Melachim Alef 20:42

42 And he said unto him, Thus saith Hashem, Because thou hast let go out of thy yad an ish whom I appointed to cherem (utter destruction), therefore thy nefesh shall be for his nefesh, and thy people instead of his people.

Melachim Alef 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 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

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

Melachim Alef 20:42 In-Context

40 And while thy eved was busy here and there, he was gone. And the Melech Yisroel said unto him, So shall thy mishpat be; thyself hast decided it.

41 And he hasted, and removed the bandage from over his eyes; and Melech Yisroel recognized him that he was of the Nevi’im.

42 And he said unto him, Thus saith Hashem, Because thou hast let go out of thy yad an ish whom I appointed to cherem (utter destruction), therefore thy nefesh shall be for his nefesh, and thy people instead of his people.

43 And Melech Yisroel came to his bais sar veza’ef (sullen and dejected), and came to Shomron.