1 Kings 20:37
New International Version
The prophet found another man and said, “Strike me, please.” So the man struck him and wounded him.

New Living Translation
Then the prophet turned to another man and said, “Hit me!” So he struck the prophet and wounded him.

English Standard Version
Then he found another man and said, “Strike me, please.” And the man struck him—struck him and wounded him.

Berean Standard Bible
Then the prophet found another man and said, “Strike me, please!” So the man struck him and wounded him,

King James Bible
Then he found another man, and said, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man smote him, so that in smiting he wounded him.

New King James Version
And he found another man, and said, “Strike me, please.” So the man struck him, inflicting a wound.

New American Standard Bible
Then he found another man and said, “Please strike me.” And the man struck him, injuring him.

NASB 1995
Then he found another man and said, “Please strike me.” And the man struck him, wounding him.

NASB 1977
Then he found another man and said, “Please strike me.” And the man struck him, wounding him.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then he found another man and said, “Please strike me.” And the man struck him, wounding him.

Amplified Bible
Then the prophet found another man and said, “Please strike me.” So the man struck him hard, wounding him.

Christian Standard Bible
The prophet found another man and said to him, “Strike me! ” So the man struck him, inflicting a wound.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The prophet found another man and said to him, “Strike me!” So the man struck him, inflicting a wound.

American Standard Version
Then he found another man, and said, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man smote him, smiting and wounding him.

Contemporary English Version
The prophet found someone else and said, "Hit me!" So this man beat him up.

English Revised Version
Then he found another man, and said, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man smote him, smiting and wounding him.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then the disciple found another man. He said, "Punch me." The man punched him hard and wounded him.

Good News Translation
Then this same prophet went to another man and said, "Hit me!" This man did so; he hit him a hard blow and hurt him.

International Standard Version
Later, he found another man and told him, "Please strike me!" So the man struck him and wounded him.

Majority Standard Bible
Then the prophet found another man and said, “Strike me, please!” So the man struck him and wounded him,

NET Bible
He found another man and said, "Wound me!" So the man wounded him severely.

New Heart English Bible
Then he found another man, and said, "Please strike me." The man struck him, smiting and wounding him.

Webster's Bible Translation
Then he found another man, and said, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man smote him, so that in smiting he wounded him.

World English Bible
Then he found another man, and said, “Please strike me.” The man struck him and wounded him.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And he finds another man and says, “Please strike me”; and the man strikes him, striking and wounding,

Young's Literal Translation
And he findeth another man, and saith, 'Smite me, I pray thee;' and the man smiteth him, smiting and wounding,

Smith's Literal Translation
And he will find another man, and he will say, Strike me now. And the man will strike him, striking and wounding.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Then he found another man, and said to him: Strike me. And he struck him, and wounded him.

Catholic Public Domain Version
But upon finding another man, he said to him, “Strike me.” And he struck him, and wounded him.

New American Bible
Then the prophet met another man and said, “Strike me.” The man struck him a blow and wounded him.

New Revised Standard Version
Then he found another man and said, “Strike me!” So the man hit him, striking and wounding him.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Then he found another man and said to him, Strike me. And the man struck him, and wounded him.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And he found another man and said to him: “Hit me!”, and that man hit him and wounded him.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Then he found another man, and said: 'Smite me, I pray thee.' And the man smote him, smiting and wounding him.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he finds another man, and says, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man smote him, and in smiting wounded him.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
A Prophet Reproves Ahab
36Then the prophet said to him, “Because you have not obeyed the voice of the LORD, as soon as you depart from me a lion will kill you.” And when he left, a lion found him and killed him. 37Then the prophet found another man and said, “Strike me, please!” So the man struck him and wounded him, 38and the prophet went and waited on the road for the king, disguising himself with a bandage over his eyes.…

Cross References
2 Samuel 12:1-7
Then the LORD sent Nathan to David, and when he arrived, he said, “There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor. / The rich man had a great number of sheep and cattle, / but the poor man had nothing except one small ewe lamb that he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food and drank from his cup; it slept in his arms and was like a daughter to him. ...

1 Kings 13:18-24
Then the prophet replied, “I too am a prophet like you, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the LORD, saying, ‘Bring him back with you to your house, so that he may eat bread and drink water.’” The old prophet was lying to him, / but the man of God went back with him, ate bread in his house, and drank water. / While they were sitting at the table, the word of the LORD came to the prophet who had brought him back, ...

2 Kings 2:23-24
From there, Elisha went up to Bethel, and as he was walking up the road, a group of boys came out of the city and jeered at him, chanting, “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!” / Then he turned around, looked at them, and called down a curse on them in the name of the LORD. Suddenly two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys.

Isaiah 20:2-3
the LORD had already spoken through Isaiah son of Amoz, saying, “Go, remove the sackcloth from your waist and the sandals from your feet.” And Isaiah did so, walking around naked and barefoot. / Then the LORD said, “Just as My servant Isaiah has gone naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and omen against Egypt and Cush,

Jeremiah 13:1-11
This is what the LORD said to me: “Go and buy yourself a linen loincloth and put it around your waist, but do not let it touch water.” / So I bought a loincloth in accordance with the word of the LORD, and I put it around my waist. / Then the word of the LORD came to me a second time: ...

Ezekiel 4:1-5:4
“Now you, son of man, take a brick, place it before you, and draw on it the city of Jerusalem.

Hosea 1:2-9
When the LORD first spoke through Hosea, He told him, “Go, take a prostitute as your wife and have children of adultery, because this land is flagrantly prostituting itself by departing from the LORD.” / So Hosea went and married Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son. / Then the LORD said to Hosea, “Name him Jezreel, for soon I will bring the bloodshed of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and I will put an end to the kingdom of Israel. ...

Zechariah 11:4-17
This is what the LORD my God says: “Pasture the flock marked for slaughter, / whose buyers slaughter them without remorse. Those who sell them say, ‘Blessed be the LORD, for I am rich!’ Even their own shepherds have no compassion on them. / For I will no longer have compassion on the people of the land, declares the LORD, but behold, I will cause each man to fall into the hands of his neighbor and his king, who will devastate the land, and I will not deliver it from their hands.” ...

Matthew 13:10-17
Then the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Why do You speak to the people in parables?” / He replied, “The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. / Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. ...

Matthew 21:33-46
Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it, and built a tower. Then he rented it out to some tenants and went away on a journey. / When the harvest time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his share of the fruit. / But the tenants seized his servants. They beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. ...

Matthew 23:29-36
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous. / And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ / So you testify against yourselves that you are the sons of those who murdered the prophets. ...

Mark 4:10-12
As soon as Jesus was alone with the Twelve and those around Him, they asked Him about the parable. / He replied, “The mystery of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those on the outside everything is expressed in parables, / so that, ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven.’”

Luke 8:9-10
Then His disciples asked Him what this parable meant. / He replied, “The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, ‘though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.’

Luke 20:9-19
Then He proceeded to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, rented it out to some tenants, and went away for a long time. / At harvest time, he sent a servant to the tenants to collect his share of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat the servant and sent him away empty-handed. / So he sent another servant, but they beat him and treated him shamefully, sending him away empty-handed. ...

John 9:39-41
Then Jesus declared, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind may see and those who see may become blind.” / Some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard this, and they asked Him, “Are we blind too?” / “If you were blind,” Jesus replied, “you would not be guilty of sin. But since you claim you can see, your guilt remains.”


Treasury of Scripture

Then he found another man, and said, Smite me, I pray you. And the man smote him, so that in smiting he wounded him.

Thy servant

Judges 9:7-20
And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood in the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them, Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you…

2 Samuel 12:1-7
And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor…

2 Samuel 14:5-7
And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, I am indeed a widow woman, and mine husband is dead…

thy life

1 Kings 20:42
And he said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Because thou hast let go out of thy hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore thy life shall go for his life, and thy people for his people.

2 Kings 10:24
And when they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings, Jehu appointed fourscore men without, and said, If any of the men whom I have brought into your hands escape, he that letteth him go, his life shall be for the life of him.

or else

Exodus 21:30
If there be laid on him a sum of money, then he shall give for the ransom of his life whatsoever is laid upon him.

Job 36:18
Because there is wrath, beware lest he take thee away with his stroke: then a great ransom cannot deliver thee.

Psalm 49:7
None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him:

pay [heb] weigh

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1 Kings 20
1. Ben-Hadad, not content with Ahab's homage, besieges Samaria
13. By the direction of a prophet, the Syrians are slain
22. As the prophet forewarned Ahab, the Syrians come against him in Aphek
28. By the word of the prophet, and God's judgment, the Syrians are smitten again
31. The Syrians submit; Ahab sends Ben-Hadad away with a covenant
35. The prophet, under the parable of a prisoner,
39. making Ahab judge himself, denounces God's judgment against him














Then the prophet
The term "prophet" in Hebrew is "navi," which signifies a spokesperson for God. Prophets in the Old Testament were often called to deliver messages that were not only divine but also challenging to the status quo. This particular prophet is unnamed, emphasizing that the message and the act are more significant than the messenger. The role of a prophet was to convey God's will, often through symbolic actions, as seen in this passage.

found another man
The act of finding another man suggests a deliberate search. This indicates the prophet's determination to fulfill God's command, even if it required persistence. In the historical context, prophets often used others to enact symbolic gestures that would convey a deeper spiritual truth. The anonymity of the man also highlights that God can use anyone to fulfill His purposes.

and said, 'Strike me, please!'
The request to be struck is unusual and seems counterintuitive. However, in the prophetic tradition, actions often carried symbolic meanings. The Hebrew word for "strike" is "nakah," which can mean to smite or wound. This act was a prophetic symbol, possibly representing the impending judgment or the seriousness of the message to be delivered. The addition of "please" indicates a polite request, showing the prophet's respect for the man's free will.

So the man struck him
The man's compliance with the prophet's request demonstrates obedience, which is a recurring theme in the Bible. This act of striking was not out of malice but was a necessary part of the prophetic message. It reflects the willingness to participate in God's plan, even when the action seems harsh or incomprehensible.

and wounded him
The wounding of the prophet serves as a physical manifestation of the message he was to deliver. In the Hebrew context, wounds often symbolize suffering or the consequences of disobedience. This act of wounding could be seen as a foreshadowing of the consequences that would befall those who disobey God's commands. It underscores the seriousness of the prophetic message and the lengths to which God will go to communicate with His people.

Verse 37. - Then he found another man, and said, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man smote him, so that in smiting he wounded him [Heb. smiting and wounding. This last particular is apparently recorded to show how promptly and thoroughly this "other man," who is not said to have been a prophet, obeyed the charge. Probably he had the fate of the other before his eyes.]

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Then the prophet found
וַיִּמְצָא֙ (way·yim·ṣā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 4672: To come forth to, appear, exist, to attain, find, acquire, to occur, meet, be present

another
אַחֵ֔ר (’a·ḥêr)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 312: Hinder, next, other

man
אִ֣ישׁ (’îš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

and said,
וַיֹּ֖אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“Strike me,
הַכֵּ֣ינִי (hak·kê·nî)
Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular | first person common singular
Strong's 5221: To strike

please!”
נָ֑א (nā)
Interjection
Strong's 4994: I pray', 'now', 'then'

So the man
הָאִ֖ישׁ (hā·’îš)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

struck him
וַיַּכֵּ֥הוּ (way·yak·kê·hū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5221: To strike

and wounded him,
הַכֵּ֥ה (hak·kêh)
Verb - Hifil - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 5221: To strike


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OT History: 1 Kings 20:37 Then he found another man and said (1Ki iKi i Ki 1 Kg 1kg)
1 Kings 20:36
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