1 Kings 20 Ben-hadad, not content with Ahab’s homage, besiegeth Samaria, 1 Kings 20:1–12. By the direction of a prophet the Syrians are twice beaten, and Ben-hadad hides himself, 1 Kings 20:13–30. The Syrians submit themselves, and Ahab maketh a covenant with Ben-hadad, 1 Kings 20:31–34.

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.

I challenge them as my own, and accordingly expect to have them forthwith delivered into my possession, if thou expectest peace with me.

I do so far comply with thy demand, that I will own thee for my lord, and myself for thy vassal and tributary; and will hold my wives, and children, and estate as by thy favour, and with an acknowledgment.

Although I did before demand not only the dominion of thy treasures, and wives, and children, as thou mayest seem to understand me, but also the propriety and actual possession of them, wherewith I would then have been contented;

Yet now I will not accept of those terms, but, together with thy royal treasures, I expect all the treasures of thy servants or subjects; nor will I wait till thou deliver them to me, but I will send my servants into the city, and they shall have free liberty and power to search out and take away…

The elders of the land; whose counsel and concurrence he now desires in his distress. See how this man seeketh mischief; though he pretended peace, and a friendly agreement upon these terms propounded, it is apparent by those additional demands that he intends nothing less than our utter ruin.

This thing I may not do; if I would do it, I cannot, because my people will not suffer it.

If I do not assault thy city with so potent and numerous an army, that shall turn all thy city into a heap of dust, and shall be sufficient to carry it all away, though every soldier take but one handful of it: see the like boast 2 Sam. 17:13.

Do not triumph before the fight and victory, for the events of war are uncertain.

Set yourselves in array; put yourselves and engines in order to make the assault.

There came a prophet; who having hid himself before, now ventures to come to Ahab, having this welcome message in his mouth. Thus saith the Lord: God, though forsaken and neglected by Ahab, prevents him with his gracious promise of help; partly that Ahab and the idolatrous Israelites might hereby…

By the young men of the princes of the provinces; not by old and experienced soldiers, but by those young men; either the sons of the princes and great men of the land, who were generally fled thither for safety; or their pages or servants that used to attend upon them, who are bred up delicately,…

All the children of Israel; either, 1. All the men; for they only went out to battle; and the rest of the men might be consumed with the sword or famine, or other judgments. Or rather, 2.

They went out at noon; when they were eating, and drinking, and secure from all fear and expectation of an assault.

He bids them not fight; for he thought they needed not to strike one stroke, and that the Israelites could not stand the first brunt.

They slew every one his man, i.e. him who came to fight with him, or to seize upon him, as Ben-hadad had commanded. The Syrians fled; being amazed at the unexpected and undaunted courage of the Israelites, and being struck with a Divine terror.

Went out, i.e. proceeded further in his march, and fought against them. The horses and chariots, i.e. the men that fought from them, or belonged to them; for so horses and chariots are sometimes taken. See Poole “1 Sam. 13:5”.

Mark, and see what thou doest; consider what is fit and necessary for thee to do by way of preparation, or prevention. At the return of the year; next year about this time, when the season comes of going forth to battle; of which see 2 Sam. 11:1, 1 Chron. 20:1, 2 Chron. 36:10.

The servants of the king of Syria suppose that their gods were no better than the Syrian gods, (which the idolatry of the Israelites had given them too great cause to imagine,) and that there were many gods who had each his particular charge and jurisdiction; which was the opinion of all heathen…

The kings being of softer education, and less experienced in military matters, were less fit for his service; and being many of them but mercenaries, and therefore less concerned in his good success, would be more negligent and cautious in venturing themselves for his good. Captains, i.e.

Not that Aphek in Judah, of which Josh. 13:4, Josh. 15:31; but that in Asher, of which Josh. 19:30, Judg. 1:31, nigh unto which was the great plain of Galilee. And this seems to be one of those cities which Ben-hadad’s father had taken from Israel, 1 Kings 20:34.

Were all present, i.e. all the forces of the Israelites were here gathered together to oppose the Syrians; so if these had been conquered, all had been lost.

Because the Syrians have said; which he knew, either by common report, strengthened by their present choice of a plain ground for the battle; or rather, by revelation from God, who discovered their secret counsels, 2 Kings 6:12.

The wall, or, the walls, (the singular number for the plural, than which nothing more frequent,) of the city; or of some great castle or fort in or near the city, in which they were now fortifying themselves; or of some part of the city where they lay.

Merciful kings; more merciful than others, because that religion which they had professed taught them humanity, and obliged them to show mercy. Sackcloth on our loins, and ropes upon our heads; as a testimony of our sorrow for undertaking this war; and that we have justly forfeited our lives for…

I do not only freely pardon him, but honour and love him as my brother.

Did hastily catch it; or, they took that word for a good token, and made haste and snatched it (i.e. that word) from him, i.e. from his mouth; they repeated the word again, to try whether the king would own it, or it only dropped casually from him: or made haste to know whether it was from him,…

The cities which my father took from thy father; either, 1. From Baasha, 1 Kings 15:20, whom he calls Ahab’s father, because he was his legal father, i.e. his predecessor. Or, 2.

Unto his neighbour, or brother; another son of the prophets. In the word of the Lord; in the name and by the command of God, whereof doubtless he had informed him. Smite me, so as to wound me, 1 Kings 20:37.

If the punishment seem too severe for so small a fault, let it be considered. 1. That disobedience to God’s express command, especially when it is delivered by a prophet, is a great sin, and no less than capital, Deut. 18:19. 2.

That he might sooner gain access to the king, and audience from him. See Poole “1 Kings 20:35”. With ashes; whereby he changed the colour of it. Or, with a veil, or cloth, or band, (as the Hebrew doctors understand the word,) whereby he might seem to have bound up his wound, which probably was in…

Thy servant went out: this following relation is not an untruth, but a parable; a usual way of instruction in the eastern parts, and ancient times, and most fit for this occasion, wherein an obscure prophet was to speak to a great king; whose ears were tender, and impatient of a downright reproof,…

i. e. Thy sentence; or the sentence against thee: thou must perform the condition to which thou didst submit; either suffer the one, or do the other.

Either, 1. By his face, which was known either to the king, or to some of his courtiers there present. Or, 2. By the change of the manner of his address to him, which now was such as the prophets used.

Quest. What was the great sin of Ahab in this action for which God so severely punisheth him? Answ. The great dishonour hereby done to God in suffering so horrid a blasphemer, 1 Kings 20:23, to go unpunished, which was, contrary to an express law, Lev. 24:16. Object.

Heavy and displeased; not for his sin, but for the sad effects of it upon himself and people; which he might confidently expect, having had many experiences that God did not suffer the words of his prophets to fall to the ground.