Ben-Hadad (II)

II. BEN-HADAD, King of Syria, Son 1 Kings xx. 34. Ibid. per totum.of that Ben-hadad we have been speaking of, made war against Ahab King of Israel, in the year of the world 3103. that is to say, seven and thirty years after the war of Ben-hadad I. against Baasha King of Israel. We have discoursed very particularly of this war, under the article Ahab. BenhadadIn the Year of the World 3103, & 3104. before the vulgar Æra 900, and 901. was defeated, and lost all his baggage. His generals told him, that the God of the Hebrews was the God of the mountains, and that if he intended to subdue this people, he must set a new army on foot, and attack them in the plain. Ben-hadad pursued this advice, and in the beginning of the year following came to Aphek with a powerful army. Ahab took the field likewise, with his troops; both armies were seven days in sight of each other, without coming to blows: At last, on the seventh day they engaged, and the Israelites killed an hundred thousand of Ben-hadad’s people; and the remainder of his army endeavouring to secure themselves in Aphek, the walls of the city fell upon them, and crushed to death seven and twenty thousand more. Ben-hadad concealed himself in the most private part of his palace, to prevent his falling into the hands of Ahab.

Then Ben-hadad’s servants said to him, we are inform’d that the Kings of Israel are mild and merciful, let us therefore put sackcloth on our loins, and ropes about our necks, and beg our lives of king Ahab. They went to him therefore, and said, thy servant Ben-hadad sent us to ask life of thee: If he is yet alive, said Ahab, he is my brother, Go, bring him to me. Ben-hadad being come, Ahab obliged him to get up into his chariot, and the king of Syria said to him, I will restore the cities which my Father took from thy Father, and thou shalt make streets for thee in Damascus, as my Father made in Samaria, and give me liberty. Ahab accepted these conditions and let him go. Hereupon God sent a Prophet to him, to reprove him for thus giving a wicked Prince his liberty; and Ahab, transported with indignation, imprisoned the Prophet, and laughed at his predictions.

About twelve years after, the same Ben In the Year of the World 3115. 2 Kings vi. 8. & seq.-hadad declared war against Jehoram, the Son and successor of Ahab; but the Prophet Elisha discovered all Ben-hadad’s designs to Jehoram, and thereby disappointed them. Ben-hadad suspected some treachery in his officers, but he was told, that all his projects were revealed by Elisha, to his enemy. He resolved therefore to lay hold of Elisha, and understanding that he was at Dothan, he sent some of his best troops to invest the city, and seize him, but the Prophet struck them with blindness, so that they were not able to distinguish him when he spake to them, and was in their company. He led them as far as to Samaria before they perceived any thing of it, and when they were there, he prayed to God to open their eyes, and desired Jehoram to furnish them with provisions, and dismiss them without offering any violence to them.

In the year of the World 3119, before J. C. 881. before the vulgar Æra 885.Some years after, when Ben-hadad besieged Samaria, the famine was so extremely great in the place, that the head of an ass, which the Hebrews look upon to be an unclean sort of food, was sold for fourscore shekels, and about a pint of a particular kind of pease¹ for five shekels: in short matters were at such a pass, that a certain mother eat her own child. Jehoram being informed of these calamities, attributed them to Elisha, and sent orders to put him to death; but before his people could get into the Prophet’s house, he came 2 Kings vii.thither himself; and Elisha foretold, that the next day about the same hour, a measure of fine flour would be sold at the gate of Samaria for a shekel, which accordingly happened; for in the night-time a panick fear spread through the Syrian army: They imagined that Jehoram had procured an army of Hittites and Egyptians to come to his assistance, and leaving their horses, tents, and provisions, they thought of nothing more than of saving themselves by flight.

Four lepers, who were without the city, their disease not allowing them to dwell with other men, ventur’d into the Syrian camp, and finding it to be deserted, and withal observing it to abound with all sorts of riches, they gave notice of it to Jehoram. The King immediately rose, for it was night, but thought the Syrians designed only to insnare him; he sent people therefore to make what discoveries they could, and they reported, that all the way they went, they found cloaths and arms which the Syrians had thrown away, that they might be more expeditious in their flight. As soon as this news was confirmed, the people of Samaria went out, and pillaged the Syrian camp; then was seen the perfect completion of Elisha’s prediction who had said, that a measure of fine flour should be sold at the gate of Samaria for a Year of the World 3120, before J. C. 880, before the vulg. Æra 884. 2 Kings viii. 7, 8, & seq.shekel. The next year, Elisha being gone somewhere towards Damascus, Ben-hadad, who was then fallen sick, sent Hazael with presents to meet the Man of God, and learn from him, whether there were hopes of his recovery. Hazael departed therefore from Damascus with forty camels loaded with the most valuable things that were to be procured in that City, and said to Elisha, Ben-hadad, thy Son, King of Syria, would be glad to know of thee, whether he shall recover of his illness. Elisha answered, Go, tell him, Thou mayest certainly recover, however the Lord hath shewed me, that he shall surely die. At the same time Elisha foretold to Hazael, that he should himself reign at Damascus, and would do infinite mischief to Israel. Hazael therefore returning to Damascus, told Ben-hadad, that his health would be restored; but the next day he took a thick cloth, which he dipp’d in water, then spread it over the King’s face and stifled him. After which he took possession of the Kingdom, and reigned at Damascus according to the prediction of Elisha. Such was the end of Ben -hadad.

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