And Ben-hadad said unto him, The cities, which my father took from thy father, I will restore; and thou shalt make streets for thee in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria. Then said Ahab, I will send thee away with this covenant. So he made a covenant with him, and sent him away.
Ben-hadad said to him, 'I will give back the cities that my father took from your father, and you can set up marketplaces for yourself in Damascus, just like my father did in Samaria.' Then Ahab said, 'I will let you go free based on this agreement.' So he made a treaty with him and let him go.
Ben-hadad offers to return captured cities and give trade rights to Israel, and King Ahab accepts this deal and releases him instead of executing him.
📚 Historical Context
In the biblical narrative of 1 Kings, King Ahab of Israel had just defeated the Aramean king Ben-Hadad in a series of battles, as God had promised victory through His prophets. Ben-Hadad, seeking to avoid further defeat, proposed a peace treaty that included returning cities his father had taken from Ahab's father and granting Ahab trading rights in Damascus, similar to what Aram had in Samaria. This event highlights the common ancient Near Eastern practice of forging alliances through covenants to secure temporary peace amid ongoing regional conflicts.
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