12 And it cometh to pass at the hearing of this word—and he is drinking, he and the kings, in the booths—that he saith unto his servants, 'Set yourselves;' and they set themselves against the city. 13 And lo, a certain prophet hath come nigh unto Ahab king of Israel, and saith, 'Thus said Jehovah, 'Hast thou seen all this great multitude? lo, I am giving it into thy hand to-day, and thou hast known that I 'am' Jehovah.' 14 And Ahab saith, 'By whom?' and he saith, 'Thus said Jehovah, By the young men of the heads of the provinces;' and he saith, 'Who doth direct the battle?' and he saith, 'Thou.' 15 And he inspecteth the young men of the heads of the provinces, and they are two hundred, two and thirty, and after them he hath inspecteth the whole of the people, all the sons of Israel, seven thousand, 16 and they go out at noon, and Ben-Hadad is drinking—drunk in the booths, he and the kings, the thirty and two kings, helping him. 17 And the young men of the heads of the provinces go out at the first, and Ben-Hadad sendeth, and they declare to him, saying, 'Men have come out of Samaria.' 18 And he saith, 'If for peace they have come out—catch them alive; and if for battle they have come out—alive catch them.' 19 And these have gone out of the city—the young men of the heads of the provinces—and the force that 'is' after them, 20 and smite each his man, and Aram fleeth, and Israel pursueth them, and Ben-Hadad king of Aram escapeth on a horse, and the horsemen; 21 and the king of Israel goeth out, and smiteth the horses, and the charioteers, and hath smitten among the Aramaeans a great smiting.

Matthew Henry's Commentary on 1 Kings 20:12-21

Commentary on 1 Kings 20:12-21

(Read 1 Kings 20:12-21)

The proud Syrians were beaten, and the despised Israelites were conquerors. The orders of the proud, drunken king disordered his troops, and prevented them from attacking the Israelites. Those that are most secure, are commonly least courageous. Ahab slew the Syrians with a great slaughter. God often makes one wicked man a scourge to another.