1 Kings 20:40

40 It happened that your servant {was busy here and there}, and he {disappeared}." Then the king said to him, "Your own judgment has been determined."

1 Kings 20:40 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 20:40

And as thy servant was busy here and there, he was gone
Employed in one thing or another relative to the battle, his prisoner committed to his care made his escape:

and the king of Israel said unto him, so shall thy judgment be, thyself
hast decided it;
the sentence was plain and open against him, that either he must die or pay the money, for he himself had agreed to it.

1 Kings 20:40 In-Context

38 Then the prophet went and {waited} for the king along the road and disguised himself with a headband over his eyes.

39 As the king [was] passing by, he called to the king and said, "Your servant went out in the thick of the battle, and suddenly a man turned and brought a man to me and said, 'Guard this man. If by any means he should be missed, it will be your life in his place, or you shall pay a talent of silver.'

40 It happened that your servant {was busy here and there}, and he {disappeared}." Then the king said to him, "Your own judgment has been determined."

41 He quickly removed the headband from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him, that he [was] from the prophets.

42 He said to him, "Thus says Yahweh: 'Because you have let the man I devoted for destruction go from [your] hand, your life shall be in place of his life and your people in place of his people.'"

Footnotes

• [a] Literally "[was] doing here and here"
• [b] Literally "and he was not"