1 Kings 20:42 Study Bible: He said to him, "Thus says the LORD, 'Because you have let go out of your hand the man whom I had devoted to destruction, therefore your life shall go for his life, and your people for his people.'"

◄ 1 Kings 20:42 ►

And the prophet said to the king, "This is what the LORD says: 'Because you have let slip from your hand the man I had devoted to destruction, your life will be exchanged for his life, and your people for his people.'"

Study Bible

And the prophet said to the king
In ancient Israel, prophets served as God's messengers, delivering His words to kings and the people. This particular prophet is speaking to King Ahab of Israel. Prophets often confronted kings with messages of judgment or guidance, as seen with Nathan and David (2 Samuel 12:1-15). The role of the prophet was crucial in maintaining the covenant relationship between God and Israel.

“This is what the LORD says:
The phrase indicates divine authority. The prophet is not speaking on his own behalf but delivering a message directly from God. This formula is common in prophetic literature, emphasizing that the message is not human opinion but divine revelation, as seen in other prophetic books like Isaiah and Jeremiah.

‘Because you have let slip from your hand
This phrase refers to King Ahab's failure to execute Ben-Hadad, the king of Aram, whom God had delivered into his hands. Ahab's decision to release Ben-Hadad was an act of disobedience to God's command. This reflects a recurring theme in the Old Testament where leaders are held accountable for their actions, such as Saul's disobedience in 1 Samuel 15.

the man I had devoted to destruction,
The concept of "devoted to destruction" (Hebrew: herem) involves a divine command to completely destroy something or someone as an act of judgment. This is seen in the conquest of Canaan (Joshua 6:17). Ahab's failure to carry out this command demonstrates a lack of reverence for God's holiness and justice.

your life will be exchanged for his life,
This is a pronouncement of divine justice, reflecting the principle of lex talionis, or "an eye for an eye" (Exodus 21:23-25). Ahab's life is now forfeit because he spared Ben-Hadad's life. This principle underscores the seriousness of disobedience to God's commands and the inevitable consequences of sin.

and your people for his people.’”
The judgment extends beyond Ahab to the people of Israel, indicating that the king's actions have national repercussions. This reflects the corporate nature of Israel's covenant relationship with God, where the leader's actions could bring blessings or curses upon the nation (Deuteronomy 28). It also foreshadows the eventual downfall of Ahab's dynasty and the suffering of Israel due to his unfaithfulness.

Persons / Places / Events

1. Prophet
A messenger of God who delivers the divine judgment to King Ahab. The identity of this prophet is not specified in the text, but he plays a crucial role in conveying God's message.

2. King Ahab
The king of Israel who disobeyed God's command by sparing Ben-Hadad, the king of Aram, whom God had devoted to destruction.

3. Ben-Hadad
The king of Aram who was defeated by Ahab but spared, contrary to God's command.

4. The LORD (Yahweh)
The God of Israel who had decreed the destruction of Ben-Hadad and whose command was disobeyed by Ahab.

5. Israel
The nation under King Ahab's rule, which would suffer consequences due to Ahab's disobedience.

Teaching Points

Obedience to God's Commands
God's instructions are to be followed completely, not partially. Partial obedience is disobedience.

Consequences of Disobedience
Disobedience to God can lead to severe consequences, not only for the individual but also for those under their influence or authority.

The Seriousness of God's Judgment
God's judgments are just and should be taken seriously. Ignoring them can lead to dire outcomes.

Leadership Responsibility
Leaders have a responsibility to follow God's commands, as their actions can impact the entire community or nation.

Divine Sovereignty
God's plans and purposes will ultimately prevail, even if human leaders fail to comply with His commands.

Bible Study Questions

1. How does Ahab's decision to spare Ben-Hadad reflect a misunderstanding or disregard of God's command, and what can we learn from this about the importance of understanding God's will?

2. In what ways can we see the consequences of Ahab's disobedience affecting the nation of Israel, and how does this relate to the broader biblical theme of corporate responsibility?

3. How does the account of Ahab and Ben-Hadad compare to the account of Saul and Agag in 1 Samuel 15, and what lessons can we draw about the nature of obedience?

4. What are some modern-day examples where leaders might face similar temptations to compromise God's commands, and how can they be encouraged to remain faithful?

5. Reflect on a time when you faced a decision to obey or disobey God's command. What were the outcomes, and how did it affect your understanding of God's sovereignty and justice?

Connections to Other Scriptures

1 Samuel 15
The account of King Saul's disobedience in sparing King Agag and the best of the livestock, which parallels Ahab's disobedience in sparing Ben-Hadad.

Deuteronomy 20:16-18
God's command to the Israelites to devote certain peoples to destruction, highlighting the seriousness of Ahab's disobedience.

2 Kings 10:32-33
The fulfillment of the prophecy against Ahab's house, showing the long-term consequences of his actions.

Sermons

Resisted Mercy	J. Urquhart	1 Kings 20:22-43
False Mercy	J.A. Macdonald	1 Kings 20:30-43

People

Ahab, Aram, Ben, Benhadad, Ben-hadad, Hadad, Israelites, Syrians

Places

Aphek, Damascus, Samaria, Syria

Topics

Appointed, Curse, Destruction, Determined, Devoted, Die, Free, Hands, Hast, Says, Thus, Utter

Dictionary of Bible Themes

1 Kings 20:42

6752 substitution
7773 prophets, role

4938 fate, final destiny

1 Kings 20:37-43

5920 pretence

1 Kings 20:42-43

5592 treaty
5928 resentment, against God

Library

The Lost Opportunity
TEXT: "And as thy servant was busy here and there, he was gone. And the king of Israel said unto him, So shall thy judgment be; thyself hast decided it."--1 Kings 20:40. There is a very striking incident connected with this text. The great battle is raging, a certain important prisoner has been taken, and if you read between the lines you seem to know that upon him depend many of the issues of war. His skill in leading the enemy had been marvelous, his courage in the thick of the fight striking; …
J. Wilbur Chapman—And Judas Iscariot

Putting on the Armour
And the king of Israel answered and said. Tell him. Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off.'--1 KINGS xx. 11. For the Young. Ahab, King of Israel, was but a poor creature, and, like most weak characters, he turned out a wicked one, because he found that there were more temptations to do wrong than inducements to do right. Like other weak people, too, he was torn asunder by the influence of stronger wills. On the one side he had a termagant of a wife, stirring …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Section Chap. I. -iii.
The question which here above all engages our attention, and requires to be answered, is this: Whether that which is reported in these chapters did, or did not, actually and outwardly take place. The history of the inquiries connected with this question is found most fully in Marckius's "Diatribe de uxore fornicationum," Leyden, 1696, reprinted in the Commentary on the Minor Prophets by the same author. The various views may be divided into three classes. 1. It is maintained by very many interpreters, …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

The Letter of the Synod to the Emperor and Empress.
(Labbe and Cossart, Concilia, Tom. VII., col. 577.) To our most religious and most serene princes, Constantine and Irene his mother. Tarasius, the unworthy bishop of your God-protected royal city, new Rome, and all the holy Council which met at the good pleasure of God and upon the command of your Christ-loving majesty in the renowned metropolis of Nice, the second council to assemble in this city. Christ our God (who is the head of the Church) was glorified, most noble princes, when your heart, …
Philip Schaff—The Seven Ecumenical Councils

Nature of the Renderings
From the text we now turn to the renderings, and to the general principles that were followed, both in the Old and in the New Testament. The revision of the English text was in each case subject to the same general rule, viz. "To introduce as few alterations as possible into the Text of the Authorised Version consistently with faithfulness"; but, owing to the great difference between the two languages, the Hebrew and the Greek, the application of the rule was necessarily different, and the results …
C. J. Ellicott—Addresses on the Revised Version of Holy Scripture

The Practice of Piety in Glorifying God in the Time of Sickness, and when Thou Art Called to Die in the Lord.
As soon as thou perceivest thyself to be visited with any sickness, meditate with thyself: 1. That "misery cometh not forth of the dust; neither doth affliction spring out of the earth." Sickness comes not by hap or chance (as the Philistines supposed that their mice and emrods came, 1 Sam. vi. 9), but from man's wickedness, which, as sparkles, breaketh out. "Man suffereth," saith Jeremiah, "for his sins." "Fools," saith David, "by reason of their transgressions, and because of their iniquities, …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

The Twelve Minor Prophets.
1. By the Jewish arrangement, which places together the twelve minor prophets in a single volume, the chronological order of the prophets as a whole is broken up. The three greater prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, stand in the true order of time. Daniel began to prophesy before Ezekiel, but continued, many years after him. The Jewish arrangement of the twelve minor prophets is in a sense chronological; that is, they put the earlier prophets at the beginning, and the later at the end of the …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

Tiglath-Pileser iii. And the Organisation of the Assyrian Empire from 745 to 722 B. C.
TIGLATH-PILESER III. AND THE ORGANISATION OF THE ASSYRIAN EMPIRE FROM 745 to 722 B.C. FAILURE OF URARTU AND RE-CONQUEST Of SYRIA--EGYPT AGAIN UNITED UNDER ETHIOPIAN AUSPICES--PIONKHI--THE DOWNFALL OF DAMASCUS, OF BABYLON, AND OF ISRAEL. Assyria and its neighbours at the accession of Tiglath-pileser III.: progress of the Aramaeans in the basin of the Middle Tigris--Urartu and its expansion into the north of Syria--Damascus and Israel--Vengeance of Israel on Damascus--Jeroboam II.--Civilisation …
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 7

Kings
The book[1] of Kings is strikingly unlike any modern historical narrative. Its comparative brevity, its curious perspective, and-with some brilliant exceptions--its relative monotony, are obvious to the most cursory perusal, and to understand these things is, in large measure, to understand the book. It covers a period of no less than four centuries. Beginning with the death of David and the accession of Solomon (1 Kings i., ii.) it traverses his reign with considerable fulness (1 Kings iii.-xi.), …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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