1 Kings 20:30

30 And they that (were) left fled into the city of Aphek, and the wall felled down upon seven and twenty thousand of (the) men that (were) left. Forsooth Benhadad fled, and entered into the city, into a closet that was within a closet;

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.

---

FOOTNOTES:

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

1 Kings 20:30 In-Context

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.

29 And seven days these and they dressed battle arrays even against each other; and in the seventh day the battle was joined altogether, and the sons of Israel smote of the men of Syria an hundred thousand of footmen in one day. (And for seven days these and they directed battle arrays opposite each other; and then on the seventh day the battle was joined, and the Israelites struck down a hundred thousand Syrian footmen in one day.)

30 And they that (were) left fled into the city of Aphek, and the wall felled down upon seven and twenty thousand of (the) men that (were) left. Forsooth Benhadad fled, and entered into the city, into a closet that was within a closet;

31 and his servants said to him, [Lo!] We have heard that the kings of the house of Israel be merciful, therefore put we sackcloths in our loins, and cords in our heads (and so let us put sackcloths on our loins, and cords on our heads), and go we out to the king of Israel; in hap he shall save our lives.

32 They girded their loins with sackcloths, and put cords in their heads, and they came to the king of Israel, and said to him, Thy servant Benhadad saith, I pray thee, let my soul live. And he said, If Benhadad liveth yet, he is my brother. (And so they girded up their loins with sackcloths, and put cords on their heads, and they came to the king of Israel, and said to him, Thy servant Benhadad saith, I pray thee, let me live. And Ahab said, If Benhadad yet liveth, he is my brother, that is, I will make peace with him.)