31 And his servants H5650 said H559 unto him, Behold now, we have heard H8085 that the kings H4428 of the house H1004 of Israel H3478 are merciful H2617 kings: H4428 let us, I pray thee, put H7760 sackcloth H8242 on our loins, H4975 and ropes H2256 upon our heads, H7218 and go out H3318 to the king H4428 of Israel: H3478 peradventure he will save H2421 thy life. H5315
And David H1732 said H559 to Joab, H3097 and to all the people H5971 that were with him, Rend H7167 your clothes, H899 and gird H2296 you with sackcloth, H8242 and mourn H5594 before H6440 Abner. H74 And king H4428 David H1732 himself followed H1980 H310 the bier. H4296
And Jacob H3290 rent H7167 his clothes, H8071 and put H7760 sackcloth H8242 upon his loins, H4975 and mourned H56 for his son H1121 many H7227 days. H3117
And the servants H5650 of the king H4428 of Syria H758 said H559 unto him, Their gods H430 are gods H430 of the hills; H2022 therefore they were stronger H2388 than we; but H199 let us fight H3898 against them in the plain, H4334 and surely H3808 we shall be stronger H2388 than they.
And in mercy H2617 shall the throne H3678 be established: H3559 and he shall sit H3427 upon it in truth H571 in the tabernacle H168 of David, H1732 judging, H8199 and seeking H1875 judgment, H4941 and hasting H4106 righteousness. H6664
And G2532 I will give G1325 power unto my G3450 two G1417 witnesses, G3144 and G2532 they shall prophesy G4395 a thousand G5507 two hundred G1250 and threescore G1835 days, G2250 clothed in G4016 sackcloth. G4526
In G1722 whom G3739 we have G2192 redemption G629 through G1223 his G846 blood, G129 the forgiveness G859 of sins, G3900 according G2596 to the riches G4149 of his G846 grace; G5485 Wherein G3739 he hath abounded G4052 toward G1519 us G2248 in G1722 all G3956 wisdom G4678 and G2532 prudence; G5428
And G2532 fear G5399 G575 not G3361 them which G3588 kill G615 the body, G4983 but G1161 are G1410 not G3361 able G1410 to kill G615 the soul: G5590 but G1161 rather G3123 fear G5399 him which G3588 is able G1410 to destroy G622 both G2532 soul G5590 and G2532 body G4983 in G1722 hell. G1067
So the people H582 of Nineveh H5210 believed H539 God, H430 and proclaimed H7121 a fast, H6685 and put H3847 on sackcloth, H8242 from the greatest H1419 of them even to the least H6996 of them. For word H1697 came H5060 unto the king H4428 of Nineveh, H5210 and he arose H6965 from his throne, H3678 and he laid H5674 his robe H155 from him, and covered H3680 him with sackcloth, H8242 and sat H3427 in ashes. H665
And in that day H3117 did the Lord H136 GOD H3069 of hosts H6635 call H7121 to weeping, H1065 and to mourning, H4553 and to baldness, H7144 and to girding H2296 with sackcloth: H8242
And Joab H3097 sent H7971 to Tekoah, H8620 and fetched H3947 thence a wise H2450 woman, H802 and said H559 unto her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner, H56 and put on H3847 now mourning H60 apparel, H899 and anoint H5480 not thyself with oil, H8081 but be as a woman H802 that had a long H7227 time H3117 mourned H56 for the dead: H4191
And Satan H7854 answered H6030 the LORD, H3068 and said, H559 Skin H5785 for skin, H5785 yea, all that a man H376 hath will he give H5414 for his life. H5315
Go, H3212 gather together H3664 all the Jews H3064 that are present H4672 in Shushan, H7800 and fast H6684 ye for me, and neither eat H398 nor drink H8354 three H7969 days, H3117 night H3915 or day: H3117 I also and my maidens H5291 will fast H6684 likewise; and so H3651 will I go H935 in unto the king, H4428 which is not according to the law: H1881 and if I perish, H6 I perish. H6
When Mordecai H4782 perceived H3045 all that was done, H6213 Mordecai H4782 rent H7167 his clothes, H899 and put on H3847 sackcloth H8242 with ashes, H665 and went out H3318 into the midst H8432 of the city, H5892 and cried H2199 with a loud H1419 and a bitter H4751 cry; H2201 And came H935 even before H6440 the king's H4428 gate: H8179 for none might enter H935 into the king's H4428 gate H8179 clothed H3830 with sackcloth. H8242 And in every province, H4082 whithersoever H4725 the king's H4428 commandment H1697 and his decree H1881 came, H5060 there was great H1419 mourning H60 among the Jews, H3064 and fasting, H6685 and weeping, H1065 and wailing; H4553 and many H7227 lay H3331 in sackcloth H8242 and ashes. H665
And it came to pass, when king H4428 Hezekiah H2396 heard H8085 it, that he rent H7167 his clothes, H899 and covered H3680 himself with sackcloth, H8242 and went H935 into the house H1004 of the LORD. H3068 And he sent H7971 Eliakim, H471 which was over the household, H1004 and Shebna H7644 the scribe, H5608 and the elders H2205 of the priests, H3548 covered H3680 with sackcloth, H8242 to Isaiah H3470 the prophet H5030 the son H1121 of Amoz. H531
If we say, H559 We will enter H935 into the city, H5892 then the famine H7458 is in the city, H5892 and we shall die H4191 there: and if we sit still H3427 here, we die H4191 also. Now therefore come, H3212 and let us fall H5307 unto the host H4264 of the Syrians: H758 if they save us alive, H2421 we shall live; H2421 and if they kill H4191 us, we shall but die. H4191
And his servants H5650 came near, H5066 and spake H1696 unto him, and said, H559 My father, H1 if the prophet H5030 had bid H1696 thee do some great H1419 thing, H1697 wouldest thou not have done H6213 it? how much rather then, H637 when he saith H559 to thee, Wash, H7364 and be clean? H2891
And it came to pass, when Ahab H256 heard H8085 those words, H1697 that he rent H7167 his clothes, H899 and put H7760 sackcloth H8242 upon his flesh, H1320 and fasted, H6684 and lay H7901 in sackcloth, H8242 and went H1980 softly. H328 And the word H1697 of the LORD H3068 came to Elijah H452 the Tishbite, H8664 saying, H559 Seest H7200 thou how Ahab H256 humbleth H3665 himself before H6440 me? because H3282 he humbleth H3665 himself before H6440 me, I will not bring H935 the evil H7451 in his days: H3117 but in his son's H1121 days H3117 will I bring H935 the evil H7451 upon his house. H1004
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 1 Kings 20
Commentary on 1 Kings 20 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 20
This chapter is the history of a war between Ben-hadad king of Syria and Ahab king of Israel, in which Ahab was, once and again, victorious. We read nothing of Elijah or Elishain all this story; Jezebel's rage, it is probable, had abated, and the persecution of the prophets began to cool, which gleam of peace Elijah improved. He appeared not at court, but, being told how many thousands of good people there were in Israel more than he thought of, employed himself, as we may suppose, in founding religious houses, schools, or colleges of prophets, in several parts of the country, to be nurseries of religion, that they might help to reform the nation when the throne and court would not be reformed. While he was thus busied, God favoured the nation with the successes we here read of, which were the more remarkable because obtained against Ben-hadad king of Syria, whose successor, Hazael, was ordained to be a scourge to Israel. They must shortly suffer by the Syrians, and yet now triumphed over them, that, if possible, they might be led to repentance by the goodness of God. Here is,
1Ki 20:1-11
Here is,
1Ki 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.
1Ki 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.
1Ki 20:31-43
Here is an account of what followed upon the victory which Israel obtained over the Syrians.