1 Kings 20:1-10

1 And Benhadad the king of Syria gathered all his host together : and there were thirty and two kings with him, and horses, and chariots: and he went up and besieged Samaria, and warred against it.

2 And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city, and said unto him, Thus saith Benhadad,

3 Thy silver and thy gold is mine; thy wives also and thy children, even the goodliest, are mine.

4 And the king of Israel answered and said , My lord, O king, according to thy saying, I am thine, and all that I have.

5 And the messengers came again , and said , Thus speaketh Benhadad, saying , Although I have sent unto thee, saying , Thou shalt deliver me thy silver, and thy gold, and thy wives, and thy children;

6 Yet I will send my servants unto thee to morrow about this time, and they shall search thine house, and the houses of thy servants; and it shall be , that whatsoever is pleasant in thine eyes, they shall put it in their hand, and take it away .

7 Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said , Mark , I pray you, and see how this man seeketh mischief: 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.

8 And all the elders and all the people said unto him, Hearken not unto him, nor consent .

9 Wherefore he said unto the messengers of Benhadad, Tell my lord the king, All that thou didst send for to thy servant at the first I will do : but this thing I may not do . And the messengers departed , and brought him word again .

10 And Benhadad sent unto him, and said , The gods do so unto me, and more also , if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me.

1 Kings 20:1-10 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.

Footnotes

• [a]. pleasant: Heb. desirable
• [b]. I denied...: Heb. I kept not back from him
• [c]. follow...: Heb. are at my feet