1 Kings 20:21-31

21 The king of Israel went out and struck the horses and chariots, and killed the Arameans with a great slaughter.

22 Then ¹the prophet came near to the king of Israel and said to him, "Go, strengthen yourself and observe and see what you have to do; for ²at the turn of the year the king of Aram will come up against you."

23 Now the servants of the king of Aram said to him, "³Their gods are gods of the mountains, therefore * they were stronger than we; but rather let us fight against them in the plain, and surely * we will be stronger than they.

24 "Do this thing: remove the kings, each from his place, and put captains in their place,

25 and muster an army like the army that you have lost, horse for horse, and chariot for chariot. Then we will fight against them in the plain, and surely * we will be stronger than they." And he listened to their voice and did so.

Another Aramean War

26 ⁴At the turn of the year, Ben-hadad mustered the Arameans and went up to ⁵Aphek to fight against Israel.

27 The sons of Israel were mustered and were provisioned and went to meet them; and the sons of Israel camped before them like two little flocks of goats, ⁶but the Arameans filled the country.

28 Then ⁷a man of God came near and spoke to the king of Israel and said, "Thus says the LORD, 'Because * the Arameans have said, "⁸The LORD is a god of the mountains, but He is not a god of the valleys," therefore ⁹I will give all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am the LORD.' "

29 So they camped one over against the other seven days. And on the seventh day the battle was joined, and the sons of Israel killed of the Arameans 100,000 * foot soldiers in one day.

30 But the rest fled to ¹⁰Aphek into the city, and the wall fell on 27,000 * * men who were left. And Ben-hadad fled and came into the city ¹¹into an inner chamber.

31 ¹²His servants said to him, "Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings, please let us ¹³put sackcloth on our loins and ropes on our heads, and go out to the king of Israel; perhaps he will save your life."

1 Kings 20:21-31 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 KINGS 20

This chapter relates the siege of Samaria by the king of Syria, and his insolent demand of Ahab's wives, children, and riches, 1Ki 20:1-12, the sally made out upon him, at the direction of the prophet, and the route made of the Syrian army, 1Ki 20:13-21, the return of the Syrian army the next year, when there was a pitched battle between them and Israel, in which the former were entirely defeated, 1Ki 20:22-30, the peace Ahab made with the king of Syria, 1Ki 20:31-34, and the reproof one of the sons of the prophets gave him for it, which made him very uneasy, 1Ki 20:35-43.

Cross References

• 1. 1 Kings 20:13
• 2. 2 Samuel 11:1; 1 Kings 20:26
• 3. 1 Kings 14:23; Jeremiah 16:19-21; Romans 1:21-23
• 4. 1 Kings 20:22
• 5. 2 Kings 13:17
• 6. Judges 6:3-5; 1 Samuel 13:5-8
• 7. 1 Kings 17:18
• 8. 1 Kings 20:23
• 9. 1 Kings 20:13
• 10. 1 Kings 20:26
• 11. 1 Kings 22:25; 2 Chronicles 18:24
• 12. 1 Kings 20:23-26
• 13. Genesis 37:34; 2 Samuel 3:31

Footnotes

• [a] Lit "smote"
• [b] Lit "smote"
• [c] Lit "number"
• [d] Lit "smote"
• [e] Lit "soul"