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.
When Ben-hadad received this message, he was drinking with the other kings in their tents. He immediately ordered his servants, 'Get ready for battle!' So they prepared to attack the city.
Ben-hadad, while drinking with allied kings, angrily ordered his army to prepare for battle against the city after receiving an unexpected message.
📚 Historical Context
This occurred during Ben-hadad's siege of Samaria, the capital of Israel, around 850 BC. Ben-hadad was the Syrian king who had made arrogant demands of King Ahab, but Ahab's defiant response (in the previous verses) provoked this military preparation. The Syrian king was confident in his superior numbers and was drinking casually with his allied kings when the confrontation escalated.
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