Neither did he leave of the people to Jehoahaz but fifty horsemen, and ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen; for the king of Syria had destroyed them, and had made them like the dust by threshing.
The Lord didn't leave Jehoahaz with much of an army—only fifty cavalry soldiers, ten chariots, and ten thousand foot soldiers. The king of Syria had destroyed the rest of them, grinding them down like dust during the threshing of grain.
This verse describes how Israel's army was devastated by Syria, leaving King Jehoahaz with only a tiny remnant of what once was a mighty military force.
📚 Historical Context
This occurred during the reign of Jehoahaz, king of Israel (around 814-798 BC), when Syria under King Hazael was dominating and oppressing the northern kingdom of Israel. The military devastation was seen as God's judgment for Israel's continued idolatry and turning away from Him. The metaphor of threshing grain—where grain is beaten to separate it from chaff—illustrates how thoroughly Syria had crushed Israel's military power.
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