244 BATTLES OF THE BIBLE.

punished ; for these two hundred and thirty-two young
men committed such havock among the Syrians, that the
king, who could threaten better than he could fight, was
glad to get on a horse and escape. Then the king of
Israel, with the fighting men that had been in Samaria,
seven thousand in number, came and completed the
slaughter of the Syrian host. The victory was no
sooner gained than the prophet who had foretold it
came again to Ahab, warning him to be prepared for
battle, for at the end of the year he might expect an-
other invasion from the king of Syria.

Johnnie. I would have thought they would have been
afraid to go back again when they had been beaten be-
fore by so few men.

Grandfather. They thought that their defeat the for-
mer time was owing to their not having chosen their
ground wisely.

Johnnie. How not chosen their ground wisely ?

Grandfather. Because they had fought in a hill coun-
try and been defeated, they believed that the Israelites
worshipped gods of the hills; “but let us fight against
them in the plain,” the people of Syria said, “ and surely
we shall be stronger than they.” The ignorant people
had no knowledge of a God who is everywhere present.
Thus confident of victory, they prepared an army as
numerous as their former one, and marched to Aphek, a
city in the tribe of Asher. The Israelites went there to
meet them. There was a great contrast between the
two armies: the children of Israel, we are told, were