Ben-hadad Attacks Samaria
Now Ben-hadad king of Aram assembled his entire army. Accompanied by thirty-two kings with their horses and chariots, he marched up, besieged Samaria, and waged war against it. 1Ki 15:181Ki 15:201Ki 22:311Ki 16:241Ki 20:161Ki 20:241Sa 13:52Ch 16:2-4 Then he sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel, 2Ki 19:9Isa 36:2-22Isa 37:9-10 saying, “This is what Ben-hadad says: 1 ‘Your silver and gold are mine, and your best wives and children are mine!’” Exo 15:9Isa 10:13-14
And the king of Israel replied, “Just as you say, my lord the king: I am yours, along with all that I have.” 1Sa 13:6-72Ki 18:14-16Deu 28:48Jdg 15:11-13Lev 26:36
The messengers came back and said, “This is what Ben-hadad says: ‘I have sent to you to demand your silver, your gold, your wives, and your children. But about this time tomorrow I will send my servants to search your palace and the houses of your servants. They will seize and carry away all that is precious to you.’” 1Sa 13:19-212Ki 18:31-322Sa 24:14Ezr 8:27Gen 27:15Hos 13:15Isa 44:9Jer 25:34
Then the king of Israel summoned all the elders of the land and said, “Please take note and see that this man is looking for trouble, for when he demanded my wives, my children, my silver, and my gold, I did not deny him.” 2Ki 5:71Ch 13:11Ch 28:11Ki 8:1Dan 11:27Job 15:35Pro 11:14Pro 11:27
And the elders and the people all said, “Do not listen to him or consent to his terms.”
So Ahab answered the messengers of Ben-hadad, “Tell my lord the king, ‘All that you demanded of your servant the first time I will do, but this thing I cannot do.’”
So the messengers departed and relayed the message to Ben-hadad.
Then Ben-hadad sent another message to Ahab: “May the gods deal with me, and ever so severely, if enough dust remains of Samaria for each of my men to have a handful.” 1Ki 19:2Exo 11:82Ki 19:23-242Sa 17:12-13Act 23:12Isa 10:13-14Isa 37:24-25Jdg 4:10
And the king of Israel replied, “Tell him: ‘The one putting on his armor should not boast like one taking it off.’” Pro 27:11Sa 17:44-47Ecc 9:11Isa 10:15-161Sa 14:12-131Sa 14:6Mat 26:33-35Mat 26:75
Ben-hadad received this message while he and the kings were drinking in their tents, 2 and he said to his servants, “Take your positions.” So they stationed themselves against the city. 1Ki 16:91Ki 20:16Pro 31:4-51Sa 25:362Sa 13:28Dan 5:2Dan 5:30Eph 5:18
Ahab Defeats Ben-hadad
Meanwhile a prophet approached Ahab king of Israel and declared, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Do you see this entire great army? Behold, I will deliver it into your hand this very day, and you will know that I am the LORD.’” 1Ki 20:28Ezk 20:222Ki 7:1Exo 14:18Exo 16:12Ezk 20:14Isa 37:20Isa 7:1-9
“By whom?” Ahab asked. 1Co 1:27-291Ki 18:441Sa 17:50Gen 14:14-16Jdg 7:16-20
And the prophet replied, “This is what the LORD says: ‘By the young officers of the district governors.’”
“Who will start the battle?” asked Ahab.
“You will,” answered the prophet.
So Ahab assembled the young officers of the district governors, and there were 232 men. And after them, he assembled the rest of the Israelite troops, 7,000 in all. 1Ki 19:181Sa 14:21Sa 14:62Ch 14:112Ki 13:7Jdg 7:16Jdg 7:7Psa 106:40-43
They marched out at noon while Ben-hadad and the 32 kings allied with him were in their tents getting drunk. 1Ki 16:71Ki 16:91Ki 20:11-12Ecc 10:16-17Hos 4:11Isa 54:15Pro 23:29-32 And the young officers of the district governors marched out first. 1Ki 20:14-151Ki 20:19
Now Ben-hadad had sent out scouts, who reported to him, “Men are marching out of Samaria.”
“If they have marched out in peace,” he said, “take them alive. Even if they have marched out for war, take them alive.” 2Ki 14:8-121Sa 14:11-121Sa 17:441Sa 2:3-4Pro 18:12
Meanwhile, these young officers of the district governors marched out of the city, with the army behind them, and each one struck down his opponent. So the Arameans fled, with the Israelites in pursuit. But Ben-hadad king of Aram escaped on horseback with the cavalry. 1Sa 14:13-151Sa 30:16-172Ki 19:362Ki 7:6-72Sa 2:16Ecc 9:11Jdg 7:20-22Lev 26:8
Then the king of Israel marched out and attacked the horses and chariots, inflicting a great slaughter on the Arameans. 1Sa 14:20-221Sa 17:522Ki 3:182Ki 3:24Jdg 3:28Jdg 7:23-25
Afterward, the prophet approached the king of Israel and said, “Go and strengthen your position, and take note what you must do, for in the spring 3the king of Aram will come up against you.” 2Sa 11:11Ki 20:131Ki 20:261Ch 20:11Ki 19:101Ki 20:381Ki 22:82Ch 25:11
Meanwhile, the servants of the king of Aram said to him, “Their gods are gods of the hills. That is why they prevailed over us. Instead, we should fight them on the plains; surely then we will prevail. 1Ki 14:231Sa 4:81Ki 20:282Ch 32:13-192Ki 19:12Isa 42:8Psa 50:21-22Rom 1:21-23 So do this: Dismiss all the kings from their positions and replace them with other officers. 1Ki 22:31Pro 21:301Ki 20:11Ki 20:16 And you must raise an army like the one you have lost—horse for horse and chariot for chariot—so we can fight the Israelites on the plain, where we will surely prevail.” Psa 10:3
And the king approved their plan and acted accordingly.
Another War with Ben-hadad
In the spring, Ben-hadad mobilized the Arameans and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel. 2Ki 13:171Ki 20:221Ki 20:301Sa 29:11Sa 4:1Jdg 1:31Jos 13:4Jos 19:30 The Israelites also mobilized, gathered supplies, and marched out to meet them. 1Sa 13:5-8Jdg 6:51Sa 14:22Ch 32:7-8Deu 32:30Ecc 9:11Jdg 7:8Jos 1:11
The Israelites camped before them like two small flocks of goats, while the Arameans covered the countryside.
Then the man of God approached the king of Israel and said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Because the Arameans think the LORD is a god of the hills and not of the valleys, I will deliver all this great army into your hand. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’” 1Ki 20:131Ki 17:18Ezk 12:16Ezk 36:21-23Psa 79:101Ki 13:11Ki 20:22-232Ch 20:14-20
For seven days the armies camped opposite each other, and on the seventh day the battle ensued, and the Israelites struck down the Arameans—a hundred thousand foot soldiers in one day. 1Sa 17:162Ch 13:172Ch 20:23-252Ch 28:62Sa 10:18Isa 37:36Jos 6:15Psa 10:16
The rest of them fled into the city of Aphek, where the wall fell on twenty-seven thousand of the remaining men. Ben-hadad also fled to the city and hid in an inner room. 1Ki 22:252Ch 18:241Ki 20:26Luk 13:41Ki 20:101Ki 20:20Amo 2:14-15Amo 5:19
Ahab Spares Ben-hadad
Then the servants of Ben-hadad said to him, “Look now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful. Let us go out to the king of Israel with sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads. Perhaps he will spare your life.” 2Sa 3:31Gen 37:341Ki 20:231Ki 21:27-292Ki 19:1-22Ki 5:132Ki 7:42Sa 14:2
So with sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their heads, they went to the king of Israel and said, “Your servant Ben-hadad says, ‘Please spare my life.’” 1Ki 20:3-61Ki 20:311Ki 20:421Sa 15:8-20Dan 5:20-23Isa 10:12Isa 2:11-12Job 12:17-18
And the king answered, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”
Now the men were looking for a sign of hope, and they quickly grasped at this word and replied, “Yes, your brother Ben-hadad.” 2Ki 10:15Act 8:31Luk 16:8Pro 25:13
“Go and get him!” said the king.
Then Ben-hadad came out, and Ahab had him come up into his chariot.
Ben-hadad said to him, “I will restore the cities my father took from your father; you may set up your own marketplaces in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.” 1Ki 15:201Ki 20:42Isa 26:101Ki 22:312Ch 16:42Ch 18:30Isa 8:12
“By this treaty 4I release you,” Ahab replied. So he made a treaty with him and sent him away.
A Prophet Reproves Ahab
Meanwhile, by the word of the LORD, one of the sons of the prophets said to his companion, “Strike me, please!” 1Ki 13:17-182Ki 2:152Ki 4:11Ki 13:1-21Ki 20:37-381Sa 10:122Ki 2:3-72Ki 4:38
But the man refused to strike him.
Then the prophet said to him, “Because you have not obeyed the voice of the LORD, as soon as you depart from me a lion will kill you.” 1Ki 13:21-241Ki 13:261Sa 15:22-23
And when he left, a lion found him and killed him.
Then the prophet found another man and said, “Strike me, please!” 1Ki 20:35Exo 21:12
So the man struck him and wounded him, and the prophet went and waited on the road for the king, disguising himself with a bandage over his eyes. 1Ki 14:21Ki 22:302Sa 14:2Mat 6:16
As the king passed by, he cried out to the king: “Your servant had marched out into the middle of the battle, when suddenly a man came over with a captive and told me, ‘Guard this man! If he goes missing for any reason, your life will be exchanged for his life, or you will weigh out a talent of silver. 5’ 2Ki 10:241Ki 20:421Pe 1:18-192Sa 12:1-72Sa 14:5-7Exo 21:30Jdg 9:7-20Job 36:18 But while your servant was busy here and there, the man disappeared.” 2Sa 12:5-7Job 15:6Luk 19:22Mat 25:24-27Mat 21:41-43
And the king of Israel said to him, “So shall your judgment be; you have pronounced it on yourself.”
Then the prophet quickly removed the bandage from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets. 1Ki 20:382Sa 13:19Jer 6:26Job 2:8
And the prophet said to the king, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Because you have let slip from your hand the man I had devoted to destruction, 6 your life will be exchanged for his life, and your people for his people.’” 1Ki 22:31-372Ch 18:33-341Ki 20:391Ki 20:341Sa 15:9-112Ki 6:242Ki 8:12
Sullen and angry, the king of Israel went home to Samaria. 1Ki 21:41Ki 22:8Est 5:13Est 6:12-13Job 5:2Pro 19:3