Study Desk

Ben-Hadad Attacks Samaria

Now Ben-Hadad^(a) king of Aram mustered his entire army. Accompanied by thirty-two kings with their horses and chariots, he went up and besieged Samaria^(b) and attacked it.

He sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel, saying, "This is what Ben-Hadad says:

‘Your silver and gold are mine, and the best of your wives and children are mine.'"

The king of Israel answered, "Just as you say, my lord the king. I and all I have are yours."

The messengers came again and said, "This is what Ben-Hadad says: ‘I sent to demand your silver and gold, your wives and your children.

But about this time tomorrow I am going to send my officials to search your palace and the houses of your officials. They will seize everything you value and carry it away.'"

The king of Israel summoned all the elders^(c) of the land and said to them, "See how this man is looking for trouble!^(d) When he sent for my wives and my children, my silver and my gold, I did not refuse him."

The elders and the people all answered, "Don't listen to him or agree to his demands."

So he replied to Ben-Hadad's messengers, "Tell my lord the king, ‘Your servant will do all you demanded the first time, but this demand I cannot meet.'" They left and took the answer back to Ben-Hadad.

Then Ben-Hadad sent another message to Ahab: "May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if enough dust^(e) remains in Samaria to give each of my men a handful."

The king of Israel answered, "Tell him: ‘One who puts on his armor should not boast^(f) like one who takes it off.'"

Ben-Hadad heard this message while he and the kings were drinking^(g) in their tents,^[a] and he ordered his men: "Prepare to attack." So they prepared to attack the city.

Meanwhile a prophet^(h) came to Ahab king of Israel and announced, "This is what the Lord says: ‘Do you see this vast army? I will give it into your hand today, and then you will know⁽ⁱ⁾ that I am the Lord .'"

"But who will do this?" asked Ahab. The prophet replied, "This is what the Lord says: ‘The junior officers under the provincial commanders will do it.'" "And who will start^(j) the battle?" he asked. The prophet answered, "You will."

So Ahab summoned the 232 junior officers under the provincial commanders. Then he assembled the rest of the Israelites, 7,000 in all.

They set out at noon while Ben-Hadad and the 32 kings allied with him were in their tents getting drunk.^(k)

The junior officers under the provincial commanders went out first. Now Ben-Hadad had dispatched scouts, who reported, "Men are advancing from Samaria."

He said, "If they have come out for peace, take them alive; if they have come out for war, take them alive."

The junior officers under the provincial commanders marched out of the city with the army behind them

and each one struck down his opponent. At that, the Arameans fled, with the Israelites in pursuit. But Ben-Hadad king of Aram escaped on horseback with some of his horsemen.

The king of Israel advanced and overpowered the horses and chariots and inflicted heavy losses on the Arameans.

Afterward, the prophet^(l) came to the king of Israel and said, "Strengthen your position and see what must be done, because next spring^(m) the king of Aram will attack you again."

Meanwhile, the officials of the king of Aram advised him, "Their gods are gods⁽ⁿ⁾ of the hills. That is why they were too strong for us. But if we fight them on the plains, surely we will be stronger than they.

Do this: Remove all the kings from their commands and replace them with other officers.

You must also raise an army like the one you lost—horse for horse and chariot for chariot—so we can fight Israel on the plains. Then surely we will be stronger than they." He agreed with them and acted accordingly.

The next spring^(o) Ben-Hadad mustered the Arameans and went up to Aphek^(p) to fight against Israel.

When the Israelites were also mustered and given provisions, they marched out to meet them. The Israelites camped opposite them like two small flocks of goats, while the Arameans covered the countryside.^(q)

The man of God came up and told the king of Israel, "This is what the Lord says: ‘Because the Arameans think the Lord is a god of the hills and not a god^(r) of the valleys, I will deliver this vast army into your hands, and you will know^(s) that I am the Lord .'"

For seven days they camped opposite each other, and on the seventh day the battle was joined. The Israelites inflicted a hundred thousand casualties on the Aramean foot soldiers in one day.

The rest of them escaped to the city of Aphek,^(t) where the wall collapsed^(u) on twenty-seven thousand of them. And Ben-Hadad fled to the city and hid^(v) in an inner room.

His officials said to him, "Look, we have heard that the kings of Israel are merciful.^(w) Let us go to the king of Israel with sackcloth^(x) around our waists and ropes around our heads. Perhaps he will spare your life."

Wearing sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their heads, they went to the king of Israel and said, "Your servant Ben-Hadad says: ‘Please let me live.'" The king answered, "Is he still alive? He is my brother."

The men took this as a good sign and were quick to pick up his word. "Yes, your brother Ben-Hadad!" they said. "Go and get him," the king said. When Ben-Hadad came out, Ahab had him come up into his chariot.

"I will return the cities^(y) my father took from your father," Ben-Hadad^(z) offered. "You may set up your own market areas^(aa) in Damascus,^(ab) as my father did in Samaria." Ahab said, "On the basis of a treaty^(ac) I will set you free." So he made a treaty with him, and let him go.

By the word of the Lord one of the company of the prophets^(ad) said to his companion, "Strike me with your weapon," but he refused.^(ae)

So the prophet said, "Because you have not obeyed the Lord , as soon as you leave me a lion^(af) will kill you." And after the man went away, a lion found him and killed him.

The prophet found another man and said, "Strike me, please." So the man struck him and wounded him.

Then the prophet went and stood by the road waiting for the king. He disguised himself with his headband down over his eyes.

As the king passed by, the prophet called out to him, "Your servant went into the thick of the battle, and someone came to me with a captive and said, ‘Guard this man. If he is missing, it will be your life for his life,^(ag) or you must pay a talent^[b] of silver.'

While your servant was busy here and there, the man disappeared." "That is your sentence,"^(ah) the king of Israel said. "You have pronounced it yourself."

Then the prophet quickly removed the headband from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets.

He said to the king, "This is what the Lord says: ‘You^(ai) have set free a man I had determined should die.^[c](aj) Therefore it is your life for his life,^(ak) your people for his people.'"

Sullen and angry,^(al) the king of Israel went to his palace in Samaria.

Naboth's Vineyard

Some time later there was an incident involving a vineyard belonging to Naboth^(a) the Jezreelite. The vineyard was in Jezreel,^(b) close to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.

Ahab said to Naboth, "Let me have your vineyard to use for a vegetable garden, since it is close to my palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard or, if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth."

But Naboth replied, "The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance^(c) of my ancestors."

So Ahab went home, sullen and angry^(d) because Naboth the Jezreelite had said, "I will not give you the inheritance of my ancestors." He lay on his bed sulking and refused^(e) to eat.

His wife Jezebel came in and asked him, "Why are you so sullen? Why won't you eat?"

He answered her, "Because I said to Naboth the Jezreelite, ‘Sell me your vineyard; or if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard in its place.' But he said, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.'"

Jezebel his wife said, "Is this how you act as king over Israel? Get up and eat! Cheer up. I'll get you the vineyard^(f) of Naboth the Jezreelite."

So she wrote letters^(g) in Ahab's name, placed his seal^(h) on them, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth's city with him.

In those letters she wrote: "Proclaim a day of fasting and seat Naboth in a prominent place among the people.

But seat two scoundrels⁽ⁱ⁾ opposite him and have them bring charges that he has cursed^(j) both God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death."

So the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth's city did as Jezebel directed in the letters she had written to them.

They proclaimed a fast^(k) and seated Naboth in a prominent place among the people.

Then two scoundrels came and sat opposite him and brought charges against Naboth before the people, saying, "Naboth has cursed both God and the king." So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death.^(l)

Then they sent word to Jezebel: "Naboth has been stoned to death."

As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, "Get up and take possession of the vineyard^(m) of Naboth the Jezreelite that he refused to sell you. He is no longer alive, but dead."

When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went down to take possession of Naboth's vineyard.

Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite:

"Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He is now in Naboth's vineyard, where he has gone to take possession of it.

Say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Have you not murdered a man and seized his property?'⁽ⁿ⁾ Then say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: In the place where dogs licked up Naboth's blood,^(o) dogs^(p) will lick up your blood—yes, yours!'"

Ahab said to Elijah, "So you have found me, my enemy!"^(q) "I have found you," he answered, "because you have sold^(r) yourself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord .

He says, ‘I am going to bring disaster on you. I will wipe out your descendants and cut off from Ahab every last male^(s) in Israel—slave or free.^[a](t)

I will make your house^(u) like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat and that of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have aroused my anger and have caused Israel to sin.'^(v)

"And also concerning Jezebel the Lord says: ‘Dogs^(w) will devour Jezebel by the wall of^[b] Jezreel.'

"Dogs^(x) will eat those belonging to Ahab who die in the city, and the birds^(y) will feed on those who die in the country."

(There was never^(z) anyone like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord , urged on by Jezebel his wife.

He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites^(aa) the Lord drove out before Israel.)

When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth^(ab) and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly.^(ac)

Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite:

"Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled^(ad) himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day,^(ae) but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son."^(af)