1 Kings 20:33

33 Which thing the men of Syria took for a gracious word, and they ravished hastily the word of his mouth (and they hastily took hold of the word of his mouth), and said, Thy brother Benhadad liveth. And Ahab said to them, Go ye, and bring ye him to me. Therefore Benhadad went out to him, and he raised up Benhadad into his chariot.

1 Kings 20:33 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 20:33

Now the men did diligently observe whether anything would
come from him
That would be a good omen to them, and encourage them to hope for success; they observed him as diligently by his words and behaviour as soothsayers do when they look out for a lucky sign; for the word is sometimes used of divining ^F19:

and did hastily catch it;
as soon as it was out of his mouth, and laid hold on it to improve it to advantage, being wiser than him:

and they said, thy brother Benhadad;
him whom thou callest thy brother; he is thy brother, and is alive; this they caught, and expressed it, to observe whether it was a slip of his tongue, and whether he spoke it heartily, and would abide by it, or whether he would retract it:

then he said, go ye, bring him;
meaning from the city to the place where he was:

then Benhadad came forth to him;
out of his chamber, upon the report of his servants:

and he caused him to come up into the chariot;
to sit and converse with him there.

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FOOTNOTES:

F19 (wvxny) "augurati sunt", Pagninus, Montanus, Munster, Vatablus.

1 Kings 20:33 In-Context

31 and his servants said to him, [Lo!] We have heard that the kings of the house of Israel be merciful, therefore put we sackcloths in our loins, and cords in our heads (and so let us put sackcloths on our loins, and cords on our heads), and go we out to the king of Israel; in hap he shall save our lives.

32 They girded their loins with sackcloths, and put cords in their heads, and they came to the king of Israel, and said to him, Thy servant Benhadad saith, I pray thee, let my soul live. And he said, If Benhadad liveth yet, he is my brother. (And so they girded up their loins with sackcloths, and put cords on their heads, and they came to the king of Israel, and said to him, Thy servant Benhadad saith, I pray thee, let me live. And Ahab said, If Benhadad yet liveth, he is my brother, that is, I will make peace with him.)

33 Which thing the men of Syria took for a gracious word, and they ravished hastily the word of his mouth (and they hastily took hold of the word of his mouth), and said, Thy brother Benhadad liveth. And Ahab said to them, Go ye, and bring ye him to me. Therefore Benhadad went out to him, and he raised up Benhadad into his chariot.

34 [The] Which Benhadad said to him, I shall yield the cities which my father took from thy father, and make thou streets to thee in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria; and I shall be bound to peace, and I shall depart from thee. Therefore Ahab made [a] bond of peace with him, and delivered him. (And Benhadad said to Ahab, I shall give back the cities which my father took from thy father, and then thou can make streets of commerce, or for trading, for thyself in Damascus, like my father made in Samaria. And Ahab said, On those terms I shall be bound in peace with thee, and then thou can depart from me. And so he made a covenant with him, and let him go.)

35 Then a man of the sons of the prophets said to his fellow, in the word of the Lord (by the word of the Lord), Smite thou me. And he would not smite (him).