Dawn over Samaria: the steep round hill of the city with its pale stone wall and royal quarter on the summit, and the valley below filled with the dark and pale tents of a vast Aramean camp, thin smoke rising under a calm pale sky.

The Book of

1 Kings 20

The king of Aram and thirty-two kings camp around one city. Then a prophet Ahab never sent for walks up to him.

43 verses≈ 10 min2 peopleBSB

Images are artistic interpretations.

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In this chapter

Where we are

1–2Solomon's throneThe kingdom made secure
3–4WisdomA discerning heart
5–8The templeA house for the LORD's Name
9–11Glory and fallSolomon's heart turns
12–16Two kingdomsThe kingdom torn
17–19ElijahThe LORD, He is God
20–22AhabNaboth and MicaiahChapter 20

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. Then he sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel,

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Ben-hadad’s messengers

saying, “This is what Ben-hadad says: ‘Your silver and gold are mine, and your best wives and children are mine!’”

Ahab

And the king of Israel replied, “Just as you say, my lord the king: I am yours, along with all that I have.”

Ben-hadad’s messengers

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.’”

Ahab

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.”

The elders and the people

And the elders and the people all said, “Do not listen to him or consent to his terms.”

Ahab

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.”

Dusk inside a large open-fronted striped tent in the Aramean camp: Ben-hadad in a deep red robe reclines on cushions with a bronze drinking bowl among richly robed allied kings, servants pouring wine from tall clay jars, Samaria on its hill far off through the opening.

Ben-hadad received this message while he and the kings were drinking in their tents, and he said to his servants, “Take your positions.” So they stationed themselves against the city.

Ahab Defeats Ben-hadad

Ahab

“By whom?” Ahab asked.

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.

A prophet

“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.

They marched out at noon while Ben-hadad and the 32 kings allied with him were in their tents getting drunk.

And the young officers of the district governors marched out first.

Aramean scouts

Now Ben-hadad had sent out scouts, who reported to him, “Men are marching out of Samaria.”

Ben-hadad

“If they have marched out in peace,” he said, “take them alive. Even if they have marched out for war, take them alive.”

Blazing noon: a small column of young Israelite officers with spears and small round shields marches out of Samaria's plain gate and down the hill road, the army a little way behind, while far below the vast Aramean camp lies quiet in the heat.

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.

Then the king of Israel marched out and attacked the horses and chariots, inflicting a great slaughter on the Arameans.

0:23

Narrated by Bob Souer · BSB audio, public domain

Question

Quick question

A prophet came to Ahab with a promise before the battle at Samaria.

Why did the LORD say He would give the great army into Ahab’s hand?

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 the king of Aram will come up against you.”

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. So do this: Dismiss all the kings from their positions and replace them with other officers. 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.” And the king approved their plan and acted accordingly.

Another War with Ben-hadad

Stylised map · locations approximate

On the map

Samaria and Aphek

The first war was fought at Samaria, Ahab’s capital on its hill. A year later Ben-hadad marched from Damascus, beyond this map to the northeast, to fight Israel “on the plain”. He mustered at Aphek, whose site is uncertain: probably on the open plateau east of the Sea of Galilee. It is not the Aphek of 1 Samuel 4, near the coast.

In the spring, Ben-hadad mobilized the Arameans and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel. The Israelites also mobilized, gathered supplies, and marched out to meet them.

Afternoon on a rolling grassy plateau strewn with black basalt: two small Israelite camps of a few tents each stand apart on the near slope, while across the plain the Aramean tents spread to the horizon, the Sea of Galilee a pale gleam far below.

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 have said that 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.’”

Then you will know that I am the LORD.

1 Kings 20:28

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.

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.

Reflect

God of the hills and the plains

The Arameans decided that Israel’s God was “a god of the hills and not of the valleys.” The LORD answered by showing He rules the plain as surely as the hills. Where do you quietly treat God as strong in some parts of your life but not others: Sunday but not Monday, home but not work, the past but not the future? Write down one place you will trust Him this week.

Ahab Spares Ben-hadad

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!” 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.” And when he left, a lion found him and killed him.

Midday on a dusty road through stony hills: a prophet in a rough undyed wool cloak sits on a roadside boulder with a strip of plain linen tied over his eyes, waiting, while far down the road a small dust cloud marks the king's party coming.

Then the prophet found another man and said, “Strike me, please!” 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.

One of the sons of the prophets

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.’ But while your servant was busy here and there, the man disappeared.”

Ahab

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.

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, your life will be exchanged for his life, and your people for his people.’”

Sullen and angry, the king of Israel went home to Samaria.

Pray

When His word is plain

Twice the LORD gave Ahab a victory he had not earned, so that he would know who God is. Then Ahab bargained away what God had judged, and went home “Sullen and angry.” Thank God that He makes Himself known even to people who ignore Him. Ask for a heart that obeys His word when it is plain, and grace not to trade away what He has said is His.

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1 Kings 20

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A verse to carry with you

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.’

1 Kings 20:13

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