Commentators note this battle at Ramoth-gilead was a direct echo of a previous one. Fourteen years earlier, the fathers of these two kings (Ahab and Jehoshaphat) fought and failed at the same location, resulting in Ahab's death. This second attempt by their sons, Joram and Ahaziah, shows the persistence of this territorial conflict. Unlike the first attempt, this one was ultimately successful in capturing the city.