In the spring, Ben-hadad mustered the Syrians and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel.
We have here an account of another successful campaign which Ahab, by divine aid, made against the Syrians, in which he gave them a greater defeat than in the former. Strange! Ahab idolatrous and yet victorious, a persecutor and yet a conqueror! God has wise and holy ends in suffering wicked men to prosper, and glorifies his own name thereby. I.
Commenting on 1 Kings 20:22-30
And it came to pass at the return of the year,.... In the spring, or autumn, as some think; see Gill on Sa2 11:1. that Benhadad numbered the Syrians; took a muster of his army, to see if he had got the number he had before: and went up to Aphek, to fight against Israel; not that in Judah, Jos 15:53, rather that in Asher...
Ben-hadad numbered the Syrians, and went up to Aphek - There were several towns of this name; see the notes on Jos 12:18. It is supposed that the town mentioned here was situated in Libanus, upon the river Adonis, between Heliopolis and Biblos.