Ben-hadad

1Ben-hadad was the king of Syria. He gathered his whole army. Thirty-two other kings came with him, with horses and chariots. He marched to the city of Samaria, surrounded it, and attacked it.

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.

NoteSyria was a country just north of Israel. Chariots were carts pulled by horses that soldiers fought from. Samaria was Israel's main city, where the king lived. An army "besieged" a city by circling it so no one could go in or out. Food inside would slowly run out.

2He sent messengers into the city to Ahab, the king of Israel. They gave Ahab this message from Ben-hadad:

And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city, and said unto him, Thus saith Benhadad,

3"Your silver and your gold belong to me. Your best wives and your children belong to me too."

Thy silver and thy gold is mine; thy wives also and thy children, even the goodliest, are mine.

NoteKings sometimes sent a demand like this before fighting. Handing over your silver and family meant giving up completely.

4The king of Israel answered, "It is just as you say, my lord the king. I am yours, and so is everything I own."

And the king of Israel answered and said, My lord, O king, according to thy saying, I am thine, and all that I have.

NoteSaying "I am yours" meant Ahab was giving in. He was promising to obey and pay whatever Ben-hadad asked.

5The messengers came back again. They said, "Ben-hadad says this: I already told you to hand over your silver, your gold, your wives, and your children.

And the messengers came again, and said, Thus speaketh Benhadad, saying, Although I have sent unto thee, saying, Thou shalt deliver me thy silver, and thy gold, and thy wives, and thy children;

6But tomorrow, about this time, I will send my servants to you. They will search your palace and your servants' houses. They will take away anything you love."

Yet I will send my servants unto thee to morrow about this time, and they shall search thine house, and the houses of thy servants; and it shall be, that whatsoever is pleasant in thine eyes, they shall put it in their hand, and take it away.

7Then the king of Israel called all the leaders of the land together. He said, "Look at how this man is looking for trouble. He asked me for my wives, my children, my silver, and my gold, and I said yes."

Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said, Mark, I pray you, and see how this man seeketh mischief: for he sent unto me for my wives, and for my children, and for my silver, and for my gold; and I denied him not.

NoteThe leaders, called "elders" in the King James, were the older men of the towns. People trusted them to help decide hard things.

8All the leaders and all the people told him, "Do not listen to him. Do not agree."

And all the elders and all the people said unto him, Hearken not unto him, nor consent.

9So Ahab told Ben-hadad's messengers, "Tell my lord the king this. I will do everything you asked the first time. But this new thing I cannot do." The messengers went back and told Ben-hadad.

Wherefore he said unto the messengers of Benhadad, Tell my lord the king, All that thou didst send for to thy servant at the first I will do: but this thing I may not do. And the messengers departed, and brought him word again.

10Then Ben-hadad sent Ahab another message. He said, "May the gods punish me if there is enough dust left of Samaria for each of my men to grab a handful."

And Benhadad sent unto him, and said, The gods do so unto me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me.

NoteBen-hadad is making a promise the way people did then. He is saying his army is so huge that they could carry the whole city away, one handful of dirt each.

11The king of Israel answered, "Tell him this. A man putting on his armor should not brag like a man taking it off."

And the king of Israel answered and said, Tell him, Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off.

Note"Him that girdeth on his harness" means a man strapping on his armor. Armor is the hard covering soldiers wore to keep from getting hurt. Ahab is saying, do not brag before the fight. Brag after you win, when you take the armor off.

12Ben-hadad heard this message while he and the kings were drinking in their tents. He told his servants, "Get ready to attack." So they got in place around the city.

And it came to pass, when Ben-hadad heard this message, as he was drinking, he and the kings in the pavilions, that he said unto his servants, Set yourselves in array. And they set themselves in array against the city.

NoteThe King James word is "pavilions." These were big cloth tents where kings stayed while their army camped.

13Then a prophet came to Ahab, king of Israel. He said, "The LORD says this. Do you see that huge army? I will hand it over to you today. Then you will know that I am the LORD."

And, behold, there came a prophet unto Ahab king of Israel, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou seen all this great multitude? behold, I will deliver it into thine hand this day; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD.

NoteWhen you see LORD in big letters, it stands for God's own name. The Israelites felt that name was too holy to say out loud. A prophet was someone who told people what God said.

14Ahab asked, "Who will do it?" The prophet said, "The LORD says this. The young officers who serve the leaders of the districts will do it." Ahab asked, "Who should start the battle?" The prophet answered, "You will."

And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, Thus saith the LORD, Even by the young men of the princes of the provinces. Then he said, Who shall order the battle? And he answered, Thou.

NoteThe land was split into parts called districts. Each one had a leader, and young men worked for him. They were not the main army.

15So Ahab called the young officers who served the district leaders. There were 232 of them. Then he called the rest of the men of Israel. There were 7,000.

Then he numbered the young men of the princes of the provinces, and they were two hundred and thirty two: and after them he numbered all the people, even all the children of Israel, being seven thousand.

16They marched out at noon. At that time Ben-hadad was in his tent getting drunk. The thirty-two kings who helped him were drinking too.

And they went out at noon. But Benhadad was drinking himself drunk in the pavilions, he and the kings, the thirty and two kings that helped him.

17The young officers marched out first. Ben-hadad had sent out men to watch. They reported to him, "Men are coming out of Samaria."

And the young men of the princes of the provinces went out first; and Benhadad sent out, and they told him, saying, There are men come out of Samaria.

18He said, "If they are coming to talk peace, take them alive. If they are coming to fight, take them alive."

And he said, Whether they be come out for peace, take them alive; or whether they be come out for war, take them alive.

19So the young officers marched out of the city. The army came out behind them.

So these young men of the princes of the provinces came out of the city, and the army which followed them.

20Each man struck down the enemy in front of him. The Syrians ran away, and Israel chased them. Ben-hadad, the king of Syria, got away on a horse with some of his riders.

And they slew every one his man: and the Syrians fled; and Israel pursued them: and Benhadad the king of Syria escaped on an horse with the horsemen.

21Then the king of Israel marched out. He attacked the horses and chariots. Many, many Syrians were killed that day.

And the king of Israel went out, and smote the horses and chariots, and slew the Syrians with a great slaughter.

22Later the prophet came to the king of Israel. He said, "Go and make your army stronger. Think carefully about what you must do. Next spring the king of Syria will come to attack you again."

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.

NoteThe King James says "at the return of the year." That means next spring. Armies waited for spring because the winter rains made roads muddy.

23Meanwhile the servants of the king of Syria talked to him. They said, "Their gods are gods of the hills. That is why they beat us. Let us fight them on flat land instead. Then we will surely be stronger.

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.

NoteMany people back then thought a god ruled only one kind of land. The Syrians thought Israel's God was strong on hills but weak on flat ground.

24Do this too. Take the kings out of their commands. Put army captains in their places.

And do this thing, Take the kings away, every man out of his place, and put captains in their rooms:

NoteThe thirty-two kings were partners, not soldiers. The advice is to put trained army leaders in charge instead.

25Then build an army as big as the one you lost. Get a horse for every horse and a chariot for every chariot. We will fight them on flat land, and we will surely win." The king listened to them and did what they said.

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.

26In the spring, Ben-hadad counted his Syrian soldiers. He marched to a town called Aphek to fight Israel.

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.

NoteAphek was a town out on flat, open land. The Syrians picked it on purpose, because flat land is good for chariots.

27The men of Israel were counted too. They gathered supplies and marched out to meet the Syrians. Israel's camp looked like two small flocks of goats. The Syrians spread out over the whole countryside.

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.

NoteThe King James says Israel looked "like two little flocks of kids." Kids means baby goats. It is a way of saying the army looked small and easy to hurt.

28Then a man of God came to the king of Israel. He said, "The LORD says this. The Syrians say the LORD is a god of the hills and not of the valleys. So I will hand this huge army over to you. Then you will know that I am the LORD."

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.

29The two armies camped across from each other for seven days. On the seventh day the fighting began. That day Israel killed 100,000 Syrian foot soldiers.

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.

NoteFoot soldiers were men who walked and fought on the ground. They had no horse and no chariot.

30The rest ran into the city of Aphek. There a wall fell on 27,000 of the men who were left. Ben-hadad also ran into the city and hid in a back room.

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.

NoteAn "inner chamber" is a small room deep inside a house. It was the best place to hide.

31His servants said to him, "We have heard that the kings of Israel are kind kings. Let us go to the king of Israel wearing rough cloth and ropes. Maybe he will let you live."

And his servants said unto him, Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings: let us, I pray thee, put sackcloth on our loins, and ropes upon our heads, and go out to the king of Israel: peradventure he will save thy life.

NoteSackcloth was rough, scratchy cloth, like an old sack. People wore it to show they were very sad or very sorry. Putting ropes on their heads showed they were giving up. It was like saying, you may tie us up if you want.

32So they tied rough cloth 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." Ahab said, "Is he still alive? He is my brother."

So they girded sackcloth on their loins, and put ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, Thy servant Benhadad saith, I pray thee, let me live. And he said, Is he yet alive? he is my brother.

NoteKings who were friends called each other "brother." By saying it, Ahab was treating Ben-hadad as a friend, not an enemy.

33The men were watching for any sign of hope. They quickly took hold of that word. They said, "Yes, your brother Ben-hadad." Ahab said, "Go and bring him here." When Ben-hadad came out, Ahab had him ride up into his chariot.

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.

NoteRiding in the king's own chariot was a great honor. It showed everyone that Ahab was not going to hurt him.

34Ben-hadad said, "I will give back the cities my father took from your father. You may set up your own markets in Damascus, like my father did in Samaria." Ahab said, "With this agreement I will let you go." So he made an agreement with him and sent him away.

And Ben-hadad said unto him, The cities, which my father took from thy father, I will restore; and thou shalt make streets for thee in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria. Then said Ahab, I will send thee away with this covenant. So he made a covenant with him, and sent him away.

NoteDamascus was the big city where the king of Syria lived. Having your own markets there meant your traders could sell things and make money. It was part of the deal between the two kings.

24Some time later, Ben-hadad, king of Syria, gathered his whole army. He marched up and surrounded the city of Samaria.

And it came to pass after this, that Benhadad king of Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria.

NoteAn army would circle a city and simply wait. No food could come in. This is called a siege.

25Food ran out in Samaria, and the people were starving. The army stayed around the city so long that a donkey's head cost eighty pieces of silver. A small cup of dove droppings cost five pieces of silver.

And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass’s head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove’s dung for five pieces of silver.

NoteA donkey's head was the poorest scrap of meat there was. Eighty pieces of silver was many months of pay. People were hungry enough to pay it. The dove droppings were most likely burned to make cooking fires.

26The king of Israel was walking along the top of the city wall. A woman called out to him, "Help me, my lord the king!"

And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a woman unto him, saying, Help, my lord, O king.

NoteCity walls were thick and wide on top. People could walk along them like a path.

27He said, "If the LORD does not help you, how can I help you? I have no grain and no wine left to give."

And he said, If the LORD do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the barnfloor, or out of the winepress?

NoteThe King James says "barnfloor" and "winepress." Grain was beaten out on a floor. Grapes were squeezed in a press. The king means both are empty.

28The king asked her, "What is wrong?" She said, "This woman told me, 'Give me your son. We will eat him today. Tomorrow we will eat my son.'"

And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, This woman said unto me, Give thy son, that we may eat him to day, and we will eat my son to morrow.

29"So we cooked my son and ate him. The next day I said, 'Give me your son so we can eat him.' But she had hidden her son."

So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on the next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him: and she hath hid her son.

30When the king heard her words, he tore his clothes in sorrow. As he walked on the wall, the people saw rough cloth under his clothes. He wore it against his skin to show his grief.

And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes; and he passed by upon the wall, and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh.

NotePeople tore their clothes when something terrible happened. It showed everyone how sad they were. The rough cloth was called sackcloth. Wearing it against the skin also showed deep sorrow.

31Then the king said, "May God punish me, and worse, if Elisha son of Shaphat still has his head today."

Then he said, God do so and more also to me, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day.

NoteThis was a strong promise, like an oath. The king was swearing to kill Elisha that same day.

32Elisha was sitting in his house with the town leaders. The king sent a man ahead to him. Before the man arrived, Elisha spoke to the leaders. He said, "This son of a murderer has sent someone to cut off my head. When the man comes, shut the door and hold it shut. His master is coming right behind him."

But Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him; and the king sent a man from before him: but ere the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, See ye how this son of a murderer hath sent to take away mine head? look, when the messenger cometh, shut the door, and hold him fast at the door: is not the sound of his master’s feet behind him?

NoteThe town leaders, called elders, were older men. They helped make decisions for the town.

33While Elisha was still talking, the messenger came down to him. The king said, "This trouble comes from the LORD. Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?"

And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of the LORD; what should I wait for the LORD any longer?

7Elisha went to the city of Damascus. Benhadad, the king of Syria, was sick there. Someone told the king, "The man of God has come."

And Elisha came to Damascus; and Benhadad the king of Syria was sick; and it was told him, saying, The man of God is come hither.

NoteDamascus was a big city far to the north of Israel. It was the main city of Syria, a country that often fought with Israel.

8The king said to Hazael, "Take a gift to the man of God. Ask him to ask the LORD something for me. Ask if I will get well."

And the king said unto Hazael, Take a present in thine hand, and go, meet the man of God, and enquire of the LORD by him, saying, Shall I recover of this disease?

NotePeople believed a prophet could ask God a question for them. Bringing a gift was the polite way to come to a prophet with a question.

9Hazael went to meet Elisha. He brought a gift of the best things from Damascus. It took forty camels to carry it all. He stood before Elisha and said, "Your son Benhadad, king of Syria, sent me. He asks, will he get well?"

So Hazael went to meet him, and took a present with him, even of every good thing of Damascus, forty camels’ burden, and came and stood before him, and said, Thy son Benhadad king of Syria hath sent me to thee, saying, Shall I recover of this disease?

NoteCamels are big animals that carry heavy loads on their backs. Forty camel loads was an enormous gift, meant to show great respect. Calling himself "thy son" was a polite way to speak to an older, honored man.

10Elisha said, "Go and tell him, 'You will surely get well.' But the LORD has shown me that he will really die."

And Elisha said unto him, Go, say unto him, Thou mayest certainly recover: howbeit the LORD hath shewed me that he shall surely die.

11Elisha stared at Hazael without looking away. Hazael felt uneasy. Then the man of God began to cry.

And he settled his countenance stedfastly, until he was ashamed: and the man of God wept.

12Hazael asked, "Why are you crying, sir?" Elisha said, "Because I know the terrible things you will do to Israel. You will burn their strong walled towns. You will kill their young men with swords. You will smash their little children to pieces. You will cut open their pregnant women."

And Hazael said, Why weepeth my lord? And he answered, Because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Israel: their strong holds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash their children, and rip up their women with child.

NoteIsrael here means the northern part of God's people. Long wars in those days were very cruel to whole towns. Elisha cries because he can see the sad things coming.

13Hazael said, "But I am nobody, like a dog. How could I do such a huge thing?" Elisha answered, "The LORD has shown me that you will be king of Syria."

And Hazael said, But what, is thy servant a dog, that he should do this great thing? And Elisha answered, The LORD hath shewed me that thou shalt be king over Syria.

NoteCalling yourself a dog meant "I am small and unimportant." Hazael is saying he is far too little to do something so big.

14Hazael left Elisha and went back to his king. The king asked, "What did Elisha say to you?" Hazael answered, "He told me you will surely get well."

So he departed from Elisha, and came to his master; who said to him, What said Elisha to thee? And he answered, He told me that thou shouldest surely recover.

15The next day Hazael took a thick cloth. He dipped it in water. He spread it over the king's face, and the king died. Then Hazael became king in his place.

And it came to pass on the morrow, that he took a thick cloth, and dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, so that he died: and Hazael reigned in his stead.