Thy silver and thy gold is mine; thy wives also and thy children, even the goodliest, are mine.
Thy silver and thy gold is mine. The claim to the treasure is easily understood. Not so that made for the wives and children, and therefore it must be noticed, that he who obtained possession of the family of a king was considered in the East as possessing a title to be his legitimate successor, or feudal suzerain, (see the notes at 1 Kings 11:1-43.) To this message sent him during the siege, Ahab returned a tame and submissive answer, probably thinking it meant no more than an exaction of tribute. But the demand was repeated with greater insolence, and yet, from the abject character of Ahab, there is reason to believe he would have yielded to this arrogant claim also, had not the voice of his subjects been raised against it. Ben-hadad's object in these and other boastful menaces was to intimidate Ahab. But the weak sovereign began to show a little more spirit, as appears in his abandoning "my lord the king," for the single "tell him." and giving him a dry but sarcastic hint to glory no more until the victory is won.