Bible Strands
2 Kings 6:24
Some time later, Ben-hadad king of Aram assembled his entire army and marched up to besiege Samaria.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrative records Ben-hadad king of Aram mobilizing his forces against Samaria, occurring after a temporary cessation of hostilities following the Israelite king's feast for the Aramean raiders. This action follows the raiders' return to their master and precedes the severe famine that will strike the city.
The words — The Hebrew phrase וַֽ/יְהִי אַחֲרֵי־ כֵן (va/y.Hi 'a.cha.rei- Khen) literally renders "and it was after thus," functioning as a chronological marker. The verb וַ/יִּקְבֹּ֛ץ (va/i.yik.Botz) means "and he gathered," describing the king's act of assembling his entire army.
The thread — This mobilization directly parallels the initial Aramean campaign in 1 Kings 20:1 and anticipates the siege conditions detailed in Deuteronomy 28:52. The narrative also aligns with the specific Aramean military orders recorded in 1 Kings 22:31.
Why it lands — The text requires the reader to note that diplomatic pauses do not eliminate strategic threats and that military actions resume on their own timeline. It asks the reader to track how repeated historical conflicts fulfill earlier covenant warnings without adding moral commentary.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And it came to pass after this, that Ben–hadad king of Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria.
Cross-references
- 1 Kings 20:1 Now Ben-hadad king of Aram assembled his entire army. Accompanied by thirty-two kings with their horses and chariots, he marched up, besieged Samaria, and waged war against it.
- Deuteronomy 28:52 They will besiege all the cities throughout your land, until the high and fortified walls in which you trust have fallen. They will besiege all your cities throughout the land that the LORD your God has given you.
- 1 Kings 22:31 Now the king of Aram had ordered his thirty-two chariot commanders, “Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel.”
- 2 Kings 17:5 Then the king of Assyria invaded the whole land, marched up to Samaria, and besieged it for three years.
- Ecclesiastes 9:14 There was a small city with few men. A mighty king came against it, surrounded it, and built large siege ramps against it.
- 2 Kings 18:9 In the fourth year of Hezekiah’s reign, which was the seventh year of the reign of Hoshea son of Elah over Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria marched against Samaria and besieged it.
- 2 Kings 25:1 So in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his entire army. They encamped outside the city and built a siege wall all around it.