# 1 Kings 20 📖 [[📚 Explore the Bible Books]] [[1 Kings Overview]] | [[1 Kings 19]] | [[1 Kings 21]] > [!info] Table of Contents > [[#📜 Scripture Text (NET)]] [[#📖 Verse-by-Verse Commentary]] [[#🧠 Chapter Summary]] [[#🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application]] [[#✍️ Key Verses to Remember]] > [[#🤔 Interesting Facts]] [[#🔗 Related Passages/Cross Reference]] [[#🙏 Devotional Reflection]] ## 📜 Scripture Text (NET) (The NET Bible: New English Translation. Biblical Studies Press, 2005) ## Ben Hadad Invades Israel [[#Verse 01.]] Now King Ben Hadad of Syria assembled all his army, along with thirty-two other kings with their horses and chariots. He marched against Samaria and besieged and attacked it.  [[#Verse 01.]]2 He sent messengers to King Ahab of Israel, who was in the city. He said to him, “This is what Ben Hadad says:  [[#Verse 03.]] ‘Your silver and your gold are mine, as well as the best of your wives and sons.’”  [[#Verse 04.]] The king of Israel replied, “It is just as you say, my master, O king. I and all I own belong to you.” [[#Verse 05.]] The messengers came again and said, “This is what Ben Hadad says: ‘I sent this message to you, “You must give me your silver, gold, wives, and sons.”  [[#Verse 06.]] But now at this time tomorrow I will send my servants to you and they will search through your palace and your servants’ houses. They will carry away all your valuables.’” [[#Verse 07.]] The king of Israel summoned all the leaders of the land and said, “Notice how this man is looking for trouble. Indeed, he demanded my wives, sons, silver, and gold, and I did not resist him.”  [[#Verse 08.]] All the leaders and people said to him, “Do not give in or agree to his demands.”  [[#Verse 09.]] So he said to the messengers of Ben Hadad, “Say this to my master, the king: ‘I will give you everything you demanded at first from your servant, but I am unable to agree to this latest demand.’” So the messengers went back and gave their report. [[#Verse 10.]] Ben Hadad sent another message to him, “May the gods judge me severely if there is enough dirt left in Samaria for all my soldiers to scoop up in their hands.”  [[#Verse 11.]] The king of Israel replied, “Tell him the one who puts on his battle gear should not boast like one who is taking it off.”  [[#Verse 12.]] When Ben Hadad received this reply, he and the other kings were drinking in their quarters. He ordered his servants, “Get ready to attack!” So they got ready to attack the city. ## The Lord Delivers Israel [[#Verse 13.]] Now a prophet visited King Ahab of Israel and said, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Do you see this huge army? Look, I am going to hand it over to you this very day. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’” [[#Verse 14.]] Ahab asked, “By whom will this be accomplished?” He answered, “This is what the Lord has said, ‘By the servants of the district governors.’” Ahab asked, “Who will launch the attack?” He answered, “You will.” [[#Verse 15.]] So Ahab assembled the 232 servants of the district governors. After that he assembled all the Israelite army, numbering 7,000. [[#Verse 16.]] They marched out at noon, while Ben Hadad and the 32 kings allied with him were drinking heavily in their quarters.  [[#Verse 17.]] The servants of the district governors led the march. When Ben Hadad sent messengers, they reported back to him, “Men are marching out of Samaria.”  [[#Verse 18.]] He ordered, “Whether they come in peace or to do battle, take them alive.”  [[#Verse 19.]] They marched out of the city with the servants of the district governors in the lead and the army behind them.  [[#Verse 20.]] Each one struck down an enemy soldier; the Syrians fled and Israel chased them. King Ben Hadad of Syria escaped on horseback with some horsemen.  [[#Verse 21.]] Then the king of Israel marched out and struck down the horses and chariots; he thoroughly defeated Syria. ## The Lord Gives Israel Another Victory [[#Verse 22.]] The prophet visited the king of Israel and instructed him, “Go, fortify your defenses. Determine what you must do, for in the spring the king of Syria will attack you.”  [[#Verse 23.]] Now the advisers of the king of Syria said to him: “Their God is a god of the mountains. That’s why they overpowered us. But if we fight them in the plains, we will certainly overpower them.  [[#Verse 24.]] So do this: Dismiss the kings from their command, and replace them with military commanders.  [[#Verse 25.]] Muster an army like the one you lost, with the same number of horses and chariots. Then we will fight them in the plains; we will certainly overpower them.” He approved their plan and did as they advised. [[#Verse 26.]] In the spring Ben Hadad mustered the Syrian army and marched to Aphek to fight Israel.  [[#Verse 27.]] When the Israelites had mustered and received their supplies, they marched out to face them in battle. When the Israelites deployed opposite them, they were like two small flocks of goats, but the Syrians filled the land.  [[#Verse 28.]] The prophet visited the king of Israel and said, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Because the Syrians said, “The Lord is a god of the mountains and not a god of the valleys,” I will deliver this entire huge army into to your control. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’ [[#Verse 29.]] The armies were deployed opposite each other for seven days. On the seventh day the battle began, and the Israelites killed 100,000 Syrian foot soldiers in one day.  [[#Verse 30.]] The remaining 27,000 ran to Aphek and went into the city, but the wall fell on them. Now Ben Hadad ran into the city and hid in an inner room.  [[#Verse 31.]] His advisers said to him, “Look, we have heard that the kings of the Israelite dynasty are kind. Allow us to put sackcloth around our waists and ropes on our heads and surrender to the king of Israel. Maybe he will spare our lives.”  [[#Verse 32.]] So they put sackcloth around their waists and ropes on their heads and went to the king of Israel. They said, “Your servant Ben Hadad says, ‘Please let me live!’” Ahab replied, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”  [[#Verse 33.]] The men took this as a good omen and quickly accepted his offer, saying, “Ben Hadad is your brother.” Ahab then said, “Go, get him.” So Ben Hadad came out to him, and Ahab pulled him up into his chariot. [[#Verse 34.]] Ben Hadad said, “I will return the cities my father took from your father. You may set up markets in Damascus, just as my father did in Samaria.” Ahab then said, “I want to make a treaty with you before I dismiss you.” So he made a treaty with him and then dismissed him. ## A Prophet Denounces Ahab’s Actions [[#Verse 35.]] One of the members of the prophetic guild told his companion a message from the Lord, “Please wound me!” But the man refused to wound him.  [[#Verse 36.]] So the prophet said to him, “Because you have disobeyed the Lord, as soon as you leave me a lion will kill you.” When he left him, a lion attacked and killed him.  [[#Verse 37.]] He found another man and said, “Wound me!” So the man wounded him severely.  [[#Verse 38.]] The prophet then went and stood by the road, waiting for the king. He also disguised himself by putting a bandage down over his eyes.  [[#Verse 39.]] When the king passed by, he called out to the king, “Your servant went out into the heat of the battle, and then a man turned aside and brought me a prisoner. He told me, ‘Guard this prisoner. If he ends up missing for any reason, you will pay with your life or with a talent of silver.’  [[#Verse 40.]] Well, it just so happened that while your servant was doing this and that, he disappeared.” The king of Israel said to him, “Your punishment is already determined by your own testimony.”  [[#Verse 41.]] The prophet quickly removed the bandage from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized he was one of the prophets.  [[#Verse 42.]] The prophet then said to him, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Because you released a man I had determined should die, you will pay with your life, and your people will suffer instead of his people.’”  [[#Verse 43.]] The king of Israel went home to Samaria bitter and angry. ## ==📖 Verse-by-Verse Commentary== ###### Overall. ###### Verse 01. ###### Verse 02. ###### Verse 03. ###### Verse 04. ###### Verse 05. ###### Verse 06. ###### Verse 07. ###### Verse 08. ###### Verse 09. ###### Verse 10. ###### Verse 11. ###### Verse 12. ###### Verse 13. ###### Verse 14. ###### Verse 15. ###### Verse 16. ###### Verse 17. ###### Verse 18. ###### Verse 19. ###### Verse 20. ###### Verse 21. ###### Verse 22. ###### Verse 23. ###### Verse 24. ###### Verse 25. ###### Verse 26. ###### Verse 27. ###### Verse 28. ###### Verse 29. ###### Verse 30. ###### Verse 31. ###### Verse 32. ###### Verse 33. ###### Verse 34. ###### Verse 35. ###### Verse 36. ###### Verse 37. ###### Verse 38. ###### Verse 39. ###### Verse 40. ###### Verse 41. ###### Verse 42. ###### Verse 43. ## 🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights - coming soon. %% PRIVATE NOTES (only I see this) Write down things that are not straight from commentary but interesting facts that ground the text in history. %% ## 🧠 Chapter Summary - coming soon. %% PRIVATE NOTES (only I see this) Write a short paragraph (3–5 sentences) summarizing what happens in this chapter. - What is the main event or teaching? - How does this chapter fit the book’s overall story? - What stands out immediately? Anything Apologetic to point out? %% ## 🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application - coming soon. %% PRIVATE NOTES (only I see this) - 📌 Observation 1 - 📌 Observation 2 - 📌 Observation 3 - (Add more as needed.) %% %% #### Today, I can apply this chapter by: - ✅ Application 1 - ✅ Application 2 Make these very practical: - "Trust God's timing in an uncertain situation." - "Speak truth even when it’s unpopular." Think: - What do we learn about God here? - What do we learn about people? - Are there promises, commands, or warnings? %% ## ✍️ Key Verses to Remember - coming soon. %% PRIVATE NOTES (only I see this) - 📖 [Verse Reference] – "Quote of important verse." - 📖 [Verse Reference] – "Quote of another important verse." (You can link to deeper notes if you want later.) %% ## 🔗 Related Passages/Cross Reference - 🔗 coming soon. - 🔗 coming soon. %% Examples: - John 1:1 and Genesis 1 - Romans 5 and Genesis 3 %% ## 🙏 Devotional Reflection - coming soon. %% PRIVATE NOTES (only I see this) Write 3–6 sentences reflecting on: - How this chapter encourages your faith, - Convicts your heart, - Reveals God's character. Optional format: "In light of this chapter, I am challenged to..." or "I am comforted by..." %% ##### 📂 Internal Links/Personal Notes