1 Kings 20:30

30 The rest fled into the city of Aphek; and the wall fell on twenty-seven thousand men that were left. Ben-hadad also fled, and entered the city to hide.

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.

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FOOTNOTES:

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

1 Kings 20:30 In-Context

28 A man of God approached and said to the king of Israel, "Thus says the Lord: Because the Arameans have said, "The Lord is a god of the hills but he is not a god of the valleys,' therefore I will give all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am the Lord."

29 They encamped opposite one another seven days. Then on the seventh day the battle began; the Israelites killed one hundred thousand Aramean foot soldiers in one day.

30 The rest fled into the city of Aphek; and the wall fell on twenty-seven thousand men that were left. Ben-hadad also fled, and entered the city to hide.

31 His servants said to him, "Look, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings; let us put sackcloth around our waists and ropes on our heads, and go out to the king of Israel; perhaps he will spare your life."

32 So they tied sackcloth around their waists, put ropes on their heads, went to the king of Israel, and said, "Your servant Ben-hadad says, "Please let me live.' " And he said, "Is he still alive? He is my brother."