Dan Harvey
Hi Dave. Here are my thoughts, as best as I could figure out on short notice. I’m using the ESV translation for these comments.
In 1 Kings 20, Samaria is under siege.
Verse 1 indicates that Ben Hadad closed in on Samaria. I don’t think it was a full blown siege.
Yet all three groups who should have been out of town weren’t out of town.
Verse 7 says that Ahab called the elders of the land, verse 8 indicates that they told Ahab to not submit. 1 Kings doesn’t say they keft, but I assume they did. I also assume that when they did they mobilized the 7000 to be ready to fight…
“The junior officers under the provincial commanders will do it.” (1 Kings 20:14)
The ESV indicates that they were servants of the governors, not junior officers.
Why were they in the capital instead of out serving the commanders in the provinces?
It would make sense for the governors to have servants in the city.
And while you’re in that chapter, why were the elders in town instead of out in their tribes?
They were called in in verse 7.
And how did Ahab have 7,000 troops available? He couldn’t afford to keep a standing army paid and fed. He relied on a national guard of farmers and shopkeepers. Yet in this story he has 7k troops with him.
I would assume that Ahab left the city with his small band of troops. When the 7000 saw he was ready to fight, they joined in. Ahab saw his opportunity when he was informed (I’m assuming that he had spies available) that Ben Hadad and crew were drunk. Ben Hadad got over confident.
Well, that’s my take on it. Bible stories always leave out details, so we have to speculate a bit.
On Tue, Jan 25, 2022 at 12:19 PM David Parks <profparks@gmail.com> wrote:
Wonderful.
Thanks!
Dave
Elijah and Friends
On Tue, Jan 25, 2022 at 2:06 PM Dan Harvey <HarveyD@sou.edu> wrote:
I’ll take a look at 1 Ki 20 today or tomorrow and see what I can come up with.
On Tue, Jan 25, 2022 at 11:56 AM David Parks <profparks@gmail.com> wrote:
I think the crown idea makes sense.
Another British spelling is amidst vs. amid (USA). These things make little difference and probably catch now one’s eye but mine.
Question for you about a problem I’m having with the next novel.
In 1 Kings 20, Samaria is under siege.
Yet all three groups who should have been out of town weren’t out of town.
“The junior officers under the provincial commanders will do it.” (1 Kings 20:14)
Why were they in the capital instead of out serving the commanders in the provinces?
And while you’re in that chapter, why were the elders in town instead of out in their tribes?
And how did Ahab have 7,000 troops available? He couldn’t afford to keep a standing army paid and fed. He relied on a national guard of farmers and shopkeepers. Yet in this story he has 7k troops with him.
I’d be interested to see any and all ideas you might have about this.
Cheer!
Dave
