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Texts -- 1 Kings 20:27-43 (NET)

Context
20:27 When the Israelites had mustered and had received their supplies , they marched out to face them in battle . When the Israelites deployed opposite them, they were like two small flocks of goats , but the Syrians filled the land . 20:28 The prophet visited the king of Israel and said , “This is what the Lord says : ‘Because the Syrians said , “The Lord is a god of the mountains and not a god of the valleys ,” I will hand over to you this entire huge army . Then you will know that I am the Lord .’” 20:29 The armies were deployed opposite each other for seven days . On the seventh day the battle began , and the Israelites killed 100,000 Syrian foot soldiers in one day . 20:30 The remaining 27,000 ran to Aphek and went into the city , but the wall fell on them . Now Ben Hadad ran into the city and hid in an inner room . 20:31 His advisers said to him, “Look , we have heard that the kings of the Israelite dynasty are kind . Allow us to put sackcloth around our waists and ropes on our heads and surrender to the king of Israel . Maybe he will spare our lives .” 20:32 So they put sackcloth around their waists and ropes on their heads and went to the king of Israel . They said , “Your servant Ben Hadad says , ‘Please let me live !’” Ahab replied , “Is he still alive ? He is my brother .” 20:33 The men took this as a good omen and quickly accepted his offer, saying , “Ben Hadad is your brother .” Ahab then said , “Go , get him.” So Ben Hadad came out to him, and Ahab pulled him up into his chariot . 20:34 Ben Hadad said , “I will return the cities my father took from your father . You may set up markets in Damascus , just as my father did in Samaria .” Ahab then said, “I want to make a treaty with you before I dismiss you.” So he made a treaty with him and then dismissed him.
A Prophet Denounces Ahab’s Actions
20:35 One of the members of the prophetic guild , speaking with divine authority , ordered his companion , “Wound me!” But the man refused to wound him. 20:36 So the prophet said to him, “Because you have disobeyed the Lord , as soon as you leave me a lion will kill you.” When he left him, a lion attacked and killed him. 20:37 He found another man and said , “Wound me!” So the man wounded him severely . 20:38 The prophet then went and stood by the road , waiting for the king . He also disguised himself by putting a bandage down over his eyes . 20:39 When the king passed by , he called out to the king , “Your servant went out into the heat of the battle , and then a man turned aside and brought me a prisoner . He told me, ‘Guard this prisoner . If he ends up missing for any reason, you will pay with your life or with a talent of silver .’ 20:40 Well, it just so happened that while your servant was doing this and that , he disappeared .” The king of Israel said to him, “Your punishment is already determined by your own testimony.” 20:41 The prophet quickly removed the bandage from his eyes and the king of Israel recognized he was one of the prophets . 20:42 The prophet then said to him, “This is what the Lord says , ‘Because you released a man I had determined should die , you will pay with your life and your people will suffer instead of his people .’” 20:43 The king of Israel went home to Samaria bitter and angry .

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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • The writer referred to Canaan as "the land of the sons of Israel"first here in Scripture (v. 22). The Anakim were the mighty warriors that the 10 spies had feared (Num. 13:28). Israel destroyed most of these."The hardening of...
  • At first, David piously tried to salve Joab's conscience for his complicity in Uriah's death (11:25). The Hebrew word translated "displease"literally means "be evil in your sight."David was calling what was sin something othe...
  • 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...
  • The battle of Aphek (873 B.C.) took place on the tableland east of the Sea of Chinnereth (Galilee), the modern Golan Heights. The Arameans greatly outnumbered Israel (v. 27), but God promised Ahab victory so he and all Israel...
  • This section is similar to the one that recorded Saul's failure to follow Yahweh's command that also resulted in God cutting him off as His vice-regent (1 Sam. 13:13-14). The parallels between Saul and Ahab are remarkable thr...
  • Even though Jezebel was behind the murder of Naboth, God held her husband Ahab responsible (v. 19). Jezebel's evil influence over her husband stands out in this story.221Ahab was willing to murder a godly Israelite to obtain ...
  • 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...
  • 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...
  • Jehoash (Joash) had respect and affection for Elisha. He anticipated the loss that the death of God's spiritual warrior would be to Israel (v. 14). He recognized that Israel's real defense lay in Yahweh's angelic army and in ...
  • 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 ...
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