1 Kings 20:1
INTRODUCTION TO 1 KINGS 20
This chapter relates the siege of Samaria by the king of Syria, and his insolent demand of Ahab's wives, children, and riches, 1Ki 20:1, the sally made out upon him, at the direction of the prophet, and the route made of the Syrian army, 1Ki 20:13, the return of the Syrian army the next year, when there was a pitched battle between them and Israel, in which the former were entirely defeated, 1Ki 20:22, the peace Ahab made with the king of Syria, 1Ki 20:31, and the reproof one of the sons of the prophets gave him for it, which made him very uneasy, 1Ki 20:35.
Ver. 1. And Benhadad the king of Syria gathered all his host together,.... This was Benhadad the second, the son of that Benhadad, to whom Asa sent to help him against Baasha, 1Ki 15:18
and there were thirty and two kings with him; these were heads of families, so called, and at most governors of cities under Benhadad; petty princes, such as were in the land of Canaan in Joshua's time:
and horses and chariots; how many is not said:
and he went up and besieged Samaria, and warred against it; he went up with such an intent, but had not as yet done it in form; what moved him to it cannot be said precisely, whether an ambitious view of enlarging his dominions, or because the king of Israel paid not the tribute his father had imposed upon him, see 1Ki 20:34, however, so it was, through the providence of God, as a scourge to Ahab for his impiety.