1 Kings 20

ENGWEBEnglish43 verses

1Ben Hadad the king of Syria gathered all his army together; and there were thirty-two kings with him, and horses and chariots: and he went up and besieged Samaria, and fought against it.

2He sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel, into the city, and said to him, “Thus says Ben Hadad,

3‘Your silver and your gold is mine. Your wives also and your children, even the best, are mine.’”

4The king of Israel answered, “It is according to your saying, my lord, O king. I am yours, and all that I have.”

5The messengers came again, and said, “Ben Hadad says, ‘I sent indeed to you, saying, “You shall deliver me your silver, and your gold, and your wives, and your children;

6but I will send my servants to you tomorrow about this time, and they shall search your house, and the houses of your servants; and it shall be, that whatever is pleasant in your eyes, they shall put it in their hand, and take it away.”’”

7Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said, “Please notice how this man seeks mischief; for he sent to me for my wives, and for my children, and for my silver, and for my gold; and I didn’t deny him.”

8All the elders and all the people said to him, “Don’t listen, neither consent.”

9Therefore he said to the messengers of Ben Hadad, “Tell my lord the king, ‘All that you sent for to your servant at the first I will do; but this thing I cannot do.’” The messengers departed, and brought him back the message.

10Ben Hadad sent to him, and said, “The gods do so to me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people who follow me.”

11The king of Israel answered, “Tell him, ‘Don’t let him who puts on his armor brag like he who takes it off.’”

12When Ben Hadad heard this message, as he was drinking, he and the kings, in the pavilions, he said to his servants, “Prepare to attack!” They prepared to attack the city.

13Behold, a prophet came near to Ahab king of Israel, and said, “Yahweh says, ‘Have you seen all this great multitude? Behold, I will deliver it into your hand this day; and you shall know that I am Yahweh.’”

14Ahab said, “By whom?” He said, “Yahweh says, ‘By the young men of the princes of the provinces.’” Then he said, “Who shall begin the battle?” He answered, “You.”

15Then he mustered the young men of the princes of the provinces, and they were two hundred and thirty-two. After them, he mustered all the people, even all the children of Israel, being seven thousand.

16They went out at noon. But Ben Hadad was drinking himself drunk in the pavilions, he and the kings, the thirty-two kings who helped him.

17The young men of the princes of the provinces went out first; and Ben Hadad sent out, and they told him, saying, “Men are coming out from Samaria.”

18He said, “If they have come out for peace, take them alive; or if they have come out for war, take them alive.”

19So these went out of the city, the young men of the princes of the provinces, and the army which followed them.

20They each killed his man. The Syrians fled, and Israel pursued them. Ben Hadad the king of Syria escaped on a horse with horsemen.

21The king of Israel went out, and struck the horses and chariots, and killed the Syrians with a great slaughter.

22The prophet came near to the king of Israel, and said to him, “Go, strengthen yourself, and mark, and see what you do; for at the return of the year the king of Syria will come up against you.”

23The servants of the king of Syria said to him, “Their god is a god of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we. But let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they.

24Do this thing: take the kings away, every man out of his place, and put captains in their place.

25Muster an army, like the army that you have lost, horse for horse, and chariot for chariot. We will fight against them in the plain, and surely we will be stronger than them.” He listened to their voice, and did so.

26At the return of the year, Ben Hadad mustered the Syrians, and went up to Aphek, to fight against Israel.

27The children of Israel were mustered, and were provisioned, and went against them. The children of Israel encamped before them like two little flocks of young goats; but the Syrians filled the country.

28A man of God came near and spoke to the king of Israel, and said, “Yahweh says, ‘Because the Syrians have said, “Yahweh is a god of the hills, but he is not a god of the valleys”; therefore I will deliver all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am Yahweh.’”

29They encamped one over against the other seven days. So it was, that in the seventh day the battle was joined; and the children of Israel killed one hundred thousand footmen of the Syrians in one day.

30But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city; and the wall fell on twenty-seven thousand men who were left. Ben Hadad fled, and came into the city, into an inner room.

31His servants said to him, “See now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings. Please let us put sackcloth on our bodies, and ropes on our heads, and go out to the king of Israel. Maybe he will save your life.”

32So they put sackcloth on their bodies and ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, “Your servant Ben Hadad says, ‘Please let me live.’” He said, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”

33Now the men observed diligently, and hurried to take this phrase; and they said, “Your brother Ben Hadad.” Then he said, “Go, bring him.” Then Ben Hadad came out to him; and he caused him to come up into the chariot.

34Ben Hadad said to him, “The cities which my father took from your father I will restore. You shall make streets for yourself in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria.” “I”, said Ahab, “will let you go with this covenant.” So he made a covenant with him, and let him go.

35A certain man of the sons of the prophets said to his fellow by Yahweh’s word, “Please strike me!” The man refused to strike him.

36Then he said to him, “Because you have not obeyed the voice of Yahweh, behold, as soon as you are departed from me, a lion shall kill you.” As soon as he was departed from him, a lion found him, and killed him.

37Then he found another man, and said, “Please strike me.” The man struck him, smiting and wounding him.

38So the prophet departed, and waited for the king by the way, and disguised himself with his headband over his eyes.

39As the king passed by, he cried to the king; and he said, “Your servant went out into the middle of the battle; and behold, a man turned aside, and brought a man to me, and said, ‘Guard this man! If by any means he be missing, then your life shall be for his life, or else you shall pay a talent of silver.’

40As your servant was busy here and there, he was gone.” The king of Israel said to him, “So your judgment shall be; you yourself have decided it.”

41He hurried, and took the headband away from his eyes; and the king of Israel recognized that he was of the prophets.

42He said to him, “Yahweh says, ‘Because you have let go out of your hand the man whom I had devoted to destruction, therefore your life shall go for his life, and your people for his people.’”

43The king of Israel went to his house sullen and angry, and came to Samaria.

Commentary

20:1-11 Benhadad sent Ahab a very insolent demand. Ahab sent a very disgraceful submission; sin brings men into such straits, by putting them out of the Divine protection. If God do not rule us, our enemies shall: guilt dispirits men, and makes them cowards. Ahab became desperate. Men will part with their most pleasant things, those they most love, to save their lives; yet they lose their souls rather than part with any pleasure or interest to prevent it. Here is one of the wisest sayings that ever Ahab spake, and it is a good lesson to all. It is folly to boast of any day to come, since we know not what it may bring forth. Apply it to our spiritual conflicts. Peter fell by self-confidence. Happy is the man who is never off his watch.

Chapter 20 This chapter is the history of a war between Ben-hadad king of Syria and Ahab king of Israel, in which Ahab was, once and again, victorious. We read nothing of Elijah or Elishain all this story; Jezebel’s rage, it is probable, had abated, and the persecution of the prophets began to cool, which gleam of peace Elijah improved. He appeared not at court, but, being told how many thousands of good people there were in Israel more than he thought of, employed himself, as we may suppose, in founding religious houses, schools, or colleges of prophets, in several parts of the country, to be nurseries of religion, that they might help to reform the nation when the throne and court would not be reformed. While he was thus busied, God favoured the nation with the successes we here read of, which were the more remarkable because obtained against Ben-hadad king of Syria, whose successor, Hazael, was ordained to be a scourge to Israel. They must shortly suffer by the Syrians, and yet now triumphed over them, that, if possible, they might be led to repentance by the goodness of God. Here is, I. Ben-hadad’s descent upon Israel, and his insolent demand (v. 1–11). II. The defeat Ahab gave him, encouraged and directed by a prophet (v. 12–21). III. The Syrians rallying again, and the second defeat Ahab gave them (v. 22–30). IV. The covenant of peace Ahab made with Ben-hadad, when he had him at his mercy (v. 31–34), for which he is reproved and threatened by a prophet (v. 35–43).Verses 1-11 Here is, I. The threatening descent which Ben-hadad made upon Ahab’s kingdom, and the siege he laid to Samaria, his royal city, v. 1. What the ground of the quarrel was we are not told; covetousness and ambition were the principle, which would never want some pretence or other. David in his time had quite subdued the Syrians and made them tributaries to Israel, but Israel’s apostasy from God makes them formidable again. Asa had tempted the Syrians to invade Israel once (ch. 15:18–20), and now they did it of their own accord. It is dangerous bringing a foreign force into the country: posterity may pay dearly for it. Ben-hadad had with him thirty-two kings, who were either tributaries to him, and bound in duty to attend him, or confederates with him, and bound in interest to assist him. How little did the title of king look when all these poor petty governors pretended to it!II. The treaty between these two kings. Surely Israel’s defence had departed from them, or else the Syrians could not have marched so readily, and with so little opposition, to Samaria, the head and heart of the country, a city lately built, and therefore, we may suppose, not well fortified, but likely to fall quickly into the hands of the invaders; both sides are aware of this, and therefore,1. Ben-hadad’s proud spirit sends Ahab a very insolent demand, v. 2, 3. A parley is sounded, and a trumpeter (we may suppose) is sent into the city, to let Ahab know that he will raise the siege upon condition that Ahab become his vassal (Nay, his villain), and not only pay him a tribute out of what he has, but make over his title to Ben-hadad, and hold all at his will, even his wives and children, the godliest of them. The manner of expression is designed to gall them; "All shall be mine, without exception."2. Ahab’s poor spirit sends Ben-hadad a very disgraceful submission. It is general indeed (he cannot mention particulars in his surrender with so much pleasure as Ben-hadad did in his demand), but it is effectual: I am thine, and all that I have, v. 4. See the effect of sin. (1.) If he had not by sin provoked God to depart from him, Ben-hadad could not have made such a demand. Sin brings men into such straits, by putting them out of divine protection. If God may not rule us, our enemies shall. A rebel to God is a slave to all besides. Ahab had prepared his silver and gold for Baal, Hos. 2:8. Justly therefore is it taken from him; such an alienating amounts to a forfeiture. (2.) If he had not by sin wronged his own conscience, and set that against him, he could not have made such a mean surrender. Guilt dispirits men, and makes them cowards. He knew Baal could not help, and had no reason to think that God would, and therefore was content to buy his life upon any terms. Skin for skin, and all that is dear to him, he will give for it; he will rather live a beggar than not die a prince.3. Ben-hadad’s proud spirit rises upon his submission, and becomes yet more insolent and imperious, v. 5, 6. Ahab had laid his all at his feet, at his mercy, expecting that one king would use another generously, that this acknowledgment of Ben-hadad’s sovereignty would content him, the honour was sufficient for the present, and he might hereafter make use of it if he saw cause (Satis est prostrasse leoni—It suffices the lion to have laid his victim prostrate); but this will not serve. (1.) Ben-hadad is as covetous as he is proud, and cannot go away unless he have the possession as well as the dominion. He thinks it not enough to call it his, unless he have it in his hands. He will not so much as lend Ahab the use of his own goods above a day longer. (2.) He is as spiteful as he is haughty.

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Translations8 · 5

AMHEVG የሶርያም ንጉሥ ወልደ አዴር ጭፍራውን ሁሉ ሰበሰበ፤ ከእርሱም ጋር ሠላሳ ሁለት ነገሥት ነበሩ፥ ፈረሶችና ሰረገሎችም ነበሩ፤ ወጥቶም ሰማርያን ከበበ፥ ወጋትም። አማርኛ ENGNIV Now Ben-Hadad king of Aram mustered his entire army. Accompanied by thirty-two kings with their horses and chariots, he… English BCV ወልደ ኣዴር ንጉስ ሶርያ ድማ ዅሉ ሰራዊቱ ኣኽተተ። ሰላሳን ክልተን ነገስታት ምስ ኣፍራሶምን ሰረገላታቶምን ከዓ ምስኡ ነበሩ። ደዪቡ ድማ ንሰማርያ ኸቢቡ ተዋግኣ። ትግርኛ GAZBIB Ben-Hadaad mootiin Sooriyaa loltoota isaa hundumaa walitti in qabate; kana birattis mootota soddomii lama abboota farde… Afaan Oromoo BCV GIZ ወአስተጋብአ ወልደ አዴር ኵሎ ኀይሎ ወዓርገ ወዐገታ ለሰማርያ ወነበረ ይሰቀቦሙ ወሀለዉ ምስሌሁ ፴ወ፪ነገሥት ወኵሉ አፍራሲሆሙ ወሰረገላቲሆሙ ወዐርጉ ወዐገትዋ ለሰማርያ ወቀተልዋ። giz GAZGAZ Ben-Hadaad mootiin Sooriyaa loltoota isaa hundumaa walitti in qabate; kana birattis mootota soddomii lama abboota farde… Afaan Oromoo BCV aksum ወልደ ኣዴር ንጉስ ሶርያ ድማ ዅሉ ሰራዊቱ ኣኽተተ። ሰላሳን ክልተን ነገስታት ምስ ኣፍራሶምን ሰረገላታቶምን ከዓ ምስኡ ነበሩ። ደዪቡ ድማ ንሰማርያ ኸቢቡ ተዋግኣ። ትግርኛ AMHNIV በዚህ ጊዜ የሶርያ ንጉሥ ቤን ሀዳድ መላ ሰራዊቱን በአንድነት አሰባሰበ፤ ከእርሱም ጋር ሠላሳ ሁለት ነገሥታት ከነፈረሶቻቸውና ከነሠረገሎቻቸው አብረውት ነበሩ፤ ወጥቶም ሰማርያን ከቦ ወጋት። አማርኛ