1 Kings 20:12

12 Ben-hadad received this message while he and the kings were drinking in their tents, ^[a] and he said to his servants, “Take your positions.” So they stationed themselves against the city.

1 Kings 20:12 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 20:12

And it came to pass, when Benhadad heard this message (as he
was drinking, he and the kings in the pavilions)
Though it was at noon, or before, ( 1 Kings 20:16 ) , which shows that he and they were addicted to intemperance:

that he said unto his servants;
some of the principal officers of his army:

set yourselves in array;
prepare for battle, betake yourselves to your arms, invest the city at once, and place the engines against it to batter it down:

and they set themselves in array against the city;
besieged it in form, at least prepared for it; for it seems after all that it was not properly done.

1 Kings 20:12 In-Context

10 Then Ben-hadad sent another message to Ahab: “May the gods deal with me, and ever so severely, if enough dust remains of Samaria for each of my men to have a handful.”

11 And the king of Israel replied, “Tell him: ‘The one putting on his armor should not boast like one taking it off.’”

12 Ben-hadad received this message while he and the kings were drinking in their tents, and he said to his servants, “Take your positions.” So they stationed themselves against the city.

13 Meanwhile a prophet approached Ahab king of Israel and declared, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Do you see this entire great army? Behold, I will deliver it into your hand this very day, and you will know that I am the LORD.’”

14 “By whom?” Ahab asked. And the prophet replied, “This is what the LORD says: ‘By the young officers of the district governors.’” “Who will start the battle?” asked Ahab. “You will,” answered the prophet.

Footnotes

• [a]. Or in Succoth; also in verse 16