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Texts -- 1 Kings 20:1-14 (NET)

Context
Ben Hadad Invades Israel
20:1 Now King Ben Hadad of Syria assembled all his army , along with thirty-two other kings with their horses and chariots . He marched against Samaria and besieged and attacked it. 20:2 He sent messengers to King Ahab of Israel , who was in the city . 20:3 He said to him, “This is what Ben Hadad says, ‘Your silver and your gold are mine , as well as the best of your wives and sons .’” 20:4 The king of Israel replied , “It is just as you say , my master , O king . I and all I own belong to you.” 20:5 The messengers came again and said , “This is what Ben Hadad says , ‘I sent this message to you, “You must give me your silver , gold , wives , and sons .” 20:6 But now at this time tomorrow I will send my servants to you and they will search through your palace and your servants ’ houses . They will carry away all your valuables .” 20:7 The king of Israel summoned all the leaders of the land and said , “Notice how this man is looking for trouble . Indeed , he demanded my wives , sons , silver , and gold , and I did not resist him.” 20:8 All the leaders and people said to him, “Do not give in or agree to his demands .” 20:9 So he said to the messengers of Ben Hadad , “Say this to my master , the king , ‘I will give you everything you demanded at first from your servant , but I am unable to agree to this latest demand .’” So the messengers went back and gave their report . 20:10 Ben Hadad sent another message to him, “May the gods judge me severely if there is enough dirt left in Samaria for my soldiers to scoop up in their hands .” 20:11 The king of Israel replied , “Tell him the one who puts on his battle gear should not boast like one who is taking it off .” 20:12 When Ben Hadad received this reply , he and the other kings were drinking in their quarters . He ordered his servants , “Get ready to attack !” So they got ready to attack the city .
The Lord Delivers Israel
20:13 Now a prophet visited King Ahab of Israel and said , “This is what the Lord says , ‘Do you see this huge army ? Look , I am going to hand it over to you this very day . Then you will know that I am the Lord .’” 20:14 Ahab asked , “By whom will this be accomplished?” He answered , “This is what the Lord says , ‘By the servants of the district governors .’” Ahab asked , “Who will launch the attack ?” He answered , “You will.”

Pericope

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Bible Dictionary

  • YOUNG; MEN, YOUNG WOMEN

    [isbe] YOUNG; MEN, YOUNG WOMEN - yung, (bachur, na`ar; neanias, neaniskos): "Young man" is generally in the Old Testament the translation of bachur, from bachar, "to prove," "to choose," and of na`ar (literally, "boy," but used som...

  • SET

    [isbe] SET - Few words in the English language have such a rich variety of meaning and are used in so rich a variety of idiomatic expression as the word "set." A glance at any of the great dictionaries will convince anyone of the t...

  • SAMARIA, CITY OF

    [isbe] SAMARIA, CITY OF - sa-ma'-ri-a, (shomeron; Samareia, Semeron, and other forms): (1) Shechem was the first capital of the Northern Kingdom (1 Ki 12:25). Jeroboam seems later to have removed the royal residence to Tirzah (1 Ki...

  • Proverb

    [ebd] a trite maxim; a similitude; a parable. The Hebrew word thus rendered (mashal) has a wide signification. It comes from a root meaning "to be like," "parable." Rendered "proverb" in Isa. 14:4; Hab. 2:6; "dark saying" in Ps. 4...

  • PRINCE

    [ebd] the title generally applied to the chief men of the state. The "princes of the provinces" (1 Kings 20:14) were the governors or lord-lieutenants of the provinces. So also the "princes" mentioned in Dan. 6:1, 3, 4, 6, 7 were ...
    [isbe] PRINCE - prins: This word occurs quite frequently in our English Bible, mostly in the Old Testament. While it is never used to denote royal parentage (compare 1 Ch 29:24), it often indicates actual royal or ruling power, tog...

  • PAVILION

    [ebd] a tent or tabernacle (2 Sam. 22:12; 1 Kings 20:12-16), or enclosure (Ps. 18:11; 27:5). In Jer. 43:10 it probably denotes the canopy suspended over the judgement-seat of the king.
    [isbe] PAVILION - pa-vil'-yun: A covered place, booth, tent, in which a person may be kept hid or secret (cokh, Ps 27:5; cukkah--the usual term--Ps 31:20), or otherwise be withdrawn from view. The term is used with reference to God...

  • ORDER

    [isbe] ORDER - or'-der (`arakh, "to arrange"; tassein (> diatassein, taxis, tagma)): "Order" in Biblical phrases may indicate (1) arrangement in rows, (2) sequence in time, (3) classification and organization, (4) likeness or manne...

  • KING; KINGDOM

    [isbe] KING; KINGDOM - king'-dum: I. KING 1. Etymology and Definition 2. Earliest Kings 3. Biblical Signification of the Title II. KINGDOM 1. Israel's Theocracy 2. Period of Judges 3. Establishment of the Monarchy 4. Appointment of...

  • JOEL (2)

    [isbe] JOEL (2) - (yo'el; Ioel): I. THE PROPHET II. THE BOOK 1. Literary Form 2. Outline of Contents 3. Interpretation (1) Literal (2) Allegorical 4. Indications of Date (1) Place in the Canon (2) Language and Style (3) Quotations ...

  • ISRAEL, KINGDOM OF

    [isbe] ISRAEL, KINGDOM OF - || I. THE FIRST PERIOD 1. The Two Kingdoms 2. The Ist Dynasty 3. The IInd Dynasty 4. Civil War II. PERIOD OF THE SYRIAN WARS 1. The IIIrd Dynasty 2. World-Politics 3. Battle of Karkar 4. Loss of Territor...

  • HOLLOW

    [isbe] HOLLOW - hol'-o (kaph, nabhabh): "Hollow" is the translation of kaph, "hollow" (Gen 32:25,32, "the hollow of his thigh," the hip-pan or socket, over the sciatic nerve); of nabhabh, "to be hollow" (Ex 27:8; 38:7; Jer 52:21); ...

  • HANDFUL

    [isbe] HANDFUL - hand'-fool: There are five words in Hebrew used to indicate what may be held in the hand, either closed or open. (1) chophen, chophnayim. The fist or closed hand occurs in the dual in Ex 9:8, where it signifies wha...

  • GAMES

    [isbe] GAMES - gamz: I. ISRAELITISH GAMES 1. Children's Games Mimicry 2. Sports 3. Games of Chance and Skill 4. Story-Telling 5. Dancing 6. Proverbs 7. Riddles II. THE GAMES OF GREECE AND ROME 1. Historical Introduction 2. General ...

  • DENY

    [isbe] DENY - de-ni': This word is characteristic of the New Testament rather than the Old Testament, although it translates three different Hebrew originals, namely, kachash, "to lie," "disown" (Gen 18:15; Josh 24:27; Job 8:18; 31...

  • BOOTH

    [isbe] BOOTH - booth, booth: The Hebrew word cukkah (rendered in the King James Version "booth" or "booths," eleven times; "tabernacle" or "tabernacles," ten times; "pavilion" or "pavilions," five times; "cottage" once) means a hut...

  • BENHADAD

    [isbe] BENHADAD - ben-ha'-dad (ben-hadhadh; Septuagint huios Hader): The Name I. BENHADAD I 1. The Kingdom of Syria Founded 2. Syria and Judah 3. Shortsightedness of Asa II. BENHADAD II 1. Hadad-'idri of the Monuments 2. Expedition...

  • Armour

    [ebd] is employed in the English Bible to denote military equipment, both offensive and defensive. (1.) The offensive weapons were different at different periods of history. The "rod of iron" (Ps. 2:9) is supposed to mean a mace o...

  • Armies

    [nave] ARMIES Who of the Israelites were subject to service in, Num. 1:2, 3; 26:2; 2 Chr. 25:5; who were exempt from service in, Num. 1:47-50; 2:33; Deut. 20:5-9; Judg. 7:3. Enumeration of Israel's military forces, Num. 1:2, 3; 26...

  • Ahab

    [ebd] father's brother. (1.) The son of Omri, whom he succeeded as the seventh king of Israel. His history is recorded in 1 Kings 16-22. His wife was Jezebel (q.v.), who exercised a very evil influence over him. To the calf-worshi...
    [isbe] AHAB - a'-hab ('ach'abh, Assyrian a-cha-ab-bu; Septuagint Achaab, but Jer 29:21 f, Achiab, which, in analogy with '-h-y-m-l-k, (')-h-y-'-l, etc., indicates an original 'achi'abh, meaning "the father is my brother"): The comp...
    [smith] (uncle). Son of Omri, seventh king of Israel, reigned B.C. 919-896. He married Jezebel, daughter of Ethbaal king of Tyre; and in obedience to her wishes, caused temple to be built to Baal in Samaria itself; and an oracular g...
    [nave] AHAB 1. King of Israel, 1 Kin. 16:29. Marries Jezebel, 1 Kin. 16:31. Idolatry of, 1 Kin. 16:30-33; 18:18, 19; 21:25, 26; other wickedness of, 2 Kin. 3:2; 2 Chr. 21:6; 22:3, 4; Mic. 6:16. Reproved by Elijah; assembles the ...

  • AMBASSADOR

    [smith] a person of high rank employed by a government to represent it and transact its business at the seat of government of some other power. The earliest examples of ambassadors employed occur in (Numbers 20:14; 21:21; Judges 11:7...

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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • The fact that this book opens and closes with death should be a clue as to its message.It opens with David's death, and it closes with Ahab's death. The intervening period of about a century and a half is a story of national ...
  • I. The reign of Solomon chs. 1-11A. Solomon's succession to David's throne 1:1-2:121. David's declining health 1:1-42. Adonijah's attempt to seize the throne 1:5-533. David's charge to Solomon 2:1-94. David's death 2:10-12B. ...
  • Hadad hated Solomon because of Joab's severe treatment of the Edomites. He may have been a relation of Solomon's by marriage. Pharaoh Siamun apparently gave his daughter to Solomon in marriage and his sister-in-law to Hadad (...
  • God dealt gently (cf. 19:12) with the Northern Kingdom to continue to move His people back to Himself. This pericope records the first of three battles the writer recorded in 1 Kings between Ahab and the kings of Aram, Israel...
  • Another significant battle occurred between the battle of Ramoth-gilead that the writer recorded in chapter 22 (853 B.C.) and the battles he recorded in chapter 20. Ahab and his Aramean ally Ben-Hadad II (860-841 B.C.) defeat...
  • Naaman (Aram. gracious) was commander of the Aramean army under Ben-Hadad II (cf. 1 Kings 15:18, 20). Leprosy in the ancient world degenerated the bodies of its victims and eventually proved fatal. At this time no one could c...
  • Hazael was the governor of Damascus.50The Gentile King of Aram had more interest in inquiring of Yahweh than Jehoram's predecessor did (v. 8; cf. 1:2). It was customary in the Near East to make a great show of giving gifts. I...
  • The rest of the book is quite different from what has preceded because of its positive message. As is true of other eighth-century prophets to Israel and Judah, Amos included hope in his prophecy (cf. Isa. 40-66; Hos. 1:10-2:...
  • 6:13 Because of these sins the Lord promised to make His people sick, downtrodden, and desolate.6:14 They would continue to eat, but their food would not bring them satisfaction (cf. Lev. 26:26). Their excessive accumulation ...
  • Peter drew application for his readers and focused their attention on how they should live presently in view of the future.3:11 Peter believed that an understanding of the future should motivate the believer to live a holy li...
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