1 Kings 20:26-34--Ahab Defeats Ben-hadad Again

1 Kings 20:26-34
English Standard Version

Ahab Defeats Ben-hadad Again
26 In the spring, Ben-hadad mustered the Syrians and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel. 27 And the people of Israel were mustered and were provisioned and went against them. The people of Israel encamped before them like two little flocks of goats, but the Syrians filled the country. 28 And a man of God came near and said to the king of Israel, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Because the Syrians 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 And they encamped opposite one another seven days. Then on the seventh day the battle was joined. And the people of Israel struck down of the Syrians 100,000 foot soldiers in one day. 30 And the rest fled into the city of Aphek, and the wall fell upon 27,000 men who were left.

​Ben-hadad also fled and entered an inner chamber in the city. 31 And his servants said to him, “Behold now, 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 and put ropes on their heads and went to the king of Israel and said, “Your servant Ben-hadad says, ‘Please, let me live.’” And he said, “Does he still live? He is my brother.” 33 Now the men were watching for a sign, and they quickly took it up from him and said, “Yes, your brother Ben-hadad.” Then he said, “Go and bring him.” Then Ben-hadad came out to him, and he caused him to come up into the chariot. 34 And Ben-hadad said to him, “The cities that my father took from your father I will restore, and you may establish bazaars for yourself in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.” And Ahab said, “I will let you go on these terms.” So he made a covenant with him and let him go.

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Just as the prophet had told Ahab to prepare for another attack in the Spring, so it is that Ben-hadad and the other nations allied with him which were smarting from defeat in the last battle, attacked again (at the time that the kings went to war).  The people of Israel were mustered again, and were split up into units and given weapons and armaments--this time Israel was ready for war.  No count of the number of Israelites is given this time, but let's assume it is about the same as last time with approximately 7,000 fighting men.  Remember that the Syrian army wanted to match man-for-man, horse-for-horse, chariot-for-chariot the army they had lost before, so the number of troops in this battle should give us an idea how large the number of soldiers were that were defeated in the last battle.  The two armies encamped across the plain from one another because the Syrians thought after their defeat last time that the Israelites had gods that lived in the hills that were helping them, so they needed to stay away from the hills this time.  We get some idea of the size of the Syrian army by the casualty report reported here--100,000 foot soldiers killed by Israel in one day.  The rest of the foot soldiers fled into the walled city of Aphek, and the wall of that city fell upon the 27,000 remaining soldiers hiding inside (I'd say the LORD did this to fight for Israel that day).

Ben-hadad was among those who fled, but he was in an inner chamber in the city away from the collapsed wall.  His servants came to him saying t that now was the time to take advantage of the mercy that they heard that the Israelites had and that they should dress in a way that showed they were sorrowful and repentant by wearing sackcloth (they were neither) and put ropes around their hands to show they were willing to be taken into captivity so that they could live.  They did as they said and went to the king of Israel, that is Ahab, and Ahab negotiated terms of covenant of peace so that Israel would get all the land back that Syria had stolen and that Israel would be able to set up places of business in the capital city of Syria, Damascus.  This is the covenant that Ahab and Ben-hadad reached that day, however, Syria and its king were supposed to be devoted for destruction according to the command of the LORD.  The LORD will not be pleased with this covenant that Ahab has made and a prophet will come to him to let him know exactly that in the next passage.