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.
The men were watching carefully for any sign of mercy from him, and they quickly grabbed onto his words. They said, 'Yes, Ben-Hadad is your brother!' Then he said, 'Go and bring him to me.' So Ben-Hadad came out to him, and Ahab invited him up into his chariot.
The writer is showing how Ben-Hadad's messengers cleverly picked up on King Ahab's hint of mercy and used it to save their king's life.
📚 Historical Context
This occurs after Ben-Hadad, king of Syria, was defeated by Israel's King Ahab in battle. Ben-Hadad's servants came to Ahab wearing sackcloth and ropes around their necks as signs of submission, hoping to negotiate for their king's life. When Ahab referred to Ben-Hadad as his 'brother,' the servants immediately seized on this diplomatic language as a sign of potential mercy.
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