And all the elders and all the people said unto him, Hearken not unto him, nor consent.
The verse belongs to the history of the divided kingdoms of Judah and Israel covering about eighty years from the revolt of the ten tribes to the death of Jehoshaphat, embracing the reigns of several kings of both kingdoms, in which the plundering of the temple and palace treasures as punishment for idolatry and the extraordinary ministry of Elijah stand out. It is part of the account of Ben-hadad's wars against Ahab and Israel and of his defeat. That account includes his first siege of Samaria, his retreat after a sortie by Israel, and a later defeat in which 100,000 Syrian foot soldiers fell and Ben-hadad surrendered.
In that attack a prophet warned and reproved Ahab, and although the Syrian king boasted against Israel's God, God gave Israel a great victory to show Ahab that it came from Jehovah. That victory was another effort to win the weak Ahab. The verse stands in a sad historical record that is full of important lessons. Among them is that leaders strongly shape the people, so that when leaders fail to lead rightly the people fail also.
The verse belongs to the history of the divided kingdoms of Judah and Israel covering about eighty years from the revolt of the ten tribes to the death of Jehoshaphat, embracing the reigns of several kings of both kingdoms, in which the plundering of the temple and palace treasures as punishment for idolatry and the extraordinary ministry of Elijah stand out. It is part of the account of Ben-hadad's wars against Ahab and Israel and of his defeat. That account includes his first siege of Samaria, his retreat after a sortie by Israel, and a later defeat in which 100,000 Syrian foot soldiers fell and Ben-hadad surrendered.
In that attack a prophet warned and reproved Ahab, and although the Syrian king boasted against Israel's God, God gave Israel a great victory to show Ahab that it came from Jehovah. That victory was another effort to win the weak Ahab. The verse stands in a sad historical record that is full of important lessons. Among them is that leaders strongly shape the people, so that when leaders fail to lead rightly the people fail also.