1 Kings 20:25

25 You must muster an army for yourself as the army {you have lost}, and horses and chariots as the horses and chariots [you lost], then we will fight them in the plain. Surely we will be stronger than they." So he listened to their voice and did so.

1 Kings 20:25 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 20:25

And number thee an army like the army that thou hast lost,
&c.] Raise an army of an equal number, which they supposed he was able to do:

horse for horse and chariot for chariot;
as many horses and chariots as he had before:

and we will fight against them in the plain;
where they could make use of their horses and chariots to greater advantage than on hills and mountains, see ( Judges 1:19 )

and surely we shall be stronger than they;
and beat them:

and he hearkened unto their voice, and did so;
took their counsel, and prepared an army, and placed captains in it instead of kings.

1 Kings 20:25 In-Context

23 The servants of the king of Aram said to him, "Their gods [are] gods of the mountains, therefore they were stronger than we. Let us fight with them in the plain; surely we will be stronger than they.

24 Do this thing: remove the kings each from his post, and put a governor in their place.

25 You must muster an army for yourself as the army {you have lost}, and horses and chariots as the horses and chariots [you lost], then we will fight them in the plain. Surely we will be stronger than they." So he listened to their voice and did so.

26 It happened at the turning of the year that Ben-Hadad mustered Aram and went up to Aphek for the war with Israel.

27 The {Israelites} had been mustered and provisioned, and they went to engage them. The {Israelites} encamped opposite them as two flocks of goats, but the Arameans filled the land.

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally "as the army which fell from with you"