Albert Barnes Commentary 1 Kings 20:15

"Then he mustered the young men of the princes of the provinces, and they were two hundred and thirty-two: and after them he mustered all the people, even all the children of Israel, being seven thousand." — 1 Kings 20:15 (ASV)

Seven thousand - Considering how populous Palestine was in the time of the earlier Israelite kings (see 2 Chronicles 13:3; 2 Chronicles 14:8; 2 Chronicles 17:14–18), the smallness of this number is somewhat surprising. If the reading is sound, we must suppose, first, that Ben-hadad’s attack was very sudden and that Ahab had no time to collect forces from distant parts of the country. Secondly, we must suppose that during the long siege, the garrison of Samaria had been greatly reduced until it now did not exceed 7,000 men fit for service.