מלכים א, פרק כ׳, פסוק כ״ה

Following a severe defeat in battle, a military leader must often rethink his approach to war. Ben-Hadad's advisors step forward with a new strategy centered on restoring their military strength and shifting the physical location of the battlefield.

The primary approach among commentators is that these advisors do not suggest a massive expansion of the military. Instead, they recommend building a replacement army that is exactly identical in size to the forces lost in the previous campaign. They emphasize that there is no need to gather more soldiers, horses, or chariots than they originally had. Simply returning the troop count to its prior numbers will be entirely sufficient.

Alongside this military restoration, the advisors express absolute certainty in a future victory, provided they fight on flat terrain. They issue a bold challenge and a clear declaration of confidence, asserting that they will undoubtedly prove stronger than their enemies under these new conditions [רש״י, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Convinced by this strategic shift, Ben-Hadad accepts the advice. He reorganizes his army into a renewed structure, tightens his political control over the country, and actively prepares for the upcoming military campaign [ביאור שטיינזלץ].