The servants of the king of Syria said to him, “Their god is a god of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we. But let’s fight against them in the plain, and surely we will be stronger than they.
ExplanationCommentary
Verse 23. Hills. All the high places of Israel were covered with idols. Samaria, Bethel, Dan, and so forth were built on eminences. Menochius.—Altars had also been erected to the true God on the most famous mountains. The law had been given at Sinai, and promulgated at Garizim. The late miracle at Carmel was known to all. Hence the pagans, ( Calmet.) conformably to their notions of assigning different parts of the creation to different gods, suspected that the god of Israel might preside only over the mountains. Bible.—People are always ready to blame any but themselves. Calmet.—They lay the fault on fortune, and so forth Tirinus.—The pride of Benadad could not bear to be told that his own temerity had brought on the defeat. Bible.