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Joseph Benson’s Bible Commentary

1 Kings 20:31

We have heard that the kings of Israel are merciful kings More merciful than others, because that religion, which they professed, taught them humanity, and obliged them to show mercy. Let us put sackcloth upon our loins, and ropes, &c. As a testimony of our sorrow for undertaking this war; and that we have justly forfeited our lives for it, and shall submit to any punishment he may be pleased to inflict. This, it seems, was the habit in those times, in which supplicants presented themselves, when they petitioned for mercy. Peradventure he will save thy life This encouragement have all poor sinners, to repent and humble themselves before God. The God of Israel is a merciful God; let us rend our hearts and return to him.

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See also 1 Kings 20:31 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse 31. _PUT SACKCLOTH ON OUR LOINS, AND ROPES UPON OUR HEADS_] Let us show ourselves humbled in the deepest manner, and let us put ropes about our necks, and go submitting to his mercy, and deprec...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    AND ROPES UPON OUR HEADS - “Ropes about our necks” is probably meant. They, as it were, put their lives at Ahab’s disposal, who, if he pleased, might hang them at once....

  • 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...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _let us, I_[R.V. WE] _pray thee_ The change is made because the sentence is in other parts in the plural. The Hebrew נא is a mere particle employed to give emphasis to forms of entreaty, and has nothi...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    LET US—PUT SACKCLOTH ON OUR LOINS, AND ROPES, &C.— The approaching persons, _with a sword hanging to the neck,_ is, in the East, thought to be a very humble and submissive manner of coming before them...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    B. THE BATTLE OF APHEK 20:23-43 It was not long before the intelligence reports reaching Ahab's military advisers confirmed the warnings of the man of God. Benhadad was massing new troops, reorganizin...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _AND THERE CAME A MAN OF GOD, AND SPAKE UNTO THE KING OF ISRAEL, AND SAID, THUS SAITH THE LORD, BECAUSE THE SYRIANS HAVE SAID, THE LORD IS GOD OF THE HILLS, BUT HE IS NOT GOD OF THE VALLEYS, THEREFORE...

  • 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

    ROPES UPON OUR HEADS — like “the ropes round the necks” of the burghers of Calais, in the days of Edward III. The envoys offer themselves as naked, helpless criminals, to sue for mercy....

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וַ יֹּאמְר֣וּ אֵלָיו֮ עֲבָדָיו֒ הִנֵּֽה ־נָ֣א...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    AHAB'S INFATUATION 1 Kings 20:31 " _ Quem vult Deus perire dementat prius_." THE courtiers of Benhadad found it easy to flatter his pride by furnishing reasons to account for such an alarming overth...

  • 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

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    LOSING THE MAN GOD PUT INTO HIS HAND 1 Kings 20:31 Ahab's easy good-nature was criminal, and indicated the evil that was enervating and cankering his heart. Whatever may have been his private feeling...

  • 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 his servants said unto him, Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel [are] merciful kings: let us, I pray thee, put sackcloth on our (n) loins, and ropes upon our heads, and...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Heads, or necks, to indicate that hey deserved to die. (Haydock) --- The Syrians acted thus, when they came as supplicants. (Josephus, [Antiquities?] viii. 14.) --- The son of Psammetichus, king of E...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    (31) В¶ And his servants said unto him, Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings: let us, I pray thee, put sackcloth on our loins, and ropes upon our heads, a...

  • 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 HIS SERVANTS SAID UNTO HIM,.... Being reduced to the utmost extremity; for if he attempted to go out of the city, he would fall into the hands of the Israelites, and there was no safety in it, the...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    And his servants said unto him, Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel [are] merciful kings: let us, I pray thee, put sackcloth on our loins, and ropes upon our heads, and go...

  • 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 his servants said unto him, Behold, now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings, unlike the murderous tyrants of the heathen; LET US, I PRAY THEE, PUT SACKCLOTH ON...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Benhadad's Second Defeat, Capture, and Release...

  • 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

    31-43 This encouragement sinners have to repent and humble themselves before God; Have we not heard, that the God of Israel is a merciful God? Have we not found him so? That is gospel repentance, whi...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    MERCIFUL KINGS; more merciful than others, because that religion which they had professed taught them humanity, and obliged them to show mercy. SACKCLOTH ON OUR LOINS, AND ROPES UPON OUR HEADS; as a t...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    1 Kings 20:31 servants H5650 said H559 (H8799) heard H8085 (H8804) kings H4428 house H1004 Israel H3478 merciful...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    YHWH THWARTS BENHADAD'S SECOND ATTEMPT ON ISRAEL (1 KINGS 20:22). It was not likely that Benhadad would take this reverse lightly. While his forces had fled in panic with the result that he had forfei...

  • 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 ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    1 KINGS—NOTE ON 1 KINGS 20:31 SACKCLOTH signifies repentance (compare 1 Kings 21:27), and ROPES signify submissiveness (prisoners may

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES.— 1 Kings 20:33. MEN DID DILIGENTLY OBSERVE—Took his words as a good omen. DID HASTILY CATCH IT—Hastened to seize or quote the words, “my brother.” Ahab found his vanit...

  • 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 20:23; 1 Kings 21:27; 2 Kings 19:1; 2 Kings 19:2; 2 Kings 5

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    He will save thy life — This encouragement have all poor sinners, to repent and humble themselves before God. The God of Israel is a merciful God; let us rend our hearts and return to him....

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