The Syrians are discomfited. CHAPTER XX. The prophet predicts their return. B. C. 901. A. M. 3103. 14 And Ahab said, By whom? || be come out for war, take them A. M. 3103. And he said, Thus saith the LORD, alive. B. C. 901. It Or, servants. -9 Heb. bind, or, tie. Verse 14. By the young men of the princes, &c.— The Hebrew word "y, nagnaree, here rendered young men, is ambiguous, and may mean either the sons or the servants of the princes of the provinces. I was not by old, experienced soldiers, but by those young men, who had lived delicately, and perhaps had never seen a fight, that this battle was to be won; in order that it might appear that the victory was wholly due to God's gracious providence, and net to the valour or worthiness of the instruments. Then he said, Who shall order the battle?—Or, as some understand the words, Who shall begin the fight, they or we? Shall we make a sally, or wait till they assault us? He answered, Thou-The prophet bids the king begin and lead them on, partly to encourage the young men to fight courageously, as being in the presence of their prince; and partly to try whether Ahab would thus far trust God, or not. Verse 15. He numbered all the men of Israel—All in Samaria and the neighbourhood that were fit to go out to war; all except those whom their age, or infirmity, or other sufficient causes excused; but certainly not all the men of war in Israel, who must have been far more than seven thousand. Verses 16, 18. And they went out at noon-When they knew the Syrians were at dinner, if not also drinking to excess, as their king was. And he said, Whether they be come for peace, take them alive, dc.-It was against the law of nations to apprehend those that came to treat of peace: but he, in his insolent pride, told his people not to trouble themselves to examine what they came for, but to take them alive, which he thought they might easily do, these Israelites being so few in number, and not able, he supposed, to stand the first brunt. 19 So these young men of the princes of the provinces came out of the city, and the army which followed them. 20 And they slew every one his man: and the Syrians fled; and Israel pursued them: and Ben-hadad the king of Syria escaped on a horse with the horsemen. 21 And the king of Israel went out, and smote the horses and chariots, and slew the Syrians with a great slaughter. 22 And the prophet came to the king of Israel, and said unto him, Go, strengthen thy self, and mark, and see what thou doest: for at the return of the year the king of Syria will come up against thee. 23 And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him, Their gods are gods of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we; but let d Verse 11; Chap. xvi. 9.- 2 Sam. xi. 1. Verses 20, 21. They slew every one his man— Who came to apprehend him. And the Syrians fled-Amazed at the undaunted and unexpected courage of the Israelites, and struck with a divine terror. And Ben-hadad escaped on a horse-That proud boaster durst not face them; but mounted immediately, drunk as he was, and made the best of his way to escape. And the king of Israel went out-Proceeded further in his pursuit of them. And smote the horses and chariots-The men that fought in them. And slew the Syrians with great slaughter -Improving this advantage to the utmost. Thus ended Ben-hadad's proud boastings; and thus does God often make one wicked man a scourge to another! Verse 22. Go, strengthen thyself, and mark, and see, &c.-Consider what is necessary for thee to do by way of preparation, and take care that nothing be wanting to oppose the designs of the Syrians against thee, who will certainly return and renew the fight next year. The enemies of the children of God are restless in their malice, and though they may take some breathing-time for themselves, they are still breathing out slaughter against the church: it therefore concerns us always to expect our spiritual enemies, and to mark and see what we do. Verse 23. Their gods are gods of the hills, &c.-The heathen, in general, had no notion of the God of the universe, but only worshipped local and tutelary deities; who, they thought, ruled over particular countries, and distributed the several parts of those countries among them, some being gods of the woods, others of the rivers, and others of the mountains: and the Syrians fancied the gods of the Israelites, whom they thought to be no better than their own gods. to be of the latter kind, gods of the hills, Ben-hadad again invades Israel. B. C. 900. B. C. 900. A. M. 3103. us fight against them in the plain, and || and the children of Israel pitched A. M. 3104. surely we shall be stronger than they. before them like two little flocks of 24 And do this thing, Take the kings away, kids; but the Syrians filled the country. every man out of his place, and put captains in 28 And there came a man of God, and their rooms: spake unto the king of Israel, and said, Thus saith the LORD, Because the Syrians have said, The LORD is God of the hills, but he is not God of the valleys, therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thy hand, and ye shall know that I am the LORD. 25 And number thee an army, like the army 10 that thou hast lost, horse for horse, and chariot for chariot and we will fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. And he hearkened unto their voice, || and did so. 29 And they pitched one over against the other seven days. And so it was, that in the seventh day the battle was joined: and the children of Israel slew of the Syrians a hundred thousand footmen in one day. 30 But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city; and there a wall fell upon twenty and seven war with Israel. 12 Or, were victualled. - Verse 13. 10 Heb. that was fallen. Josh. xiii. 4.- 11 Heb. to the because the land of Canaan was a mountainous land, the remembrance of their former success, and an and the great temple of their God, at Jerusalem, expectation of assistance from God. And pitched stood upon a hill, as did the city of Samaria, where before them-Probably upon some hilly ground, they had received their last blow; or because the where they might secure themselves, and watch for Israelites did generally choose high places for the advantage against their enemies; which might be places of their worship. It is observable, that the the reason why the Syrians durst not assault them Syrians do not impute their ill success to their negli- before the seventh day, verse 29. Like two little gence, and drunkenness, and bad conduct, nor to the flocks of kids—Few and weak; being also, for convalour of the Israelites, but to a divine power, which || venience of fighting, and that they might seem more was indeed visible in it. Let us fight against them than they were, divided into two bodies. in the plain-In this counsel there was not only superstition, but policy; because the Syrians excelled the Israelites in horses and chariots, which were most serviceable on plain ground. || Verse 24. Do this-take the kings away, &c.He had made the thirty-two kings, who were his tributaries, chief commanders in his former army; which his counsellors represent to him as a great error, and therefore advise him to displace them, || and put his own captains in their stead, who would fight better. The kings, they thought, had had a softer education; and, being less inured to hardships, and less experienced in military matters, were less fit for service: besides, being many of them mercenaries, and therefore less concerned in his good success, they judged they would be more cautious in venturing themselves, and risking their lives in his cause, and not so obedient to discipline, as captains from his own subjects would be. These latter, they supposed, would faithfully obey the commands of their general, to whom the kings would not readily yield, and would use their utmost skill and valour for their own interest and advancement. Verses 26, 27. Ben-hadad numbered the Syrians, and went up to Aphek-A city in the tribe of Asher; which, it is probable, was one of those that Benhadad's father had taken from the king of Israel, (verse 34,) not far from which was the plain of Galilee, where he intended to fight. And the children of Israel went against them-Being encouraged by Verse 28. Because the Syrians have said, &c.— What they had said, this man of God knew, either from common report, strengthened by their present choice of plain ground for the battle; or rather, by revelation from God, to whose inspection their secret counsels lay open, 2 Kings vi. 12. His omnipotence being disputed, he sent his prophet to predict the vengeance coming on his enemies; and their defeat in the plains was a singular and undeniable confirmation, both of his omnipotence and veracity. Ye shall know that I am the Lord-Namely, the universal Lord of all places, persons, and things. Verse 29. They pitched one over against the other seven days-It may seem strange that they should look one another in the face so long, without coming to any action; for the Syrians had so much advantage in their numbers, that one would have thought they would have immediately encompassed the Israelites, and have destroyed them all: but perhaps the Israelites continued all these days on the rising ground, and the Syrians did not dare to attack them till they came down into the plain. Israel slew of the Syrians a hundred thousand footmen in one day-In all probability they surprised them by a sudden, unexpected attack; and God dismayed them, and struck such a terror into them, that they could make no resistance, Verse 30. A wall fell upon twenty and seven thou sand--The wall of the city under which they lay, ready to defend it; or the walls (the singular num 33 Now the men did diligently ob- A. M. 3104. serve whether any thing would come from him, and did hastily catch it: and they said, Thy brother Ben-hadad. Then he said, Go ye, bring him. Then Ben-hadad came forth to him; and he caused him to come up into the chariot. i 31 ¶ And his servants said unto him, Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings: let us, I pray thee, put sackcloth on our loins, and ropes upon our heads, and go out to the king 34 And Ben-hadad said unto him, The of Israel: peradventure he will save thy life. cities which my father took from thy father I 32 So they girded sackcloth on their loins, will restore; and thou shalt make streets for and put ropes on their heads, and came to the thee in Damascus, as my father made in Saking of Israel, and said, Thy servant Ben-ha-maria. Then said Ahab, I will send thee dad saith, I pray thee, let me live. And he away with this covenant. So he made a covesaid, Is he yet alive? he is my nant with him, and sent him away. brother. "Or, from chamber to chamber.-14 Heb. into a chamber within ber being put for the plural, than which nothing is more frequent) of some great castle or fort, in or near the city in which they were now fortifying themselves; or of some part of the city where they lay. This might possibly happen through natural causes; but most probably was effected by the mighty power of God, sending some earthquake, or violent storm, which threw down the walls upon them: and if ever a miracle was to be wrought, now seems to have been the proper season for it; when the blasphemous Syrians denied the sovereign power of God, and thereby in some sort obliged him to give a proof of it; and to show, that he was the God of the plains, as well as of the mountains; and that he could as effectually destroy them in their strongest holds, as in the open fields; and make the very walls, to whose strength they trusted for their defence, to be the instruments of their ruin. But it may be further observed, that it is not said, that all these were killed by the fall of this wall; but only that the wall fell upon them, killing some, and wounding others. this war; Verse 31. We have heard that the kings of Israel are merciful kings-More merciful than others, because that religion, which they professed, taught them humanity, and obliged them to show mercy. Let us put sackcloth upon our loins, and ropes, -As a testimony of our sorrow for undertaking and that we have justly forfeited our lives for it, and shall submit to any punishment he may be pleased to inflict. This, it seems, was the habit in those times, in which supplicants presented themselves, when they petitioned for mercy. Peradventure he will save thy life-This encouragement have all poor sinners, to repent and humble themselves before God. The God of Israel is a merciful God; let us rend our hearts and return to him. Verse 32. Thy servant Ben-hadad saith, I pray thee, let me live-He now as humbly petitions Ahab, as Ahab a little while ago had petitioned him, and begs of him his life. What a change from the height of prosperity to the depth of distress! Such is the uncertainty of human affairs! Such the a chamber, Ch. xxii. 25. Gen. xxxvii. 34.—i Chap. xv. 20. strange turns which are continually taking place! The spoke of the wheel which is uppermost now, may soon be the lowest of all. And he said, is he yet alive? He is my brother-I do not only pardon him, but honour and love him as a brother. This was rather folly than mercifulness, or good nature; to treat a man thus, who had so lately used him with such extreme haughtiness, and brought so much confusion, terror, and damage, into his kingdom. Verse 33. The men did diligently observe, &c.They were wise persons whom Ben-hadad employed in this embassy; who watched attentively to hear whether any kind word would drop from Ahab's mouth, on which they might lay hold, and make their advantage of it, before he could retract it. And they catched hastily at the word brother, and said, Thy brother Ben-hadad lives, and implores this favour, that he may live. They repeated the word again, to try whether the king would own it, or whether it had only dropt casually from him; or whether he spoke this from his heart, or only in dissimulation and design; for it seemed too good news to be true. Verse 34. The cities which my father took from thy father-Either from Baasha, (chap. xv. 20,) whom he calls Ahab's father, because he was his predecessor in the government; or rather, from Omri, in whose time he probably made a successfùl invasion into the land of Israel, and took some more of the cities, and Aphek among the rest, though it be not elsewhere recorded in Scripture. And thou shalt make streets in Damascus-Bishop Patrick tells us, that some suppose the word to signify market-places, where things were sold, the toll of which should belong to Ahab: others think he meant courts of judicature, where he should exercise a jurisdiction over the Syrians; others, what we now call a piazza, or rather, what by Rauwolff is called a caravansera, and by others a kane, that is, a great house, built like a cloister, round a great court-yard, and full of warehouses and apartments, in which foreign merchants are wont to live, or travellers to repair to, as to an inn, and of which Ahab Ahab reproved for sparing Ben-hadad, A. M. 3104. B. C. 900. B. C. 900. 35 And a certain man of the || king by the way, and disguised him- A. M. 3104. sons of the prophets said unto his self with ashes upon his face. neighbour in the word of the LORD, Smite me, I pray thee. thee. And the man refused to was to receive the rents. It is probable, it was a quarter for his subjects to live in, and which he should possess, and over which he should enjoy the same jurisdiction, as he did with respect to the rest of his kingdom. Such a power granted in Samaria, and such a making over a part of it, to the father of Ben-hadad, and annexing it to the kingdom of Syria, with a right of building such idol temples as he thought fit, was a sufficient disgrace to the father of Ahab; as the proposing to give Ahab now a like honour in Damascus, was an expression of a very abject adulation in Ben-hadad. Verse 35. A certain man said to his neighbour -Hebrew, mys, eel regnehu, to his companion, as St. Hierom translates it, that is, to a prophet bred in the same school with himself, who well understood the importance of obeying the command. In the word of the Lord-In the name and by the command of God, whereof, doubtless, he had informed him. Smite me, I pray thee-So as to wound me, verse 37. He speaks what God commanded him, though it was to his own hurt; by which obedience to God, he secretly reproacheth Ahab's disobedience in a far easier matter. And this the prophet desires, by God's appointment, that, looking like a wounded soldier, he might have the more free access to the king. And the man refused to smite him-Not out of contempt to God's command, but probably, in tenderness to his brother. n 39 And as the king passed by, he cried unto the king: and he said, Thy servant went out into the midst of the battle; and behold, a man turned aside, and brought a man unto me, and said, Keep this man: if by any means he be missing, then shall thy life be for his life, or else thou shalt 16 talent of silver. pay a ly cut him off: which God chose to do upon this occasion, that by the severity of this punishment of a prophet's disobedience, proceeding from pity to his brother, he might teach Ahab the greatness of his sin, in sparing him through foolish pity, whom, by the laws of religion, and justice, and prudence, he should have cut off. Verse 38. And disguised himself with ashes upon his face-As a man in a very sorrowful condition. Houbigant reads it, He had his eyes covered with a bandage, supposing that the genuine reading of the text is, not 58, apher, but 708, aphed, which signifies a bandage; whence comes the Hebrew word ephod; something bound round. Several of the versions render it, with a veil: and thus the Hebrew doctors understand it. It is probable, it was a cloth or bandage of some kind, wherewith he bound up his wound, which probably was in his face: for it was made in a conspicuous place, that it might be visible to Ahab and others. Verse 39. And he said, Thy servant, &c.-This relation is a parable; a usual way of instruction in the eastern parts, and most fit for this occasion, wherein an obscure prophet was to speak to a great king, impatient of a downright reproof, and exceeding partial in his own cause. A man turned aside and said, Keep, &c.-His commander said this unto him, as the manner of expression shows. The king of Israel said, So shall thy judgment beThou hast pronounced thy own sentence. According to your agreement; so shalt thou suffer. Thou shalt lose thy life, or pay the talent of silver. Ahab had forgot how he had dismissed a greater person willingly, or else he could scarcely have been so hard-hearted as to condemn one that had offended unwillingly. But the prophet soon brought it to his remembrance. Verse 36. Because thou hast not obeyed the voice of the Lord, a lion shall slay thee--If the punishment seem too severe for so small a fault, let it be considered, 1st, That disobedience to God's express command, especially when delivered by a person known by the party disobeying to be a prophet, was a great sin, and no less than capital, Deut. xviii. 19. 2d, This fault was much worse in a prophet, who very well knew the authority of God's commands, Verse 41. And he hasted, and took the ashes away and this way of publishing them. 3d, This man from his face-Threw off his disguise immediately, might be guilty of many other heinous sins unknown by pulling off the cloth or bandage wherewith his to us, but known to God; for which God might just-face, or a part of it, had been concealed. And the Ahab desires to buy the vineyard B. C. 900. prophets. B. C. 900. AM3104. from his face; and the king of Israel || hand a man whom I appointed to utter A. M. 3104. discerned him that he was of the destruction, therefore thy life shall go for his life, and thy people for his people. 43 And the king of Israel 4 went to his house heavy and displeased, and came to Samaria. 42 And he said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, 'Because thou hast let go out of thy P Chap. xxii. 13-37. king of Israel discerned him-Either by his face, which was known to the king, or to some of the courtiers there present: or, by the manner of his address to him, which, being changed, was now such as the prophets generally used. Verse 42. Thus saith the Lord, Because, &c."What was the great sin of Ahab in this action, for which God so severely punished him?" The great dishonour hereby done to God, in suffering so horrid a blasphemer to go unpunished, which was contrary to an express law, Lev. xxiv. 16. And God had delivered him into Ahab's hand, for his blasphemy, as he promised to do, (verse 28,) by which act of his providence, compared with that law, it was most evident that this man was appointed by God to destruction. But Ahab was so far from punishing this blasphemer, that he did not so much as rebuke him, but dismissed him upon easy terms, and 4 Chap. xxi. 4. took not the least care for the reparation of God's honour. And the people were punished for their own sins, which were many and great; though God took this occasion to inflict the punishment. The former part of this decree of God, Thy life shall go for his life, was fulfilled three years after, when Ahab was killed in a battle against the Syrians, chap. xxii. 1–40. But the latter, And thy people for his people, was deferred till the reign of Hazael, who fulfilled it by the wars he had with the Israelites, and the slaughter he made of them, 2 Kings x. 32, 33. Verse 43. The king of Israel went to his house heavy and displeased-This distressing sentence turned all their joy, for their late victory, into mourning; Ahab being much troubled for what he had done, and for what, it seems, he now believed he must suffer. CHAPTER XXI. Abah covets Naboth's vineyard, 14. Jezebel procures Naboth to be stoned, 5-14. Ahab goes to take possession, 15, 16. Elijah meets him, and denounces the judgment of God, 17-24. Upon his humiliation a reprieve is granted, 25–29. 1 Sam. viii. 14. Heb. be good in thine eyes. Verses 1-3. Which was in Jezreel-Where one of Ahab's palaces was, as the other was in Samaria. That I may have it for a garden of herbs-For a flower-garden, as some understand it. Ahab made a fair proposal for it, but the law was against Naboth's alienating his vineyard from his family and Iribe. The Lord forbid it me, &c.-For God had expressly, and for divers weighty reasons, forbidden the alienation of lands from the tribes and families to which they were allotted. And, although these might have been alienated until the jubilee, yet he durst not sell it to the king for that time: because, he supposed, if once it came into the king's hand, neither he nor his posterity could ever recover it; and so he should both offend God, and wrong his posterity. Verse 4. Ahab came into his house, heavy and displeased-He was so vexed to be denied by a subject the thing he wanted, that his vexation made him sick, took away his stomach, and made company disagreeable to him; so that his grief and trouble |