1 Kings 22:1

Old Testament Historical ASV (1901)

What does 1 Kings 22:1 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And they continued three years without war between Syria and Israel.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And they continued three years without war between Syria and Israel.
1 Kings 22:1 — American Standard Version

Context — 1 Kings 22

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
1And they continued three years without war between Syria and Israel.

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“And they continued three years without war between Syria and Israel.] From the time that Benhadad made a covenant with Ahab; not three full years, but part of them: it was threatened by Elijah from the Lord, that Ahab’s life should go for Benhadad’s, because he had let him, go, (<112242>1 Kings 22:42), but because of his humiliation, as is thought by Ben Gersom and others, it was respited for those three years; and now an opportunity and occasion would be given for the fulfilment of what was threatened.”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“AHAB SLAIN AT RAMOTH-GILEAD. (1Ki. 22:1-36) continued three years without war between Syria and Israel--The disastrous defeat of Ben-hadad had so destroyed his army and exhausted the resources of his country, that, however eager, he was unable to recommence active hostilities against Israel. But that his hereditary enmity remained unsubdued, was manifest by his breach of faith concerning the treaty by which he had engaged to restore all the cities which his father had seized (Kg1 20:34).”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“Three years - These must be counted from the close of the second campaign of Ben-hadad 1 Kings 20:34. They were not full years, as is evident from the next verse. Probably the first year is that of Ben-hadad’s dismissal after his defeat; the second is a year of actual peace; while the third is that in which Jehoshaphat paid his visit, and the Ramoth-Gilead expedition took place. The pause, here noticed, in the war between Israel and Syria was perhaps the result of a common danger. It was probably in the year following Ben-hadad’s dismissal by Ahab, that the first great Assyrian expedition took place into these parts. Shalmaneser II relates that on his first invasion of southern Syria, he was…”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“22:1 three years . . . no war: During this time, the repeated westward thrusts of the Assyrian king Shalmaneser III (858–824 BC) led to the Battle of Qarqar (853 BC). Shalmaneser’s records mention that he faced both Hadadezer (Ben-hadad) and Ahab at that battle. With the Assyrian king temporarily thwarted, old enmities between Aram and Israel flared up again.”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“am 3104-3107, bc 900-897, Kg1 20:34 3 Kings (1 Kings) 22:2”
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Keil & Delitzsch
C. F. Keil & F. Delitzsch · Commentary on the Old Testament · 19th-century historical commentary
“Allied Campaign of Ahab and Jehoshaphat against the Syrians at Ramoth, and Death of Ahab (compare 2 Chron 18:2-34). - Kg1 22:1. "And they rested three years; there was no war between Aram and Israel," ישׁב here is to keep quiet, to undertake nothing, as in Jdg 5:17, etc. The subject to ויּשׁבוּ is Aram and Israel mentioned in the second clause. The length of time given here points back to the end of the war described in 1 Kings 20. Kg1 22:2-4 In the third year (not necessarily "towards the end of it," as Thenius supposes, for Jehoshaphat's visit preceded the renewal of the war) Jehoshaphat visited the king of Israel, with whom he had already formed a marriage alliance by marrying his son to…”
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Related study paths

Sources and verification