63 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And it came to pass at the return of the year,.... In the spring, or autumn, as some think, [See comments on 2 Samuel 11:1] that Benhadad numbered the Syrians; took a muster of his army, to see if he had got the number he had before: and went up to Aphek, to fight against Israel; not that in Judah, Joshua 15:53, rather that in Asher, Joshua 19:30,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the children of Israel were numbered, and were all present,.... The same as before; the two hundred and thirty two young men of the princes of the provinces, and 7000 of the people, not one was missing: and went against them; out of Samaria, towards Aphek: and the children of Israel pitched before them like two little flocks of kids: being few...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
And went against them: and the children of Israel pitched before them like two little flocks of kids; A herd of goats was seldom very large, and the whole of the Israelites put together seemed only “like two little flocks of kids;” —
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
But the Syrians filled the country. And there came a man of God, and 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 thine hand, and ye shall know that I am the LORD. See how good came...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And there came a man of God,.... The same as before, 1 Kings 20:13 or had come (p) before the little army went out to meet the Syrians; though he might go to Ahab when encamped, for his encouragement: and 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...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And they pitched one over against the other seven days,.... Very probably the Israelites pitched upon an hill, and the Syrians waited till they changed their position, not caring to fall upon them, though so very supernumerary to them, for the reason before given: and so it was, that in the seventh day the battle was joined; or they that made war...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
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 an hundred thousand footmen in one day. But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city; and there a wall fell upon twenty and seven thousand of the men that were left. And Benhadad fled,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city,.... Which perhaps was in the hands of the Syrians, and was designed for a retreat for them, should they be beaten: and there a wall fell upon twenty seven thousand of the men that were left; not slain in the battle; here again the Lord might be seen, who, as Abarbinel observes, fought from heaven, and...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And his servants said unto him,.... Being reduced to the utmost extremity; for if he attempted to go out of the city, he would fall into the hands of the Israelites, and there was no safety in it, the wall of it being fallen down; and it could not be thought he could be concealed long in the chamber where he was, wherefore his servants advised as...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
So they girded sackcloth on their loins, and put ropes on their heads,.... Signifying they came to surrender themselves to him as his captives and prisoners, and he might do with them as seemed good to him, hang them up if he pleased, for which they brought ropes with them, as a token that they deserved it, see Isaiah 20:2, and came to the king of...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
Saith, I pray thee, let me live. And he said, Is he yet alive? he is my brother. When a man leaves his God, he cannot distinguish between his foes and his friends; so that, oftentimes, those who would do him the direst mischief he reckons to be his brothers.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Now the men did diligently observe whether anything would come from him,.... That would be a good omen to them, and encourage them to hope for success; they observed him as diligently by his words and behaviour as soothsayers do when they look out for a lucky sign; for the word is sometimes used of divining (s): and did hastily catch it; as soon...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
Now the men did diligently observe whether any thing would come from him, and did hastily catch it: and they said, Thy brother Benhadad. Then he said, Go ye, bring him. Then Benhadad came forth to him; and he caused him to come up into the chariot. And Benhadad said unto him, The cities, which my father took from thy father, I will restore; and...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And [Benhadad] said unto him,.... The word Benhadad is not in the original text, and some, as Osiander and others, have thought they are the words of Ahab last spoken of; which seems most likely, who not only took Benhadad into his chariot, but in his great and superabundant kindness, though the conqueror, said to him what follows: the cities...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And a certain man of the sons of the prophets,.... Which the Jews take to be Micaiah, and so Josephus (u), which is probable; the same that had been with Ahab more than once; and, whoever he was, it is not unlikely that he was the same, since Ahab knew him when his disguise was off, 1 Kings 20:41, said unto his neighbour, in the word of the Lord,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Then said he unto him, because thou hast not obeyed the voice of the Lord,.... In not smiting him; which, if he was a prophet, he must know how great an evil it was to disregard or disobey what was said by a prophet in his name; he must be inexcusable: behold, as soon as thou art departed from me, a lion shall slay thee. And as soon as he was...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Then he found another man, and said, smite me, I pray thee,.... This is not said to be his neighbour, nor one of the sons of the prophets, but a rustic man, and so stuck not to take him at his word: and the man smote him, so that in smiting he wounded him; in his face; made some incision in his flesh, broke the skin, and fetched blood of him;...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
So the prophet departed, and waited for the king by the way,.... As he went from Aphek, the place where the battle had been fought, to Samaria, his royal seat: and disguised himself with ashes upon his face; the Targum is, he covered his eyes with a vail, or piece of cloth, which he wrapped about his head, as men do when they have got a wound or...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And as the king passed by, he cried unto the king,.... With a loud voice, signifying he had something to say unto him, at which he stopped: and he said, thy servant went out into the midst of the battle; this was not real, but fictitious, an apologue, fable, or parable, by which he would represent to Ahab his own case, and bring him under...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And as thy servant was busy here and there, he was gone,.... Employed in one thing or another relative to the battle, his prisoner committed to his care made his escape: and the king of Israel said unto him, so shall thy judgment be, thyself hast decided it; the sentence was plain and open against him, that either he must die or pay the money, for...