1 King 20
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1 Kings 20
Ahab’s Wars with the Arameans
1 #
1 Kings 15.18, 20; 22.31; 2 Kings 6.24–29 King Ben-hadad of Aram gathered all his army together; thirty-two kings were with him, along with horses and chariots. He marched against Samaria, laid siege to it, and attacked it. 2Then he sent messengers into the city to King Ahab of Israel and said to him, “Thus says Ben-hadad: 3Your silver and gold are mine; your fairest wives and children also are mine.” 4The king of Israel answered, “As you say, my lord, O king, I am yours, and all that I have.” 5The messengers came again and said, “Thus says Ben-hadad: I sent to you, saying, ‘Deliver to me your silver and gold, your wives and children’; 6now I will send my servants to you tomorrow about this time, and they shall search your house and the houses of your servants and lay hands on whatever pleases them#20.6 Gk Syr Vg: Heb you and take it away.”
7 #
2 Kings 5.7
Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land and said, “Look now! See how this man is seeking trouble, for he sent to me for my wives, my children, my silver, and my gold, and I did not refuse him.” 8Then all the elders and all the people said to him, “Do not listen or consent.” 9So he said to the messengers of Ben-hadad, “Tell my lord the king: All that you first demanded of your servant I will do, but this thing I cannot do.” The messengers left and brought him word again. 10#1 Kings 19.2Ben-hadad sent to him and said, “The gods do so to me and more also, if the dust of Samaria will provide a handful for each of the people who follow me.” 11#Prov 27.1The king of Israel answered, “Enough!#20.11 Gk: Heb Tell him One who puts on armor should not brag like one who takes it off.” 12#v 16When Ben-hadad heard this message—now he had been drinking with the kings in the booths—he said to his men, “Take your positions!” And they took their positions against the city.
Prophetic Opposition to Ahab
13 #
v 28
Then a certain prophet came up to King Ahab of Israel and said, “Thus says the Lord: Have you seen all this great multitude? Look, I will give it into your hand today, and you shall know that I am the Lord.” 14Ahab said, “By whom?” He said, “Thus says the Lord: By the young men who serve the district governors.” Then he said, “Who shall begin the battle?” He answered, “You.” 15Then he mustered the young men who served the district governors, two hundred thirty-two; after them he mustered all the people of Israel, seven thousand.
16 #
v 12
They went out at noon, while Ben-hadad was drinking himself drunk in the booths, he and the thirty-two kings allied with him. 17The young men who served the district governors went out first. Ben-hadad had sent out scouts,#20.17 Heb lacks scouts and they reported to him, “Men have come out from Samaria.” 18#2 Kings 14.8–12He said, “If they have come out for peace, take them alive; if they have come out for war, take them alive.”
19But these had already come out of the city: the young men who served the district governors and the army that followed them. 20Each killed his man; the Arameans fled, and Israel pursued them, but King Ben-hadad of Aram escaped on a horse with the cavalry. 21The king of Israel went out, attacked the horses and chariots, and inflicted a massive defeat on the Arameans.
22 #
vv 13, 26
; 2 Sam 11.1Then the prophet approached the king of Israel and said to him, “Come, strengthen yourself, and consider well what you have to do, for in the spring the king of Aram will come up against you.”
The Arameans Are Defeated
23 #
1 Kings 14.23
The servants of the king of Aram said to him, “Their gods are gods of the hills, so they were stronger than we, but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. 24Also do this: remove the kings, each from his post, and put commanders in place of them; 25and muster an army like the army that you have lost, horse for horse, and chariot for chariot; then we will fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they.” He heeded their voice and did so.
26 #
v 22
; 2 Kings 13.7In the spring Ben-hadad mustered the Arameans and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel. 27After the Israelites had been mustered and provisioned, they went out to engage them; the people of Israel encamped opposite them like two little flocks of goats, while the Arameans filled the country. 28#v 13A man of God approached and said to the king of Israel, “Thus says the Lord: Because the Arameans have said, ‘The Lord is a god of the hills, but he is not a god of the valleys,’ therefore I will give all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am the Lord.” 29They encamped opposite one another seven days. Then on the seventh day the battle began; the Israelites killed one hundred thousand Aramean foot soldiers in one day. 30#v 26; 1 Kings 22.25; 2 Chr 18.24The rest fled into the city of Aphek, and the wall fell on twenty-seven thousand men who were left.
Ben-hadad also fled and entered the city to hide. 31#Gen 37.34His servants said to him, “Look, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings; let us put sackcloth around our waists and ropes on our heads, and go out to the king of Israel; perhaps he will spare your life.” 32#vv 3–6So they tied sackcloth around their waists, put ropes on their heads, went to the king of Israel, and said, “Your servant Ben-hadad says, ‘Please let me live.’ ” And he said, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.” 33Now the men were watching for an omen; they quickly took it up from him and said, “Yes, Ben-hadad is your brother.” Then he said, “Go and bring him.” So Ben-hadad came out to him, and he had him come up into the chariot. 34#1 Kings 15.20Ben-hadad#20.34 Heb He said to him, “I will restore the towns that my father took from your father, and you may establish bazaars for yourself in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.” The king of Israel responded,#20.34 Heb lacks The king of Israel responded “I will let you go on those terms.” So he made a treaty with him and let him go.
A Prophet Condemns Ahab
35 #
1 Kings 13.17, 18; 2 Kings 2.3–7 At the command of the Lord a certain member of a company of prophets#20.35 Heb of the sons of the prophets said to another, “Strike me!” But the man refused to strike him. 36#1 Kings 13.24Then he said to him, “Because you have not obeyed the voice of the Lord, as soon as you have left me, a lion will kill you.” And when he had left him, a lion met him and killed him. 37Then he found another man and said, “Strike me!” So the man hit him, striking and wounding him. 38Then the prophet departed and waited for the king along the road, disguising himself with a bandage over his eyes. 39#2 Kings 10.24As the king passed by, he cried to the king and said, “Your servant went out into the thick of the battle; then a soldier turned and brought a man to me and said, ‘Guard this man; if he is missing, your life shall be given for his life, or else you shall pay a talent of silver.’ 40While your servant was busy here and there, he was gone.” The king of Israel said to him, “So shall your judgment be; you yourself have decided it.” 41Then he quickly took the bandage away from his eyes. The king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets. 42#v 39; 1 Kings 22.31–37Then he said to him, “Thus says the Lord: Because you have let the man go whom I had devoted to destruction, therefore your life shall be for his life and your people for his people.” 43#1 Kings 21.4The king of Israel set out toward home, resentful and sullen, and came to Samaria.
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1 King 20: NRSVUE
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New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition, copyright © 2021 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
