1 Kings 20:7

7 Then Israel's king called all the elders of the land and he said, "Please know and understand the evil this man wants to do! He demanded from me my wives and sons, and my silver and gold; and I didn't refuse him."

1 Kings 20:7 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 20:7

Then the King of Israel called all the elders of the land
His poor sneaking spirit was a little aroused with the last message, and therefore called a council of the elders of the people upon it, which was a piece of wisdom in him:

and said, mark, I pray you, and see how this man seeketh mischief;
nothing less than the entire ruin of the nation:

for he sent unto me for my wives, and for my children, and for my
silver, and for my gold, and I denied him not;
in the sense he understood him, which was, that he was to be a vassal, and tributary to him, for the sake of holding these, which yet was very mean; but he wanted to have these in hand, and not them only, but the pillaging of all his subjects.

1 Kings 20:7 In-Context

5 The messengers came back again: "This is what Ben-hadad says: ‘I sent you the message: Give me your silver and gold, your wives and your sons.

6 However, at this time tomorrow I will send my officers to you, and they will search your palace and the houses of your officers. Everything that you find valuable they will seize and take away.'"

7 Then Israel's king called all the elders of the land and he said, "Please know and understand the evil this man wants to do! He demanded from me my wives and sons, and my silver and gold; and I didn't refuse him."

8 All of the elders and the people said to him, "Don't obey and don't give in!"

9 So the king said to Ben-hadad's messengers, "Say to my master the king: ‘Everything that you first ordered your servant, I will do. But I can't comply with this new command.'" The messengers took this response to Ben-hadad,