worship was that of mountain -deities.

Thus did Israel's disobedience bring also its temporal punishment. But to their general advice the courtiers of

Ben-hadad added certain practical suggestions, to avoid the secondary causes to which they attributed their late defeat.

The tributary "kings" were to be dismissed, and their places filled by governors. This would give not only unity to the

army (comp. 1 Kings 22:31), but these officers, appointed by Ben-hadad himself, would naturally take a more personal

interest in the cause of their king. And, instead of the former army, Ben-hadad was to raise one equal in numbers, but -

as the text has it - "from those with thee"48 (thine own subjects).

In these well -conceived measures there was only one, but that a fatal, flaw. They proceeded on the supposition that the

God of Israel was like one of the heathen deities. And this point was emphasized in the defeat of the Syrians, which

was announced t o Ahab by "a man of God," probably another than "the prophet" who had formerly been commissioned

to him. But it deserves special notice that this message only came after the invasion of the Syrian host. Thus would the

temptation be avoided of neglecting all ordinary preparations: faith would be tried, and also called forth; while, by this

prediction, and from the disparity between Israel and the host of Syria, Israel would once more learn to recognize in

this deliverance that Jehovah He was God.

The winter rains had ceased, and the spring wind and sun had dried the land. There was a fresh crispness in the air, and

a bright light over the scene, when the immense Syrian host swarmed down into that historic battlefield of Israel, the

great plain of Jezreel. W e are carried back in imagination to the scene of Saul's last fatal defeat (1 Samuel 29:1),49 and

beyond it to that of Gideon's glorious victory.

Once more the foe lay at Aphek, with his back against the hill on which probably the fortified city of that name stood,

and facing the plain where it is broadest. As in imagination we travel southwards to the highlands, and to those

mountains among which Samaria lies embosomed, we feel how literally Ben-hadad had acted on the suggestion of his

servants to avoid a contest with the mountain -deities of Israel. It was the very time and place for Jehovah to show forth

that great lesson which underlies and sums up all revelation. Of the Israelitish host we know not the numbers - only

that, as they camped in two divisions on the opposite side of the valley, perhaps beneath the two spurs of the ridge that

juts into the plain from the south-east, they seemed like two little flocks of kids ­ so small and weak, as compared with

their enemies. For seven days the two armies lay observing each other. From the circumstance, specially mentioned in

the text, that the Israelites had gone out "provisioned" (ver. 27, margin), and even from their camping in two divisions,

we infer that the object of Ahab was to remain on the defensive, which, indeed, the inferiority of numbers rendered

imperative. Besides, the Jewish position was most happily chosen. It barred the advance of the enemy, who could not

move forward without first giving battle to Israel. The Syrians must have perceived the advantage of Ahab's position,

with his back to the base of his operations, while the division of Israel into two camps might enable them to envelop

their enemies if they attempted an advance, in which case the very size of the Syrian army would, from its

unwieldiness, prove a serious difficulty. But the danger of idle delay in a hostile country, and in an Eastern warfare,

was nearly as great. And so on the seventh day the attack was made - as we judge, by the Syrians. Their defeat was

crushing. The great Syrian host of 100,000 was destroyed,50 and the men who either made their way from the battle -

field to Aphek, or who had been left there as a garrison, experienced another and even more terrible calamity. While

crowding into the gates, or else while occupying the ramparts, which had probably been hastily thrown up or

strengthened, a wall fell upon 27,000 of their number.  51

Further defense being thus rendered impossible, the previous confidence of Ben-hadad gave place to abject fear. He

fled from room to room- into the innermost chamber. His servants, who had formerly given such warlike counsel, now

advised him to sue in most humble manner for his life, holding out the hope of the mercifulness of the kings of Israel of

which they had heard. There is an ominous sound in this. The kings of Israel had never been distinguished for mercy.

But they had only too often shown their sympathy with the heathen kingdoms around, and manifested a desire to make

alliance with them, and to conform to their ways. Yet, even so, it is not easy to explain the conduct of Ahab when the

Syrian envoys of Ben-hadad appeared before him, in true Eastern manner, with sackcloth on their loins and ropes round

their necks, suing only for the life of him who now ostentatiously styled himself A hab's "slave." It could scarcely have

been due to weakness of character when Ahab broke into the almost joyous exclamation, "Is he yet alive?" Nor could it

have been merely from kindness of disposition that he ostentatiously substituted: "he is my brother" for the designation,

"thy slave Ben-hadad," used by the Syrian envoys. They were not slow to perceive the altered tone of the king. They

favorably interpreted and laid hold on that which had come from him; and they said: "Thy brother Ben-hadad."52