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Joseph Benson’s Bible Commentary

1 Kings 20:32

Thy servant Ben-hadad saith, I pray thee, let me live He now as humbly petitions Ahab, as Ahab a little while ago had petitioned him, and begs of him his life. What a change from the height of prosperity to the depth of distress! Such is the uncertainty of human affairs! Such the strange turns which are continually taking place! The spoke of the wheel which is uppermost now, may soon be the lowest of all. And he said, is he yet alive? He is my brother I do not only pardon him, but honour and love him as a brother. This was rather folly than mercifulness, or good nature; to treat a man thus, who had so lately used him with such extreme haughtiness, and brought so much confusion, terror, and damage, into his kingdom.

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See also 1 Kings 20:32 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse 32. _THY SERVANT BEN-HADAD_] See the vicissitude of human affairs! A little before he was the haughtiest of all tyrants, and Ahab calls him his _lord_; now, so much is he humbled, that he will b...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    Ben-hadad is now as humble as Ahab had been a year before 1 Kings 20:9. He professes himself the mere “slave” of his conqueror....

  • 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

    ME. my soul. Hebrew. _nephesh._ App-13. BROTHER: i.e.. brother-king....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Is _he yet alive? he_is _my brother_ Ahab could not know whether Ben-hadad had perished under the falling wall, but as soon as he hears that he is safe, his sympathy is stirred for one of his own rank...

  • 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

    _SO THEY GIRDED SACKCLOTH ON THEIR LOINS, AND PUT ROPES ON THEIR HEADS, AND CAME TO THE KING OF ISRAEL, AND SAID, THY SERVANT BEN-HA'DAD SAITH, I PRAY THEE, LET ME LIVE. AND HE SAID, IS HE YET ALIVE?...

  • 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...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וַ יַּחְגְּרוּ֩ שַׂקִּ֨ים בְּ מָתְנֵיהֶ֜ם וַ...

  • 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...

  • 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

    SO THEY GIRDED SACKCLOTH ON THEIR LOINS, AND PUT ROPES ON THEIR HEADS,.... Signifying they came to surrender themselves to him as his captives and prisoners, and he might do with them as seemed good t...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    So they girded sackcloth on their loins, and [put] ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, Thy servant Benhadad saith, I pray thee, let me live. And he said, [Is] he yet alive?...

  • 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

    So they, trying out this one last scheme to save their lives, GIRDED SACKCLOTH ON THEIR LOINS, AND PUT ROPES ON THEIR HEADS, AND CAME TO THE KING OF ISRAEL, AND SAID, THY SERVANT BENHADAD SAITH, I PRA...

  • 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

    I do not only freely pardon him, but honour and love him as my brother....

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    1 Kings 20:32 wore H2296 (H8799) sackcloth H8242 waists H4975 ropes H2256 heads H7218 came H935 (H8799) king...

  • 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 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 20:3; 1 Kings 20:42; 1 Samuel 15:8; Daniel 5:20; Isaiah 1

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    My brother — I do not only pardon him, but honour and love him as my brother. What a change is here! From the height of prosperity, to the depth of distress. See the uncertainty of human affairs! Such...

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