Spoils of War

In Ahav's second battle with Aram, God yet again intervenes in a miraculous manner as per the prophet's prediction. Ahav has Ben Haddad cornered, but spares his life for which he is harshly criticized by the prophet and is told that he has forfeited his life. What motivated Ahav's behavior? Was it class solidarity as was Shaul's behavior towards Agag? Was Ahav leveraging his military advantage to accrue huge political, military or financial benefits for the nation at large?  A comparison to the story of Yehoshu'a conquest of Jericho implies that Ahav's motives may not matter. The victory was not his but God's and he had no mandate to sell away any part of the victory for any price.