1 Kings 20:26

26 Therefore after that the year had passed, Benhadad numbered men of Syria (Benhadad called for the Syrians), and he went up into Aphek, to fight against Israel.

1 Kings 20:26 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 20:26

And it came to pass at the return of the year
In the spring, or autumn, as some think, (See Gill on 2 Samuel 11:1)

that Benhadad numbered the Syrians;
took a muster of his army, to see if he had got the number he had before:

and went up to Aphek, to fight against Israel;
not that in Judah, ( Joshua 15:53 ) , rather that in Asher, ( Joshua 19:30 ) , but it seems to be that which Adrichomius ^F12 places in Issachar, near to the famous camp of Esdraelon, or valley of Jezreel, where it is probable the king of Syria intended to have fought; the battle; and some travellers, as he observes, say ^F13, the ruins of that city are still shown in that great camp or plain, not far from Gilboa, to the east of Mount Carmel, and five miles from Tabor; according to Bunting ^F14, it was fourteen miles from Samaria; but it may be Aphaca near Mount Lebanon, and the river Adonis ^F15, is meant.

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FOOTNOTES:

F12 Theatrum Terrae Sanct. p. 35.
F13 Brocard. & Breidenbach. in ib.
F14 Travels p. 164.
F15 Vid. Sozomen. Hist. l. 2. c. 5.

1 Kings 20:26 In-Context

24 Therefore do thou this word, or counsel; remove thou all [the] kings from thine host, and set thou princes for them; (And so do thou this thing, or follow thou this counsel; remove thou all the kings from thy army, and put thou other leaders in their place;)

25 and restore thou the number of knights, that felled of thine, and [the] horses after the former horses, and restore thou [the] chariots, by the chariots which thou haddest before; and we shall fight against them in [the] field places, and thou shalt see, that we shall get them. He believed to the counsel of them, and did so (He believed in their counsel, and did so).

26 Therefore after that the year had passed, Benhadad numbered men of Syria (Benhadad called for the Syrians), and he went up into Aphek, to fight against Israel.

27 Forsooth the sons of Israel were numbered; and when meats were taken, they went forth even against (them); and they, as two little flocks of goats, setted tents against men of Syria. Forsooth men of Syria filled the land. (And the Israelites were also called for; and when provisions were taken, they went forth opposite them; and they, as but two little flocks of goats, pitched their tents opposite the Syrians. And the Syrians filled the land.)

28 And one prophet of God nighed, and said to the king of Israel, The Lord God saith these things, For (the) men of Syria said, God of hills is the Lord of them, and he is not God of valleys (The god of the hills is their Lord, and he is not the god of the valleys), (and so) I shall give all this great multitude in(to) thine hand, and ye shall know that I am the Lord.