Biblical Hebrew Forum

[K Randolph <kwrandolph AT gmail.com>]

Every time I read this, I have been puzzled by the identity of these BN(RY
%RY HMDYNWT בנערי שרי המדינות, who were they? Why was Ben Hadad so
solicitous towards them that he did not want them killed in battle? So
solicitous that it garnered his own defeat?

I recently read in another source that these probably were the garrison of
Egyptian soldiers stationed in Samaria to keep the peace, during the Tel
Amarna period, and while Ben Hadad dared attack his neighbors, he wasn’t
ready to take on the might of Egypt. Therefore, he had to take that garrison
alive so as not to incite the wrath of Egypt.

Well, the Egyptians came out swinging, and Ben Hadad’s army melted before
them, so the 132 of them, backed up by 7000 Israelites, were able to put a
massive army to flight.

Karl W. Randolph.