Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Kings 20:30
But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city; and [there] a wall fell upon twenty and seven thousand of the men [that were] left. And Ben-hadad fled, and came into the city, into an inner chamber.
30. and there a [R.V. and the ] wall fell upon twenty and seven thousand of the [R.V. omits of the ] men ] The noun is definite in the original, and must refer to the city wall of Aphek. The narrative gives no clue to the cause of the disaster. But the divine promise of victory seems to warrant us in concluding that it was by divine interposition, through an earthquake it may be, that a destruction so tremendous was wrought among the enemy. The small number of Israel could not have availed even for the slaughter of those who fell in the battle.
And Ben-hadad fled ] He was probably on or near the walls when the great disaster occurred, and in terror gat him to the more central parts of the city.
into an inner chamber ] Literally, ‘a chamber within a chamber’. The LXX. has , ‘into the bedchamber, even into the innermost room’. Josephus says ‘an underground room’. What is meant is no doubt some room as far removed from the entrance as possible, so that he might be hidden for a good while at all events, and perhaps remain altogether undiscovered.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
A wall – The wall, i. e., the wall of the town. We may suppose a terrific earthquake during the siege of the place, while the Syrians were manning the defenses in full force, which threw down the wall where they were most thickly crowded upon it, and buried them in its ruins. Ben-hadad fled from the wall, where he had been at the time of the disaster, into the inner parts of the city – probably to some massive stronghold – and there concealed himself.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 30. A wall fell upon twenty and seven thousand] From the first view of this text it would appear that when the Syrians fled to Aphek, and shut themselves within the walls, the Israelites immediately brought all hands, and sapped the walls, in consequence of which a large portion fell, and buried twenty-seven thousand men. But perhaps the hand of God was more immediately in this disaster; probably a burning wind is meant. See at the end of the chapter. 1Kg 20:43.
Came into the city, into an inner chamber.] However the passage above may be understood, the city was now, in effect, taken; and Ben-hadad either betook himself with his few followers to the citadel or to some secret hiding-place, where he held the council with his servants immediately mentioned.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The wall, or, the walls, (the singular number for the plural, than which nothing more frequent,) of the city; or of some great castle or fort in or near the city, in which they were now fortifying themselves; or of some part of the city where they lay. Which might possibly happen through natural causes; but most probably was effected by the mighty power of God, then sending some sudden earthquake, or violent storm of wind, which threw down the wall, or walls, upon them; or doing this by the ministry of angels; which cannot be incredible to any man, except to him that denies the truth of all the miracles recorded in the Old and New Testament; which being attested, many of them, by Jews and heathens, it is the height of folly and impudence to deny. For if ever miracle was to be wrought, now seems to have been the proper time and season for it; when the blasphemous Syrians denied the sovereign and infinite power of God, and thereby in some sort obliged him, for his own honour, to give a proof of it; and to show that he was the God of the plains as well as of the mountains, and that he could as effectually destroy them in their strongest holds as in the open fields, and make the very walls, to whose strength they trusted for their defence, to be the instruments of their ruin. But it may be further observed, that it is not said that all these were killed by the fall of this wall; but only that the wall fell upon them, killing some, and wounding others, as is usual in those cases. Nor is it necessary that the wall should fall upon every individual person; but it is sufficient to justify this phrase, if it fell upon the main body of them; for the words in the Hebrew ran thus,
the wall fell upon twenty-seven thousand (not of the men that are left, as we render it, but) which were left of that great army. Into the city; either,
1. Out of the fields, as the rest of his army did; which is distinctly and particularly noted of him, because he was the most eminent person in it, and the head of it. Compare the title of Psa 18:1. Or,
2. At and from the noise and report of that terrible fall of the wall, or walls; which possibly might be in the outside or suburbs of the city; from whence he fled further into the city.
Into an inner chamber; or, a chamber within a chamber; where he supposed he might lie hid, till he had an opportunity of making an escape, or of obtaining mercy.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city,…. Which perhaps was in the hands of the Syrians, and was designed for a retreat for them, should they be beaten:
and there a wall fell upon twenty seven thousand of the men that were left; not slain in the battle; here again the Lord might be seen, who, as Abarbinel observes, fought from heaven, and either by a violent wind, or an earthquake, threw down the wall upon them just as they had got under it for shelter:
and Benhadad fled, and came into the city into an inner chamber; or, “into a chamber within a chamber” q, for greater secrecy.
q “cubiculo in cubiculum”, Pagninus, Montanus.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(30) A wallproperly, the wall of the city, whether falling by earthquake, or in the storming of the place, by Israel. The numbers in the text are very large, as in many other instances. It is possible (see Introduction) that there may be corruption, although the same numbers are found in the ancient versions. But the massing in small space of Oriental armies, and the extra ordinary slaughter consequent on it, are well illustrated in history; as, for instance, in the Greek wars with Persia or even our own experience in India.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
30. A wall fell upon twenty and seven thousand “This tremendous destruction was caused, as I suppose, by an earthquake; and, after having seen the effects of an earthquake in Safed and Tiberias, I can easily understand and readily credit this narrative. We are not required to limit the catastrophe to the falling of a single wall; or, if this be insisted upon, we have only to suppose that it was the wall of the city, and a little consideration will convince any one familiar with Oriental fortifications that it might overwhelm a whole army. Those ramparts were very lofty and massive. An open space was always left along their base, and this would be packed full and tight, from end to end, by the remnants of Ben-hadad’s mighty host, and escape from the falling towers would be impossible.” Thomson.
An inner chamber Margin, more literally, a chamber within a chamber; that is, the innermost hiding place he could find. Keil takes the meaning to be that he fled from one room to another.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
1Ki 20:30. The rest fled to Aphek, &c Aphek was situated in Libanus upon the river Adonis, between Heliopolis and Biblos, and in all probability was the same which Lucas speaks of, as swallowed up in a lake of mount Libanus, about nine miles in circumference, wherein there are several houses, all entire, to be seen under water. The soil about this place was very bituminous, which seems to confirm their opinion who think that subterraneous fire consumed the solid substance of the earth whereon the city stood, so that it subsided and sunk at once, and a lake was soon formed in its place. And there a wall fell, would be rendered more properly, and the wall fell, meaning the whole wall of the city; an event which may be accounted for in a natural way, by supposing that the Syrians, after their defeat, betook themselves to this fenced city of Aphek, and, despairing of any quarter, mounted the walls, or retired into some castle with a resolution to defend themselves to the last, and that the Israelitish army, coming upon them, plied the walls of the castle on every side so warmly with their batteries, that down they came at once; and killing some, wounding others, and making the rest disperse with fear, did all the execution which the text intends. But though the event may thus be accounted for, it is more reasonable to think that God upon this occasion wrought a miracle, and either by some earthquake or sudden storm of wind, overturned this wall upon the Syrians; and, indeed, if any time was proper for his Almighty arm to interpose, it was this, when these blasphemous people had denied his sovereign power and authority in the government of the world, and thereby in some measure obliged him, in vindication of his own honour, to give them a full demonstration of it; to shew that he was the God of the plains as well as of the hills; that he could as effectually destroy them in strong holds as in the open field, and make those very walls wherein they trusted for defence, the instruments of their ruin. See Patrick and Poole.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
1Ki 20:30 But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city; and [there] a wall fell upon twenty and seven thousand of the men [that were] left. And Benhadad fled, and came into the city, into an inner chamber.
Ver. 30. But the rest fled to Aphek. ] See on 1Ki 20:26 . No place can secure a blasphemer from the divine vengeance.
And there a wall fell
Into an inner chamber.
a Jac. Revius.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
inner
Heb. “a chamber in a chamber.” 1Ki 22:25.
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
the rest: Psa 18:25
a wall: Isa 24:18, Jer 48:44, Amo 2:14, Amo 2:15, Amo 5:19, Amo 9:3, Luk 13:4
fled: 1Ki 20:10, 1Ki 20:20, Dan 4:37
into an inner chamber: or, from chamber to chamber, Heb. into a chamber within a chamber. 1Ki 22:25, 2Ch 18:24
Reciprocal: Jos 19:30 – Aphek Jdg 9:40 – he fled before 1Sa 4:1 – Aphek 1Sa 15:8 – Agag 1Sa 29:1 – Aphek 1Sa 30:17 – and there 2Sa 18:8 – General 1Ki 20:26 – Aphek 2Ki 9:2 – inner chamber 2Ki 10:24 – If any of the men Job 1:19 – it fell Job 20:24 – flee from Isa 30:13 – as a breach Eze 21:14 – entereth Amo 3:12 – so shall Luk 15:18 – will arise
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1Ki 20:30. A wall fell upon twenty and seven thousand The wall of the city under which they lay, ready to defend it; or the walls (the singular number being put for the plural, than which nothing is more frequent) of some great castle or fort, in or near the city in which they were now fortifying themselves; or of some part of the city where they lay. This might possibly happen through natural causes; but most probably was effected by the mighty power of God, sending some earthquake, or violent storm, which threw down the walls upon them: and if ever a miracle was to be wrought, now seems to have been the proper season for it; when the blasphemous Syrians denied the sovereign power of God, and thereby in some sort obliged him to give a proof of it; and to show, that he was the God of the plains, as well as of the mountains; and that he could as effectually destroy them in their strongest holds, as in the open fields; and make the very walls, to whose strength they trusted for their defence, to be the instruments of their ruin. But it may be further observed, that it is not said, that all these were killed by the fall of this wall; but only that the wall fell upon them, killing some, and wounding others.