1 Kings 20:2
1 Kings 20:2 in Multiple Translations
Then he sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel,
And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city, and said unto him, Thus saith Ben-hadad,
And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel, into the city, and said unto him, Thus saith Ben-hadad,
And he sent representatives into the town to Ahab, king of Israel;
He sent messengers to Ahab, king of Israel, in the city to tell him, “This is what Ben-hadad says:
And he sent messengers to Ahab King of Israel, into the citie,
and sendeth messengers unto Ahab king of Israel, to the city,
He sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel and said to him, “Ben Hadad says,
And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city, and said to him, Thus saith Ben-hadad,
And, sending messengers to Achab king of Israel into the city,
Ben-Hadad sent messengers into the city to King Ahab, to say this to him: “This is what King Ben-Hadad says:
Berean Amplified Bible — 1 Kings 20:2
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
1 Kings 20:2 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
וַ/יִּשְׁלַ֧ח
מַלְאָכִ֛ים
אֶל
אַחְאָ֥ב
מֶֽלֶךְ
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל
הָ/עִֽירָ/ה
וַ/יִּשְׁלַ֧ח
shâlach
H7971
to send
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms
מַלְאָכִ֛ים
mălʼâk
H4397
messenger
N-mp
אֶל
ʼêl
H413
to(wards)
Prep
אַחְאָ֥ב
ʼAchʼâb
H256
Ahab
N-proper
מֶֽלֶךְ
melek
H4428
King's
N-ms
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל
Yisrâʼêl
H3478
Israel
N-proper
הָ/עִֽירָ/ה
ʻîyr
H5892
excitement
Art | N-fs | Suff
Hebrew Word Study
Select any word above to explore its original meaning, root, and usage across Scripture.
Use ← → arrow keys to navigate between words.
Hebrew Word Reference — 1 Kings 20:2
וַ/יִּשְׁלַ֧ח
shâlach
H7971
"to send"
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms
To send or depart is the meaning of this Hebrew word, which has various applications in the Bible. It can describe sending someone or something away, or letting something go.
Definition: : depart/send 1) to send, send away, let go, stretch out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to send 1a2) to stretch out, extend, direct 1a3) to send away 1a4) to let loose 1b) (Niphal) to be sent 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to send off or away or out or forth, dismiss, give over, cast out 1c2) to let go, set free 1c3) to shoot forth (of branches) 1c4) to let down 1c5) to shoot 1d) (Pual) to be sent off, be put away, be divorced, be impelled 1e) (Hiphil) to send
Usage: Occurs in 790 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] any wise, appoint, bring (on the way), cast (away, out), conduct, [idiom] earnestly, forsake, give (up), grow long, lay, leave, let depart (down, go, loose), push away, put (away, forth, in, out), reach forth, send (away, forth, out), set, shoot (forth, out), sow, spread, stretch forth (out). See also: Genesis 3:22; Exodus 9:27; Joshua 14:11.
מַלְאָכִ֛ים
mălʼâk
H4397
"messenger"
N-mp
A messenger or representative, often of God, like an angel, prophet, or priest, as seen in Isaiah 42:19 and Haggai 1:13, carrying out God's will.
Definition: : messenger 1) messenger, representative 1a) messenger 1b) angel 1c) the theophanic angel
Usage: Occurs in 196 OT verses. KJV: ambassador, angel, king, messenger. See also: Genesis 16:7; 2 Samuel 24:16; Psalms 34:8.
אֶל
ʼêl
H413
"to(wards)"
Prep
This Hebrew word means 'to' or 'toward', showing direction or movement. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus, to indicate where someone is going. The KJV translates it in various ways, like 'about', 'according to', or 'against'.
Definition: 1) to, toward, unto (of motion) 2) into (limit is actually entered) 2a) in among 3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion) 4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character) 5) in addition to, to 6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of 7) according to (rule or standard) 8) at, by, against (of one's presence) 9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)
Usage: Occurs in 4205 OT verses. KJV: about, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in). See also: Genesis 1:9; Genesis 21:14; Genesis 31:13.
אַחְאָ֥ב
ʼAchʼâb
H256
"Ahab"
N-proper
Ahab was a king of Israel who lived a long time ago. He was married to a queen named Jezebel and did many bad things. The prophet Jeremiah also wrote about a different man named Ahab.
Definition: A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at Jer.29.21; son of: Kolaiah (H6964H) § Ahab = "father's brother" 1) king of Israel, son of Omri, husband of Jezebel 2) false prophet executed by Nebuchadrezzar, time of Jeremiah
Usage: Occurs in 81 OT verses. KJV: Ahab. See also: 1 Kings 16:28; 1 Kings 22:40; Jeremiah 29:21.
מֶֽלֶךְ
melek
H4428
"King's"
N-ms
This word refers to a king or royal person, like King David or King Saul. It can also describe something related to a king, like the King's Valley in Genesis. The Bible often uses this word to talk about the rulers of Israel.
Definition: King's (Valley) (Gen.14.17)
Usage: Occurs in 1919 OT verses. KJV: king, royal. See also: Genesis 14:1; Joshua 10:39; 1 Samuel 16:1.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל
Yisrâʼêl
H3478
"Israel"
N-proper
Israel is the symbolic name of Jacob, also referring to his descendants. Jacob, son of Isaac and Rebekah, had 12 sons who became the tribes of Israel, as told in Genesis 25:26. His story is crucial to the Bible's narrative.
Definition: A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.25.26; son of: Isaac (H3327) and Rebekah (H7259); brother of: Esau (H6215); married to Rachel (H7354), Leah (H3812), Zilpah (H2153) and Bilhah (H1090A); father of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Levi (H3878), Judah (H3063), Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074), Dinah (H1783), Joseph (H3130) and Benjamin (H1144); also called Jacob frequently § Israel = "God prevails" 1) the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel 2) the name of the descendants and the nation of the descendants of Jacob 2a) the name of the nation until the death of Solomon and the split 2b) the name used and given to the northern kingdom consisting of the 10 tribes under Jeroboam; the southern kingdom was known as Judah 2c) the name of the nation after the return from exile
Usage: Occurs in 2231 OT verses. KJV: Israel. See also: Genesis 32:29; Exodus 13:18; Exodus 40:38.
הָ/עִֽירָ/ה
ʻîyr
H5892
"excitement"
Art | N-fs | Suff
In the Bible, this word refers to a city or town, often a place with a wall or a watchman. It is used to describe a settlement or encampment, like the city of Ai, which is mentioned in the book of Joshua. The word is used to identify specific locations in the Bible.
Definition: 1) excitement, anguish 1a) of terror
Usage: Occurs in 936 OT verses. KJV: Ai (from margin), city, court (from margin), town. See also: Genesis 4:17; Deuteronomy 3:6; Joshua 14:12.
Study Notes — 1 Kings 20:2
Show Verse Quote Highlights
Context — Ben-hadad Attacks Samaria
1Now Ben-hadad king of Aram assembled his entire army. Accompanied by thirty-two kings with their horses and chariots, he marched up, besieged Samaria, and waged war against it.
2Then he sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel,
3saying, “This is what Ben-hadad says: ‘Your silver and gold are mine, and your best wives and children are mine!’” 4And the king of Israel replied, “Just as you say, my lord the king: I am yours, along with all that I have.”Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Isaiah 36:2–22 | And the king of Assyria sent the Rabshakeh, with a great army, from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. And he stopped by the aqueduct of the upper pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field. Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna the scribe, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder, went out to him. The Rabshakeh said to them, “Tell Hezekiah that this is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: What is the basis of this confidence of yours? You claim to have a strategy and strength for war, but these are empty words. In whom are you now trusting, that you have rebelled against me? Look now, you are trusting in Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff that will pierce the hand of anyone who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him. But if you say to me, ‘We trust in the LORD our God,’ is He not the One whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You must worship before this altar’? Now, therefore, make a bargain with my master, the king of Assyria. I will give you two thousand horses—if you can put riders on them! For how can you repel a single officer among the least of my master’s servants when you depend on Egypt for chariots and horsemen? So now, was it apart from the LORD that I have come up against this land to destroy it? The LORD Himself said to me, ‘Go up against this land and destroy it.’” Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, since we understand it. Do not speak to us in Hebrew in the hearing of the people on the wall.” But the Rabshakeh replied, “Has my master sent me to speak these words only to you and your master, and not to the men sitting on the wall, who are destined with you to eat their own dung and drink their own urine?” Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out loudly in Hebrew: “Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria! This is what the king says: Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he cannot deliver you. Do not let Hezekiah persuade you to trust in the LORD when he says, ‘The LORD will surely deliver us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’ Do not listen to Hezekiah, for this is what the king of Assyria says: Make peace with me and come out to me. Then every one of you will eat from his own vine and his own fig tree, and drink water from his own cistern, until I come and take you away to a land like your own—a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards. Do not let Hezekiah mislead you when he says, ‘The LORD will deliver us.’ Has the god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria? Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they delivered Samaria from my hand? Who among all the gods of these lands has delivered his land from my hand? How then can the LORD deliver Jerusalem from my hand?” But the people remained silent and did not answer a word, for Hezekiah had commanded, “Do not answer him.” Then Hilkiah’s son Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the scribe, and Asaph’s son Joah the recorder came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and they relayed to him the words of the Rabshakeh. |
| 2 | 2 Kings 19:9 | Now Sennacherib had been warned about Tirhakah king of Cush: “Look, he has set out to fight against you.” So Sennacherib again sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying, |
| 3 | Isaiah 37:9–10 | Now Sennacherib had been warned about Tirhakah king of Cush: “He has set out to fight against you.” On hearing this, Sennacherib sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying, “Give this message to Hezekiah king of Judah: ‘Do not let your God, in whom you trust, deceive you by saying that Jerusalem will not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria. |
1 Kings 20:2 Summary
This verse tells us that Ben-hadad king of Aram sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel, which was a way of declaring war and demanding surrender. This shows that Ben-hadad was a powerful and confident leader who was used to getting what he wanted. As we read this verse, we can reflect on how we respond to pressure and demands from others, and consider how trusting in God's sovereignty and provision can give us peace and confidence, as seen in verses like Romans 8:28 and Isaiah 26:3. By looking to God and His Word, we can learn to respond to challenging situations in a way that honors Him, as encouraged in verses like Colossians 3:17 and 1 Thessalonians 5:18.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Ben-hadad king of Aram send messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel?
Ben-hadad sent messengers to Ahab as a declaration of war and to demand surrender, as seen in the subsequent verses, particularly 1 Kings 20:3, where Ben-hadad makes specific demands of Ahab, indicating that the messengers were likely sent to deliver these demands and assess Ahab's response.
What can we learn from Ben-hadad's actions in this verse?
We can learn that pride and a desire for power can lead to aggression and conflict, as seen in Ben-hadad's actions, and that this is contrary to the biblical values of humility and peace, as expressed in verses like Matthew 5:9 and James 4:1-3.
How does this verse relate to the broader biblical narrative?
This verse is part of the ongoing story of God's relationship with the nation of Israel, and the conflicts they faced with neighboring nations, as seen in books like 1 Kings and 2 Kings, and is also reflective of the larger biblical theme of God's sovereignty over all nations, as expressed in verses like Daniel 4:17 and Romans 13:1-2.
What does this verse reveal about Ahab's character?
This verse sets the stage for Ahab's response to Ben-hadad's demands, as seen in 1 Kings 20:4, which reveals Ahab's willingness to compromise and surrender, rather than trusting in God, as encouraged in verses like Proverbs 3:5-6 and Psalm 37:3-7.
Reflection Questions
- How do I respond when faced with demands or pressures from others, and what can I learn from Ahab's example in this verse?
- What are some areas in my life where I may be surrendering to the demands of others, rather than trusting in God's sovereignty and provision?
- How can I cultivate a deeper trust in God's goodness and provision, even in the face of conflict or pressure, as seen in verses like Psalm 23:1-4 and Philippians 4:19?
- What are some ways that I can apply the biblical values of humility and peace to my relationships and interactions with others, as expressed in verses like Matthew 5:9 and Ephesians 4:32?
Gill's Exposition on 1 Kings 20:2
And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel, into the city,.... Who there remained, and attempted not to go forth and meet him, and stop his progress, though he must have passed great part of his
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Kings 20:2
And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city, and said unto him, Thus saith Ben-ha'dad, Thus saith Ben-hadad ,
Trapp's Commentary on 1 Kings 20:2
1 Kings 20:2 And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city, and said unto him, Thus saith Benhadad,Ver. 2. And he sent messengers.] As presuming they should find that favour with Ahab which himself denied to Ahab’ s messengers, whom he commanded to be taken alive, whatsoever their errand was. This was against the law of arms.
Cambridge Bible on 1 Kings 20:2
2. he sent messengers] Sending first, no doubt, as Josephus explains, a herald to ask that his ambassadors might be received to explain his demands.
Barnes' Notes on 1 Kings 20:2
It may be supposed that a considerable time had passed in the siege, that the city had been reduced to an extremity, and that ambassadors had been sent by Ahab to ask terms of peace short of absolute