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Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

1 Kings 20:13

The rabbinical commentators conjecture that this prophet was Micaiah, the son of Imlah, who is mentioned below 1 Kings 22:8.

Hast thou seen all this great multitude? - The boast of Ben-hadad 1 Kings 20:10, was not without a basis of truth; his force seems to have exceeded 130, 000 (compare 1 Kings 20:25, 1 Kings 20:29). In his wars with the Assyrians we find him sometimes at the head of 100, 000 men.

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See also 1 Kings 20:13 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse 1 Kings 20:13. _THERE CAME A PROPHET_] Who this was we cannot tell; _Jarchi_ says it was _Micaiah, son of Imlah_. It is strange that on such an occasion we hear nothing of Elijah or Elisha. Is i...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    4. KING AHAB: HIS WICKED REIGN AND END CHAPTER 20 Ahab's War with the Syrians and His Victory _ 1. The siege and relief of Samaria (1 Kings 20:1)_ 2. The victory at Aphek (1 Kings 20:22) 3. A prop...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    AHAB'S VICTORY OVER BEN-HADAD. Chs. 20 and 22 come from another source. Elijah does not appear, the religious interest is less prominent, and Ahab is presented in a far less hostile light. He acts as...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    BEHOLD. Figure of speech _Asterismos_. App-6. HAST. ? Figure of speech _Erotesis._ App-6....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    God by a prophet promises the victory to Ahab. The Syrians are defeated (Not in Chronicles) 13. _there came a prophet_ The Hebrew verb is not the common word for -to come." The R.V. has therefore tra...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    BEHOLD THERE CAME A PROPHET— The Scripture nowhere informs us who this prophet was. It is something extraordinary, that during this whole war with Ben-hadad, neither Elijah nor Elisha, the two princip...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    II. THE GREAT MILITARY CRISIS 20:1-43 The account of Elijah's ministry during the reign of Ahab is interrupted by chapter 20 probably because the author is attempting to give a chronological treatment...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _AND, BEHOLD, THERE CAME A PROPHET UNTO AHAB KING OF ISRAEL, SAYING, THUS SAITH THE LORD, HAST THOU SEEN ALL THIS GREAT MULTITUDE? BEHOLD, I WILL DELIVER IT INTO THINE HAND THIS DAY; AND THOU SHALT KN...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    WAR BETWEEN ISRAEL AND SYRIA The Syrians besiege Samaria, but a sally being made from the city by the direction of a prophet, they are driven off, and the next year are beaten at Aphek. Ahab, having...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    GOD’S LESSONS FROM HISTORY 1 KINGS _PHILIP SMITH_ CHAPTER 20 GOD ALLOWS AHAB’S ARMY TO DEFEAT THE ARMY FROM SYRIA V1 Benhadad, king of Syria gathered his whole army. Then 32 other kings with the...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    THERE CAME A PROPHET. — The appearance of this unknown prophet evidently shows (see also 1 Kings 22:6) that Ahab’s enmity to the prophetic order was over since the great day at Carmel, and that the sc...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וְ הִנֵּ֣ה ׀ נָבִ֣יא אֶחָ֗ד נִגַּשׁ֮ אֶל ־אַח

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    AHAB AND BENHADAD 1 Kings 20:1 IN the Septuagint and in Josephus the events narrated in the twentieth chapter of the Book of Kings are placed after the meeting of Elijah with Ahab at the door of Nabo...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    BOASTING BEFORE THE BATTLE 1 Kings 20:1 Ben-hadad's insolent demand indicated how low Israel had sunk. The worship of Jezebel's gods had wrought moral degeneracy. Let us never forget this lesson. Whe...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    A PROSPEROUS NATION 1 Kings 4:1; 1 Kings 20:1; 1 Kings 21:1; 1 Kings 22:1 What a picture is here given of national contentment and

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    Here begins the actual movement in the downfall of Ahab. Ben-hadad, drunken, profligate, despotic, came in the pride of arms against Samaria. By the voices of prophets Jehovah spoke to Ahab, who, acti...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    And, behold, there came a prophet unto Ahab king of Israel, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou seen all this great multitude? behold, I will deliver it into thine hand this day; and thou shalt kno...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Prophet. It does not appear who this and the other prophets were who address Achab so boldly during these wars; if indeed they were different persons: Elias is never mentioned. Did Jezabel leave the...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    (13) And, behold, there came a prophet unto Ahab king of Israel, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou seen all this great multitude? behold, I will deliver it into thine hand this day; and thou shal...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    The days were very dark in Israel. Not only rebellion. And rebellion, always serious, was peculiarly so in Israel, for there it was insubordination in a direct manner against not only God's providence...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    According to the outward history of Israel, that which follows the revelations made to Elijah in Horeb looks like a time of restoration and blessing; and outwardly it was so. Benhadad is overcome and...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    AND, BEHOLD, THERE CAME A PROPHET UNTO AHAB KING OF ISRAEL,.... Supposed by the Jewish writers to be Micaiah the son of Imlah, 1 Kings 22:9 one of those perhaps that Obadiah hid in the cave, and now i...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    And, behold, there came a prophet unto Ahab king of Israel, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou seen all this great multitude? behold, I will deliver it into thine hand this day; and thou shalt kno...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _And, behold there came a prophet unto Ahab_ One of those, probably, that had been hid, but was now commanded of God to appear and carry a message to Ahab; which the prophet did not fear to do, as he...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 Benhadad not content with Ahabs hommage, besiegeth Samaria. 13 By the direction of a Prophet, the Syrians are slaine. 22 As the Prophet forewarned Ahab, the Syrians trusting in the valleys, come a...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    And, behold, there came a prophet unto Ahab, king of Israel, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Hast thou seen all this great multitude? It was a very great army which was encamped against the city. BEHOLD,...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Benhadad's first Defeat...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    AHAB DEFEATS SYRIA (vs.1-22) God's care for His people Israel is still remarkably displayed in this chapter in spite of the unholy character of Ahab. Ben Hadad, king of Syria, marshaled a tremendous...

  • Marginal Notes in the King James Version (1611)

    CAME: _ Heb._ approached...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    12-21 The proud Syrians were beaten, and the despised Israelites were conquerors. The orders of the proud, drunken king disordered his troops, and prevented them from attacking the Israelites. Those t...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    THERE CAME A PROPHET; who having hid himself before, now ventures to come to Ahab, having this welcome message in his mouth. THUS SAITH THE LORD: God, though forsaken and neglected by Ahab, prevents h...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    1 Kings 20:13 a H259 prophet H5030 approached H5066 (H8738) Ahab H256 king H4428 Israel H3478 saying H559 ...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    THE INITIAL WAR WITH BENHADAD (1 KINGS 20:1). This war would appear to have been occasioned by a refusal by Ahab to pay the tribute due under a vassalage treaty. Because of this Benhadad came with his...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    WAR WITH BENHADAD KING OF ARAM (1 KINGS 20:1). There is no indication at what point in Ahab's reign these events occurred, but a situation is indicated where the power of the Aramaeans had now grown s...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Ahab's Syrian campaigns and victories. His sin in sparing Ben-hadad. CHARACTERS: God, Ahab, Ben-hadad, two prophets. CONCLUSION: Enemies are more than a match for us, but no match for Jeho...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    1 Kings 20:3. _Thy gold thy wives are mine._ The African princes still send similar messages to one another. Mungo Park mentions one who sent an order to a neighbouring prince to have the houses all m...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    1 KINGS—NOTE ON 1 KINGS 20:1 After Elijah’s recruitment of Elisha, one expects to read of his anointing of Hazael as king over Syria and of Jehu as king over Israel (compare 1 Kings 19:15). Instead

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    THE DEFEAT OF THE SYRIANS CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES.— 1 Kings 20:1. BENHADAD—Son of the king of the same name mentioned (chap. 1 Kings 15:20). THIRTY AND TWO KINGS WITH HIM—Vassals or viceroys w...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION THE INVASIONS OF ISRAEL BY THE SYRIANS AND THEIR RESULTS.—The insertion of this chapter, which contains an account of two invasions of Israel by the hosts of Syria, and of the utter defeat...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Now Benhadad who was presently the king of Syria gathered all of his host together: and there were thirty-two kings that went with him, with their horses, and chariots: and they came up and besieged S...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Kings 18:37; 1 Kings 20:28; 2 Kings 13:23; 2 Kings 6:8; 2 Kings 7:1

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    And behold, &c. — God, though forsaken and neglected by Ahab, prevents him with his gracious promise of help: that Ahab and the idolatrous Israelites, might hereby be fully convinced, or left without...

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