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.
Build up another army just like the one you lost, replace every horse with a horse and every chariot with a chariot. Then we'll fight them on flat ground, and we'll definitely be stronger than they are. The king listened to their advice and did exactly what they said.
The writer is showing how Ben-hadad's advisors convinced him to rebuild his army and fight Israel again on flat terrain, believing they would win this time.
📚 Historical Context
This verse is set during the reign of King Ahab of Israel, who was engaged in ongoing conflicts with Ben-Hadad, the king of Aram (Syria). After suffering a defeat, Ben-Hadad's advisors suggested rebuilding his army to match the one lost, with equal numbers of horses and chariots, and fighting on the plain terrain where they believed their forces would have a tactical advantage. This reflects the common ancient Near Eastern practice of regrouping and strategizing for battle based on terrain and military resources.
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