What does it mean that God is the God of the hills and valleys (1 Kings 20:28)?

Answer

The phrase “God is the God of the hills and valleys” originates from the account of two battles in the book of 1 Kings. Essentially, it means that God’s supreme power is not restricted to any specific location or domain of influence. The Almighty God governs and holds authority over every place on earth—every hill, every valley.

In ancient pagan societies, it was customary to assign each god or goddess a specific realm or sphere of influence on earth. For instance, Baal was considered the god of fertility and weather. The deity Baal Peor was a local god whose influence appeared to be limited to a particular geographical area. Various gods were associated with the forests, crops, mountains, seas, and rivers. Within this cultural context, monotheism was exceptional, and the concept of a single god being supreme in all domains was unprecedented.

The narrative in 1 Kings 20 begins with King Ben-Hadad of Aram launching an attack on the city of Samaria in Israel. Ben-Hadad demands that King Ahab surrender his riches, wives, and children. Initially, Ahab agrees, but when Ben-Hadad insists on also taking anything his servants desire, Ahab refuses. This refusal angers Ben-Hadad, who threatens to utterly destroy the city to the extent that not even enough dust would be left for his soldiers to gather.

An unnamed prophet informs Ahab that God will give Israel victory so that “you will know that I am the LORD” «And, behold, there came a prophet unto Ahab king of Israel, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou seen all this great multitude? behold, I will deliver it into thine hand this day; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD. », (1 Kings 20:13). In this scenario, King Ahab follows God’s instructions. As promised by God, the Arameans are driven back, and the siege is brought to an end.

Because Samaria is in the hill country of Israel, the Arameans mistakenly believe that the God of Israel is only the god of the hills and not of the valleys or anywhere else. Thinking Israel’s ability to triumph was limited to higher terrain, they regroup and begin to strengthen their forces for an attack on the lower plains.

Once more, the anonymous prophet warns King Ahab that Ben-Hadad’s army will strike again in the spring: “This is what the LORD says: ‘Because the Arameans think the LORD is a god of the hills and not a god of the valleys, I will deliver this vast army into your hands, and you will know that I am the LORD’” «And there came a man of God, and spoke unto the king of Israel, and said, Thus saith the LORD, Because the Syrians have said, The LORD is God of the hills, but he is not God of the valleys, therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shall know that I am the LORD. », (1 Kings 20:28).

Not only did the Arameans discover that Israel’s sovereign God knows no limitations, but Ahab and all of Israel did as well. The one true God proved that He rules everywhere. Ben-Hadad’s forces were defeated so thoroughly in the second battle at Aphek that the king surrendered to Ahab while pleading for his life to be spared.

God gave Israel victory both at Samaria in the hills and at Aphek in the valleys to show that, unlike the ineffective and finite gods of Canaan, God is sovereign over all territories and regions. It is a mistake to think of God as only a “hill god” or a “valley god.” He is the God of both the hills and the valleys. In fact, He is the all-powerful, infinite Ruler of the whole earth. “The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it” «The earth is the LORD’s, and the fulness thereof; The world, and they that dwell therein. », (Psalm 24:1).

The phrase “God of the hills and valleys” gained popularity through the 2017 song “Hills and Valleys” by Tauren Wells.