1 Kings 20:26-36

Another Aramean War

26 ¹At the turn of the year, Ben-hadad mustered the Arameans and went up to ²Aphek to fight against Israel.

27 The sons of Israel were mustered and were provisioned and went to meet them; and the sons of Israel camped before them like two little flocks of goats, ³but the Arameans filled the country.

28 Then ⁴a man of God came near and spoke to the king of Israel and said, "Thus says the LORD, 'Because * the Arameans have said, "⁵The LORD is a god of the mountains, but He is not a god of the valleys," therefore ⁶I will give all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am the LORD.' "

29 So they camped one over against the other seven days. And on the seventh day the battle was joined, and the sons of Israel killed of the Arameans 100,000 * foot soldiers in one day.

30 But the rest fled to ⁷Aphek into the city, and the wall fell on 27,000 * * men who were left. And Ben-hadad fled and came into the city ⁸into an inner chamber.

31 ⁹His servants said to him, "Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings, please let us ¹⁰put sackcloth on our loins and ropes on our heads, and go out to the king of Israel; perhaps he will save your life."

32 So ¹¹they girded sackcloth on their loins and put ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel and said, "¹²Your servant Ben-hadad says, 'Please let me live.' " And he said, "Is he still alive? He is my brother."

33 Now the men took this as an omen, and quickly catching his word said, "Your brother Ben-hadad." Then he said, "Go, bring him." Then Ben-hadad came out to him, and he took him up into the chariot.

34 Ben-hadad said to him, "¹³The cities which my father took from your father I will restore, and you shall make streets for yourself in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria." Ahab said, "And I will let you go with this covenant." So he made a covenant with him and let him go.

35 Now a certain man of ¹⁴the sons of the prophets said to another ¹⁵by the word of the LORD, "Please strike me." But the man refused to strike him.

36 Then he said to him, "Because * you have not listened to the voice of the LORD, behold, as soon as you have departed from me, ¹⁶a lion will kill you." And as soon as he had departed from him a lion found him and killed him.

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1 Kings 20:26-36 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 KINGS 20

This chapter relates the siege of Samaria by the king of Syria, and his insolent demand of Ahab's wives, children, and riches, 1Ki 20:1-12, the sally made out upon him, at the direction of the prophet, and the route made of the Syrian army, 1Ki 20:13-21, the return of the Syrian army the next year, when there was a pitched battle between them and Israel, in which the former were entirely defeated, 1Ki 20:22-30, the peace Ahab made with the king of Syria, 1Ki 20:31-34, and the reproof one of the sons of the prophets gave him for it, which made him very uneasy, 1Ki 20:35-43.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 16

1. 1 Kings 20:22
2. 2 Kings 13:17
3. Judges 6:3-5; 1 Samuel 13:5-8
4. 1 Kings 17:18
5. 1 Kings 20:23
6. 1 Kings 20:13
7. 1 Kings 20:26
8. 1 Kings 22:25; 2 Chronicles 18:24
9. 1 Kings 20:23-26
10. Genesis 37:34; 2 Samuel 3:31
11. 1 Kings 20:31
12. 1 Kings 20:3-6
13. 1 Kings 15:20
14. 2 Kings 2:3-7
15. 1 Kings 13:17, 18
16. 1 Kings 13:24

Footnotes 8

[a]. Lit "smote"
[b]. Lit "soul"
[c]. Lit "divined"
[d]. Lit "caught from him"
[e]. Lit "caused him to come up"
[f]. Lit "his neighbor"
[g]. Lit "smite"
[h]. Lit "smote"