1 Kings 20:21

21 The king of Yisra'el went out, and struck the horses and chariots, and killed the Aram with a great slaughter.

1 Kings 20:21 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 20:21

And the king of Israel went out
Of Samaria; when he saw the Syrians fleeing, and his army pursuing, he went forth, perhaps, with more forces, who were now willing to join with him; Josephus F3 says, Ahab had another army within the walls:

and smote the horses and chariots;
that is, the men that rode on horses; and in chariots, the Syrian cavalry:

and slew the Syrians with a great slaughter;
how many were slain is not said; but the Jewish historian F4 says they plundered the camp, in which were much riches, and great plenty of gold and silver, and took their chariots and horses, and returned to the city of Samaria.


FOOTNOTES:

F3 Antiqu. l. 8. c. 14. sect. 2.
F4 Ibid.

1 Kings 20:21 In-Context

19 So these went out of the city, the young men of the princes of the provinces, and the army which followed them.
20 They killed everyone his man; and the Aram fled, and Yisra'el pursued them: and Ben-Hadad the king of Aram escaped on a horse with horsemen.
21 The king of Yisra'el went out, and struck the horses and chariots, and killed the Aram with a great slaughter.
22 The prophet came near to the king of Yisra'el, and said to him, Go, strengthen yourself, and mark, and see what you do; for at the return of the year the king of Aram will come up against you.
23 The servants of the king of Aram said to him, Their god is a god of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we: but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they.
The Hebrew Names Version is in the public domain.