1 Kings 20:10 Komentář

This chapter is the history of a war between Ben-hadad king of Syria and Ahab king of Israel, in which Ahab was, once and again, victorious. We read nothing of Elijah or Elishain all this story; Jezebel's rage, it is probable, had abated, and the persecution of the prophets began to cool, which gleam of peace Elijah improved. He appeared not at court, but, being told how many thousands of good people there were in Israel more than he thought of, employed himself, as we may suppose, in founding religious houses, schools, or colleges of prophets, in several parts of the country, to be nurseries of religion, that they might help to reform the nation when the throne and court would not be reformed. While he was thus busied, God favoured the nation with the successes we here read of, which were the more remarkable because obtained against Ben-hadad king of Syria, whose successor, Hazael, was ordained to be a scourge to Israel. They must shortly suffer by the Syrians, and yet now triumphed over them, that, if possible, they might be led to repentance by the goodness of God. Here is, I. Ben-hadad's descent upon Israel, and his insolent demand (Kg1 20:1-11). II. The defeat Ahab gave him, encouraged and directed by a prophet (Kg1 20:12-21). III. The Syrians rallying again, and the second defeat Ahab gave them (Kg1 20:22-30). IV. The covenant of peace Ahab made with Ben-hadad, when he had him at his mercy (Kg1 20:31-34), for which he is reproved and threatened by a prophet (Kg1 20:35-43).

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, Kg1 20:1, the sally made out upon him, at the direction of the prophet, and the route made of the Syrian army, Kg1 20:13, 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, Kg1 20:22, the peace Ahab made with the king of Syria, Kg1 20:31, and the reproof one of the sons of the prophets gave him for it, which made him very uneasy, Kg1 20:35.

And Benhadad sent unto him, and said,.... That is, to Ahab: the gods do so unto me, and more also; bring greater evils upon me than I can think or express: if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me, signifying that he made no doubt of it of reducing it to dust by numbers of men he should bring with him, which would be so many, that if each was to take an handful of dust of the ruins of Samaria, there would not enough for them all; which was an hectoring and parabolical speech, uttered in his wrath and fury.

"May the gods do so to me, and more also, etc." [1 Kings 20:10] What Benhadad king of Syria, besieging and beginning to assault Samaria said: 'May the gods do so to me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria will be enough to fill the hands of all the people who follow me,' has this sense: Samaria, like other cities, had earth inside near the walls, almost equal to the walls, lest the walls standing without the support of the adjacent earth, should be frequently struck down by the assaulting hand with the battering ram." From the outside, the height of the walls far exceeded the surface of the ground, especially since, as Scripture relates, the city itself had been set on the summit of a mountain. Therefore, the haughty king, threatening the besieged city, said that he had such a multitude of troops with him that even if each of his soldiers brought only one stone, or clod, or log to construct a rampart against the city, such a high rampart could rise from it that the surface of the city itself, which was within the walls, would seem equal, so that they might fight on an equal footing against the city, sending missiles or torches. The king of Israel, restraining the king of Syria's arrogance with a modest utterance, said, "Say to him: Let not him who girds on his armor boast as he who takes it off." There is a difference between a man who is girded, a man who is ungirded, and a man who is not girded. A man who is girded is one who walks about with a belt; an ungirded man is one who recently took off his belt, for example, to enter a bath, or to get into bed, or perhaps to put on another tunic; a man who is not girded is one who, having recently put on a tunic, has not yet fortified himself with the addition of a belt. Thus, one who is in a military expedition can rightly be called girded, that is, armed. One who has returned home victoriously from a battle, having laid down his arms, is rightly called ungirded, because he wields the repose of peace longed for. One who has not yet begun to fight, nor begun to prepare for the contest, is rightly called not girded. Therefore, the king of Israel said to the king of Syria, boasting that he had already captured Samaria, which he had begun to besiege, "Let not him who girds on his armor boast as he who takes it off." As if to say plainly: Do not boast as if you were already the victor of war's peril, who, still set in the field, do not yet know whom victory will favor. And indeed he spoke the truth. For soon after the battle commenced, Benadab, not triumphing over the conquered adversaries, but with his army defeated, fled home.

Ben-hadad, king of Syria, and thirty-two kings, besiege Samaria, Kg1 20:1. He sends an insulting message to Ahab; and insists on pillaging the whole city, Kg1 20:2-7. The elders of Israel counsel the king not to submit to such shameful conditions, Kg1 20:8. He sends a refusal to Ben-hadad; who, being enraged, vows revenge, Kg1 20:9-12. A prophet comes to Ahab, and promises him victory, and gives him directions how he should order the battle, Kg1 20:13-19. The Syrians are discomfited, and Ben-hadad scarcely escapes, Kg1 20:20, Kg1 20:21. The prophet warns Ahab to be on his guard, for the Syrians would return next year, Kg1 20:22. The counsellors of the king of Syria instruct him how he may successfully invade Israel, Kg1 20:23-25. He leads an immense army to Aphek, to fight with Ahab, Kg1 20:26, Kg1 20:27. A man of God encourages Ahab, who attacks the Syrians, and kills one hundred thousand of them, Kg1 20:28, Kg1 20:29. They retreat to Aphek, where twenty-seven thousand of them are slain by a casualty, Kg1 20:30. Ben-hadad and his courtiers, being closely besieged in Aphek, and unable to escape, surrender themselves with sackcloth on their loins, and halters on their heads; the king of Israel receives them in a friendly manner, and makes a covenant with Ben-hadad, Kg1 20:31-34. A prophet, by a symbolical action, shows him the impolicy of his conduct in permitting Ben-hadad to escape, and predicts his death and the slaughter of Israel, Kg1 20:35-43.

If the dust of Samaria shall suffice - This is variously understood. Jonathan translates thus: "If the dust of Shomeron shall be sufficient for the soles of the feet of the people that shall accompany me;" i.e., I shall bring such an army that there will scarcely be room for them to stand in Samaria and its vicinity.

BEN-HADAD BESIEGES SAMARIA. (Kg1 20:1-12) Ben-hadad the king of Syria--This monarch was the son of that Ben-hadad who, in the reign of Baasha, made a raid on the northern towns of Galilee (Kg1 15:20). The thirty-two kings that were confederate with him were probably tributary princes. The ancient kings of Syria and Phœnicia ruled only over a single city, and were independent of each other, except when one great city, as Damascus, acquired the ascendency, and even then they were allied only in time of war. The Syrian army encamped at the gates and besieged the town of Samaria.