1 Kings 20:15

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.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(15) The young men—i.e., the attendants or armour-bearers of the territorial chiefs, no doubt picked men and well armed. The whole garrison is stated as seven thousand—enough, 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.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

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-hadad’s 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.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

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.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

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.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Then he numbered or reviewed (cf. Num_1:44 sqq.; 3:39-43) the young men of the princes of the provinces, and they were two hundred and thirty-two cf. 2Ch_14:11; Psalm ia Deu_32:30, etc. LXX diako triakonta. Theodoret remarks that by this band 230, as he understood it Almighty God would destroy the hosts of thirty and two kings. The numbers may have been recorded because of the correspondency: and after them he numbered all the people, even all the children of Israel, being seven thousand. This number is of course to be understood, unlike that of ch. 19:18, literally. And the context (cf. ver. 19) shows that this was the number of fighting men. But this small army can hardly fail to create surprise, especially if we compare it with the statistics of the soldiery of an earlier age (2Sa_24:9; 1Ch_21:5; 2Ch_13:3 2Ch_14:8) It is true this was not strictly an army, but a garrison for the defence of the capital. But it looks very much as if, under the feeble rule of Ahab, the kingdom of Israel had become thoroughly disorganized. "The position of Jarchi is that of a true Rabbi, viz., that the 7000 were those who had not bowed the knee unto Baal," (1Ki_19:18) Bahr.

The young men were two hundred and thirty-two. " "Not by might nor by power. God"s host is ever a little flock (cf. Jud 7:2-7; 2Ch_20:12; 1Co_1:27-29) The "weak things" were chosen then, as subsequently, "that no flesh should glory in his presence." God never departs from that rule. The "carpenter"s son," the "fishermen," the "unlearned and ignorant men it is the same principle underlies His choice in every case.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

All Israel - All that were fit to go out to war; all, except those whom their age, or the same infirmity excused.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

Seven thousand. I say that they are the ones about whom it is stated, “All those whose knees did not bend to the Baal,” were seven thousand.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.