacherib alike (Isa_37:23) defied the living God. And when we see Ben-hadad swearing by his gods (ver. 10), when we find his courtiers accounting for their first defeat by the belief that the gods of their adversaries were gods of the hills only, we perceive at once that this war was regarded on Syria"s and Israel"s part alike (ver. 28) as a trial of strength between the deities whom they respectively worshipped. The
2. defeat, consequently, was primarily the punishment of Ben-hadad"s blasphemy. (Isa_37:29)
3. Wanton insolence and cruelty. We constantly find the instruments used of God for the punishment of Israel, punished in their turn for their oppression of Israel. We have instances in Jud_1:3:4:8, 22 6:1; cf. 7:25; 2Ch_32:21; Isa_10:5-12, 24 sqq.; 14:4 sqq.; Oba_1:1. When king or army exceeded their commission, when they trampledon the foe, they straightway provoked the vengeance which they were employed to minister. It would have been strange of such overbearing brutality as Ben-hadad"s (vers. 8, 6, 10) had gone unreproved.
3. Overweening pride. He was so intoxicated with the greatness of his army, with the praises of his courtiers and allies, that he thinks, Nebuchadnezzar-like, that neither God nor man can withstand him. His haughtiness comes out very clearly in his messages (vers. 8, 6), in his scorn of his adversaries (vers. 16-18), in the passionate outburst with which he receives Ahab"s reply (ver. 10). "The proud Syrian would have taken it in foul scorn to be denied, though he had sent for all the heads of Israel." And pride provokes a fall (Pro_16:18 Pro_29:23; cf. 2 Chronicles Isa_16:6, Isa_16:7; Oba_1:4) The highest mountain-tops draw down on themselves the artillery of the skies. Pride stands first on the list of the "seven deadly sins," because self-worship is the most hateful form of idolatry, the most obnoxious to the Majesty of Heaven.
4. Drunkenness. Like another invader, he transgressed by wine (Hab_2:5; cf. Dan_5:2, Dan_5:23) His revels in the thick of the siege reveal to us the man. It would have been, in Jewish eyes especially, a glaring injustice if such a man, while employed to chastise the sins of others, had escaped all chastisement himself. And his two-and-thirty confederates were like him. They had aided and encouraged him; they drank with him (ver. 16), and they fell with him (ver. 24).
It only remains for us now to observe how exact and exemplary was the punishment which overtook king and princes and the entire army for the army, no doubt, had shared the views and vices of its commanders. The defeat of the entire host was not occasioned by the sin of its leader alone, any more than the invasion was provoked by the sin of Ahab alone. In the day that God visited the sin of Ben-hadad, He visited also the sin of Syria. In the first place, the drunkenness of the leaders brought its own retribution. It involved the demeralization of the soldiery. With such besotted and incapable heads, they were unprepared for attack, and fell an easy prey to the vigorous onslaught of the 232 youths. The size of the host, again, contributed to make the disaster all the greater. And what but pride and cruelty had dictated the assembling of such an enormous array, merely to crush a neighbour kingdom? And their pride was further humbled by the circumstances of their defeat. It was to their eternal disgrace that a handful of men, of boys rather, unused to war, foemen quite unworthy of their steel, had routed and dispersed them; that their innumerable army had melted away before "two little flocks of kids." What a contrast to the proud boasting of ver. 10! Even the manner of Ben-hadad"s escape, his hurried, ignominious flight on the first horse that offered; his cowering abjectly in a corner of an inner chamber, this helped to sink him to a lower pitch of shame. The cavalry that was to accomplish such great things; he is thankful for one of its stray horses to bear him away from the field of slaughter. The walls of Aphek, again, avenged his threats against the walls of Samaria And the kings who had flattered him and encouraged his cruel projects, they too received a meet recompense, not only in the defeat, but in their summary degradation from their commands; while the courtiers who suggested the second expedition expiated their folly by the miseries and indignities which they suffered. It was a pitiful end of a campaign begun with so much of bluster and fury, and threatening; that procession of wretched and terrified men, with "sackcloth on their loins, and ropes on their heads." Nor did the losses of Syria end with the battle or the earthquake; the king voluntarily cedes a part of the territory which his father had won by his valour from Israel, and returns to his capital with a decimated army, a tarnished fame, and a restricted realm. His gluttonous desire for pillage, his forcing a quarrel upon Israel, his defiance of the Almighty, have been punished by the forfeiture of all he holds most dear.
It has more than once been remarked that the history of Israel has its lessons for the individual soul. But it also speaks to nations and kings. This chapter proclaims that neither any people nor its rulers can forget God with impunity; that disregard of His laws is sure to bring down His judgments; that the purgatory of nations is in this life present; that, while the individual awaits a judgment to come, the community is judged now, by sword, and famine, and pestilence; by invasion and defeat; by loss of fame and territory; by bad harvests and crippled trade. Corporate bodies and communities may have no conscience, but they will prove sooner or later, as Assyria and Babylon, as Medes and Persians, as Greeks and Romans, as Russia and Turkey, as France and Germany have proved, that verily there is a reward for the righteous; verily there is a God that judgeth in the earth. (Psa_58:11)
But this history has other lessons than those which concern nations and kings. Some of these we may glean as we pass along.
All his host thirty and two kings horses and chariots." It has been remarked that it is not easy to account for this expedition. Was it that Ahab had refused to do fealty? or had he offered some personal affront to the Syrian king? Nay, may we not find explanation enough in the fact that Ben-hadad, having an enormous host at his command, must find something for it to do? Large standing armies are constantly the cause of war. Preparations for war in the interest of peace (si vis pacem, etc.) are so manifestly paradoxical that who can wonder if war, and not peace, is the result? Let Europe beware of its bloated armaments. It is natural for statesmen to wish to have something to show for the cost of their maintenance.
HOMILIES BY J.A. MACDONALD. Vers. 1-11.
The Spirit of War.
In human histories so much is made of brilliant uniforms, scientific discipline, skilful manoeuvres, exploits, surprises, and successes, that readers are carried away with "the pomp and circumstance" of so-called "glorious war." In the text we have the other side; and we are reminded of the appeal of James: "From whence come wars and fightings among you? Come they not hence, even of your own lusts that war in your members?" (Jam_4:1) Conspicuous amongst these is
I THE SPIRIT OF WAR, We see this
1. In Ben-hadad"s message (ver. 3).
(1) We do not understand this to be a demand from Ahab for the actual surrender to Ben-hadad of his "silver" and "gold," "wives" and "children." Else it would be difficult to see any material difference between this first message and that which followed (ver. 6).
(2) The meaning seems to be that Ben-hadad would hold Ahab as his vassal, so that Ahab should retain his wealth, wives, and children only by the sufferance and generosity of his superior. He would have the king of Israel reduced to the condition of the "thirty and two kings" who, with their subjects and fortunes, appear to have been at his service (compare ver. 12 with ver. 24).
2. In his confident boasting.
(1) He boasts of the vastness of his army. "All the people that follow me." The Hebrew is given in the margin, "at my feet," suggesting subjection and submission.
(2) Of the certainty and ease with which such an army may carry victory. "The gods do so to me and more also if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me." They need not be content with handfuls of dust when they can fill their hands with the most valuable things in Samaria.
(3) This was the boasting which Ahab rebuked by the use of what had probably been a proverbial expression: "Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off." This caution might be profitably considered by those who are engaged in spiritual conflicts: "Be not high minded, but fear.
II THE SPIRIT OF INJUSTICE. This we see
1. In Ben-hadad"s requisitions.
(1) In those of his first message right is outraged. "Thy silver and gold are mine." Taking this demand in the sense of Ahab"s coming under villenage to Ben-hadad, the claim was iniquitous. Man has rights of property and freedom, which, unless they are forfeited to law by crime, should ever be held most sacred. The injustice of slavery is horrible.
(2) The second message went even farther. It threatened open robbery. Robbery not only of the monarch, but of his subjects also. A starving wretch who steals a loaf of bread may be convicted as a felon; but warrior who plunders kingdoms a Napoleon is glorified as a hero! Rut how will these weigh together in the balances of the sanctuary?
2. In his principles of appeal.
(1) Justice is not named. How often is justice named in warfare where it has no place! The Syrian king was more outspoken than many modern war makers.
(2) Mercy is quite out of the question. Yet in modern times wars against savages have been trumpeted as benignities, because of the civilization which, it is presumed, will follow in their wake!
(3) Ben-hadad did not live in these favoured times, so the one principle to which he appeals is might. "He has the men," and he will have "the money tool" In this he has had too many successors in the kingdoms of civilization.
(4) Not only must the covetousness of the king be gratified; so also must the host "at his feet;" and since the "dust of Samaria" will not satisfy them, Samaria must be sacked and pillaged. One injustice begets another.
III THE SPIRIT OF CRUELTY. This appears
1. In the provocations.
(1) Observe the "putting" of Ben-hadad"s requisitions. No attempt is made to spare the feelings of Ahab, but, on the contrary, the language is studiously framed to lacerate. "Whatsoever is pleasant in thine eyes note, not what is pleasant in the eyes of the spoilers shall put it in their hand and take it away.
(2) Witness also the peremptoriness. "Tomorrow about this time.
2. In the struggles.
(1) Men are in conflict. This is not a strife of elements without feeling, which is terrible enough, but of flesh and blood and nerves with exquisite sensibilities, with susceptibilities of acute pain and suffering.
(2) The combatants are armed. That they may put each other to torture they are provided with swords, spears, arrows; and in these clays of civilization, with fire-arms of various kinds. Elephants, camels, horses, and other animals are pressed into the dreadful service.
(3) Survey the battlefield after the strife. Men and animals dead and dying, mingled; gaping wounds; mangled limbs, sickening horrors I What pictures of cruelty are here!
(4) Reflect upon the homes plunged into grief and poverty entailed through the loss of breadwinners; and add the sequel of pestilences and famines. Surely we should pray for the advent of that peaceful reign of righteousness which is promised in the Scriptures of prophecy. J.A.M.
HOMILIES BY J. URQUHART Vers. 1-21.
Veiled Mercies.
I AHAB"S EXTREMITY (vers. 1-11). God"s goodness to the froward is shown by His bringing them into circumstances where they may prove and know Him. The clouds they "so much dread are big with mercy.
1. The land is overrun and the capital besieged. The fruit of sin is difficulty and disaster. The land and the life which will not acknowledge God will know at last what it is to be bereft of His protecting care and the ministrations of His goodness. These are the eternal portion only of those whom they raise and bless.
2. His degradation (vers. 2-4). In his own city he has to listen and assent to the terms that rob him at one stroke of all that is dearest and best. The foe has no mercy, and Ahab neither strength nor dignity. Those who forsake God, and shut themselves out from the experience of His truth and mercy, will prove the vanity of every other trust.
3. His helplessness (vers. 5-11).
(1) Compliance with Ben-hadad"s first demands does not save him from further degradation. Those who rely only on the world"s compassion lean on a reed which will break and pierce them.
(2) Ahab"s defiance (ver. 11) was an appeal to chance. He had no clear confidence that Ben-hadad"s threatenings would come to nothing. Forgetfulness of God is weakness for the battle of life, and darkness amid its dangers. Are we remembering Him? Are we stirring ourselves up to lay hold on God?
II GOD"S HELP (vers. 12-21).
1. Its compassionateness. The help came unsought, and when, indeed, there was no thought of seeking it. How often has He thus prevented us with the blessings of His goodness!
2. Its timeliness. The final attack was about to be made (ver. 12). The progress of the siege had no doubt alarmed Ahab, and led to negotiation. Now it needed but one more effort and the Syrian hosts would be surging through the streets of Samaria. Within the city there was only a terrible fear, or dull, defiant despair. But now, as the blow is about to fail, the shield of God sweeps in between. The Lord knows:is time to help, and, by helping, to reveal Himself and bind us to Him.
3. Its fulness.
(1) Israel is glorified. The weakest part of the army achieves the victory.
(2) Ahab is honoured (ver 14). The victory is gained under the leadership of the man whom God might have righteously destroyed.
(3) The triumph is complete (vers. 20, 21), Ben-hadad a fugitive, and his army a prey. The glory of God is manifested most of all in His mercy. We cannot contemplate our deliverance from danger and the fulness of our triumph in Christ without feeling upon our soul the recreative touch of the hand of God. J.U.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain On v11 Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast…
1Ki_20:11
Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off.
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Girding on the harness
I. As to the justice and rectitude of our plans. It may give us with effect this plain teaching: that we ought to undertake nothing on our own responsibility which we cannot justify and defend. This great Syrian king is engaged in a wrong thing. He has no right to be here at the gates of Samaria--no more right than a man would have to thunder at his neighbours door, and demand his neighbours property. It may sometimes, for a wider good, be right to subdue a nation by force, and to annex it or absorb it. But this is not to be done simply at the prompting of ambition or tyrannical self-will. Reason sufficient must be given for it. An old author says, commenting on this passage, Thus a great dog worrieth a less, only because he is bigger and stronger; this, however, is hardly just to the great dog, which very seldom, in point of fact, does worry the less without considerable provocation. The point for us as individuals is: that rectitude should lie at the basis of all our express undertakings. There are many things in which we must act, but with greatly qualified and modified responsibility; and some of the finest questions in our moral life, and the most difficult of clear settlement, arise in connection with joint action. The servant is not the keeper of the masters conscience, although, of course, he is bound to keep his own, and never do what would be to him a wrong thing. The single member of a company, or government, or society, cannot be expected to charge himself with more than his own share of the joint responsibility, and must yield to the will or the majority for the accomplishments of common ends, or must withdraw. If each individual will must rule in everything, there could be no joint action. But all this makes it the more needful that in those matters in which our responsibility is sole, the things which we ourselves expressly initiate, control, or conduct, rightness should be the foundation and the prevailing element. We ought to be able to say concerning our schemes, plans, or endeavours: This thing is the fruit of my thought, and I can justify it. This thing I have initiated, and I mean, if God will, to finish it, for it is right. This is the fulfilment of my hearts desire, and I am thankful for it. Live so, and you will not ever be in Ben-hadads evil ease.
II. A spirit of modesty, and self-distrust, and fear. If at all times it be right and becoming in us to clothe ourselves with humility, surely that robe is particularly seemly at the beginning of our undertakings! We are dependent creatures, and when we are beginning what will require from us a great amount of strength, it is meet that we should look towards the Fountain-head of all the strengths. The mere harness of life is heavy to many a one. It is not always an easy matter to keep going on even from day to day--watching and waiting, and working by turns! Up at the hour, after a restful or a sleepless night! Ready at call during all the day! decisive in judgment at the opportune moment: Patient and disappointment or delays: And then to be ready to-morrow--and to-morrow--to go through the same strain of service! Time and chance happeneth to all men. Life is full of cross-currents, and cross-roads, and cross-purposes; the unexpected is often that which comes. The looked-for is that which is delayed; and the right thing is broken to pieces; and the wrong thing holds on its way!
III. But this kind of reflection may easily be pushed too far, so as to paralyse the very nerves of action in a man, and hinder him, in fact, from ever girding on harness at all. Looking too much on the chances and uncertainties of life, one may come to the conclusion--and especially if he be of an unambitious, or indolent, or selfish habit--Well, it hardly seems worth while to gird on the harness at all in anything that we can help. If all things happen alike to all--if chance is mistress of practical life--if capricious elements may control, direct, or thwart the purposes we form, and the plans we seek to effectuate--then we had better do nothing, or as little as we may--just enough to get quietly and not ignobly through. To sail right over the sea of life and battle with the storms may be a good thing to those who desire it--to those who are fitted for it. But if one can go coasting to the same destination, always taking the harbours and sheltered places when the storms arise, that will be better. At least, it will be better for us. No, no; this will not do. This is to restrict and degrade life, or at least to keep it from rising; and it has been made to rise. Gird on the harness. Have something on hand worth doing; it is not to be believed that you can find nothing calling for and justifying your exertion. If it is not more, it will be less; and less may be done with so much zest and vigour, that it will seem more, and will really be more. Let us ask now if it be possible for any one to come to this modest, self-distrustful, resigned, and yet resolute state of mind about temporal things, about worldly chances, and fortunes, and family cares, who does not look at all beyond these things, and above them, to a higher world of duty and faith? No, it is not possible. Unless we have regard to the higher things we cannot walk steadily among the lower. Vessels larger and smaller are every day leaving England for east and west, north and south. Would you say to the captain of one of these: Now, you must attend to your own business. Do not trouble yourself with things too high for you--with magnetic poles, and heavenly bodies-look simply to your ship and get her quick to port? Yes, but how could he, without chart or compass, or sight of sun or star? The higher always rules the lower; the most stupid, mechanical people in the world cannot do the commonest work, without trusting, although perhaps quite unconsciously and ignorantly, to the great certainties of the heavens, to the things which are stable as the throne of God. (A. Raleigh, D. D.)
Putting on the armour
I. The general view of life that is implied in this saying. There is nothing that the bulk of people are more unwilling to do than steadily to think about what life is as a whole, and in its deepest aspects is. And that disinclination is strong, as I suppose, in the average young man or young woman. That comes, plainly enough, from the very blessings of your stage of life. Physical, unworn health, a blessed inexperience of failures and limitations, the sense of undeveloped power within you, the natural buoyancy of early days, all tend to make you rather live by impulse than by reflection. There are some of us to whom, so far as we have thought at all, life presents itself mainly as a shop, a place where we are to buy and sell, and get gain, and use our evenings, after the days work is over, for such recreation as suits us. But whilst there are many other noble metaphors under which we can set forth the essential character of this.mysterious, tremendous life of ours, I do not know that there is one that ought to appal slumbering heroism, which lies in every human soul, and the enthusiasms which unless you in your youth cherish you will be beggared indeed in your manhood, than this picture of my text suggests. After an, life is meant to be one long conflict. Even upon the lower levels of life that is so. No man learns a science or a trade without having to fight for it. But high above these lower levels there is the one on which we all are called to walk--the high level of duty--and no man does what his conscience tells him, or refrains from that which his conscience sternly forbids, without having to fight for it. We are in the lists compelled to draw the sword. You are a soldier, whether you will or not, and life is a fight, whether you understand the conditions or no.
II. Note the boastful temper which is sure to be beaten. No doubt there is something inspiring in the spectacle of the young warrior standing there, chafing at the lists, eagerly pulling on his gauntlets, and fitting on his helmet, and longing to be in the thick of the fight. No doubt, there is something in your early days which makes such buoyant hopes and anticipations of success natural, and which gives you, as a great gift, that expectation of victory. So I ask, have you ever estimated, are you now estimating rightly, what it is that you have to fight for? To make yourselves pure, wise, strong, self-governing, Christlike men, such as God would have you to be. That is not a small thing for a man to set himself to do. Have you considered the forces that are arrayed against you? What act is all its thought had been? Hand and brain are never paired. There is always a gap between the conception and its realisation. The painter stands before his canvas, and, while others may see beauty in it, he only sees what a small fragment of the radiant vision that floated before his eye his hand has been able to preserve. Have you realised how different it is to dream things and to do them? In our dreams we are, as it were, working in vacuo. When we come to acts, the atmosphere has a resistance. It is easy to imagine ourselves victorious in circumstances where things are all going rightly, and are blending according to our own desires, but when we come to the grim world, where there are things that resist, and people are not plastic, it is a very different matter. I suppose that our colleges are full of students who are going to far outstrip their professors, that every life-school has a dozen lads who have just begun to handle easel and brush, that are going to put Raphael in the shade. I suppose that every lawyers office has a budding Lord Chancellor or two in it. All us old people, whose deficiencies and limitations you see so clearly, had the same dreams, impossible as it may appear to you, fifty years ago. We were going to be the men, and wisdom was going to die with us, and you see what we have made of it. You will not do much better. Have you ever taken stock honestly of your own resources? You are not old enough to remember, as some of us do, the delirious enthusiasm with which, in the last Franco-German war, the emperor and the troops left Paris, and how, as the trains steamed out of the station, shouts were raised, A Berlin! Ay! and they never got further than Sedan, and there an emperor and an army were captured. Go into the fight bragging and you will come out of it beaten.
III. Note the confidence which is not boasting. If there is nothing more to be said about the fight than has been already said, that is the conclusion. Let us eat and drink, not only for to-morrow we die, but for to-day we are sure to be beaten. But I have only been speaking about this self-distrust as preliminary to what is the main thing that I desire to urge upon you now, and it is this: You do not need to be beaten. There is no room for boasting, but there is room for absolute confidence. Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. That was not the boast of a man putting on the harness, but the calm utterance of the conquering Christ when He was putting it off. He has conquered that you may conquer. There is possible a triumph which is not boasting for him who puts off the harness. The war-worn soldier has little heart for boasting, but he may be able to say, I have not been beaten. The best of us, when we come to the end, will have to recognise in retrospect failures, deficiencies, palterings with evil, yieldings to temptation, sins of many sorts, that will take all boasting out of our heads. But, whilst that is so, there is sometimes granted to the man that has been faithful in his adherence to Jesus Christ gleam of sunshine at eventide which foretells Heavens welcome and well done before it is uttered. (A. Maclaren, D. D.)
Confirmation
Such was the reply of Ahab, King of Israel, to the vain-glorious boast of Ben-hadad, King of Syria: The gods do so unto me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall Suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me. Tell him, Ahab said, Let not him that girdeth on his harness--that is, his armour--boast himself as he that putteth it off. And the result, as you will see from the history, was, that Ben hadad suffered two disgraceful and disastrous defeats, and was compelled to sue for mercy from the king whom he had so insolently challenged. Ahabs reply, however, was simply a proverb--a homely, pithy proverb of the day, admitting of a thousand applications.
1. There is a certain self-confidence, which is natural to youth, and which sits not ungracefully upon it. It has been cleverly said, that conceit is a young mans capital. A young man has to learn by actual trial what he can do, and what he cannot do; and he requires a certain amount of self-confidence to give him the necessary courage to experiment with his untried powers, until he knows what direction they must take. As Carlyle says, in his quaint forcible way, The painfullest feeling is that of your own feebleness: ever, as Milton says, to be weak is the true misery. And yet of your strength there is and can be no clear feeling, save by what you have prospered in, by what you have done. Between vague wavering capability and fixed indubitable performance, what a difference! A certain inarticulate self-consciousness dwells dimly in us; which only our works can render articulate and decisively discernible. Our works are the mirror wherein the spirit first sees its natural lineaments. Hence, too, the folly of that impossible precept, Know thyself; till it be translated into this partially possible one, Know what thou canst work at. For the same reason, youth is the time of criticism. We all know how unsparingly, how unmercifully, the young criticise the proceedings of their elders. The excuse for it is, that they are trying to see or feel their way to action; and they have a keen eye, therefore, and a sharp tongue, for the actions of those around them, upon whom the weight of the worlds work is for the time being falling. As they get under the yoke themselves, this criticising, censorious temper will leave them.
2. One of the great poets of Greece has a saying to the effect, that the reverses of life are sometimes so terrible, that it is impossible to pronounce upon any life, in the way of estimate of its happiness or its misery, until the end is reached. History, both sacred and profane, enforces this lesson with a thousand examples testifying to its truth. Even the noblest lives are often crossed and barred with bands of shadow, nay, of darkness. Think of Abraham; think of David; each falling, in a moment of weakness and temptation, to a point of shame and infamy, in which the true self was lost in the false. And when we pass from the pages of the Bible to the pages of common history, or to our own experience of life, it may well exclude all boasting to mark how hard the actors in lifes busy and varied scene have ever found, and do still find, it to maintain a uniformly lofty level of thought and speech and action. Think of the great Frenchman, Bossuet; of our own great Englishman, Bacon. When such men go wrong, men so gifted and so good, we may well tremble for ourselves. Some of us, who are getting on in life, know what it is, perhaps, to come across letters of twenty or thirty or forty years ago, written by ourselves, or by dear friends and relatives, at a time when our own lives were entirely unformed, and when what was then our future was, in anticipation, as little like as it could well be to what has since become our past. Each stage of life shades, as a general rule, by such imperceptible degrees into the next stage, that it needs an experience of this kind to bring home to our minds the strange uncertainty and the curious waywardness of the future, which lies before the young.
3. Very different views may be taken, and, as a matter of fact, are taken, upon the subject of the ordinance of confirmation. We all know that it is not a sacrament, not an ordinance of Christs own appointment, but, simply, an ecclesiastical ordinance; and, as such, one that must justify itself by actual trial. I am asking you, in the interest of the young, to consider the initial principles, which they ought to take with them into the conduct of life. And I value confirmation for this, more than for anything else, that it explains so clearly what those principles are, and brings them home to us so forcibly. It should never be forgotten that confirmation loses the greatest part of its meaning if it is postponed until late on in life. It was intended to meet the young at the very threshold of adult life; just when the first years of discretion were beginning to come, freighted with many an anxious thought, to them. And whenever in after years such thoughts come to us, it is well for us to go back to our confirmation, and to welcome its deep yet simple teaching upon the great ruling principles of the conduct of life. Again and again we ask ourselves, not merely at the outset of mature life, but in its onward course, What am I to God? What am I to the world of men around me? Let us think for a moment what solid and direct answers the ordinance of confirmation returns to these momentous questions. Our answer, if we will but think of our confirmation and its meaning, is ready at once: I am the child of God; I am a member of the one great household and family of God; I have a work to do in the world for God, a place to fill, to His glory, and to the good of my fellow-men, who are all co-members with me in the same great world-wide and time-wide family and household. Time-wide and world-wide, do I say? Nay, rather eternity itself is the true measure of this universal family of God, whose sacred bond death itself is powerless to dissolve.
4. More particularly I would commend to you, one and all, the thoughts which confirmation teaches us to associate with our work in life and our place in life. Both in the Old Testament and in the New, we find the imposition of hands closely connected with a consecration to a particular work, or office, or function. (D. J. Vaughan, M. A.)
Girding on the harness
I. There is in those who newly put on their armour a great tendency to boast.
1. This is not at all remarkable, because, first, it is the nature of all men more or less to boast. Human nature is both poor and proud.
2. Those who gird on the harness are the more apt to be proud, because they often mistake their intentions for accomplishments.
3. It sometimes happens to the young beginner that he mistakes the formation of his ideal for the attainment of it. He has sketched on paper the figure that is to be wrought out of the block of marble. There it is. Will not that make a beautiful statue? Already he congratulates himself that it stands before him on its pedestal. But it is a very different thing--the forming the idea in ones mind and the realising of it.
4. Boasting in putting on the harness sometimes arises from the notion that we shall avoid the faults of others. We ought to do so, and we think we shall.
5. We also forget when we start in the battle of life that there is a great deal in novelty, and that novelty wears off.
II. Those who put on the harness have good reason to refrain from boasting.
1. They have good reason not to boast if they remember what the very harness, or armour, itself is meant for. What do you want armour for at all? Because you are weak; because you are in danger.
2. Again, it will be well to refrain from boasting, for your harness which you are putting on is meant for use. You are not dressing yourself out that you may be a thing of beauty.
3. You must not boast, again, because if you look at your harness you will see that it has joints in it. You think your armour fits so well, do you? Ah, so thought that man who, nevertheless, died by an arrow which found its way into his heart between the joints of his array.
4. You ought not to boast of your harness, because there are suits of armour which are good for nothing. There is armour about in the world, and some of it the brightest that was ever seen, which is utterly worthless.
5. We should not boast when we put on our armour, because, after all, armour and weapons are of little use except to strong men. The old coats of mail were so heavy that they needed a man of a strong constitution even to wear them, much more to fight in them. It was not the armour that was wanted so much as the strong man who could sit upright under the weight. Think, too, of the sword, the great two-handed sword which the old warriors used; we have looked at one, and said, Is that the sword with which battles were won? Yes, sir, but you want to see the arm which wielded it, or you see nothing.
6. We may not boast in our harness, because if it be of the right sort, and if it be well jointed, yet we have received it as a gift of charity. Most valiant warrior, not one single ring of your mall is your own. O Sir Knight with the red cross, no part of your array belongs to you by any fights but those of free gift. The infinite charity of God has given you all you have.
III. He who girds on his harness has something else to do besides boasting.
1. You have, first, to see that you get all the pieces of your armour on. Look ye well to it that ye take to yourselves the whole armour of God.
2. Young warrior, beginning with so much hope, I can recommend you to spend your time in gratitude. Bless God for making you what you are, for calling you out from a sinful world, for making you a soldier of the Cross. Boasting is excluded, for grace reigns.
3. You want every hour for prayer. If ever we ought to pray it surely is when we are newly entered upon the Christian life.
4. Remember, young soldier, that you are bound to use your time in learning obedience, looking to your Captain and Commander, as the handmaid looks to her mistress.
5. You have no space for boasting, for your fullest attention will be wanted to maintain watchfulness. You have just put on your harness. The devil will speedily discover that! He will pay his respects to you very soon! As soon as he sees a new soldier of the Cross enlisted, he takes a fresh arrow from his quiver, makes it sharp, dips it in gall, and fits it to his string. I will try this youngster, saith he, and before long a fiery dart flies noiseless through the air.
6. The young warrior may not boast, for he will want all the faith he has, and all the strength of God also, to keep him from despondency.
IV. Those who gird on the harness certainly ought:not to glory, for those who are putting it off find nothing to boast of. The Christian man never ungirds his harness in this life; still we may say that the brother is putting it off when there is but a step betwixt him and death in the course of nature. Now, how do you find Christians of that kind when you have attended their dying beds, if you have had the privilege of doing so? Did you ever find a Christian stayed up with pillows in his bed boasting of what he had done? When Augustus, the Roman emperor, was dying, he asked those who were around him whether he had acted well his part; and they said, Yes. Then he said, Clap me as I go off the stage. Did you ever hear a Christian say that? I remember Addison, about whose Christianity little can be said, asked others to come and see how a Christian could die, but it was a very unchristian thing to do, for forgiven sinners should never make exhibitions of themselves in that fashion. Certainly I never saw dying Christians boastful. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
The war of life
These are the words of Ahab, and, so far as we know, the only wise thing he ever spoke. The saying was probably not his own, but a proverb common in his time. As a warning to Ben-hadad the words proved true, but Ahabs own conduct in going up to Ramoth-Gilead where he perished, showed a strange forgetfulness of his own saying.
I. We have all a battle to fight. We all know what is meant by the battle of life, but that of the Christian is inward and spiritual--a battle within a battle. Conversion to Christ brings at once peace and warfare. Our peace with God means war with the world, the devil, and the flesh.
II. We have all a harness to put on. As the enemies we fight are spiritual so must be our armour. Some prefer an ostentatious profession, pride of intellect, and the weapons of human learning and science falsely so called, but experience proves their insufficiency. The Divine armour must be put on, we must take hold and keep hold of it, otherwise it is of no avail.
III. We have all a lesson of humility and patience to learn in connection with this warfare. Young converts are apt to think they have gained the victory when they are only commencing the conflict. They are in danger from a mistaken idea of the liveliness of their religious feelings, from an imperfect knowledge of the deceitfulness of their own hearts, and from a limited perception of where their great strength lies. We must learn to depend less and less on ourselves and more and more on Christ. (David MacEwan, D. D.)
Ben-hadad: Boastful beginnings and bitter endings
I. A good start does not guarantee a right ending. The good start is not to be despised, but it is not everything. There are many who, out of defeat, have carved victory. Those very men might have been ruined by premature success, or might have fostered an overweening confidence which would have been disastrous. Those who are conquered by first repulses are weak, but those who gird on their harness again and again, who clutch the sword all the more grimly as they are crowded upon by numbers, are among the noblest of earths sons. Without boasting they dare to go down to the battle to brave death; yea, and to drive it into the enemys ranks. When returned they ungird themselves, they rest and recount their dangers with humility. Ben-hadad found that to boast and begin was not everything. Yet we find many to-day who think that if they can only make a stars in anything they will be sure to succeed. They boast of what they will do and can do. Again, a man thinks that if he can only get a start in business he is sure to make it pay. Hence, he may borrow money at a high rate of interest, may incur heavy responsibilities by the purchase of goods, in fitting up of premises, in advertising, in engaging assistance, and he feels sure that customers will patronise him. We see the same thing illustrated in the spiritual sphere as well as the commercial. What sort of armour are you buckling on? What principles are you taking with you? Are you going in your own strength into the battle of life? Such questions we might ask. You have girded on the harness. You intend to make the best of life. You have no desire to find yourself crushed and defeated. You say you will not be beaten, that however others may have missed their mark, you mean to gain a real success. Well, and what shall be the character of the success. Shall it be transient or permanent; worldly or spiritual? Will you simply live for self and the present, or for truth, righteousness, Christ and eternity?
II. In every undertaking there are unanticipated difficulties often militating against success. In striving for a livelihood there are difficulties. Others crowd us out. Fortune is no kind mistress tumbling always her gifts unearned into the lap of the indolent and thoughtless. Competency is not generally gained without assiduity and care. Honour comes not naturally to the unprincipled, nor do laurels usually deck the brows of the lazy. Eminence is not reached by the emasculate. A general wins not the battle, saves not his country, without some risk and difficulty. Long voyages, toilsome marches over dreary desert, or rocky mountains, harassing dangers, shortness of provisions, the attacks of disease, the desertion of the trusted, the changing of plans, sharp conflicts and heavy losses, lie in his path and must be taken into account.
III. Our greatest difficulty in the battle of life may come from some little tiling which is accounted as unworthy of notice. Some trifling bit of steel is loose, or buckle unfastened. It is said that the Germans beat the French in their last campaign because the soldiers were better shod. The heavy boots of the Germans protected the men, enabling them to bear the cold and wet better and to march longer. This was not all, but it was one of the things that had not been calculated upon by their opponents. So our defeat in life and failure in spiritual steadfastness may come from some apparently trifling cause, something we even affect to despise. The temptations that beset us may be apparently trifling, but they may nevertheless cause our ruin.
IV. The greatest dangers in the battle of life are often the subtlest and most cunningly concealed. Young Christians are sometimes deceived because at this day it seems much easier to be a Christian than it was formerly. True, no dungeon yawns now for the persecuted; no Smithfield smokes now for the saintly; no cold act of uniformity drives to foreign inhospitable climes, or Armada invades our liberties. Other means are taken to check vital Christianity. It is sometimes strangled by proprieties and slain by prosperity. Christians are not now so anxious as formerly to keep far off from the practices of the world. In many things they act very questionably. Like children, who seem to delight in walking along the side of a precipice and seeing who can go nearest the dangerous edge without slipping over, so many Christians walk as near to the customs of the world as they can without, as they think, endangering their salvation. This practice spreads. Its effect is most prejudicial. When the late American war was ragtag, I was told, by one who had had to endure the horrors of a frightful military prison, that canisters filled with fragments of clothing taken from the bodies of those who had died of yellow-fever or of small-pox were shot into the camp, in the hope that some fragment might spread infection to the enemies ranks. Whether there be any truth in the report or not, at any rate it illustrates the fact that there are many subtle temptations that are thrown into our souls that enervate and hinder our final triumph vouch more surely than those that are open. Hence our need to remember that it is not the guiding and starting but the ending and putting off that is of the highest importance.
V. The warning given to Ben-hadad is as applicable to those who have lived consistently for years as to the young men just starting. If we have fought through a long day unwounded, we must not be elated. The arrow might lay us low even as the battle is just closing. Many a soldier has perished by strong shots fired after the bugle of the enemy has sounded a retreat. So it might be with some who seem strongest in Christian faith.
VI. The spirit of boastfulness is dangerously liable to grow upon those who indulge it. Ben-hadads first invasion had but a poor ending, spite of his boasting. He who had been flushed with past successes, who with his generals and men were given up to revelry and drunkenness, had to flee. While all are carousing in their tents, Israelitish hosts are dashing into the battle and dealing deadly blows on the helmets of their adversaries. Even with this check to his boasting, Ben-hadad learned nothing. On the contrary, he only needed revenge and repeated the following year his invasion. Again he was repulsed. Again he had to flee. Look to the ending then. Pleasures, business, life must end. We must all put off the harness of this mortal life. Oh that we may put on immortality! Believe in Him, trust in His sacrifices, trust in His love, His help, and His presence. Begin life with Him and end it with Him. Charge any sin or temptation that besets you with the same earnestness that the Scots Greys showed when they dashed against the columns of Napoleon the First, making him exclaim, How terrible are these Greys! Let there be no hesitancy in our blow when we strike at any sin in ourselves or the world. Then, when as good soldiers we reach the city of our God, we shall have a welcome that will make us forget every weary march, every painful wound, and every bitter sorrow. (Fredk. Hastings.)
Overrating oneself
All up and down history we see such too early boasting. Soult, thy Marshal of France, was so certain that he would conquer that he had a proclamation printed, announcing himself King of Portugal, and had a grand feast prepared for four oclock that afternoon, but before that hour he fled in ignominious defeat, and Wellington, of the conquering host, sat down at four oclock at the very banquet the Marshal of France had ordered for himself. Charles V. invaded France, and was so sure of the conquest that he requested Paul Jovius, the historian, to gather together a large amount of paper on which to write the story of his many victories, but disease and famine seized upon his troops, and he retreated in dismay. Dr. Pendleton and Mr. Saunders were talking in the time of persecution under Queen Mary. Saunders was trembling and afraid, but Pendleton said: What! Man, there is much more cause for me to fear than you. You are small, and I have a large bodily frame, but you will see the last piece of this flesh consumed to ashes before I ever forsake Jesus Christ and His truth, which I have professed. Not long after, Saunders, the faint-hearted, gave up his life for Christs sake, while Pendleton, who had talked so big, played coward and gave up religion when the test came. Wilberforce did not tell what he was going to do with the slave trade; but how much he accomplished is suggested by Lord Broughams remark concerning him after his decease: He went to heaven with eight hundred thousand broken fetters in his hands. Some one, trying to dissuade Napoleon from his invasion of Russia, said, Man proposes, but God disposes. Napoleon replied, I propose and I dispose. But you remember Moscow and ninety-five thousand corpses in the snow-banks. The only kind of boasting that prospers was that of Paul, who cried out, I glory in the cross of Christ; and that of John Newton, who declared, I am not what I ought to be; I am not what I wish to be; I am not what I hope to be, but by the grace of God I am not what I was. (T. De Witt Talmage.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Expositor's Bible 1887 · Public Domain On v1 IN the Septuagint and in Josephus the events narrated…
AHAB AND BENHADAD
1Ki_20:1-30
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IN the Septuagint and in Josephus the events narrated in the twentieth chapter of the Book of Kings are placed after the meeting of Elijah with Ahab at the door of Naboths vineyard, which occupies the twenty-first chapter in our version. This order of events seems the more probable, but no chronological data are given us in the long but fragmentary details of Ahabs reign. They are, in fact, composed of different sets of records, partly historical, partly prophetic, and partly taken from some special monograph on the career of Elijah. Here, too, we may observe that some most important details are altogether omitted, and that we only learn them,
(1) from the inscription of King Mesha, and
(2) from the clay tablets of Assyria.
1. As regards King Mesha, the monument containing his very interesting annals is generally known as The Moabite Stone. It is a stele of black basalt, 3 feet 10 inches high, 2 feet broad, 14 1-2 inches thick, rounded at the top and bottom almost into a semicircle. The Phoenician inscription is of capital importance both for philology and history. It was first discovered by Mr. Klein, the German missionary of an English society at Dibon, east of the Dead Sea, and it is now at the Louvre. Dibon is now Dibban.
Mr. Klein in 1868, at Jerusalem, informed Professor Petermann of Berlin of the existence of this ancient relic, and from a few letters of the thirty-four lines which he had copied the Professor at once pronounced that the language employed was Phoenician. When M. Clermont Ganneau, the French consul at Jerusalem, endeavored to get possession of it, the Bedawin discovered that it was regarded with deep interest by European scholars. They immediately began to quarrel over its possession, and the Arab who had been sent to copy it barely escaped with his life. In their greed and jealousy these modern Moabites "sooner than give it up, put a fire under it, and threw cold water on it, and so broke it, and then distributed the bits among the different families to be placed in the granaries and to serve as blessings upon the corn; for they said that without the stone (or its equivalent in hard cash) a blight would fall upon their crops." Squeezes had been previously taken from it by M. Ganneau and Captain Warren, from which the text has been restored.
It records three great events in the reign of Mesha.
(1) Lines 1-21. Wars of Mesha with Omri and his successors.
(2) Lines 21-31. Public works of Mesha after his deliverance from his Jewish oppressors.
(3) Lines 31-34. His successful wars against the Edomites (or a people of Horonaim), undertaken by command of his god Chemosh. The date of the erection of the monolith is about B.C. 890.
It begins thus:-
(1) I, Mesha, am son of Chemosh-Gad, King of Moab,
(2) the Dibonite. My father reigned over Moab thirty years, and I reigned
(3) after my father. And I erected this Stone to Chemosh (a stone of salvation) {Comp. 1Sa_7:12}
(4) for he saved me from all despoilers, and let me see my desire upon all my enemies.
(5) Now Omri, King of Israel, he oppressed Moab many days, for Chemosh was angry with his
(6) land. His son succeeded him, and he also said, I will oppress Moab. In my days he said (Let us go)
(7) and I will see my desire on him and his house, and Israel said, I shall destroy it for ever. Now Omri took the land
(8) Medeba, and (the enemy) occupied it (in his days and in) the days of his sons, forty years. And Chemosh (had mercy)
(9) on it in my days.
He goes on to tell how he built Bael Meon and Kirjathaim; captured Ataroth, and killed all its warriors, and devoted its spoil to Chemosh. "And Chemosh said to me, Go take Nebo against Israel." He took it, slew seven thousand men, devoted the women and maidens to Ashtar-Chemosh, and offered Jehovahs vessels to Chemosh. Then he took Jahas which the king of Israel had fortified, and annexed it to Dibon; built Korcha, its palaces, prisons, etc., Aroer, Bethbamoth, and other towns which he colonised with poor Moabites; and took Horonaim by assault.
There the inscription ends, but not until it has given us some details of a series of bloody wars about which the Scripture narrative is almost entirely silent, though in 2Ki_3:4-27 it narrates Meshas desperate resistance of Israel, Judah, and Edom (B.C. 896).
On this inscription we may briefly remark that for Chemosh-Gad, Dr. Neubauer reads Chemosh-melech, and makes various other changes and suggestions.
2. From the annals of Assyria we learn the altogether unexpected fact that Ahabu Sirlai, i.e., "Ahab of Israel," was acting as one of the allies, or more probably as one of the vassals, of Syria in the great battle fought at Karkar, B.C. 854, against Shalmanezer II, by Hittites, Hamathites, and Syrians.Whether this was before the invasion of Benhadad, or after his defeat, is uncertain.
The twentieth chapter of the Book of Kings tells us that Benhadad, the Aramaean king, accompanied by thirty-two feudatory princes of Hittites, Hamathites, and others, gathered together all his host with his horses and chariots, and proclaimed war against Israel. Unable to meet this vast army in the field, Ahab shut himself up in Samaria, and Benhadad went up and besieged it. We do not know which Benhadad this was. It could not have been the grandson of Rezon, whom, fourteen years earlier, King Asa had bribed to attack Baasha in order to divert him from building Ramah. It may have been his son or grandson bearing the same religious dynastic name. In any case the policy of attacking Israel was suicidal. If the kings had possessed the prescient glance of the prophets they could not have failed to see on the northern horizon the cloud of Assyrian power, which menaced them all with cruel extinction at the bands of that atrocious people. Their true policy would have been to form an offensive and defensive league, instead of coveting one anothers dominions. Although Assyria had not yet risen to the zenith of her empire, she was already formidable enough to convince the King of Damascus that he would never be able single-handed to prevent Syria from being crushed before her. Instead of inflicting ruinous losses and humiliations on the tribes of Israel, the dynasty of Rezon if it had been wise in its day, would have insured their friendly aid against the horrible common enemy of the nations.
When Benhadad had succeeded in reducing Ahab to hopeless straits, he sent him a herald to demand the admission of ambassadors. Their ultimatum was couched in language of the deadliest insult. Benhadad laid insolent claim to everything which Ahab possessed-his silver, his gold, his wives, and the fairest of his children. To save his people from ruin, Ahab-it is strange that throughout the narrative we do not hear one word either about Jezebel or Elijah-sent an answer of the humblest submission. Tyre gave him no help, nor did Judah. He seems at this time to have been entirely isolated and to have sunk to the nadir of his degradation. "It is true," he said, "my lord, and king; I, and all that I possess, is thine." The depth of humiliation involved in such a concession is the measure of the utter straits to which Ahab was reduced. When an Eastern king had to give up to his conqueror even his seraglio-yes, even his queen-all his power must have been humbled to the very dust. And at the head of Ahabs seraglio was Jezebel. How frenzied must have been the thoughts of that terrible woman, when she saw that her Baal, and the Astarte to whom her father was a priest, in spite of the temple which she had built, and her eight hundred and fifty priests of Baal and Asherah with all their vestments and pompous ceremonies and blood-stained invocations, had wholly failed to save her-a great kings daughter and a great kings wife-from drinking to the very dregs this cup of shame!
Encouraged by this abject demeanor into yet more outrageous insolence, Benhadad sent back his ambassadors with the further menace that he would himself send his messengers next day into Samaria, who should search and rifle not only the palace of Ahab, but the houses of all his servants, from which they should take away everything that was pleasant in their eyes.
The merciless demand kindled in the breast of the wretched king one last spark of the courage of despair. Nothing could be worse than such a pillage. Death itself seemed preferable. He summoned together all the elders of the land to a great council, to which the people also were invited, and he set the state of things before them. The fact gives us an interesting glimpse into the constitution of the kingdom of Israel. It greatly resembled that of the little Greek states in the days of the Iliad. Under ordinary circumstances of prosperity the king was within certain limits despotic; but he might easily be reduced to the necessity of consulting a sort of senate, composed of his greatest subjects, and at these open-air deliberations the people were present as assessors on whose will depended the ultimate decision.
Ahab put before his council the desperate condition to which he had been reduced by the Syrian leaguer. He recounted the cruel terms to which he had submitted in order to save his people from destruction. From the second embassage of Benhadad it was clear that the first demand had only been made in the hope that its refusal would give the Syrians an excuse for pressing on the siege, and delivering the city to ravage and slaughter. Was it their will that the insolent foreign tyrant should have his way, and be permitted without let or hindrance to rifle their houses, and carry away their goodliest sons as eunuchs and their fairest wives as concubines? He asked their advice how to overcome this dire calamity;
"What reinforcement we may gain from hope, If not what resolution from despair."
The elders saw that even massacre and pillage could hardly be worse than a tame submission to such demands. They plucked up courage and said to Ahab, "Hearken not to him, nor consent" and the people shouted their applause to the heroic refusal. {Comp. Jos_9:18; Jdg_11:11} The king seems in this instance to have been more despondent than his subjects, perhaps because he was better able than they to gauge the immense military superiority of his invader. Even his second message, though it rejected Benhadads demand was almost pusillanimous in its submission. With bated breath and whispering humbleness Ahab said to the Syrian ambassadors, quite in the tone of a vassal: "Tell my lord the king, I will submit to his first demands; I may not consent to his final ones." The ambassadors went to Benhadad, and returned with the fierce menace that in the name of his god their king would shatter Samaria into dust, of which the handfuls would not suffice for each of his soldiers. Ahab replied firmly in a happy proverb, "Let not him that girdeth on his armor boast himself as he that putteth it off."
The warning proverb was reported to the Aramaean king, whilst in the insolent confidence of victory he was drinking himself drunk in his war-booths. It nettled him to fury. "Plant the engines," he exclaimed. The catapults and battering-rams, with all the engines which constituted the siege-train of the day, were at once set in motion, the scaling ladders brought up, and the archers set in position, just as we see in the Assyrian Kouyunjik sculptures of the siege of Lachish and other cities by Sennacherib.
Ahabs heart must have sunk within him, for he knew his impotence, and he knew also the horrors which befell a city taken after desperate resistance. But he was not left unencouraged. The characteristic of the prophets was that dauntless confidence in Jehovah which so often made a prophet the Tyrtaeus of his native land, unless the land had sunk into utter apostasy. In this extreme of peril a nameless prophet-the Rabbis, who always guess at a name when they can, say it was Micaiah ben Imlah-came to Ahab. As though to emphasize the supernatural character of his communication, he pointed to the chariots and archers and the Syrian host - which, if the subsequent numbers be accurate, must have reached the astounding total of one hundred and thirty thousand men-and said, in the name of Jehovah:-
"Hast thou seen all this great multitude? Lo! I will deliver it into thine hand today: And thou shalt know that I am the Lord."
"By whom?" was the astonished and half-despairing question of the king; and the strange answer was:-
"By the young servants of the provincial governors."
It was to be made clear that this was a victory due to the intervention of God, and not won by the power nor the might of man, lest the warriors of Israel should be able to boast of the arm of flesh.
"Who shall lead the assault?" asked the king. "Thou!" answered the prophet.
Nothing could be wiser than this counsel, now that the nation was brought to the extreme edge of hazard. The veterans, perhaps, were intimidated. They would see more clearly the hopelessness of attempting to cope with that colossal host under its five-and-thirty kings. But now the nation, whose veterans had been driven back, evoked the battle-brunt of its youths. The two hundred and thirty-two pages of the district governors were ready to obey orders, ready, like an army of Decii to devote their lives to the cause of their country. They were put in the forefront of the battle, and so pitiable was the depression of the capital that Ahab could only number a paltry army of seven thousand soldiers to stand behind their desperate undertaking.
Their plan was well laid. They went out at noon. At that burning hour, under the intolerable glare and heat of the Syrian sun-and campaigns were only undertaken in spring and summer-it is almost impossible to bear the weight of armor, or to sit on horseback, or to endure the fierce heat of iron chariots. The first little army which issued from the gates of Samaria might rely on the effects of a surprise. Thousands of the Syrian soldiers expecting nothing less than a battle would be unarmed, and taking their siesta. Their chariots and war steeds would be unharnessed and unprepared.
Benhadad was still continuing his heavy drinking bout with his vassal princes, and not one of them was in a condition to give coherent commands. A messenger announced to the band of royal drunkards that "men" were come out of Samaria. They were too few to call them "an army," and the notion of an attack from that poor handful seemed ridiculous. Benhadad thought they were coming to sue for peace, but whether peace or war were their object he gave the contemptuous order to "take them alive."
It was easier said than done. Led by the king at the head of his valorous youths the little host clashed into the midst of the unwieldly, unprepared, ill-handled Syrian host, and by their first slaughter created one of those fearful panics which have often been the destruction of Eastern hosts. The Syrians, whose army wag made up of heterogeneous forces, and which could not be managed by thirty-four half-intoxicated feudatories of differing interests and insecure allegiance, was doubtless afraid that internal treachery must have been at work. Like the Midianites, like Zerahs Ethiopian host, like the Edomites in the Valley of Salt, like the Ammonites and Moabites in the wilderness of Tekoa, like the army of Sennacherib, like the enormous and motley hosts of Persia at Marathon, at Plataea, and at Arbela, they were instantly flung into irremediable confusion which tended every moment to be more fatal to itself. The little band of the youths and horses of Israel had nothing to do but to slay, and slay, and slay. No effective resistance was even attempted. Long before evening the hundred and thirty thousand Syrians. with the entangled mass of their chariots and horsemen, were in headlong flight, while Ahab and the people of Israel slaughtered their flying rear. The defeat became an absolute rout. Benhadad himself had a most narrow escape. He could not even wait for his war chariot. He had to fly with a few of his horsemen, and apparently, so the words may imply, on an inferior horse.
What effect was produced on the national mind and on the social religion by this immense deliverance we are not told. Never, certainly, had any nation deeper cause for gratitude to its religious teachers, who alone had not despaired of the commonwealth when everything seemed lost. We would fain know where was Elijah at this crisis and whether he took any part in it. We cannot tell, hut we know that as a rule the sons of the prophets acted together under their chiefs, and that individual impulses were rarely encouraged. The very meaning of the "Schools of the Prophets" was that they were all trained to adopt the same principles and to move together as one body.
The service rendered by this prophet, whose very name has been buried in undeserved oblivion, did not end here. Perhaps he saw signs of carelessness and undue exultation. He went again to the king, and warned him that his victory, immense as it had been, was not final. It was no time for him to settle on his lees. The Syrians would assuredly return the following year probably with increased resources and with the burning determination to avenge their defeat. Let Ahab look well to his army and his fortresses, and prepare himself for the coming shock!
William Robertson Nicoll, ed., The Expositor's Bible (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1887–1910) — public domain. 65 of 66 books (1 Corinthians is not separately keyed, as that volume carries no machine-parseable verse references); section-level commentary keyed to the opening verse. Introductory and overview sections not keyed to a specific passage are excluded.
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary 1892 · Public Domain On v1 1Ki_20:1. Benhadad—Son of the king of the same name…
THE DEFEAT OF THE SYRIANS
CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES.—
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1Ki_20:1. Benhadad—Son of the king of the same name mentioned (chap. 1Ki_15:20). Thirty and two kings with him—Vassals or viceroys who ruled single cities or districts (comp. Jos_12:7). With him—אִתּוֹ not confederated as equals, but connected as dependent and tributary.
1Ki_20:4. According to thy saying, I am thone, &c.—Not an ironical taunt, “according to thy saying” it is so; for Ahab had not spirit enough to resent Benhadad’s insolent domination: it was timorous submission.
1Ki_20:10. If the dust of Samaria shall suffice, &c.—Braggart menacing. Its purport is: Thou refusest me thy treasures, but with so great an army will I cover Samaria that, if every soldier wished to carry away a handful, its sand would not suffice. Josephus incorrectly interprets the words thus: “He could with his army cast up a dyke higher than his walls were, if every one of his people contributed only a handful of earth.”
1Ki_20:11. Boast himself, &c.—Answered Beuhadad with a good and apt proverb. The Latins say: Ne triumphum canas ante victoriam—the victory must be won before it is celebrated (Keil).
1Ki_20:14. The young men of the princes—The נְעָרים Thenius interprets as “pages unaccustomed to fight;” Ewald, as “young lads of very tender age”—rather, the armour bearers of the princes, a small and unequal band (see 1Ki_20:15). Order the battle?—Open it, or make attack.
1Ki_20:17. There are men come out—Scornful; not an army, not warriors, but only a few men! Benhadad ordered their capture, thinking it easy, and being content to drink on, contemptuous and self-indulgent.
1Ki_20:20. On an horse with the horsemen—i.e., with horsemen surrounding him.
HOMILETICS OF 1Ki_20:1-21
THE VICE OF DRUNKENNESS
A TIME came that tested the value of Baal as the guardian deity of Israel. The Syrian king invaded the country, attended by a gay retinue of regal courtiers and an immense army. Samaria was speedily invested, and threatened with complete destruction. There is no appeal to Baal now: he is impotent to help in time of trouble. Nor is the help of Jehovah sought in this extremity. Israel is at the mercy of the foe; and the godless, unbelieving Ahab, with cowardly supineness, surrenders himself to his fate. But the Lord has still a regard for His deluded people, and sends a prophet to assure them of deliverance. Formidable as the army of Benhadad appeared, there was an element of weakness in it which might readily bring about its defeat. The wine cup passed round freely, and the Syrian king and his military staff became intoxicated (1Ki_20:12-16). This paragraph, therefore, while recording the fact of supernatural interference on behalf of Israel, also illustrates the evils that may arise from the vice of drunkenness. Observe—
I. That the vice of drunkenness inflates the mind with the most arrogant pretensions (1Ki_20:1-9). Benhadad proudly demanded possession of all the treasures of Ahab and of his people—money, wives, and children—and threatened to search the palace and dwelling of the city for whatever was worth taking away. The insolence of this is almost beyond precedent. Such treatment is the worst that could be expected for a city taken by main force; and even an unscrupulous Eastern conqueror could hardly demand it of a garrison that had yielded without fighting. The whole conduct of Benhadad is another example of how the consciousness of irresistible power is apt to breed a spirit of arrogance, especially when under the influence of intemperance. “When drink’s in, wit’s out.” The drunkard blusters and boasts what he has done, and what he will do; and though not backed by an immense force like that which surrounded Benhadad, he threatens terrible destruction to every opponent. But alas! it is only the froth of a pot-valiant swagger: when the fumes of the liquor are gone, so is the courage.
II. That the vice of drunkenness is closely associated with the vice of blasphemy (1Ki_20:10). Benhadad swore by his gods, as the blasphemous Jezebel had done by hers (chap. 1Ki_19:2). The meaning of Benhadad’s oath has been differently understood. “In its general sense it is undoubtedly a boast that the number of Benhadad’s troops is such as to make resistance vain and foolish. We may parallel it with the saying of the Trachinian at Thermopylœ, that the Persian arrows would darken the light of the sun. Probably the exact meaning is—When your town is reduced to ruins, as it will be if you resist, the entire heap will not suffice to furnish a handful of dust to each soldier of my army, so many are they. Thus there was a threat in the message as well as a boast” (Speaker’s Comm. Such blasphemous presumption does not go unpunished. Thus Julian, the apostate, going against the Persians, swore at his return to sacrifice the blood of the Christians. So the Constable of France vowed the destruction of Geneva: but God forbad it. The drunkard swears oaths of which he is ashamed in his sober moments. Intemperance and blasphemy are twin vices.
III. That the vice of drunkenness excites to deeds of recklessness (1Ki_20:12). The Syrian king was so enraged with the final message of Ahab, given in the terms of a proverb (1Ki_20:11), and which was the only evidence of anything like a courageous spirit shown by Ahab during the whole transaction, that he gave orders for the battle to begin forthwith, little dreaming what would be the result to his own army. A step taken in a moment of intemperate recklessness is difficult to recall, and may involve ruinous consequences.
IV. That the vice of drunkenness renders the inebriate unable to discern the hand of God in public events (1Ki_20:13-15). It seemed that Israel was doomed; in a few hours Samaria would be a heap of ruins, and Ahab and his treasures in the hands of the warlike Syrian. But a power was at work, unnoticed by the Syrians, too long despised by Ahab and ignored by his people. God interposed, once more sent His prophet to explain the method of rescue, and once more to call the apostate Ahab back to his allegiance. It was an evidence of the feeble condition of Samaria at the time when 7,000 people comprised all its inhabitants, and out of these was formed the little army that was to be led by the 230 young men of the princes. It was a paltry, insignificant force to oppose against the swarming host of the Syrians. But Jehovah was working His purpose through that tiny band of soldiers; and such was the blind infatuation of the intoxicated king that he saw it not. Drunkenness blears both the natural and the mental eye, and darkens and impairs the moral sense.
V. That the vice of drunkenness incapacitates at a critical moment (1Ki_20:16-18). The Syrians observe the sally of the young men from the city, and inform Benhadad; but such was his sovereign, almost sottish, indifference to any force that Samaria could send forth, that without troubling himself about the matter, he simply gave orders to take them alive. This was easier said than done. It was the crisis of the campaign, when the utmost vigilance and activity should have been shown; but the drunken king could not see it until it was too late. It is a great blunder to despise an enemy; and to be intoxicated gives the enemy a double advantage. “Drunkards are besotted and disabled; as a snuff of a candle in a socket drowned in the tallow yieldeth little or no light, but only a stench.”
VI. That the vice of drunkenness subjects its victims to humiliating defeat (1Ki_20:19-21). The enemy that had been treated so contemptuously proved to be more powerful than was supposed. The 230 young men smote right and left, and laid prostrate all who opposed them; and the Syrians, seeing the 7,000 coming out of the city to join in the fight, were seized with a sudden panic and fled, Benhadad escaping on horseback, leaving his army to be massacred by the victorious Israelites. So that it now might be said to Benhadad what Zebul once said to Gaal: Where is now thy mouth which just now boasted such great things? (1Ki_20:10) Is not this the people that thou hast despised? Go out, I pray now, and fight with them (Jdg_9:38). Any undertaking begun and carried on in drunkenness is sure to end in confusion and misery. Intemperate boasting is often the prelude of defeat. Wisely did the Romans say: “Sing not the triumphal song before the victory.”
LESSONS:—
1. Drunkenness is a prolific source of national vice.
2. It is offensive to God and injurious to man.
3. It is certain to be severely punished.
GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES
1Ki_20:1-21. The pride and insolence of power.—I. Making extravagant demands (1Ki_20:1-6). II. Using blasphemous threats (1Ki_20:10). III. Provoking the weak to cautious and courageous opposition (1Ki_20:7-9; 1Ki_20:11; 1Ki_20:13-15). IV. Giving way to sensual indulgence (1Ki_20:12; 1Ki_20:16). V. Contemptuously indifferent in moments of danger (1Ki_20:17-18). VI. Brought to an ignominious downfall (1Ki_20:19-21).
—Who can look for other than war when he sees Ahab and Jezebel on the throne, Israel in the groves and temples of Baalim? The ambition of Benhadad was not so much guilty of this war as the idolatry of that wicked nation. How can they expect peace from earth who do wilfully fight against Heaven? Rather will the God of hosts arm the brute, the senseless creatures, against Israel, than He will suffer their defiance unavenged. Ahab and Benhadad are well matched: an idolatrous Israel with a paganish Idumean. Well may God plague each other who means vengeance to them both!—Bp. Hall.
1Ki_20:2. The sacred historians study brevity so greatly, that their narrative is often, at the first look, abnormal and strange. But in view of this brevity, it is always lawful, as it is most reasonable, to supplement their narrative by supposing circumstances of small moment, which would remove the strangeness, to have happened, but not to have been recorded. Here the excessive demand of the Syrian king, coming close upon the first announcement of the siege, and placed at the very commencement of the negociations for peace, strikes us as something very unusual. But if we suppose a considerable time to have passed in the siege, and the city to be reduced to an extremity, and ambassadors to have been sent by Ahab to ask terms of peace short of absolute surrender, then we can quite understand that Benhadad might make such a demand in reply. He would expect and intend his demand to be rejected, since the voluntary surrender of his seraglio by an oriental monarch would be regarded as so disgraceful that no prince of any spirit could for a moment entertain the idea. The rejection of his demand would have left him free to plunder the town, which was evidently what he desired and purposed.—Speaker’s Comm.
1Ki_20:1-4. In these two kings we see what a thing the human heart is, how insolent and timorous by turns (Jer_17:9). It is insolent when man, grown prosperous, powerful, and rich, places his confidence in his success, and haughtily despises his neighbour. But it is timid when man falls into difficulty, and neither sees nor knows any help, just as was the despairing, womanly heart of king Ahab, who took it for granted that everything was lost when he saw the hosts of his enemies.—Wurt. Summ.
1Ki_20:1-3. Benhadad thought that because he had the power to rob and appropriate, he also had the right to do so. But God gives power and might to kings, not to distort the right, but to protect it. The power of that one who, confiding in his own strength, treads the right under his feet, will sooner or later miserably decline.—Lange.
1Ki_20:3-4. Benhadad knows his own strength, and offers insolent conditions. It is a fearful thing to be in the mercy of an enemy: in case of hostility might will carve for itself. Ahab now, after the division of Judah, was but half a king: Benhadad had two-and-thirty kings to attend him. What equality was in this opposition? Ahab, therefore, as a reed in a tempest, stoops to the violent charge of so potent an enemy. It is not for the overpowered to capitulate; weakness may not argue, but yield. Tyranny is but drawn on by submission; and, where it finds fear and dejection, insulteth.—Bp. Hall.
1Ki_20:4. Abject submission.
1. Unbecoming the dignity of a king.
2. A revelation of a cowardly spirit.
3. Subjects to increased insults and degradation.
—Those who no longer have a Lord in Heaven whom they fear, and before whom they bow, cringe and fawn before all men who can harm or serve them. If Ahab had said to the King of kings what he sent as a response to the royal robber and boaster: “I am Thine, and all that I have,” he would then have had the trust and assurance: He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High, &c. (Psa_91:1-3). He who bows before God is sure to be humble before men; but he does not cringe to them nor throw himself away. To submit to the superior power and force that demands gold and silver is no disgrace; but to surrender wife and child is contrary to honour, duty, and conscience.
1Ki_20:5-6. Haughty and insolent men grow all the more overbearing and ungovernable, and the more one submits to them, and crawls before them, and gratifies their desires, the more exorbitant they become in their demands. It is the curse that rests upon avarice, that the more the appetite after money and property is gratified, the more it grows, not diminishes (Pro_16:8).—Lange.
1Ki_20:7; 1Ki_20:9. Overstrained subjection turns desperate. If conditions be imposed worse than death, there needs no long disputation of the remedy. The elders of Israel, whose share was proportional in this danger, hearten Ahab to a denial; which yet comes out so fearfully, as that it appears rather extorted by the peremptory indignation of the people, than proceeding out of any generosity of his spirit. Neither doth he say, I will not; but, I may not.—Bp. Hall.
—Ahab and his people.
1. Ahab feels himself helpless and perplexed. Adversity teaches us how to pray, but Ahab had turned from the living God, who is a helper in every time of trouble, to a dumb idol that cannot help. He had forgotten how to pray. He had sought to help himself by cowardly submission, and now he seeks help of men. In every distress we should turn first to the Lord (Psa_118:8-9; Psa_108:13). II. The elders and the people reproach Ahab. Instead of his giving instructions to them with the words of Joe_3:15, like a king, they gave commands to him. He is no real king, realizing the position which has been given to him by God, whom the people control, instead of allowing themselves to be controlled by him. Tyrants are of this class. At first they do not consult the people, and do not scruple to appropriate their most sacred possessions, take away their faith, and burden their consciences. Ahab did not consult his people about the introduction of the worship of Baal and the persecution of the prophets; but now, when he does not know how to counsel or help himself, he applies to the wish of the nation—the aid of the people is now very acceptable.—Lange.
1Ki_20:10-11. The proud Syrian, who would have taken it in foul scorn to be denied, though he had sent for all the heads of Israel, snuffs up the wind like the wild ass in the wilderness, and brags, and threats, and swears. O vain boaster! in whom I know not whether pride or folly be more eminent. Victory is to be achieved, not to be sworn; future events are no matter of an oath; thy gods, if they had been, might have been called as witnesses of thy intentions, not of that success whereof thou wouldst be the author without them. Thy gods can do nothing to thee, nothing for thee, nothing for themselves! All thine Aramites shall not carry away one corn of sand out of Israel, except it be upon the soles of their feet in their shameful flight; it is well if they can carry back those skins which they brought thither. There is no cause to fear that man that trusts in himself. Man may cast the dice of war, but the disposition of them is of the Lord.—Bp. Hall.
1Ki_20:11. The Christian warrior. Very generally the young and inexperienced, when about to enter on any new enterprize, commence with feelings of more or less self-confidence. The young convert is often more confident than the old Christian, and thinks that he shall attain higher eminence in piety than others who are older in Christian experience. It is well to aim high, but we must not be too confident in our own strength, lest, like Peter, we suffer a grievous fall, or like others, sink down under great disappointment. In this verse we shall notice the contrast between the young Christian’s anticipations, and the old Christian’s experience.
I. The Christian soldier commencing his career.—
1. The oath of allegiance and servitude. When a young man determines to enter the army, he accepts the bounty, is examined, sworn-in to serve his sovereign and country, clothed in regimentals, and joins the army for actual service. So, when God in His mercy converts a soul, He is drawn by the cords of love and the bands of a man. He feels his vast obligations; first gives himself up in solemn covenant to God, and then to His people. Then, in the Lord’s house, in the presence of God, of angels, and men, takes the sacramental cup and swears allegiance to Christ. We know no act so solemn as this but the act of dying. It is a public dedication of the soul to God and to His service from henceforth.
2. The service he enters upon. As a soldier soon commences actual service to protect his country and defend its laws, so a soldier of Christ immediately enters on the Christian duties. He must oppose sin, fight against Satan, and withstand all the unhallowed influence of an ungodly world, and, as far as in him lies, promote the extension of the kingdom of Christ. The standard around which he is to rally is “The Cross,” and he must die rather than strike his colours. His encouragement is that he shall come off more than a conqueror.
3. The armour he wears. Ancient soldiers wore armour (1Sa_17:5-6; 1Sa_17:54.) The Christian soldier has a complete suit from the armoury of God (Eph_6:13-15): “The girdle of truth,” or Christian sincerity; “The breastplate of righteousness,” being blest with imputed and imparted righteousness; “The shoes of the Gospel,” having gospel truths as the foundation of his religion; “The shield of faith,” an indispensable thing, for without confidence in Christ he would always fail; “The helmet of salvation,” ever keeping his salvation in view and aiming after it; “The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,” which must be well handled both for offensive and defensive warfare, and always used with much prayer and with great determination and courage.
4. The ardent feelings he evinces. The soldier prepares himself with high expectations, and a determination not to desert his post or betray his cause. And so the young Christian soldier espouses the cause of Christ with ardent feelings, holy determination, and high anticipations of final success. He knows that an almighty arm is on his side, that grace is promised, and final victory insured. He has much reason to rejoice, but none for self-confidence, for the conflict will often be severe; he will frequently be discouraged, and perhaps occasionally wounded, though not finally defeated. Let him not boast except in the Lord and in His strength.
5. The manner in which he should conduct himself. It should be with prayer, watchfulness, and perseverance (Eph_6:18). A Christian cannot feel too much his entire dependence upon God for all he needs. He is commanded to “watch and pray.” Whatever be the strength of the foes, their mode of attack, the severity of the conflict, he must never lay down his arms; the decisive victory is often won when the conflict is most severe, and the soul most discouraged. Then it is that the power of the Great Captain is seen.
II. The Christian veteran at the close of his career.—
1. His retrospect. As the old soldier loves to recount his past career, so the old Christian, on the bed of death, can look back on his past experience with adoring gratitude, as he thinks of the beginning of his Christian life, the enemies he has had to face, the hard battles he has been in, the wounds he has received, the victories he has won, the honours he has gained; but even then, and though about to put off his armour, he feels that he has nothing to boast of, but much to be thankful for. He has lower thoughts of himself than ever, and higher thoughts of Christ, feeling that all his failings were from himself, and that the praise of all his victories belongs to the captain of his salvation.
2. His glorious end. The putting off his armour, which is at death, not before. When he has by grace conquered the last enemy, then his warfare is accomplished, and his honourable career ended; then he exchanges the sword for the palm, the helmet for the crown, the armour for the victor’s robe, and conflict for triumph.
3. His eternal triumph. No sooner is the last conflict over, and the victory won, than he enters heaven in triumph beyond all description or conception. What more could he wish for? He now thinks nothing of the warfare in the greatness of his joy.
LEARN:—
1. That if you would enjoy this glory you must become a soldier of Christ.
2. That if you would be victorious you must put on the whole Christian armour, and look to God for grace.
3. That in order to stimulate you in the conflict, you should think of the victory promised and the glory that follows.—Pulpit Sketches.
1Ki_20:13-15. Who can wonder enough at this unweariable mercy of God? After the fire and rain fetched miraculously from heaven, Ahab had promised much, performed nothing; yet again will God bless and solicit him with victory. One of those prophets whom he persecuted to death shall comfort his dejection with the news of his deliverance and triumph. Had this great work been wrought without premonition, either chance, or Baal, or the golden calves had carried away the thanks. Beforehand, therefore, shall Ahab know both the author and the means of his victory: God for the author; the two hundred and thirty young men of the princes for the means. What are these for the vanguard, and seven thousand Israelites for the main battle, against the troops of three and thirty kings, and as many centuries of Syrians as Israel had single soldiers? An equality of numbers had taken away the wonder of the event; but now the God of hosts will be confessed in this issue, not the valour of men. How indifferent is it with thee, O Lord, to save by many or by few, to destroy many or few! A world is no more to thee than a man; how easy is it for thee to enable us to be more than conquerors over principalities and powers!—Bp. Hall.
1Ki_20:13. Formerly Ahab wished no instruction from the prophets; now, in his danger and distress, he admits them and listens to them. In days of prosperity the world does not care for any advice from faithful servants of the Divine Word; it looks down upon them and despises them; but in the hour of sorrow and mourning it grants them access, and is glad to avail itself of their consolation. Before a great troop which has been abandoned of God, you have no cause to fear if God has said to you, I will help thee (Isa_41:13).—Starke.
1Ki_20:16. Benhadad must have sorely repented his drunkenness, as it resulted in the loss of his army, his horses, and chariots. How often still is drunkenness the original cause of great sorrow and distress (Eph_5:18; Isa_5:22; Pro_23:29-30)!
—There was nothing in Benhadad’s pavilion but drink and surfeit and jollity, as if wine should make way for blood. Security is the certain usher of destruction. We never have so much cause to fear, as when we fear nothing. This handful of Israel dares look out, upon the prophet’s assurance, to the vast host of Benhadad. It is enough for that proud pagan to sit still and command amongst his cups. O the vain and ignorant presumptions of wretched men, that will be reckoning without, against their Maker!—Bp. Hall.
1Ki_20:18. Great men often think, when they have been disturbed in their carnal rest and security, that they only need to speak the word of command in order to be relieved from everything disagreeable and wearisome; but they must learn that they cannot rid themselves, by a command, of what God has sent for their humiliation.
1Ki_20:19-21. The way of the godless shall perish (Psa_1:6). Their way is covetousness and pillage (1Ki_20:3-6), haughtiness, insolence, and assurance (1Ki_20:10-18), service of their belly, wantonness (1Ki_20:16). This way shall perish; they are as chaff which the wind driveth away, utterly consumed with terrors (1Ki_20:20-21; Psa_73:19).—Lange.
—How easy is it for Him who made the heart to fill it with terror and consternation, even where no fearis! Those whom God hath destined to slaughter He will smite; neither needs He any other enemy or executioner than what He finds in their own bosom. We are not the master of our own courage or fears: both are put into us by that overruling power that created us. Stay now, oh stay! thou great king of Syria, and take with thee those forgotten handfuls of the dust of Israel. Thy gods will do so to thee, and more also, if thy followers return without their vowed burden! Learn now of the despised king of Israel, from henceforth, not to sound the triumph before the battle, not to boast thyself in the girding on of thine harness as in the putting off.—Bp. Hall.
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary (gen. ed. Joseph S. Exell; Funk & Wagnalls, c. 1892) — public domain (pre-1929). A full-Bible homiletical/sermon-outline anthology covering 65 of 66 books (2 John is absent from the source module). Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Sermon Bible 1900 · Public Domain On v1 1Ki 20:11
1Ki 20:11
These are the words of Ahab, and, so far as we know, the only wise thing he ever spoke. The saying was probably not his own, but a proverb common in his time. As a warning to Benhadad the words proved true, but Ahab’s own conduct in going up to Ramoth-gilead, where he perished, showed a strange forgetfulness of his own saying.
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I. We have all a battle to fight, we all know what is meant by the "battle of life," but that of the Christian is inward and spiritual, a battle within a battle. Conversion to Christ means at once peace and warfare. Our peace with God means war with the world, the devil, and the flesh.
II. We have all a "harness" to put on. As the enemies we fight are spiritual, so must be our armour. The armour is Divinely provided and Divinely adapted to its purpose, and nothing can be a substitute for it. The Divine armour must be put on. We must take hold and keep hold of it, otherwise it is of no avail.
III. We have all a lesson of humility and patience to learn in connection with this warfare. Young converts are apt to think they have gained the victory when they are only commencing the conflict. We must learn to depend less and less on ourselves, and more and more on Christ. Our strength and victory must be in Him.
D. McEwan, Contemporary Pulpit, vol. iii., p. 120.
I. This text, with its historic connections, may well admonish us generally as to the justice and rectitude of our plans. It may give us with effect this plain teaching, that we ought to undertake nothing on our own responsibility which we cannot justify and defend. Rectitude should lie at the basis of all our express undertakings.
II. Supposing a work to be right in itself, it ought to be undertaken in a spirit of modesty, self-distrust, and fear. We are dependent creatures; and when we are beginning what will require from us a great amount of strength, it is meet that we should look towards the fountain-head of all strength.
III. It is not possible for any one to come to this modest, self-distrustful, resigned, and yet resolute state of mind about temporal things, about worldly chances and fortunes and family cares, who does not look at all beyond these things and above them to a higher world of. duty and faith. Unless we have regard to the higher things, we cannot walk steadily among the lower.
A. Raleigh, From Dawn to Perfect Day, p. 98.
References: 1Ki 20:11.—Homiletic Magazine, vol. xii.,p. 82; Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xx., No. 1193; D. J. Vaughan, The Days of the Son of Man, p. 348. 1Ki 20:14.—J. Thain Davidson, Talks with Young Men, p. 103. 1Ki 20:28.—Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xxii., No. 1311; Parker, vol. viii., p. 46. 1Ki 20:39, 1Ki 20:40.—E. M. Goulburn, Sermons in the Parish Church of Holywell, p. 333.
1Ki 20:40
Both the soldier and King Ahab had neglected their chief duty in their devotion to a multitude of minor duties and aims; and for this neglect the king sentences the wounded soldier to lose his life, and the supposed soldier, stripping off his disguise and reappearing as a prophet, pronounces the same sentence on the victorious king.
I. Here lies our lesson. We are often diverted from the chief duties, the main task, of life by what our Lord calls "the lusts of other things entering in." These lusts and cravings are not necessarily evil in themselves; they may only have become evil by being put in the wrong place; indulged at the wrong time. To be busy is not wrong, but to be so busy here and there, about this and that, as to neglect our chief duty is fatally wrong. For even God cannot treat you as though you had done your chief duty if you have not done it; even God, merciful as He is, cannot give you the blessedness of having reached your chief end if you have not reached it.
II. What, we may ask, is our chief end and duty? The familiar answer of the Catechism is as good as any. Our chief end is to "glorify God and to enjoy Him for ever." To glorify God is to share and reflect His goodness. Our chief duty is nothing short of this: to become good, after the pattern and example of our Lord Jesus Christ.
S. Cox, The Bird’s Nest, and Other Sermons for Children, p. 222.
References: 1Ki 20:40.—J. Angell James, Penny Pulpit, No. 1938; Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xxii., No. 1296, and My Sermon Notes: Genesis to Proverbs, p. 84. 1Ki 21:1-19.—Parker, Fountain, March 8th, 1877. 1Ki 21:2.—G. T. Coster, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xii., p. 156.
The Sermon Bible, ed. William Robertson Nicoll (1888–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Alexander MacLaren 1905 · Public Domain On v11 1 Kings
1 Kings
PUTTING ON THE ARMOUR
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1Ki 20:11.
For the Young.
Ahab, King of Israel, was but a poor creature, and, like most weak characters, he turned out a wicked one, because he found that there were more temptations to do wrong than inducements to do right. Like other weak people, too, he was torn asunder by the influence of stronger wills. On the one side he had a termagant of a wife, stirring him up to idolatry and all evil, and on the other side Elijah thundering and lightning at him; so the poor man was often reduced to perplexity. Once in his lifetime he did behave like a king, with some flash of dignity. My text comes from that incident. His next neighbour, and, consequently, his continual enemy, was the king of Damascus. He had made a raid across the border and was dictating terms so severe as to invite even Ahab to courageous opposition. His back was at the wall, and he mustered up courage to say ‘No!’ That provoked a bit of blustering bravado from the enemy, who sent back a message, ‘The gods do also unto me and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me.’ And then Ahab replied in the words of our text. They have a dash of contempt and sarcasm, all the more galling because of their unanswerable common-sense. ‘The time to crow and clap your wings is after you have fought. Samaria is not a heap of dust just yet. Threatened men live long.’ The battle began, and the bully was beaten; and for once Ahab tasted the sweets of success.
Now, I have nothing more to do with Ahab and the immediate application of his message, but I wish to apply it to my young friends, whom I have taken it upon me to ask now to listen to two or three homely words to them in this sermon.
You are beginning the fight; some of us old people are getting very near the end of it. And I would fain, if I could, see successors coming to take the places which we shall soon have to vacate. So my message to you, dear friends, young men and young women, is this, ‘Let not him that putteth on the harness boast himself as he that putteth it off.’
I. Now, look for a moment at the general view of life that is implied in this saying thus understood.
There is nothing that the bulk of people are more unwilling to do than steadily to think about what life as a whole, and in its deepest aspects, is. And that disinclination is strong, as I suppose, in the average young man or young woman. That comes, plainly enough, from the very blessings of your stage of life. Unworn health, a blessed inexperience of failures and limitations, the sense of undeveloped power within you, the natural buoyancy of early days, all tend to make you rather live by impulse than by reflection. And I should be the last man in the world to try to damp the noble, buoyant, beautiful enthusiasms with which Nature has provided that we should all begin our course. The world will do that soon enough; and there is no sadder sight than that of a bitter old man, who has outlived, and smiles sardonically at, his youthful dreams. But I do wish to press upon you all this question, Have you ever tried to think to yourself, ‘Now what, after all, is this life that is budding within me and dawning before me-what is it, in its deepest reality, and what am I to do with it?’
There are some of us to whom, so far as we have thought at all, life presents itself mainly as a shop, a place where we are to ‘buy and sell, and get gain,’ and use our evenings, after the day’s work is over, for such recreation as suits us. And there are young men among my hearers who, with the flush of their physical manhood upon them, and perhaps away from the restraints of home, and living in gloomy town lodgings, with no one to look after them, are beginning to think that life after all is a kind of pigs’ trough, with plenty of foul wash in it for whoso chooses to suck it up-a garden of not altogether pure delights, a place where a man may gratify the ‘lusts of the flesh.’
But, dear brethren, whilst there are many other noble metaphors under which we can set forth the essential character of this mysterious, tremendous life of ours, I do not know that there is one that ought to appeal more to the slumbering heroism which lies in every human soul, and to the enthusiasms which, unless you in your youth cherish, you will in your manhood be beggared indeed, than that which this picture of my text suggests. After all, life is meant to be one long conflict. We are like the fellahin that one sometimes sees in Eastern lands, who cannot go out to plough in their fields, or reap their harvests, without a gun slung on their backs; for the condition under which we work in this world is that everything worth doing has to be done at the cost of opposition and antagonism, and that no noble service or building is possible without brave, continuous conflict. Even upon the lower levels of life that is so. No man learns a science or a trade without having to fight for it. But high above these lower levels, there is the one on which we all are called to walk, the high level of duty, and no man does what his conscience tells him, or refrains from that which his conscience sternly forbids, without having to fight for it. We are in the lists and compelled to draw the sword. And if we do not realise this, that all nobility all greatness, all wisdom, all success, even of the lowest and most vulpine kind, are won by conflict, we shall never do anything in the world worth doing. You are a soldier, whether you will or no, and life is a fight, whether you recognise the fact or not.
So, standing at the beginning, do not fancy that there is opening before you a scene of enjoyment, or that you are stepping into a world in which you can take your ease, and come out successfully at the other end. It is not so; and you will find that out before long. Better that you should settle it in your minds at first. When you were born you were enrolled on the roll-call of the regiment; and now you have to do a man’s part in the battle.
II. Note the boastful temper which is sure to be beaten.
No doubt there is something inspiring in the spectacle of the young warrior standing there, chafing at the lists, eagerly pulling on his gauntlets, fitting on his helmet, and longing to be in the thick of the fight. No doubt, as I have already said, there is something in your early days which makes such buoyant hopes and anticipations of success natural, and which gives you, as a great gift, that expectation of victory. I do not wish to shatter any of your enthusiasms or ideals, but I do wish to suggest a consideration or two that may calm and sober them.
So I ask, have you ever estimated, are you now estimating rightly, what it is that you have to fight for? To make yourselves pure, wise, strong, self-governing, Christlike men, such as God would have you to be. That is not a small thing for a man to set himself to do. You may go into the struggle for lower purposes, for bread and cheese, or wealth or fame, or love, or the like, with a comparatively light heart; but if there once has dawned upon a young soul the whole majestic sweep of possibilities in its opening life, then the battle assumes an aspect of solemnity and greatness that silences all boasting. Have you considered what it is that you have to fight for?
Have you considered the forces that are arrayed against you? ‘What act is all its thought had been?’ Hand and brain are never paired. There is always a gap between the conception and its realisation. The painter stands before his canvas, and, while others may see beauty in it, he only sees what a small fragment of the radiant vision that floated before his eye his hand has been able to preserve. The author looks on his book and thinks what a poor, wretched transcript of the thoughts that inspired his pen it is. There is ever this same disproportion between the conception and accomplishment. Therefore, all we old people feel, more or less, that our lives have been failures. We set out as you do, thinking that we were going to build a tower whose top should reach to heaven, and we are contented if, at the last, we have scrambled together some little wooden shanty in which we can live. We thought as you do; you will come to think as we do. So you had better begin now, and not go into the fight boasting, or you will come out of it conscious of being beaten.
Have you realised how different it is to dream things and to do them? In our dreams we are, as it were, working in vacuo. When we come to acts, the atmosphere offers resistance. It is easy to imagine ourselves victorious in circumstances where things are all going rightly and are bending according to our own desires, but when we come to the grim world, where there are things that resist and people are not plastic, it is a very different matter. You do not yet understand, as you will some day, the fatal limitations of power that hem us all round and the obstinate way that circumstances have of not falling in with our wishes. And you have not yet learned how completely and constantly failure accompanies success, like its shadow. The old Egyptians had no need to put a skeleton at their tables, nor the Romans to set a mocker behind the hero as he rode in triumph up to the Capitol. The world provides the skeleton at the banquet, and circumstances supply the mocker to add a dash of failure to all our triumphs.
Have you ever realised how certainly, into the brightest and most buoyant and successful lives, there will come crushing sorrows, blows as from an unseen hand in the dark, that fell a man? O friend! when one thinks of the miseries and the misfortunes, the sorrows and the losses, the broken and bleeding hearts that began life buoyant, elastic, hopeful, perhaps boasting, like you, there ought to be a sobering tint cast over our brightest visions.
I suppose that our colleges are full of students who are going, to far outstrip their professors, that every life-school has a dozen lads who have just begun to handle brush and easel, and are going to put Raffaelle in the shade. I suppose that every lawyer’s office has a budding Lord Chancellor or two in it. And I suppose that that sharp criticism of us fumblers in the field, and half-expressed thought, ‘How much better I could do it!’ belong to youth by virtue of its youth. It is a crude form of undeveloped power, but it wants a great deal of sobering down, and I am trying now to let out a little of the blood, and to bring you to a clear conception of the very limited success which is likely to attend you. All we old people, whose deficiencies and limitations you see so clearly, had the same dreams, impossible as it may appear to you, fifty years ago. We were going to be the men, and wisdom was going to die with us, and you see what we have made of it. You will not do much better.
Have you ever taken stock honestly of your own resources? ‘What king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether with his ten thousand he can meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?’ Boast if you like, but calculate first, and boast after that, if you can.
Your worst enemy is yourself. When you are counting your resources and saying, ‘I have this, that, and the other thing,’ do not forget to say, ‘I have a part of me, that takes all the rest of me all its time to keep it down and prevent it from becoming master.’ You have traitors in the fortress who are in communication with the enemy outside, and may go over to him openly in the very crisis of the fight. You have to take that fact into account, and it ought to suppress boasting whilst you are putting on the harness.
You are not old enough to remember, as some of us do, the delirious enthusiasm with which, in the last Franco-German war, the Emperor and the troops left Paris, and how, as the train steamed out of the station, shouts were raised, ‘A. Berlin!’ Ay! and they never got farther than Sedan, and there an Emperor and an army were captured. Go into the fight bragging, and you will come out of it beaten.
III. Note the confidence which is not boasting.
I can fancy some of you saying, ‘These gloomy views of yours will lead to nothing but absolute despair. You have been telling us that success is impossible; that we are bound to fight, and are sure to be beaten. What are we to do? Throw up the sponge, and say, “Very well! then I may as well have my fling, and give up all attempts to be any better than my passions and my senses would lead me to be.”‘ And if there is nothing more to be said about the fight than has been already said, that is the conclusion. ‘Let us eat and drink,’ not only ‘for to-morrow we die,’ but ‘for to-day we are sure to be beaten.’ But I have only been speaking about this self-distrust as preliminary to what is the main thing that I desire to urge upon you now, and it is this: You do not need to be beaten. There is no room for boasting, but there is room for absolute confidence. You, young men and women, standing at the entrance of the amphitheatre where the gladiators fight, may dash into the arena with the most perfect confidence that you will come out with your shield preserved and your sword unbroken.
There is one way of doing it. ‘Be of good cheer! I have overcome the world.’ That was not the boast of a man putting on the harness, but the calm utterance of the conquering Christ when He was putting it off. He has conquered that you may conquer. Remember how the Apostle, who has preserved for us that note of triumph at the end of Christ’s life, has, like some musician with a favourite phrase, modulated and varied it in his letter written long after, when he says, ‘This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.’ My dear young friends, distrust yourselves utterly, and trust Jesus Christ absolutely, and give yourselves to Him, to be His servants and soldiers till your lives’ end. Then you will not be beaten, for it is written of those who move in the light, wearing the victor’s palm: ‘These are they who overcame by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of His testimony.’ That blood secures our victory in a threefold fashion. By that great death of Jesus Christ all our past sins may be forgiven, and they no longer have power to tyrannise over us. In His sacrifice for us there are motives given to us for noble, grateful, Godlike living, stronger than all the temptations that can arise from our own hearts, or from the evils around us. And if we put our humble trust in Him, then that faith opens the door for the entrance into our hearts, in simple reality, of a share in His conquering life which will make us victorious over the world, the flesh, and the devil.
‘This is the victory that overcometh the world,’ and the youngest, feeblest Christian who lays his or her hand in Christ’s strong hand, may look out upon all the embattled antagonisms that front them, and say, ‘He will cover my head in the day of battle, and teach my hands to war and my fingers to fight.’
Dear young friends, people sometimes preach to you that you should be Christians, because life is uncertain and death is drawing near, and after death the judgment. I preach that too; but the gospel that I seek to press upon you now is not merely a thing to die by, but it is the thing to live by; and it is the only power by which we shall be sure of overcoming the armies of the aliens. This confidence in Christ will take away from you no shred of your natural, youthful, buoyant elasticity, but it will save you from much transgression and from bitter regrets.
One last word. There is possible a triumph which is not boasting, for him who puts off the harness. The war-worn soldier has little heart for boasting, but he may be able to say, ‘I have not been beaten.’ The best of us, when we come to the end, will have to recognise in retrospect failures, deficiencies, palterings with evil, yieldings to temptation, sins of many sorts, that will put all boasting out of our thoughts. But, whilst that is so, there is sometimes granted to the man, who has been faithful in his adherence to Jesus Christ, a gleam of sunshine at eventime, which foretells Heaven’s welcome and ‘Well done!’, before it is uttered. He was no self-righteous braggart, but a very rigid judge of himself, who, close by the headsman’s block that ended his life, said: ‘I have fought a good fight; I have finished my course; I have kept the faith.’ ‘Put on the whole armour of God,’ and when the time comes to put it off, you will have a peaceful assurance as far removed from despair as it is from boasting. Distrust yourselves; do not underestimate your enemies; understand that life is warfare; trust utterly to Jesus Christ, and He will see to it that you are not conquered, will give you the calm confidence of which we have been speaking here, and a share hereafter in the throne which He promises to him that overcometh. If you will trust yourselves to Him, and take service in His army, you cannot be too certain of victory. If you fling yourself into the battle in your own strength, with however high a hope, and fight without the Captain for your ally, you cannot escape defeat.
Alexander MacLaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture (1904–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
J. R. Dummelow 1909 · Public Domain On v1 War between Israel and Syria
War between Israel and Syria
The Syrians besiege Samaria, but a sally being made from the city by the direction of a prophet, they are driven off, and the next year are beaten at Aphek. Ahab, having spared Benhadad the Syrian king, is rebuked by a prophet in the name of the Lord.
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1. Ben-hadad] probably the son of the Benhadad mentioned, in 1Ki_15:18. In the Assyrian inscription he is termed Dad-idri, i.e. Hadadezer. The history here reverts to the Syrian attacks upon Israel made originally at the instigation of Judah (1Ki_15:20). Thirty and two kings] probably vassal princes: cp. 1Ki_15:24.
14. The young men.. provinces] the servants (or esquires) of the Israelite chiefs who had been driven by the Syrian invasion from the provinces into the capital.
16. At noon] a time when the beleaguering host would be resting during the heat of the day..
20. With the horsemen] RV 'with horsemen': i.e. with some mounted attendants.
21. Smote] the LXX has 'took.' To aid his pursuit Ahab took the horses abandoned by the Syrians.
22. See what thou doest] i.e. consider what thou shouldest do, take the necessary precautions. At the return of the year] in the spring, when military operations would again be possible: cp. 2Sa_11:1.
23. Their gods.. the hills] RV 'Their god is a god of the hills' A national god was believed to exert his power chiefly within his own land, and the Syrians regarded Jehovah's power as confined to the hill-country in the neighbourhood of Samaria; whereas in the plain (or plateau) E. of the Jordan, of which they doubtless considered themselves masters, they expected their own deity to prevail.
24. Take the kings away] The disaster recorded in 1Ki_20:20 seems to have been in part attributed to the misconduct of the vassal kings, and their places (or posts) were now taken by Syrian officers, in whose loyalty and obedience more confidence could be placed.
26. Aphek] probably a city E. of the Sea of Galilee.
27. Were all present] RV 'were victualled'
30. A wall (RV 'the wall') fell] either as a result of the Israelites' assault, or in consequence of an earthquake. Probably it was crowded with defenders.
33. Did diligently observe.. from him] RM 'took it' (i.e. the expression 'he is my brother') 'as an omen, and hasted to catch it from him': i.e. they fastened on the kindly expression and repeated it to attract attention to it and make withdrawal difficult. To come up.. chariot] This was a mark of honour: cp. 2Ki_10:15.
34. The cities.. I will restore] This promise was apparently not faithfully fulfilled: see 2Ki_22:3. Make streets.. Damascus] i.e. have certain parts of Damascus assigned for the use of Israelite traders (like the 'English quarters' in Shanghai and other Chinese towns).
35. A certain man] identified by Josephus with Micaiah (1Ki_22:8). The sons of the prophets] bodies of youths organised and trained by the prophets to serve as their ministers and envoys, and perhaps eventually to succeed them in their office. They were established at Bethel, Jericho, and Gilgal (2Ki_2:3-5; 2Ki_4:38), and doubtless at other centres. Smite me] The wounds would support his story that he had been present in the battle (1Ki_20:30), and had received injury either from the enemy or from the man whose prisoner he suffered to escape.
38. With ashes, etc.] RV 'with his headband over his eyes': to conceal his identity: so in 1Ki_20:41.
40. Thyself hast decided if] by his own confession he had neglected his charge.
42. Because thou hast let go] It is possible that Ahab's clemency towards Benhadad was due to the threatening attitude of the Assyrians, against whom it may have seemed expedient for Israel and Syria to unite. In any case, the Assyrian inscriptions record that Ahab and Benhadad both sent forces to aid Hamath, when it was attacked by Shalmaneser II in 854, and with their allies were defeated by the Assyrian king at Karkar (a city near the Orontes) The alliance between the two countries thus failed in its object; and that the Syrians proved false to their engagement to restore the captured Israelite cities is probable from 1Ki_22:3. The prophet's censure of Ahab's conduct thus appears to have been justified by events.
J. R. Dummelow, A Commentary on the Holy Bible (Macmillan, 1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Arno C. Gaebelein 1922 · Public Domain On v1 4. King Ahab: His Wicked Reign and End
4. King Ahab: His Wicked Reign and End
CHAPTER 20 Ahab’s War with the Syrians and His Victory
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1. The siege and relief of Samaria (1Ki 20:1-21)
2. The victory at Aphek (1Ki 20:22-34)
3. A prophet’s symbolical action and his message (1Ki 20:35-43)
Two expeditions of Ben-hadad (son of the Sun) against Israel are recorded in this chapter. When Ben-hadad forced the war and insulted the King of Israel, Ahab prepared for the battle. Then a prophet came to Ahab, most likely one of those who had been hidden by Obadiah. He brought a message from the Lord. “Thus saith Jehovah, Hast thou seen all this great multitude? behold I will deliver it into thine hand this day; and thou shalt know that I am Jehovah.” From this we may gather that a spiritual revival must have taken place in Israel after the manifestation of Jehovah on Carmel. Jezebel, after her rage on account of Elijah’s deed, is not mentioned again till after Ahab’s failure. The Lord in graciousness gave to Ahab another evidence that He is the Lord and can smite the enemies of Israel. The Syrians were defeated. Another message came to Ahab through the prophet. A year later Ben-hadad made another expedition against Israel. “And there came a man of God, and spake unto the King of Israel, and said, Thus saith Jehovah, because the Syrians have said, The LORD is the God of the hills but not the God of the valleys, therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into their hand, and ye shall know that I am the LORD.” A great victory followed at Aphek. But Ahab let Ben-hadad, who had defied Jehovah, live. More than that, he treated him like a friend and brother, had him come into his chariot, and made a covenant with him. In showing such clemency to the enemy of God, Ahab revealed the state of his soul. He had no heart for the Lord and was bound to follow his wicked ways.
Then one of the sons of the prophets (Josephus saith it was Micaiah; 22:8) was commanded by the Lord to ask another prophet to smite him. The prophet refused the unquestioning obedience demanded from a prophet and therefore the judgment of God overtook him. The purpose of God in bringing the judgment message home to Ahab is carried out nevertheless. Then Ahab pronounced his own doom for showing leniency to Ben-hadad.
Arno C. Gaebelein, The Annotated Bible (1913–1922) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Paul E. Kretzmann 1924 · Public Domain On v1 Benhadad’s first Defeat
Benhadad’s first Defeat
v. 1. And Benhadad, the king of Syria, under whom the kingdom had grown very strong, gathered all his host together, his entire army; and there were thirty and two kings with him, vassal kings, tributary chiefs, including lords of single cities and their districts, and horses, and chariots; and he went up and besieged Samaria, in a campaign of conquest, and warred against it.
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v. 2. And he sent messengers to Ahab, king of Israel, into the city and said unto him, Thus saith Benhadad,
v. 3. Thy silver and thy gold is mine, he coolly demanded the contents of the royal treasury; thy wives also and thy children, even the goodliest, the most eminent young men of the city, are mine, he demanded that they be delivered to him as hostages.
v. 4. And the king of Israel, appalled by the great show of power which the Syrian king displayed, answered and said, My lord, O king, according to thy saying, I am thine and all that I have, he was ready to yield without the faintest show of resistance, glad to buy off his city by the payment of this tribute.
v. 5. And the messengers came again and said, Thus speaketh Benhadad, saying, Although I have sent unto thee, saying, Thou shalt deliver me thy silver and thy gold and thy wives and thy children,
v. 6. yet I will send my servants unto thee tomorrow about this time, and they shall search thine house and the houses of thy servants, openly plundering the houses of the wealthiest people in the city; and it shall be that whatsoever is pleasant in thine eyes, what Ahab valued especially highly, they shall put it in their hand and take it away. Benhadad’s behavior was overbearing, insolent; it was equivalent to the demand that Ahab place himself and his city in his power.
v. 7. Then the king of Israel, aroused to action by the unbounded insolence of Benhadad, called all the elders of the land, the highest officials of the country, who evidently had sought the shelter of the capital at the approach of Benhadad, and said, Mark, I pray you, and see how this man seeketh mischief, his intention being to ruin Israel completely; for he sent unto me for my wives, and for my children, and for my silver, and for my gold; and I denied him not, so much he had willingly agreed to deliver.
v. 8. And all the elders and all the people said unto him, Hearken not unto him nor consent, he should pay no attention to Benhadad’s demands, but be emphatic in his refusal.
v. 9. Wherefore he said unto the messengers of Benhadad, Tell my lord the king, All that thou didst send for to thy servant at the first I will do, willing to fulfill his first promise; but this thing I may not do, the second demand was an outrage. And the messengers departed, and brought him word again.
v. 10. And Benhadad sent unto him and said, in the rage of a tyrant who finds himself foiled, The gods do so unto me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me! His intention was so utterly to destroy the city that the dust of the ruins would not even suffice for the purpose mentioned by him.
v. 11. And the king of Israel, whose courage grew at the same rate as the insolence of the enemy, answered and said, Tell him, Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off, a proverbial saying equivalent to: Do not boast of a victory before it is won.
v. 12. And it came to pass, when Benhadad heard this message as he was drinking, he and the kings in the pavilions, engaged in a drinking-bout in the booths made of the branches of trees, which had been put up for them during the siege, that he said unto his servants, Set yourselves in array, ready to storm the city in a sudden attack. And they set themselves in array against the city.
v. 13. And, behold, there came a prophet unto Ahab, king of Israel, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Hast thou seen all this great multitude? It was a very great army which was encamped against the city. Behold, I will deliver it into thine hand this day; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord. Here was both a promise of victory and a call to repentance.
v. 14. And Ahab said, By whom? He wanted to know who was to bring about the deliverance. And he said, Thus saith the Lord, Even by the young men of the princes of the provinces, the servants of the officials of the various districts of Israel, the members of their body-guards. Then he said, Who shall order the battle, open the attack? And he answered, Thou; Ahab himself was to lead the charge.
v. 15. Then he numbered the young men of the princes of the provinces, and they were two hundred and thirty-two, a very small band to lead in the attack; and after them he numbered all the people, even all the children of Israel, those able to bear arms, being seven thousand.
v. 16. And they went out at noon, advancing boldly to the attack. But Benhadad was drinking himself drunk in the pavilions, he and the kings, the thirty and two kings that helped him.
v. 17. And the young men of the princes of the provinces went out first; and Benhadad sent out, and they told him, saying, There are men come out of Samaria; they were not even recognized as a troop or as an attacking force.
v. 18. And he said, in maudlin presumption, Whether they be come out for peace, that is, to confer about a treaty or to capitulate, take them alive; or whether they be come out for war, take them alive, in either case, they were simply to be arrested.
v. 19. So these young men of the princes of the provinces, a mere handful of soldiers, came out of the city, and the army which followed them.
v. 20. And they, the members of the attacking band, slew every one his man, as they closed with the enemy in a hand-to-hand encounter. And the Syrians fled; and Israel, the entire army, pursued them. And Benhadad, the king of Syria, escaped on an horse with the horsemen, having quickly seized a chariot-horse, as the panic took hold of him.
v. 21. And the king of Israel went out and smote the horses and chariots, all those who were trying to escape by means of them, and slew the Syrians with a great slaughter. Thus God punished the pride and the insolence of the tyrant, while, at the same time, He called Ahab to repentance. To this day the goodness of God plans to lead men to repentance if they would but take note of the signs.
Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv1, 4, 7, 9, 11 Ben Hadad
Ben Hadad
This is the name of a man. (See: How to Translate Names)
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thirty-two lesser kings
"32 lesser kings" (See: Numbers)
lesser kings
"kings ruling smaller groups of people"
translationWords
king
Aram
horse
chariot
siege
Samaria
send
messenger
Ahab
kingdom of Israel
silver
gold
children
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv1, 2, 7, 10, 12 20:1 Whether this is Ben-hadad I or II is…
20:1 Whether this is Ben-hadad I or II is unclear. • thirty-two allied kings: Confederations of kings were common in the ancient Near East. Shalmaneser III recorded Ben-hadad’s name as Hadad-ezer and reported that he was part of a twelve-king coalition that opposed him in the Battle of Qarqar (853 BC).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.