TRV
Translation
King James Version
And it came to pass at the return of the year, that Benhadad numbered the Syrians, and went up to Aphek, to fight against Israel.
Complete Jewish Bible
At the same time the following year, Ben-Hadad mustered the army of Aram and went up to Afek to attack Isra'el.
Berean Standard Bible
In the spring, Ben-hadad mobilized the Arameans and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel.
American Standard Version
And it came to pass at the return of the year, that Ben-hadad mustered the Syrians, and went up to Aphek, to fight against Israel.
World English Bible Messianic
At the return of the year, Ben Hadad mustered the Syrians, and went up to Aphek, to fight against Israel.
Geneva Bible (1599)
And after the yeere was gone about, Ben-hadad nombred the Aramites, and went vp to Aphek to fight against Israel.
Young's Literal Translation
And it cometh to pass at the turn of the year, that Ben-Hadad inspecteth the Aramaeans, and goeth up to Aphek, to battle with Israel,
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In the KJVVerse 9,435 of 31,102
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Commentary on 1 Kings 20 verses 22–30
22 ¶ And the prophet came to the king of Israel, and said unto him, Go, strengthen thyself, 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 us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they.
24 And do this thing, Take the kings away, every man out of his place, and put captains in their rooms:
25 And number thee an army, like the army 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.
26 And it came to pass at the return of the year, that Benhadad numbered the Syrians, and went up to Aphek, to fight against Israel.
27 And the children of Israel were numbered, and were all present, and went against them: and the children of Israel pitched before them like two little flocks of kids; but the Syrians filled the country.
28 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.
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 an 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 thousand of the men that were left. And Benhadad fled, and came into the city, into an inner chamber.
We have here an account of another successful campaign which Ahab, by divine aid, made against the Syrians, in which he gave them a greater defeat than in the former. Strange! Ahab idolatrous and yet victorious, a persecutor and yet a conqueror! God has wise and holy ends in suffering wicked men to prosper, and glorifies his own name thereby.
I. Ahab is admonished by a prophet to prepare for another war, Kg1 20:22. It should seem, he was now secure, and looked but a little way before him. Those that are careless of their souls are often as careless of their outwards affairs; but the prophet (to whom God made known the following counsels of the Syrians) told him they would renew their attempt at the return of the year, hoping to retrieve the honour they had lost and be avenged for the blow they had received. He therefore bade him strengthen himself, put himself into a posture of defence, and be ready to give them a warm reception. God had decreed the end, but Ahab must use the means, else he tempts God: "Help thyself, strengthen thyself, and God will help and strengthen thee." The enemies of God's Israel are restless in their malice, and, though they may take some breathing-time for themselves, yet they are still breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the church. It concerns us always to expect assaults from our spiritual enemies, and therefore to mark and see what we do.
II. Ben-hadad is advised by those about him concerning the operations of the next campaign. 1. They advised him to change his ground, Kg1 20:23. They took it for granted that it was not Israel, but Israel's gods, that beat them (so great a regard was then universally had to invisible powers); but they speak very ignorantly of Jehovah - that he was many, whereas he is one and his name one, - that he was their God only, a local deity, peculiar to that nation, whereas he is the Creator and ruler of all the world, - and that he was a God of the hills only, because David their great prophet had said, I will lift up my eyes to the hills whence cometh my help (Psa 121:1), and that his foundation was in the holy mountain (Psa 87:1; Psa 78:54), and much was said of his holy hill (Psa 15:1; Psa 24:3); supposing him altogether such a one as their imaginary deities, they fancied he was confined to his hills, and could not or would not come down from them, and therefore an army in the valley would be below his cognizance and from under his protection. Thus vain were the Gentiles in their imaginations concerning God, so wretchedly were their foolish hearts darkened, and, professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. 2. They advised him to change his officers (Kg1 20:24, Kg1 20:25), not to employ the kings, who were commanders by birth, but captains rather, who were commanders by merit, who were inured to war, would not affect to make a show like the kings, but would go through with business. Let every man be employed in that which he is brought up to and used to, and preferred to that which he is fit for. Syria, it seems, was rich and populous, when it could furnish recruits sufficient, after so great a defeat, horse for horse, chariot for chariot.
III. Both armies take the field. Ben-hadad, with his Syrians, encamps near Aphek, in the tribe of Asher. It is probable that Asher was a city in his own possession, one of those which his father had won (Kg1 20:34), and the country about it was flat and level, and fit for his purpose, Kg1 20:26. Ahab, with his forces, posted himself at some distance over against them, Kg1 20:27. The disproportion of numbers was very remarkable. The children of Israel, who were cantoned in two battalions, looked like two little flocks of kids, their numbers small, their equipage mean, and the figure they made contemptible; but the Syrians filled the country with their numbers, their noise, their chariots, their carriages, and their baggage.
IV. Ahab is encouraged to fight the Syrians, notwithstanding their advantages and confidence. A man of God is sent to him, to tell him that this numerous army shall all be delivered into his hand (Kg1 20:28), but not for his sake; be it known to him, he is utterly unworthy for whom God will do this. God would not do it because Ahab had praised God or prayed to him (we do not read that he did either), but because the Syrians had blasphemed God, and had said, He is the God of the hills and not of the valleys; therefore God will do it in his own vindication, and to preserve the honour of his own name. If the Syrians had said, "Ahab and his people have forgotten their God, and so put themselves out of his protection, and therefore we may venture to attack them," God would probably have delivered Israel into their hands; but when they go upon a presumption so very injurious to the divine omnipotence, and the honour of him who is Lord of all hosts, not only in hills and valleys, but in heaven and earth, which they are willingly ignorant of, they shall be undeceived, at the expense of that vast army which is so much their pride and confidence.
V. After the armies had faced one another seven days (the Syrians, it is likely, boasting, and the Israelites trembling), they engaged, and the Syrians were totally routed, 100,000 men slain by the sword of Israel in the field of battle (Kg1 20:29), and 27,000 men, that thought themselves safe under the walls of Aphek, a fortified city (from the walls of which the shooters might annoy the enemy if they pursued them, Sa2 11:24), found their bane where they hoped for protection: the wall fell upon them, probably overthrown by an earthquake, and, the cities of Canaan being walled up to heaven, it reached a great way, and they were all killed, or hurt, or overwhelmed with dismay. Ben-hadad, who thought his city Aphek would hold out against the conquerors, finding it thus unwalled, and the remnant of his forces dispirited and dispersed, had nothing but secresy to rely upon for safety, and therefore hid himself in a chamber within a chamber, lest the pursuers should seize him. See how the greatest confidence often ends in the greatest cowardice. "Now is the God of Israel the God of the valleys or no?" He shall know now that he is forced into an inner chamber to hide himself, see Kg1 22:25.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 22–30. Public domain.
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Ephrem the SyrianAD 373
ON THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS 20:1
Here the Scripture relates the two battles of the king of Israel against the Arameans, at which we have already hinted, and the twin slaughters of the Arameans, of which the second caused the death of 127, men, as God took his revenge on the impious voice of the Arameans, who said about the true God worshiped by the Israelites, “The Lord is a god of the hills, but he is not a god of the valleys.”
Ambrose of MilanAD 397
LETTER 80
Thus the saints go up to the Lord, the wicked go down to sin; the saints are on the mountains, the guilty in the valleys. “For he is the God of the mountains and not the God of the valleys.” Those who dwelt in the houses of the plain where God does not dwell could not have the house of God within them, for this is the house that God sought from them so that they might build up themselves and rear within themselves the temple of God from living stones of faith. He did not want buildings made with earthen walls or wooden roofs, for the hand of an enemy would have been able to overthrow them. He wanted that temple that is built in human hearts, to whom it might be said, “You are the temple of God,” in which the Lord Jesus might dwell and from there set out to redeem all humankind. There also could be prepared a sacred chamber in the womb of the Virgin where the King of heaven might live and a human body become the temple of God, which, though it was destroyed, might yet be restored to life on the third day.
Salvian the PresbyterAD 500
THE GOVERNANCE OF GOD 7.8
Did not the Lord wish Ben-hadad, king of Syria, whom besides countless thousands of his own people, thirty-two kings and armies of the same number of kings served, to be conquered by a few foot soldiers of the princes in order that he who was the author of such victory would be acknowledged?
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
First Kings 20:26 powerfully narrates the resurgence of King Ben-Hadad of Aram (Syria) for a second, meticulously planned military campaign against Israel. This verse marks the commencement of renewed hostilities following his previous, divinely orchestrated defeat, highlighting Ben-Hadad's unyielding determination, his comprehensive military mobilization, and his strategic choice of Aphek as the staging ground, thereby setting the stage for a significant and consequential confrontation with King Ahab and the kingdom of Israel.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The verse masterfully employs several literary devices to convey its message with depth and impact. Foreshadowing is prominently featured, as Ben-Hadad's meticulous preparation "at the return of the year" clearly signals the inevitable renewal of hostilities, building palpable tension for the reader who is aware of the previous conflict's outcome. The phrase "return of the year" itself functions as a potent Chronological Marker, anchoring the narrative in a specific, culturally understood time for warfare and emphasizing the cyclical nature of conflict. There is also an element of Repetition in the pattern of Ben-Hadad's aggression, reinforcing the persistent opposition that Israel faces. The naming of "Aphek" serves as Strategic Imagery, immediately evoking a sense of military planning and a specific, known battleground, thereby making the narrative more vivid and concrete. The entire verse functions as a concise yet powerful Narrative Transition, smoothly shifting the focus from the aftermath of the first battle to the initiation of the second, maintaining the pace and continuity of the overarching story of Ahab's reign and Israel's complex relationship with God.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
This verse, while seemingly a straightforward historical account of military preparation, carries profound theological weight. It highlights the persistent nature of opposition, both physical and spiritual, against God's people. Ben-Hadad's unwavering determination to fight again, despite a clear divine intervention in the previous battle, underscores the reality that evil and hostile forces do not easily concede defeat. This persistence serves as a crucial backdrop against which God's continued sovereignty and faithfulness to His covenant people will be demonstrated, even when His people are disobedient. It also implicitly raises questions about human pride and the futility of relying solely on military might or numerical superiority, as Ben-Hadad's meticulous numbering of his troops will ultimately prove insufficient against the Lord's purposes. The verse sets the stage for another divine demonstration that "the battle is the Lord's" and that human strength is ultimately vain when pitted against God's will.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The return of Ben-Hadad "at the return of the year" serves as a profound reminder that challenges, temptations, and opposition in life are often cyclical and persistent. Just as Ben-Hadad, undeterred by a previous defeat, meticulously regrouped and prepared for another assault, so too must believers recognize that spiritual battles and life's difficulties do not always vanish after a single victory. This verse calls us to move beyond complacency, especially after seasons of success, rest, or divine intervention. It underscores the critical importance of ongoing vigilance, strategic preparedness, and unwavering reliance on God's strength, rather than our own. We are reminded that our adversary, like Ben-Hadad, is relentless and seeks every opportune moment to attack. Therefore, we are called to remain spiritually alert, to continually put on the full armor of God, and to seek His guidance in every season, understanding that true and lasting victory comes not from our strength or numbers, but from the Lord who fights for us and empowers us to stand firm.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the significance of "at the return of the year" in this context?
Answer: The phrase "at the return of the year" is a common biblical idiom referring to the springtime, typically after the winter rains. This was the customary season for military campaigns in the ancient Near East, as the weather conditions became favorable for troop movements, and agricultural demands were lower, allowing for the mobilization of armies. Its significance here is to mark the predictable resumption of hostilities, signaling that the period of peace after the first battle was merely a temporary lull. Ben-Hadad was returning to war at the earliest opportune moment, emphasizing the cyclical nature of conflict and his relentless determination, as also seen in 2 Samuel 11:1.
Why did Ben-Hadad "number the Syrians" if he had just been defeated?
Answer: Ben-Hadad's act of "numbering the Syrians" (a military census or mustering) indicates a deliberate and thorough preparation, contrasting with his previous, perhaps overconfident, approach. Despite his recent defeat, he was determined to regain his honor and territory. This action suggests he was learning from his mistakes, aiming to ensure overwhelming numerical superiority and better organization for the upcoming battle. It reflects a strategic recalculation and a commitment to a full-scale, decisive war, rather than a haphazard attack, highlighting his pride and refusal to acknowledge God's hand in the previous defeat (1 Kings 20:23).
What was the strategic importance of Aphek?
Answer: Aphek was a strategically significant city in ancient Israel, likely the one located in the Sharon plain (modern Rosh Ha'ayin). Its importance lay in its geographical position, commanding key trade routes and offering open terrain suitable for large armies to maneuver. For an invading force like the Arameans, Aphek served as an ideal staging ground or a fortified base from which to launch an attack into Israelite territory. Its selection by Ben-Hadad underscores his tactical planning and his intent to engage Israel in a decisive battle on ground he believed would be favorable, a common military strategy in the ancient world.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
While 1 Kings 20:26 details a historical military conflict, it prophetically points to the persistent nature of spiritual opposition that ultimately finds its decisive defeat and eternal conquest in Christ. Ben-Hadad's relentless return "at the return of the year" foreshadows the enduring reality of spiritual warfare, where the enemy, though defeated at the cross, continually seeks to regroup and attack God's people (1 Peter 5:8). However, unlike the earthly kings who number their armies in vain, Christ is the true Commander who has already secured the ultimate victory. His "numbering" is not of troops for battle, but of His redeemed, whose names are eternally written in the Lamb's Book of Life. The strategic location of Aphek, where earthly battles were fought, contrasts sharply with the cosmic battle won on the cross, where Christ disarmed the principalities and powers, triumphing over them decisively (Colossians 2:15). Just as God intervened to grant Israel victory despite their weakness, Christ, through His finished work, provides believers with an eternal triumph over sin, death, and the devil. His resurrection is the ultimate "return of the year," ushering in a new season of victory and life for all who trust in Him, ensuring that though spiritual battles may persist, the war is already won, and the ultimate kingdom belongs to Him alone (Revelation 11:15).