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1 Kings 20:1

King James Version (KJV)

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— D.L. Moody

1 Kings 20:1

Verse 1 of 43

Scripture focus

And Benhadad the king of Syria gathered all his host together: and [there were] thirty and two kings with him, and horses, and chariots: and he went up and besieged Samaria, and warred against it.

1 Kings 20:1 — KJV

Commentary

Commentary on 1 Kings 20:1

Theological / Devotional

Ben-hadad. This chapter is quite different in contents and spirit from most of the material in Kings. It gives an interesting and valuable picture of the political life of the times. Benhadad had grown to be a powerful king and now occupied the dominant position among the rulers of western Asia, as is evidenced by the fact that the Assyrian records list him first among the western allies who fought against Shalmaneser III at Qarqar (see on v. 34).

Thirty and two kings. These were the heads of small Syrian city-states that recognized the suzerainty of Damascus.

Horses, and chariots. The number is not given, but at the battle of Qarqar, Benhadad is reported to have had 1,200 chariots, 1,200 cavalrymen, and 20,000 infantry, as compared with 2,000 chariots and 10,000 infantry for Ahab.

By SdaBc