1 Kings 20:1

1 King Benhadad of Syria gathered all his troops, and supported by thirty-two other rulers with their horses and chariots, he marched up, laid siege to Samaria, and launched attacks against it.

1 Kings 20:1 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 20:1

And Benhadad the king of Syria gathered all his host together,
&c.] This was Benhadad the second, the son of that Benhadad, to whom Asa sent to help him against Baasha, ( 1 Kings 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:

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 ( 1 Kings 20:34 ) , however, so it was, through the providence of God, as a scourge to Ahab for his impiety.

1 Kings 20:1 In-Context

1 King Benhadad of Syria gathered all his troops, and supported by thirty-two other rulers with their horses and chariots, he marched up, laid siege to Samaria, and launched attacks against it.

2 He sent messengers into the city to King Ahab of Israel to say, "King Benhadad demands that

3 you surrender to him your silver and gold, your women and the strongest of your children."

4 "Tell my lord, King Benhadad, that I agree; he can have me and everything I own," Ahab answered.

5 Later the messengers came back to Ahab with another demand from Benhadad: "I sent you word that you were to hand over to me your silver and gold, your women and your children.