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.
Ben-hadad, the king of Syria, gathered his entire army together. He had thirty-two kings fighting alongside him, along with horses and chariots. He marched up and surrounded Samaria, making war against it.
This verse describes how a powerful Syrian king named Ben-hadad formed a massive military alliance with 32 other kings to attack and besiege Israel's capital city, Samaria.
📚 Historical Context
In the biblical narrative, 1 Kings 20 is set during the reign of King Ahab in the divided kingdom of Israel, a time of frequent conflicts with neighboring nations like Syria. Benhadad, the king of Syria, gathered a large coalition army, including thirty-two allied kings, horses, and chariots, to besiege Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom, reflecting the ongoing military threats and power struggles in the ancient Near East. This event underscores the vulnerability of Israel amidst regional rivalries and sets the stage for God's intervention through His prophets.
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