1 Kings 22:31

31 The king of Syria had ordered his thirty-two chariot commanders to attack no one else except the king of Israel.

1 Kings 22:31 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 22:31

But the king of Syria commanded his thirty and two captains
that had the rule over his chariots
This was the number of his kings in the first battle with Israel, and of his captains in the second, ( 1 Kings 20:1 1 Kings 20:24 1 Kings 20:25 ) , and the same number he had now, being very probably not only the number of his chariots, but the division of his army was into so many battalions, under the command of these captains of chariots:

saying, fight neither with small nor great;
of those that belonged to Jehoshaphat:

save only with the king of Israel;
and his men; for it can hardly be thought that his orders were to fight with none, nor kill any in the battle but Ahab personally; though it is very probable he might give them directions to aim at him chiefly, knowing that, if he was killed or taken, his army would flee or surrender; and he might be desirous of getting him into his hands, as he had been in his; and the rather his spite was against him, as he was the mover of the war.

1 Kings 22:31 In-Context

29 Then King Ahab of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah went to attack the city of Ramoth in Gilead.

30 Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, "As we go into battle, I will disguise myself, but you wear your royal garments." So the king of Israel went into battle in disguise.

31 The king of Syria had ordered his thirty-two chariot commanders to attack no one else except the king of Israel.

32 So when they saw King Jehoshaphat, they all thought that he was the king of Israel, and they turned to attack him. But when he cried out,

33 they realized that he was not the king of Israel, and they stopped their attack.