Text -- 1 Kings 20:1-40 (NET)

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.” 20:15 So Ahab assembled the 232 servants of the district governors. After that he assembled all the Israelite army, numbering 7,000. 20:16 They marched out at noon, while Ben Hadad and the thirty-two kings allied with him were drinking heavily in their quarters. 20:17 The servants of the district governors led the march. When Ben Hadad sent messengers, they reported back to him, “Men are marching out of Samaria.” 20:18 He ordered, “Whether they come in peace or to do battle, take them alive.” 20:19 They marched out of the city with the servants of the district governors in the lead and the army behind them. 20:20 Each one struck down an enemy soldier; the Syrians fled and Israel chased them. King Ben Hadad of Syria escaped on horseback with some horsemen. 20:21 Then the king of Israel marched out and struck down the horses and chariots; he thoroughly defeated Syria.

The Lord Gives Israel Another Victory

20:22 The prophet visited the king of Israel and instructed him, “Go, fortify your defenses. Determine what you must do, for in the spring the king of Syria will attack you.” 20:23 Now the advisers of the king of Syria said to him: “Their God is a god of the mountains. That’s why they overpowered us. But if we fight them in the plains, we will certainly overpower them. 20:24 So do this: Dismiss the kings from their command, and replace them with military commanders. 20:25 Muster an army like the one you lost, with the same number of horses and chariots. Then we will fight them in the plains; we will certainly overpower them.” He approved their plan and did as they advised. 20:26 In the spring Ben Hadad mustered the Syrian army and marched to Aphek to fight Israel. 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.”

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: 1Ki 20:1

¹ map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.

² tn Heb “and he went up and besieged Samaria and fought against it.”

NET Notes: 1Ki 20:2

¹ tn Heb “to the city.”

NET Notes: 1Ki 20:6

¹ tn Heb “all that is desirable to your eyes they will put in their hand and take.”

NET Notes: 1Ki 20:7

¹ tn Heb “elders.”

² tn Heb “Know and see that this [man] is seeking trouble.”

NET Notes: 1Ki 20:8

¹ tn Heb “Do not listen and do not be willing.”

NET Notes: 1Ki 20:9

¹ tn Heb “all which you sent to your servant in the beginning I will do, but this thing I am unable to do.”

NET Notes: 1Ki 20:10

¹ tn Heb “So may the gods do to me, and so may they add.”

² tn Heb “if the dirt of Samaria suffices for the handfuls of all the people who are at my feet.”

NET Notes: 1Ki 20:11

¹ sn The point of the saying is that someone who is still preparing for a battle should not boast as if he has already won the battle. A modern parallel would be, “Don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched.”

NET Notes: 1Ki 20:12

¹ tn Heb “When he heard this word.”

² tn Heb “in the temporary shelters.” This is probably referring to tents.

NET Notes: 1Ki 20:13

¹ tn Heb “this great horde.”

NET Notes: 1Ki 20:14

¹ tn The words “will this be accomplished” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

² tn Heb “he”; the referent (Ahab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

NET Notes: 1Ki 20:15

¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Ahab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

² tn Heb “after them he assembled all the people, all the sons of Israel, seven thousand.”

NET Notes: 1Ki 20:16

¹ tn Heb “drinking and drunken.”

² tn Heb “in the temporary shelters.” This is probably referring to tents.

NET Notes: 1Ki 20:17

¹ map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.

NET Notes: 1Ki 20:18

¹ tn Heb “if they come in peace, take them alive; if they come for battle, take them alive.”

NET Notes: 1Ki 20:20

¹ tn Heb “each struck down his man.”

NET Notes: 1Ki 20:21

¹ tn Heb “struck down Aram with a great striking down.”

NET Notes: 1Ki 20:22

¹ tn The definite article indicates previous reference, that is, “the prophet mentioned earlier” (see v. 13).

² tn Heb “strengthen yourself.”

³ tn Heb “know and see.”

⁴ tn Heb “at the turning of the year.”

⁵ tn Heb “go up against.”

NET Notes: 1Ki 20:23

¹ tn Or “servants.”

NET Notes: 1Ki 20:25

¹ tn Heb “And you, you muster an army like the one that fell from you, horse like horse and chariot like chariot.”

² tn Heb “he listened to their voice and did so.”

NET Notes: 1Ki 20:26

¹ tn Heb “at the turning of the year.”

² tn Heb “mustered Aram.”

³ tn Heb “and went up to Aphek for battle with Israel.”

NET Notes: 1Ki 20:27

¹ tn The noun translated “small flocks” occurs only here. The common interpretation derives the word from the verbal root חשׂף, “to strip off; to make bare.” In this case the noun refers to something “stripped off” or “made bare.” HALOT 359 s.v. II חשׂף derives the noun from a proposed homonymic verbal root (which occurs only in Ps 29:9) meaning “cause a premature birth.” In this case the derived noun could refer to goats that are undersized because they are born prematurely.

NET Notes: 1Ki 20:28

¹ tn Heb “the man of God.”

² tn Heb “I will place all this great horde in your hand.”

NET Notes: 1Ki 20:30

¹ tn Heb “and the remaining ones fled to Aphek to the city and the wall fell on twenty-seven thousand men, the ones who remained.”

² tn Heb “and Ben Hadad fled and went into the city, [into] an inner room in an inner room.”

NET Notes: 1Ki 20:31

¹ tn Or “servants.”

² tn Or “merciful.” The word used here often means “devoted” or “loyal.” Perhaps the idea is that the Israelite kings are willing to make treaties with other kings.

³ sn Sackcloth was worn as a sign of sorrow and repentance. The precise significance of the ropes on the head is uncertain, but it probably was a sign of submission. These actions were comparable to raising a white flag on the battlefield or throwing in the towel in a boxing match.

⁴ tn Heb “go out.”

NET Notes: 1Ki 20:32

¹ sn Your servant. By referring to Ben Hadad as Ahab’s servant, they are suggesting that Ahab make him a subject in a vassal treaty arrangement.

² tn Heb “he”; the referent (Ahab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

³ sn He is my brother. Ahab’s response indicates that he wants to make a parity treaty and treat Ben Hadad as an equal partner.

NET Notes: 1Ki 20:33

¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Ahab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

NET Notes: 1Ki 20:34

¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Ben Hadad) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

² tn Heb “streets,” but this must refer to streets set up with stalls for merchants to sell their goods. See HALOT 299 s.v. חוּץ.

³ map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.

⁴ tn Heb “I will send you away with a treaty.” The words “Ahab then said” are supplied in the translation. There is nothing in the Hebrew text to indicate that the speaker has changed from Ben Hadad to Ahab. Some suggest adding “and he said” before “I will send you away.” Others prefer to maintain Ben Hadad as the speaker and change the statement to, “Please send me away with a treaty.”

NET Notes: 1Ki 20:35

¹ tn Heb “Now a man from the sons of the prophets said to his companion by the word of the Lord, ‘Wound me.’”

NET Notes: 1Ki 20:36

¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the prophet) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

NET Notes: 1Ki 20:37

¹ tn Heb “and the man wounded him, wounding and bruising.”

NET Notes: 1Ki 20:39

¹ tn Heb “middle.”

² tn Heb “man” (also a second time later in this verse).

³ tn Heb “if being missed, he is missed.” The emphatic infinitive absolute before the finite verbal form lends solemnity to the warning.

⁴ tn The Hebrew term כִּכָּר (kikkar, “circle”) refers generally to something that is round. When used of metals it can refer to a disk-shaped weight made of the metal or to a standard unit of weight, generally regarded as a talent. Since the accepted weight for a talent of metal is about 75 pounds, this would have amounted to about 75 pounds of silver.

⁵ tn Heb “your life will be in place of his life, or a unit of silver you will pay.”

NET Notes: 1Ki 20:40

¹ tn Heb “so [i.e., in accordance with his testimony] is your judgment, you have determined [it].”