1 Kings 20:42

42 Then he said to him, "Thus says the Lord, "Because you have let the man go whom I had devoted to destruction, therefore your life shall be for his life, and your people for his people.' "

1 Kings 20:42 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 20:42

And he said unto him, thus saith the Lord
He spake not his own sense, and in his own words, but in the name of the Lord, for which he had authority, that it might have the greater weight with Ahab:

because thou hast let go out of thy hand a man whom I appointed to
utter destruction;
meaning Benhadad; or "the man of my anathema or curse" ^F23; cursed of God for his blasphemy of him, and devoted by him to ruin on that account; or "of my net" ^F24, being by his providence brought into a net or noose at Aphek, out of which he could not have escaped, had not Ahab let him go:

therefore thy life shall go for his life;
as it shortly did, and that by the hand of a Syrian soldier, ( 1 Kings 22:34 1 Kings 22:35 ) ,

and thy people for his people;
which was fulfilled by Hazael king of Syria, the sins of Israel rendering them deserving of the calamities they endured by his means, see ( 2 Kings 8:12 ) ( 10:32 ) .

---

FOOTNOTES:

F23 (ymrx vya) "vir anathematis mei", Montanus, Piscator.
F24 "Vir retis mei"; so some in Vatablus.

1 Kings 20:42 In-Context

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

41 Then he quickly took the bandage away from his eyes. The king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets.

42 Then he said to him, "Thus says the Lord, "Because you have let the man go whom I had devoted to destruction, therefore your life shall be for his life, and your people for his people.' "

43 The king of Israel set out toward home, resentful and sullen, and came to Samaria.