Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, 1 Kings · Chapter 20
CHAP. XX.
Verſ. 1. ANd Ben-hadad, the king of Syria, gathered all his hoſt together, &c.] Some thirty years before this, Aſa had called in Ben-hadad, the father of this Ben-hadad, verſ. 34. to his aid againſt Baaſha king of Iſrael, chap. 15.17, 18, &c. at which time Ben-hadad took ſome of the Iſraelites towns, and ſuch ſweetneſſe it ſeems he had found in the ſoil of Iſrael, that now he came again unſent for, and nothing now would ſerve him but Samaria it ſelf; and thus withall too God puniſhed the idolatry, and other groſſe ſinnes that were amongſt the Iſraelites.
Verſ. 2. And he ſent meſſengers to Ahab king of Iſrael into the citie, &c.] That is, upon a parley deſired on one ſide, Ben-hadad, by his meſſengers ſent into the citie, made known what he required ere he would raiſe the ſiege of Samaria; namely, that Ahab ſhould yield up all he had to him, thy ſilver and thy gold is mine, thy wives alſo and thy children are mine: inſolent conditions; and ſuch as manifeſted that Ben-hadad, in the confidence of his own ſtrength, did exceedingly deſpiſe the king of Iſrael.
Verſ. 4. And the king of Iſrael anſwered and ſaid, My Lord O king, &c.] Two ſeverall grounds of Ahabs yielding thus to Ben-hadads motion, are conceived by Expoſitours: the one is, that Ahab thought Ben-hadad had deſired onelyonly that he ſhould deliver up the wealth of his own palace, and his own wives and children, and not the pillage of the whole citie, and that this, out of a deſire to ſave his ſubjects from dammage, he was content to yield to: the other is, that Ahab underſtood the meſſage of Ben-hadad, as if he had onelyonly required the ſoveraignty over all that they had; namely, that both he and his people ſhould acknowledge themſelves his vaſſals, and ſo by the payment of a yearly tribute, ſhould teſtifie that they held all they had, of him; and that this to ridde himſelf of the ſiege, he yielded to; according to thy ſaying, I am thine, and all that I have: ſo granting him the dominion with reſervation of his own ſubordinate intereſt; and this laſt expoſition I conceive is the beſt, becauſe it ſeems not probable, that he ſhould ſo readily yield to deliver up his wives and his children, into the hands of a heathen king.
Verſ. 5. Although I have ſent unto thee, ſaying, Thou ſhalt deliver me thy ſilver, &c.] Theſe were the ſecond conditions which Ben-hadad ſent to Ahab; whereby it appears, that either Ahab miſtook his former motion, and ſo this was now ſent to explain that; or elſe, that Ben-hadad being puffed up with Ahabs ſubmiſſive anſwer, did now propound harder conditions then he did before; and (according to that which is before noted upon the foregoing verſe) two ſeverall wayes this may be underſtood; namely, that either whereas before it was thought he required onelyonly the kings wives and children, ſilver, and gold; now he required libertie to take in the whole c…ty whatſoever he pleaſed: or elſe, that whereas before it was thought he required onelyonly that they ſhould acknowledge his ſoveraignty, and hold all that they had of him as his vaſſals and tributaries; now he demanded, that they ſhould abſolutely yield up the pillage of the city to his ſouldiers and ſervants; ſuffering them to enter the citie, and take from thence whatſoever they pleaſed: Although, ſaith he, I have ſent unto thee, ſaying, Thou ſhalt deliver me thy ſilver and thy gold, &c. That is, though I have ſent unto thee challenging that thy riches, thy wives, and thy children were mine; yet it was no part of my meaning, that thou ſhouldeſt onelyonly acknowledge the dominion of them to belong to me, and ſhouldeſt ſtill hold them in thine own poſſeſſion; no, I require that they be out of hand delivered to me; nor will I be ſatisfied with words, or a bare title, to morrow about this time, I will ſend my ſervants; who ſhall not out of thy houſe onelyonly, but alſo out of thy ſervants houſes, take what they pleaſe; and onelyonly upon this condition will I raiſe the ſeige.
Verſ. 7. Mark I pray you, and ſee how this man ſeeketh miſchief.] That is, by this ſecond meſſage he hath ſent, if you well obſerve it, you may plainly ſee, that though he pretends a treaty, and would ſeem upon conditions willing to raiſe this ſiege; yet in truth he intends nothing but miſchief and ruine to us, or elſe he would never propound ſuch conditions to us: either we muſt yield up the whole citie to be pillaged by his ſouldiers, and our ſelves our wives and children to be their ſlaves, or elſe nothing will content him.
Verſ. 9. Tell my lord the king, All that thou didſt ſend for to thy ſervant at the firſt, I will do; but this thing I may not do.] Thus, though Ahab refuſed to ſubmit to what Benhadad had the ſecond time required of him, yet his denyall came from him ſo poorely, that it plainly diſcovered how fearfull he was and loth to provoke Benhadad. For firſt, he ſtill cals Benhadad his lord, and himſelf his ſervant: Secondly, whileſt he denyes the ſecond motion, he is carefull to let him know, that he was ſtill willing to yield to the firſt: And thirdly, it was not, This thing I will not do, but, this thing I may not do: It was eaſie to diſcern, that it was the peremptory indignation of the people that had made him reject the propoſitions of Benhadad, rather then any courage that was in himſelf.
Verſ. 10. The gods do ſo unto me and more alſo, if the duſt of Samaria ſhall ſuffice for handfuls, &c.] In a bragging manner he threatens the utter ruinating of their city: and withall (to terrifie Ahab and the people the more) vaunts, that ſuch was the multitude of his ſouldiers, that the duſt of Samaria ſhould not ſuffice for handfuls for them: ſo ſpeaking of Samaria, notwithſtanding the ſtrength of her walls and bulwarks, as if it were but a heap of duſt, which ſhould be levelled to the ground, with as much eaſe, as if every ſouldier were to carry away but a handfull: or rather, after an hyperbolicall manner, menacing them, that they would make nothing to carry away the very ground whereon the city ſtood, or at leaſt, the bulwarks of the city, though each of his followers took but a handfull: the like expreſſion we ſee, 2 Sam. 17.13.
Verſ. 12. He ſaid unto his ſervants, Set your ſelves in array, &c.] This may be tranſlated alſo, as it is in the margin of our bibles, place the engines; to wit, for the battering of the city: it ſeems that during the parly, or treaty, there was a ceſſation of arms on both ſides; and therefore when Benhadad ſaw that Ahab would not yield to what he had propounded, he commanded his captains again to prepare for an aſſault upon the citie.
Verſ. 13. And behold there came a prophet unto Ahab king of Iſrael, &c.] God foretels what he means to do by a prophet, that the victory might not be aſcribed to chance; and withall, to diſcover the exceeding riches of his grace, in affording ſo much mercy to this vile wretch, even by one of thoſe prophets whom he ſought to deſtroy.
Verſ. 14. Even by the young men, of the princes of the provinces.] That is, not by thy experienced captains, or old trained ſouldiers, ſhalt thou prevail over the Syrians: but by the young men, that wait and attend upon the princes of the provinces.
Then he ſaid, Who ſhall order the battel?] This queſtion propounded by Ahab to the prophet, may be underſtood two ſeverall wayes: to wit, either that he required who ſhould go out with his forces, as Commander in chief, to order the battell as he ſhould ſee cauſe; or elſe, that he deſired to know, whether he ſhould ſtay till the king of Syria came out and ſet themſelves in battell array againſt them, or whether he ſhould go out firſt, and ſet the battell in array againſt the Syrians.
And he anſwered, Thou.] That is, Ahab himſelf; to wit, that the young men might the more readily undertake the ſervice.
Verſ. 15. Then he numbred the young men of the princes of the provinces, and they were two hundred and thirty two, &c.] And theſe, it ſeems, were to be captains and leaders to the ſeven thouſand afterwards mentioned; and, or elſe rather, theſe were to go before as a forlorn hope, to ſet firſt on the enemy, and then the body of the army was to follow, and ſecond them; and ſo much indeed the following words, verſ. 17. ſeem to imply, And the young men of the princes of the provinces went out firſt, &c.]
Verſ. 18. Whether they be come out for peace, take them alive; or whether they be come out for warre, take them alive.] That is, though they ſhould now come out to ſue for conditions of peace, yet take them priſoners, and bring them to me, which was againſt the law of arms; as thinking ſcorn to fight with them, he commands his men to take them alive: and as preſumptuouſly puft up with his great ſtrength, he thinks enough to ſay, Take them alive; as if the Iſraelites had not courage enough to lift up a hand againſt them.
Verſ. 22. Go ſtrengthen thy ſelf, and mark, and ſee what thou doest.] That is, take heed, that through ſecurity, or any other way, thou doeſt not give any advantage to theſe Syrians, when they ſhall again invade the land the next yeare: and herein doubtleſſe the prophet did intend to imply, not onelyonly that he ſhould prepare all outward means for the withſtanding of the Syrians; but alſo that he ſhould be carefull by faith, and repentance, and prayer, to make his peace with God, leſt God ſhould be provoked at laſt to deliver him up into the hands of his enemies; and if this were the ſame prophet that foretold the former victory, (as the vvords ſeem here to import, And the prophet came to the king of Iſrael) the king had the more reaſon now to give credit to what he ſaid.
Verſ. 23. Their gods are gods of the hils, therefore they were ſtronger then we.] This ſpeech of the ſervants of the king of Syria, was grounded on that ſottiſh conceit of the heathen, that their gods bare rule ſome in one place and ſome in another: and becauſe the former battell was fought in a hilly countrey, therefore they concluded, that the gods of the Iſraelites were gods of the hils: the rather alſo inclining to this conceit (ſay ſome Expoſitours) partly, becauſe the land of Iſrael was in a great part of it full of mountains and hils; and partly, becauſe they had heard, that the Iſraelites uſed conſtantly to offer up their ſacrifices in hils and high places. But however, obſervable it is; how herein alſo they flattered both their king, and themſelves too; there is not a word ſpoken of their own cowardiſe, or the ſenſuality and ſecurity of their king, who was drinking himſelf drunk, when the Iſraelites came upon them; but all their loſſe is aſcribed to this, that their gods were gods of the valleys; and the gods of the Iſraelites, gods of the hils.
Verſ. 24. Take the kings away, every man out of his place, and put captains in their rooms.] This they adde as implying, that their former loſſe might be by their means, rather then the cowardiſe of his own people; to wit, by their unfaithfulneſſe or want of skill in martiall affairs; or by their delicacy, and the evil example they had given, in being feaſting and drinking, when they ſhould have been preparing for the battell.
Verſ. 26. Ben-hadad numbred the Syrians, and went up to Aphek, to fight againſt Iſrael.] Which was in the tribe of Aſher, Joſh. 19.30, 31. and here Ben-hadad now choſe to fight with Iſrael, not onelyonly becauſe it was a plain countrey, verſ. 23. Let us fight against them in the plain, and ſurely we ſhall be ſtronger then they: but alſo, becauſe this was one of thoſe cities which his father had formerly taken from the Iſraelites, verſ. 34. and ſo hither they might retire to ſhelter themſelves, if the battell ſhould go againſt them; as we ſee they did, verſ. 30. But the rest fled to Aphek into the citie.
Verſ. 27. And the children of Iſrael pitched before them, like two little flocks of kids.] hereby it appears, that the Iſraelites had divided their forces into two bodies, and were but weakly provided for warre in compariſon of the Syrians.
Verſ. 28. Thus ſaith the Lord, Becauſe the Syrians have ſaid, The Lord is God of the hils, but he is not God of the valleys, &c.] As if he ſhould have ſaid, however you deſerve not the leaſt help from heaven, becauſe of your wickedneſſe, and the little good done amongſt you, by the former victory I gave you; yet to confute this blaſphemy of the Syrians, even in the valleys I will again deliver all this great multitude into thine hand.
Verſ. 30. And there was a wall fell upon twenty and five thouſand of the men that were left.] Either by ſome warlike ſtratagem of the Iſraelites when they were battering the walls of the city; or, rather by ſome earthquake, or other immediate hand of God, overturning the walls upon them, perhaps when they were buſied to raiſe them higher, or to make them ſtronger, that under the covert thereof they might the better ſhelter themſelves againſt the Iſraelites, or whileſt they were ſtanding behind the wall to defend the city againſt the Iſraelites that ſought to ſtorm it.
Verſ. 31. We have heard that the kings of the houſe of Iſrael are mercifull kings.] It ſeems their mercifull dealing with thoſe they overcame in battell, had got the kings of Iſrael this report amongſt other nations.
Verſ. 34. And Ben-hadad ſaid unto him, The cities which my father took from thy father, I will restore.] This may be meant of thoſe cities which Ben-hadad his father took from Baaſha king of Iſrael, chap. 15.20. who is here called the father of Ahab onelyonly, becauſe Ahab ſucceeded him in the throne: yet rather I believe that as now, ſo formerly in the dayes of Om…i the father of Ahab, the Syrians had made ſome inrodes into the land of Iſrael, (though it be not expreſſed in the ſacred ſtory,) and taken ſome cities in that invaſion, which now he promiſeth to reſtore: but how he kept this his promiſe, we may ſee in the warre which Ahab afterward made againſt him, for the recovery of Ramoth Gilead, chapter 22.3.
And thou ſhalt make ſtreets for thee in Damaſcus, as my father made in Samaria.] That is, thou ſhalt appoint thee in Damaſcus places of free trading for thy people, as I had in Samaria for the Syrians; or elſe, the ſtreets here mentioned, are meant of places of trading for the Syrians, out of which the tribute now yeilded to Ahab ſhould be raiſed yearely.
So he made a covenant with him, and ſent him away.] Thus ſleightly did Ahab paſſe over the great dammage the people of God had undergone, by his invading the land of Iſrael two yeares together, and that horrible blaſphemy of him and his Syrians; in ſaying, that the Lord was God in the hils, and not in the valleys: but in the mean ſeaſon, he that was thus ready to pity Ben-hadad, could perſecute the poore prophets of God, and not ſhew them the leaſt mercy at all.
Verſ. 35. And a certain man of the ſonnes of the prophets, ſaid unto his neighbour in the word of the Lord, Smite me, I pray thee.] That is, one of thoſe young prophets that were trained up in the Schools or Colledges of the prophets, under their aged fathers; did in the name of the Lord, require one of his fellow prophets to ſmite him; to wit, with a ſword, ſo as to wound him; as appeares, verſ. 37. and this he required; Firſt, that being wounded he might the better reſemble a ſouldier that had been in the battell, to whoſe cuſtodie a priſoner was committed, verſe 39. And ſecondly, that being wounded and bloudy he might the better in that his condition ſhew Ahab what he was to expect from the revenging hand of God; to wit, that the Lord ſhould ſmite him, and that his bloud, and life too, ſhould be required for ſparing Ben-hadad: for thus it was uſuall with the prophets, to foreſhew in themſelves a ſhadow of that calamity which they foretold ſhould come upon others, Eſay 20.2, 3, 4, Jerem. 27.2. and Acts 21.10, 11. ſee alſo Ezek. 12.3.12.
Verſ. 36. Becauſe thou haſt not obeyed the voyce of the Lord, behold, aſſoon as thou art departed from me, a lion ſhall ſlay thee.] It is moſt probable, that this his neighbour that refuſed to ſtrike him, was one of his fellow-prophets, and ſo was conſcious to himſelf, that what the Prophet required, was indeed of God, and yet preferred his own reaſon before Gods command, and was therefore for his diſobedience ſlain by a lion. However herein the Lord, as in a figure, diſcovered the juſtice of his puniſhing Ahab, who under a ſhew, and pretence of clemencie ſpared Ben-hadad, whom God had appointed to utter deſtruction.
Verſ. 41. And the king of Iſrael diſcerned him that he was of the prophets.] It ſeems he was one that was known to the king; and ſo when the bloud and aſhes were wiped from his face, he diſcerned who he was; or elſe, he might know him by his attire, which when he addreſſed himſelf to ſpeak to the king, having wiped his face, the king then obſerved, and not before.
Verſ. 42. Becauſe thou haſt let go out of thy hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction.] Happely Ahab had been expreſſely charged not to ſpare Benhadad, but however the Prophet had expreſſely told him, verſ. 28. that becauſe he and his Syrians had blaſphemed the Lord, ſaying, The Lord is God of the hils, but not of the valleys; therefore the Lord would deliver them into his hands: neither could he therefore ſpare that blaſphemous wretch without contempt of Gods known will, who had delivered him, as it were, into his power, that he might by him be ſlain for his blaſphemy.