1 Kings 20:16

ISRAEL WON THE DAY; SLAUGHTERING MANY SYRIANS

"And they went out at noon. But Benhadad was drinking himself drunk in the pavilions, he and the kings, the thirty and two kings that helped him. And the young men of the princes of the provinces went out first; and Benhadad sent out, and they told him, saying, There are men come out from Samaria. And he said, Whether they are come out for peace, take them alive; or whether they are come out for war, take them alive. So these went out of the city, the young men of the princes of the provinces, and the army which followed them. And they slew every one his man; and the Syrians fled, and Israel pursued them: and Ben-haded escaped on a horse with horsemen. And the king of Israel went out, and smote the horses and chariots, and slew the Syrians with a great slaughter."

"And they went out at noon" (1 Kings 20:16). This was exactly the strategy that delivered Santa Ana and his army into the hand of Sam Houston in the battle of San Jacinto. Santa Ana was entertaining himself with the "Yellow Rose" of Texas; and Benhadad and his thirty-two royal allies were drinking themselves drunk!

"And Benhadad sent out ...." (1 Kings 20:17). This maneuver by Benhadad was for the purpose of ascertaining the size and intention of the movement toward his army. It is easy to see what happened. Benhadad's messengers saw only that little band of 232 men, all of them obviously young and inexperienced, and they, no doubt, viewed the whole thing as absolutely harmless. We may be sure that Benhadad and his drunken companions laughed out loud at the "threat." Hammond has explained why Benhadad might have given that foolish order to take what he thought to be the 232 ambassadors (seeking his clemency, as he supposed) - to take them alive. "So incensed is he that he will not respect the rights of ambassadors; he probably intended that they should be tortured and slain before his face."[13]

"Whether they are come out for peace, ... or war, take them alive" (1 Kings 20:18). This stupid order by a drunk Benhadad thus actually forbade the Syrian soldiers to kill anyone! That freed the 232 young men to slaughter the Syrians by the hundreds without much resistance. A great panic seized the whole army of Benhadad. And when the 7,000 soldiers of Ahab's army, following closely behind, saw what was happening they enthusiastically joined in the pursuit of the fleeing army of the Syrians, slaughtering many thousands of them.

"And the king of Israel ... smote the horses and chariots, etc." (1 Kings 20:21). The RSV renders this passage thus: "And the king of Israel went out, and captured the horses and chariots, and slaughtered the Syrians with a great slaughter." The RSV is preferable in this verse.