1 Kings 20:30

30 But the rest fled to Afek, into the city; and the wall fell on twenty-seven thousand men who were left. Ben-Hadad fled, and came into the city, into an inner chamber.

1 Kings 20:30 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 20:30

But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city
Which perhaps was in the hands of the Syrians, and was designed for a retreat for them, should they be beaten:

and there a wall fell upon twenty seven thousand of the men that were
left;
not slain in the battle; here again the Lord might be seen, who, as Abarbinel observes, fought from heaven, and either by a violent wind, or an earthquake, threw down the wall upon them just as they had got under it for shelter:

and Benhadad fled, and came into the city into an inner chamber;
or, "into a chamber within a chamber" ^F17, for greater secrecy.

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FOOTNOTES:

F17 (rdxb rdx) "cubiculo in cubiculum", Pagninus, Montanus.

1 Kings 20:30 In-Context

28 A man of God came near and spoke to the king of Yisra'el, and said, Thus says the LORD, Because the Aram have said, the LORD is a god of the hills, but he is not a god of the valleys; therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am the LORD.

29 They encamped one over against the other seven days. So it was, that in the seventh day the battle was joined; and the children of Yisra'el killed of the Aram one hundred thousand footmen in one day.

30 But the rest fled to Afek, into the city; and the wall fell on twenty-seven thousand men who were left. Ben-Hadad fled, and came into the city, into an inner chamber.

31 His servants said to him, See now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Yisra'el are merciful kings: let us, we pray you, put sackcloth on our loins, and ropes on our heads, and go out to the king of Yisra'el: peradventure he will save your life.

32 So they girded sackcloth on their loins, and [put] ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Yisra'el, and said, Your servant Ben-Hadad says, please let me live. He said, Is he yet alive? he is my brother.