Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Kings 20:15
Then he numbered the young men of the princes of the provinces, and they were two hundred and thirty two: and after them he numbered all the people, [even] all the children of Israel, [being] seven thousand.
15. Then he numbered [R.V. mustered ] the young men ] The verb occurs several times in this chapter, and is always rendered ‘numbered’ (see 1Ki 20:26-27 and the two instances in this verse), as indeed it is in nearly all cases in A.V. But looking at 1Ki 20:27, in comparison with this verse, ‘to number’ can hardly be correct, for then the operation would have been performed twice over, manifestly a needless proceeding. The verb literally signifies ‘to visit’, hence ‘to hold a visitation, or gathering,’ and so ‘to muster’ appears to represent the sense here very well. See also the note on 1Ki 20:25 below.
even all the children of Israel ] The LXX. omits these words. The smallness of the number mentioned (7000) is very remarkable. Josephus only speaks of them as the rest of the army. There were no doubt many more men of war in Israel, but if the number in the text be correct, it must be that Ahab had not been able to bring many soldiers together in the city by reason of the suddenness of the attack, or because so many other persons from the country had crowded into the safest places, and thus there was no room for more.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Seven thousand – Considering how populous Palestine was in the time of the earlier Israelite kings (see 2Ch 13:3; 2Ch 14:8; 2Ch 17:14-18), the smallness of this number is somewhat surprising. If the reading be sound, we must suppose, first, that Ben-hadads attack was very sudden, and that Ahab had no time to collect forces from distant parts of the country; and secondly, that during the long siege the garrison of Samaria had been greatly reduced, until it now did not exceed 7,000 men fit for service.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 15. Two hundred and thirty-two] These were probably the king’s life or body guards; not all the militia, but two hundred and thirty of them who constituted the royal guard in Samaria. They were therefore the king’s own regiment, and he is commanded by the prophet to put himself at their head.
Seven thousand.] How low must the state of Israel have been at this time! These Jarchi thinks were the seven thousand who had not bowed the knee to Baal.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
All the children of Israel; either,
1. All the men; for they only went out to battle; and the rest of the men might be consumed with the sword or famine, or other judgments. Or rather,
2. All the men of war, or all that were fit to go out to war; all except those whom their age, or infirmity, or other sufficient causes excused. Being seven thousand; which number may possibly be noted with respect unto those seven thousand, commended 1Ki 19:18, for whose sakes principally God gave this deliverance.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Then he numbered the young men of the princes of the provinces, and they were two hundred and thirty two,…. A very small number to go forth against so great an army as the host of the Syrians, and these raw unexperienced young men:
and after them he numbered all the people, even all the children of Israel, being seven thousand; which could never be the number of all the people in the land, nor even in the city of Samaria, who were able to bear arms; but it must mean such who were willing to go out to war on this occasion: and the number being just the same as of those that bowed not the knee to Baal, has led the Jewish commentators to conclude that these were the men that were numbered for war; but it is not likely that they were all in Samaria, or that none but those would go to war, though it must be owned the number is remarkable.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(15) The young meni.e., the attendants or armour-bearers of the territorial chiefs, no doubt picked men and well armed. The whole garrison is stated as seven thousandenough, perhaps, to man the walls, but wholly unfit to take the field. The sally is made at noon, when (as Josephus relates) the besiegers were resting unarmed in the heat of the day.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
15. Seven thousand Some have supposed that these were the seven thousand that had not bowed the knee to Baal. 1Ki 19:18. That, however, can only be regarded as a pleasing conjecture. Keil thinks that in both places seven thousand denotes the whole covenant people, but with this distinction, that in 1Ki 19:18, it is the actually elect of Israel, while here it only represents the elect.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
1Ki 20:15 Then he numbered the young men of the princes of the provinces, and they were two hundred and thirty two: and after them he numbered all the people, [even] all the children of Israel, [being] seven thousand.
Ver. 15. And they were two hundred and thirty. ] These having God’s word for their warrant, had better success than those three hundred Roman gentlemen, who going out – for a name – to fight with some neighbouring enemies, perished by their own foolhardiness. a
a Flor., lib. i., cap. 12. Veientes.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
two hundred: Jdg 7:7, Jdg 7:16, 1Sa 14:6, 2Ch 14:11
seven thousand: 1Ki 19:18, 1Sa 14:2, 2Ki 13:7, Psa 106:40-43
Reciprocal: 1Ki 20:17 – General 2Ki 6:10 – sent to the place
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1Ki 20:15. He numbered all the men of Israel All in Samaria and the neighbourhood that were fit to go out to war; all except those whom their age, or infirmity, or other sufficient causes excused; but certainly not all the men of war in Israel, who must have been far more than seven thousand.