1 Kings 20:43 Study Bible: The king of Israel went to his house sullen and angry, and came to Samaria.

◄ 1 Kings 20:43 ►

Sullen and angry, the king of Israel went home to Samaria.

Sullen and angry
This phrase captures the emotional state of King Ahab after his encounter with the prophet. Ahab's sullen and angry demeanor reflects his frustration and disappointment at being rebuked for sparing Ben-Hadad, the king of Aram, whom God had devoted to destruction. This emotional response is consistent with Ahab's character throughout the narrative, as he often reacts with petulance and self-pity when confronted with his failures or when he does not get his way, as seen in 1 Kings 21:4 when he sulks over Naboth's vineyard. Ahab's reaction can be contrasted with the ideal response to divine correction, which should be repentance and humility.

the king of Israel
Ahab, the king of Israel, ruled the northern kingdom during a time of significant apostasy and idolatry. His reign is marked by his marriage to Jezebel, the introduction of Baal worship, and numerous conflicts with the prophets of Yahweh. Ahab's leadership is often characterized by moral and spiritual compromise, which ultimately leads to the downfall of his dynasty. The title "king of Israel" serves as a reminder of his responsibility to lead the people in covenant faithfulness, a duty he consistently neglects.

went home
The phrase "went home" indicates Ahab's return to his royal residence after the confrontation with the prophet. This action signifies a retreat from the battlefield and a return to the comforts of his palace, yet it also symbolizes his failure to address the spiritual and moral issues at hand. Ahab's physical journey home mirrors his spiritual journey away from God's commands, highlighting his unwillingness to change or seek God's guidance.

to Samaria
Samaria was the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, established by Ahab's father, Omri. It served as the political and religious center of the kingdom. Archaeological findings in Samaria reveal a city of significant wealth and fortification, reflecting the prosperity and power of Ahab's reign. However, Samaria also became a center of idolatry and corruption, as Ahab and Jezebel promoted the worship of Baal and Asherah. The city's eventual destruction by the Assyrians in 722 BC serves as a fulfillment of prophetic warnings against the nation's unfaithfulness. Samaria's role in Ahab's story underscores the tension between political power and spiritual fidelity.

Persons / Places / Events

1. King of Israel (Ahab)
Ahab was the king of Israel during this time. He is known for his idolatry and disobedience to God, often influenced by his wife, Jezebel.

2. Samaria
The capital city of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, where King Ahab resided. It was a center of political and religious activity.

3. The Battle with Ben-Hadad
This verse follows the events where Ahab, after being victorious in battle against Ben-Hadad, king of Aram, disobeys God's command by sparing Ben-Hadad's life.

4. Prophetic Rebuke
Prior to this verse, a prophet rebukes Ahab for his disobedience, predicting that his life will be taken in place of Ben-Hadad's.

5. Ahab's Emotional State
The verse highlights Ahab's emotional response—sullen and angry—indicating his displeasure and internal conflict after the prophetic rebuke.

Teaching Points

The Consequences of Disobedience
Ahab's account serves as a reminder that disobedience to God's commands can lead to severe consequences, both personally and for those we lead.

The Danger of Anger
Ahab's sullen and angry reaction illustrates how unchecked emotions can cloud judgment and lead to further sin. Believers are called to manage their emotions in a godly manner.

The Importance of Heeding Prophetic Warnings
Ignoring God's warnings through His prophets can lead to downfall. We must be attentive and responsive to God's guidance in our lives.

The Role of Leadership and Responsibility
As a leader, Ahab's actions had significant implications for the nation of Israel. This highlights the responsibility leaders have to act in accordance with God's will.

Repentance and Humility
Ahab's lack of repentance in this situation contrasts with other biblical figures who turned back to God. True repentance involves humility and a change of heart.

Bible Study Questions

1. How does Ahab's emotional response in 1 Kings 20:43 reflect his spiritual state, and what can we learn from this about managing our own emotions?

2. In what ways does Ahab's disobedience to God's command parallel other biblical accounts of disobedience, and what are the common consequences?

3. How can we apply the lessons from Ahab's leadership failures to our own roles of influence, whether in family, work, or community?

4. What steps can we take to ensure we are receptive to God's warnings and guidance in our lives?

5. Reflect on a time when you faced a situation similar to Ahab's, where you had to choose between obedience to God and personal desires. What was the outcome, and what did you learn from it?

Connections to Other Scriptures

1 Kings 21
The subsequent chapter continues to explore Ahab's character and actions, particularly in the account of Naboth's vineyard, further illustrating his moral and spiritual decline.

1 Samuel 15
The account of King Saul's disobedience and subsequent rejection by God parallels Ahab's situation, emphasizing the importance of obedience to God's commands.

Proverbs 16:32
This verse speaks to the value of self-control and patience, contrasting Ahab's sullen and angry demeanor.

James 1:19-20
These verses encourage believers to be slow to anger, highlighting the destructive nature of anger, as seen in Ahab's response.

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

Angry, Bitter, Displeased, Heavy, Palace, Resentful, Samaria, Sama'ria, Sulky, Sullen, Vexed, Wroth

Dictionary of Bible Themes

1 Kings 20:43

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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