Wesley Corpus

Chapter XX Ben - hadad's invasion of Israel and insolent demand, ver. 1 - 12. Ahab, encouraged by a prophet, overthrows him twice, ver. 13 - 30. Makes a covenant with him, ver. 31 - 34. Is reproved and threatened by a prophet, ver. 35 - 43. Gathered his host - To war against Israel: wherein his design was to enlarge the conquest which his father had made, but God's design was to punish Israel for their apostacy and idolatry. Thy silver, &c. - I challenge them as my own, and expect to have them forthwith delivered, if thou expect peace with me. The king said - I do so far comply with thy demand, that I will own thee for my Lord, and myself for thy vassal, and will hold my wives, and children, and estate, as by thy favour, and with an acknowledgment. Saying, &c. - Although I did before demand not only the dominion of thy treasures, and wives, and children, as thou mayst seem to understand me, but also the actual portion of them; wherewith I would then have been contented. Yet, &c. - Yet now I will not accept of those terms, but together with thy royal treasures, I expect all the treasures of thy servants or subjects; nor will I wait 'till thou deliver them to me, but I will send my servants into the city, and they shall search out and take away all thou art fond of, and this to prevent fraud and delay; and then I will grant thee a peace. Seeketh mischief - Though he pretended peace, upon these terms propounded, it is apparent by those additional demands, that he intends nothing less than our utter ruin. I denied not - I granted his demands in the sense before mentioned. And said, &c. - If I do not assault thy city with so numerous an army, as shall turn all thy city into an heap of dust, and shall be sufficient to carry it all away, though every soldier take but one handful of it. Let not him, &c. - Do not triumph before the victory, for the events of war are uncertain. And behold, &c.