1 Kings 20:39

_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: IF BY ANY MEANS HE BE MISSING, THEN SHALL THY LIFE BE FOR HIS LIFE, OR ELSE THOU SHALT PAY A TALENT OF SILVER._ A talent of silver - 342 pounds sterling....

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, which flows from an apprehension of the mercy of God, in Christ; there is forgiveness with him. What a change is here! The most haughty in prosperity often are most abject in adversity; an evil spirit will thus affect a man in both these conditions. There are those on whom, like Ahab, success is ill bestowed; they know not how to serve either God or their generation, or even their own true interests with their prosperity: Let favour be showed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness. The prophet designed to reprove Ahab by a parable. If a good prophet were punished for sparing his friend and God's when God said, Smite, of much sorer punishment should a wicked king be thought worthy, w...

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....

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 of the latter, and which therefore constitutes a break in the history of Elijah, which has occupied the historian up to the end of 1 Kings 19:1; and which is resumed with 1 Kings 21:1.—the insertion of this twentieth chapter in this place is apparently due to the compiler of these records, who seems to have adopted this arrangement as the more chronological. It is not absolutely certain, however, that we owe this disposition

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 BATTLE; this was not real, but fictitious, an apologue, fable, or parable, by which he would represent to Ahab his own case, and bring him under conviction of his folly, just as Nathan dealt with David: AND, BEHOLD, A MAN TURNED ASIDE; a superior officer in the army: AND BROUGHT A MAN UNTO ME; he had made a prisoner of: AND SAID, KEEP THIS MAN; do not let him escape: IF BY ANY MEANS HE BE MISSING, THEN SHALL THY LIFE BE FOR HIS LIFE, OR ELSE THOU SHALT PAY A TALENT OF SILVER; if he let him go willingly, or by any means he should get out of his hands, then he should either die for it, or be fined a talent of silver, which of our money is three hundred and seventy five pounds; and to thi

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 prophet's symbolical action and his message (1 Kings 20:35) Two expeditions of Ben-hadad (son of the Sun) against Israel are recorded in this chapter. When Ben-hadad forced the war and insulted the King of Israel, Ahab prepared for the battle. Then a prophet came to Ahab, most likely one of those who had been hidden by Obadiah. He brought a message from the Lord. “Thus saith Jehovah, Hast thou seen all this great multitude? behold I will deliver it into thine hand this day; and thou sha

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 sin of Ahab, like that of Saul, seems commendable in our eyes, but to the Hebrews it was the most deadly of all the violation of the _herem_ or ban (pp. 99, 114), the sparing of a person devoted to Yahweh (1 Kings 20:42). The sons of the prophets are mentioned here for the first time in the Bible (1 Kings 20:35)....

_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 one of authority who had a right to command the services which he desires and to impose a penalty if they be not fulfilled. In the interpretation he represents Jehovah. _be missing_ i.e. When I come to ask for the prisoner whom I trusted to your hands. _a talent of silver_ The fine was large to mark the importance of the trust....

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, reorganizing his forces, and obviously planning a new campaign against Israel. As the narrative of the second crisis unfolds, the historian discusses (1) the Aramean war counsels (1 Kings 20:23-25); (2) the confrontation at Aphek (1 Kings 20:26-30 a); (3) the clemency granted Benhadad (1 Kings 20:30 b - 1 Kings 20:34); and (4) the prophetic condemnation of Ahab ...

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