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Summarized Bible Commentary

1 Kings 20:1-43

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 Jehovah. God often uses one wicked man to scourge another.

Key Word: Victory, (1 Kings 20:13; 1 Kings 20:28); Disobedience, (1 Kings 20:42).

Strong Verses: 1 Kings 20:13.

Striking Facts: 1 Kings 20:42. There are times when keeping back the sword from blood is doing the work of God deceitfully. Foolish pity spoils many a victory.

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See also 1 Kings 20:1-43 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    CHAPTER XX _Ben-hadad, king of Syria, and thirty-two kings, besiege_ _Samaria_, 1. _He sends an insulting message to Ahab; and insists on pillaging_ _the whole city_, 2-7. _The elders of Israel c...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    BEN-HADAD, THE KING OF SYRIA - Probably the son of the Ben-hadad who assisted Asa against Baasha (1 Kings 15:18 note). THIRTY AND TWO KINGS WITH HIM - Not allies, but feudatories 1 Kings 20:24. Damasc...

  • 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

    BEN-HADAD. Perhaps the son of the Ben-hadad of 1 Kings 15:18. HOST. force. THIRTY AND TWO. Probably vassal princes. Compare 1 Kings 20:24....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    1 Kings 20:1-12. Ben-hadad king of Syria besieges Samaria. His messages to Ahab (Not in Chronicles) 1. In the LXX. Chapter s 20. and 21. are transposed, apparently with a view of bringing the history...

  • 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 BEN-HA'DAD THE KING OF SYRIA GATHERED ALL HIS HOST TOGETHER: AND THERE WERE THIRTY AND TWO KINGS WITH HIM, AND HORSES, AND CHARIOTS: AND HE WENT UP AND BESIEGED SAMARIA, AND WARRED AGAINST IT._...

  • 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...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    BEN-HADAD] probably the son of the Benhadad mentioned, in 1 Kings 15:18. In the Assyrian inscription he is termed Dad-idri, i.e. Hadadezer. The history here reverts to the Syrian attacks upon Israel m...

  • 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

    BEN-HADAD. — This is the inherited title of the Syrian kings. (See Amos 1:4; Jeremiah 49:27.) From the allusion in 1 Kings 20:34 it appears that this Ben-hadad was the son of a king who had been victo...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וּ בֶן־הֲדַ֣ד מֶֽלֶךְ ־אֲרָ֗ם קָבַץ֙ אֶת ־כָּ

  • 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 Benhadad the king of Syria gathered all his host together: and [there were] thirty and two (a) kings with him, and horses, and chariots: and he went up and besieged Samaria, and warred against it....

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    And. The Roman Septuagint and Josephus place this war after the account of Naboth, chap. xxi. But the Alexandrian copy follows the order of the Hebrew. (Haydock) --- The style Benadad, "the son of Ade...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    (1) В¶ And Benhadad the king of Syria gathered all his host together: and there were thirty and two kings with him, and horses, and chariots: and he went up and besieged Samaria, and warred against it...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    CONTENTS This chapter relates more to the history of Israel as a nation, than to the government of the church. It informs us of a battle between Syria and Israel, in which the Syrians are worsted. Ah...

  • 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 BENHADAD THE KING OF SYRIA GATHERED ALL HIS HOST TOGETHER,.... This was Benhadad the second, the son of that Benhadad, to whom Asa sent to help him against Baasha, 1 Kings 15:18 AND THERE WERE TH...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    And Benhadad the king of Syria gathered all his host together: and [there were] thirty and two kings with him, and horses, and chariots: and he went up and besieged Samaria, and warred against it. Ve...

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

    _Gathered all his host_ To war against Israel: wherein his design was to enlarge the conquest which his father had made; but God's design was to punish Israel for their apostacy and idolatry. _There w...

  • 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 Benhadad, the king of Syria, under whom the kingdom had grown very strong, GATHERED ALL HIS HOST TOGETHER, his entire army; AND THERE WERE THIRTY AND TWO KINGS WITH HIM, vassal kings, tributary ch...

  • 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...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-11 Benhadad sent Ahab a very insolent demand. Ahab sent a very disgraceful submission; sin brings men into such straits, by putting them out of the Divine protection. If God do not rule us, our ene...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    1 KINGS CHAPTER 20 Ben-hadad, not content with Ahab's homage, besiegeth Samaria, 1 KINGS 20:1. By the direction of a prophet the Syrians are twice beaten, and Ben-hadad hides himself, 1 KINGS 20:13. T...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    1 Kings 20:1 Ben-Hadad H1130 king H4428 Syria H758 gathered H6908 forces H2428 together H6908 (H8804) thirty-two H7970

  • 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...

  • 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...

  • 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 15:18; 1 Kings 15:20; 1 Kings 20:16; 1 Kings 20:24; 1 S

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Gathered his host — To war against Israel: wherein his design was to enlarge the conquest which his father had made, but God's design was to punish Israel for their apostacy and idolatry....

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