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Geneva Study Bible Commentary

1 Kings 20:39

And as the king passed by, he cried unto the king: and he said, (s) Thy servant went out into the midst of the battle; and, behold, a man turned aside, and brought a man unto me, and said, Keep this man: if by any means he be missing, then shall thy life be for his life, or else thou shalt pay a talent of silver.

(s) By this parable he makes Ahab condemn himself who made a covenant with God's enemy, and let him escape whom God had appointed to be slain.

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See also 1 Kings 20:39 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse 39. _KEEP THIS MAN_] The drift of this is at once seen; but Ahab, not knowing it, was led to pass sentence on himself....

  • 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 DEATH FORETOLD FOR SPARING BENHADAD. This section reminds us of 1 Samuel 15, Saul's sparing of Agag. It does not appear to be part of the foregoing narrative, but may be of great antiquity. The...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _cried unto the king_ The appeal for the king's intervention is made with a view of getting free from the punishment which had been threatened to him. _a man turned aside_ Evidently meant to indicate...

  • 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 AS THE KING PASSED BY, HE CRIED UNTO THE KING: AND HE SAID, THY SERVANT WENT OUT INTO THE MIDST OF THE BATTLE; AND, BEHOLD, A MAN TURNED ASIDE, AND BROUGHT A MAN UNTO ME, AND SAID, KEEP THIS MAN:...

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

    20:39 pay (b-59) Heb. 'weigh'...

  • 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

    THY SERVANT. — The parable is, of course, designed (like those of 2 Samuel 12:1; 2 Samuel 14:5) to make Ahab condemn himself. In Ahab, however, it excites not compunction, but characteristic sullennes...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וַ יְהִ֤י הַ מֶּ֨לֶךְ֙ עֹבֵ֔ר וְ ה֖וּא

  • 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...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _One. Thus God delivered the proud and blasphemous Benadad to Achab. (Haydock)_...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    (35) And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said unto his neighbour in the word of the LORD, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man refused to smite him. (36) Then said he unto him, Because thou ha...

  • 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 AS THE KING PASSED BY, HE CRIED UNTO THE KING,.... With a loud voice, signifying he had something to say unto him, at which he stopped: AND HE SAID, THY SERVANT WENT OUT INTO THE MIDST OF THE BAT...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    And as the king passed by, he cried unto the king: and he said, Thy servant went out into the midst of the battle; and, behold, a man turned aside, and brought a man unto me, and said, Keep this man:...

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

    _And he said, Thy servant_, &c. This relation is a parable; a usual way of instruction in the eastern parts, and most fit for this occasion, wherein an obscure prophet was to speak to a great king, im...

  • 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 as the king passed by, he cried unto the king; and he said, Thy servant went out into the midst of the battle, and, behold, a man turned aside, and brought a man unto me, and said, Keep this man;...

  • 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...

  • Marginal Notes in the King James Version (1611)

    PAY: _ Heb._ weigh...

  • 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

    THY SERVANT WENT OUT: this following relation is not an untruth, but a parable; a usual way of instruction in the eastern parts, and ancient times, and most fit for this occasion, wherein an obscure p...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    1 Kings 20:39 king H4428 by H5674 (H8802) cried H6817 (H8804) king H4428 said H559 (H8799) servant...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    AHAB IS SEEN BY THE PROPHETS AS HAVING DISOBEYED YHWH BY NOT PUTTING BEN-HADAD TO DEATH, AND IS WARNED OF WHAT THE CONSEQUENCES WILL BE (1 KINGS 20:35). We have not actually been told that Ben-hadad w...

  • 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 20:39 YOUR SERVANT WENT OUT INTO THE MIDST OF THE BATTLE. In circumstances similar to 2 Samuel 12:1, the prophet tricks the king into pr

  • 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 20:42; 1 Peter 1:18; 1 Peter 1:19; 2 Kings 10:24; 2 Samuel

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    He said — This relation is a parable; an usual way of instruction in the eastern parts, and most fit for this occasion wherein an obscure prophet was to speak to a great king; impatient of a down — ri...

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