1 Kings 20:1-22

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Kings 20:1-11

Here is, I. The threatening descent which Ben-hadad made upon Ahab's kingdom, and the siege he laid to Samaria, his royal city, 1 Kgs. 20:1. What the ground of the quarrel was we are not told; covetousness and ambition were the principle, which would never want some pretence or other. David in his time had quite subdued the Syrians and made them tributaries to Israel, but Israel's apostasy from God makes them formidable again. Asa had tempted the Syrians to invade Israel once (1 Kgs.... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Kings 20:12-21

The treaty between the besiegers and the besieged being broken off abruptly, we have here an account of the battle that ensued immediately. I. The Syrians, the besiegers, had their directions from a drunken king, who gave orders over his cups, as he was drinking (1 Kgs. 20:12), drinking himself drunk (1 Kgs. 20:16) with the kings in the pavilions, and this at noon. Drunkenness is a sin which armies and their officers have of old been addicted to. Say not thou then that the former days were, in... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Kings 20:22-30

We have here an account of another successful campaign which Ahab, by divine aid, made against the Syrians, in which he gave them a greater defeat than in the former. Strange! Ahab idolatrous and yet victorious, a persecutor and yet a conqueror! God has wise and holy ends in suffering wicked men to prosper, and glorifies his own name thereby. I. Ahab is admonished by a prophet to prepare for another war, 1 Kgs. 20:22. It should seem, he was now secure, and looked but a little way before him.... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 20:1

And Benhadad the king of Syria gathered all his host together ,.... This was Benhadad the second, the son of that Benhadad, to whom Asa sent to help him against Baasha, 1 Kings 15:18 . and there were thirty and two kings with him ; these were heads of families, so called, and at most governors of cities under Benhadad; petty princes, such as were in the land of Canaan in Joshua's time: and horses and chariots ; how many is not said: and he went up and besieged Samaria, and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 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 dominions to come to Samaria: and said unto him, thus saith Benhadad ; by them, his messengers, as follows. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 20:3

Thy silver and thy gold is mine ,.... Not of right, but reckoning it as good as in his hands, Ahab not being able to resist him: and thy wives also ; for it seems he had more than Jezebel: and thy children ; which were many, for he had no less than seventy sons, 2 Kings 10:1 , even the goodliest are mine : some aggravate this, as if his view was to commit the unnatural sin with his male children, when in his possession. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 20:4

And the king of Israel answered and said, my lord, O king ,.... So he said to Benhadad's messengers, representing him, as acknowledging his sovereignty over him: according to thy saying, I am thine, and all that I have : which he understood of holding all that he had of him, by giving him homage, and paying him tribute; not that he was to deliver all his substance, and especially his wives and children, into his hands. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 20:5

And the messengers came again ,.... From Benhadad: and said, thus speaketh Benhadad, saying, although I have sent unto thee, saying : at the first message: thou shalt deliver me thy silver, and thy gold, and thy wives, and thy children ; into his possession, and not as Ahab understood it, that he should be his vassal, and pay a yearly tribute for his quiet enjoyment of them; yet even this he would not now abide by, growing still more haughty upon the mean submission of Ahab, as by... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 20:6

Yet I will send my servants unto thee tomorrow about this time ,.... He gave him twenty four hours to consider of it: and they shall search thine house, and the houses of thy servants ; the royal palace, and the houses of the noblemen, and even of every of his subjects in Samaria: and it shall be, that whatsoever is pleasant (or desirable) in thine eyes, they shall put it in, their hand, and take it away ; not be content with what should be given, but search for more; and if any in... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 20:7

Then the King of Israel called all the elders of the land ,.... His poor sneaking spirit was a little aroused with the last message, and therefore called a council of the elders of the people upon it, which was a piece of wisdom in him: and said, mark, I pray you, and see how this man seeketh mischief ; nothing less than the entire ruin of the nation: for he sent unto me for my wives, and for my children, and for my silver, and for my gold, and I denied him not ; in the sense he... read more

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