TSK - 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, trusting in
    the valleys, come against him in Aphek.
28  By the word of the prophet, and God's judgment, the
    Syrians are smitten again.
31  The Syrians submitting themselves, Ahab sends Ben-hadad
    away with a covenant.
35  The prophet, under the parable of a prisoner, making Ahab
    judge himself, denounces God's judgment against him.


VERSE 1
- A.M. 3103.  B.C. 901.  Ben-hadad.
   * 1Ki 15:18,20 2Ki 8:7-10 2Ch 16:2-4 Jer 49:27 Am 1:4
- Thirty and two.
   * :16,24 Ge 14:1-5 Jud 1:7 Ezr 7:12 Isa 10:8 Eze 26:7 Da 2:37
- and horses.
   * Ex 14:7 De 20:1 Jud 4:3 1Sa 13:5 Isa 37:24
- besieged.
   * Le 26:25 De 28:52 2Ki 6:24-29; 17:5,6

VERSE 2
    * 2Ki 19:9 Isa 36:2-22; 37:9,10

VERSE 3
    * Ex 15:9 Isa 10:13,14


VERSE 4 
 - I am thine.
   * Le 26:36 De 28:48 Jud 15:11-13 1Sa 13:6,7 2Ki 18:14-16

VERSE 5


VERSE 6 
 - and they shall search.
   * 1Sa 13:19-21 2Sa 24:14 2Ki 18:31,32
- pleasant.  Heb. desirable.
   * Ge 27:15 Ezr 8:27 Isa 44:9 Jer 25:34 La 1:7,10 Ho 13:15
   * Joe 3:5 *margins


VERSE 7 
 - all the elders.
   * 1Ki 8:1 2Ki 5:7 1Ch 13:1; 28:1 Pr 11:14
- Mark.
   * 2Ki 5:7
- seeketh mischief.
   * Job 15:35 Ps 7:14; 36:4; 62:3; 140:2 Pr 6:14; 11:27; 24:2 Da 11:27
   * Ro 3:13-18
- denied him not.  Heb. kept not back from him.
   * :4

VERSE 8
    * :8

VERSE 9


VERSE 10 
 - The gods.
   * 1Ki 19:2 Ac 23:12
- if the dust.
   * 2Sa 17:12,13 2Ki 19:23,24 Isa 10:13,14; 37:24,25
- follow me.  Heb. are at my feet.
   * Ex 11:8 *marg:
   * Jud 4:10


VERSE 11 
 - Let not him, etc.
  This was no doubt a proverbial mode of expression.  Jonathan
  renders it:  "Let not him who girds himself, and goes down to
  battle, boast as one who has conquered and returned from it."

   * 1Sa 14:6,12,13; 17:44-47 Pr 27:1 Ec 9:11 Isa 10:15,16
   * Mt 26:33-35,75
- harness.
  The word harness is an obsolete word for armor, derived from
  the French {harnois;} see Ex 13:18.


VERSE 12 
 - message.  Heb. word.  drinking.
   * :16; 16:9 1Sa 25:36 2Sa 13:28 Pr 31:4,5 Da 5:2,30 Lu 21:34
   * Eph 5:18
- pavilions.  or, tents.
  That persons of regal dignity regaled themselves in this
  manner, we may learn from Dr. Chandler, who, when he went to
  visit the Aga of Suki, after his return from hawking, found
  him vexed and tired; and "a couch was prepared from him
  beneath a shed made against a cottage, and covered with green
  boughs to keep off the sun.  He entered as we were standing
  by, and fell down on it to sleep, without taking any notice of
  us."

   * Jer 43:10
- Set yourselves in array.  And they set, etc.  or, Place the
  engines.  And they placed engines.


VERSE 13 
 - came.  Heb. approached.  Hast thou.
   * 2Ki 6:8-12; 7:1; 13:23 Isa 7:1-9 Eze 20:14,22
- and thou shalt.
   * :28; 18:37 Ex 14:18; 16:12 Ps 83:18 Isa 37:20 Eze 6:7 Joe 3:17


VERSE 14 
 - young men.  or, servants.
   * Ge 14:14-16 Jud 7:16-20 1Sa 17:50 1Co 1:27-29
- order.  Heb. bind, or tie.  See on ch.
   * 1Ki 18:44


VERSE 15 
 - two hundred.
   * Jud 7:7,16 1Sa 14:6 2Ch 14:11
- seven thousand.
   * 1Ki 19:18 1Sa 14:2 2Ki 13:7 Ps 106:40-43


VERSE 16 
 - Ben-hadad.  See on ver.
   * :11,12; 16:7 Pr 23:29-32 Ec 10:16,17 Ho 4:11
- the thirty.
   * Isa 54:15
  The Syrians, the besiegers, had their directions from a
  drunken king, who gave orders over his cups, while he was
  drinking at noon.  Drunkenness is a sin which is most
  detestable in all, but more so in a king than in a private
  individual, inasmuch as the greater weight a man's situation
  carries, whether from accumulated riches, family connections,
  hereditary authority, or invested command, so is the influence
  which his vices must have on those around him.  Perhaps it may
  be said, from past experience, that drunkenness, which is a
  most heinous sin in the sight of God, may be charged on those
  who indulge only now and then in that which may eventually
  lead them into drunkenness; for they shut their eyes against
  the most perceptible facts, and rather than give up the paltry
  gratification of a debauch, involve thousands by their example
  to positive harm.  Benhadad's drunkenness was the forerunner
  of his fall.  Belshazzar also, we read, drank wine with his
  princes, his wives, and his concubines, and praised the gods
  of gold, silver, brass, iron, wood, and stone:  and in the
  same hour came forth the finger of a man's hand and wrote his
  doom on the plaster of the wall.  Those who fancy themselves
  perfectly secure, and above the possibility of falling, are
  commonly nearest their destruction:  there is always an Ahab
  read to take advantage of and improve the self-imposed
  imbecility.

VERSE 17
    * :14,15,19

VERSE 18
    * 1Sa 2:3,4; 14:11,12; 17:44 2Ki 14:8-12 Pr 18:12

VERSE 19


VERSE 20 
 - they slew.
   * 2Sa 2:16 Ec 9:11
- the Syrians.
   * Le 26:8 Jud 7:20-22 1Sa 14:13-15 2Ki 7:6,7 Ps 33:16; 46:6
- escaped.
   * 1Sa 30:16,17 2Ki 19:36


VERSE 21 
 - went out.
   * Jud 3:28; 7:23-25 1Sa 14:20-22; 17:52 2Ki 3:18,24


VERSE 22 
 - the prophet.
   * :13,38; 19:10; 22:8 2Ki 6:12
- strengthen.
   * 2Ch 25:8,11 Ps 27:14 Pr 18:10; 20:18 Isa 8:9 Joe 3:9,10
   * Eph 6:10
- at the return.
   * :26 2Sa 11:1 1Ch 20:1 Ps 115:2,3 Isa 26:11; 42:8


VERSE 23 
 - Their gods.
  It was the general belief in the heathen world, that each
  district had its tutelary and protecting deity, who could do
  nothing out of his own province.

   * :28; 14:23 1Sa 4:8 2Ki 19:12 2Ch 32:13-19 Ps 50:21,22; 121:1,2
   * Isa 42:8


VERSE 24 
 - Take the.
   * :1,16; 22:31 Pr 21:30


VERSE 25 
 - thou hast lost.  Heb. was fallen.  and surely.
   * Ps 10:3


VERSE 26 
 - Aphek.
  Supposed to be the Aphek near the river Adonis, between
  Heliopolis and Biblos, and probably the same place that Paul
  Lucas mentions in his Voyage to the Levant.  It was swallowed
  up by an earthquake, and formed a lake about nine miles in
  circumference, in which he says there were several houses
  still to be seen entire, under the water.

   * :30 Jos 13:4; 19:30 Jud 1:31
- Aphik.
   * 1Sa 4:1; 29:1 2Ki 13:17
- to fight against Israel.  Heb. to the war with Israel.


VERSE 27 
 - were all present.  or, were victualled.
   * Jos 1:11 Jud 7:8
- like two.
   * De 32:30 Jud 6:5 1Sa 13:5-8; 14:2 2Ch 32:7,8 Ec 9:11


VERSE 28 
 - there came.
   * :13,22; 13:1; 17:18 2Ch 20:14-20
- Because.  See on ver.
   * :23 Isa 37:29-37
- therefore will.
   * :13 De 32:27 Jos 7:8,9 Job 12:16-19 Ps 58:10,11; 79:10
   * Isa 37:29,35 Jer 14:7 Eze 20:9,14; 36:21-23,32
- ye shall know.  See on ver.
   * :13 Ex 6:7; 7:5; 8:22 De 29:6 Eze 6:14; 11:12; 12:16; 36:22; 39:7


VERSE 29 
 - seven days.
   * Jos 6:15 1Sa 17:16 Ps 10:16
- an hundred thousand.
   * 2Sa 10:18 2Ch 13:17; 20:23-25; 28:6 Isa 37:36


VERSE 30 
 - the rest.
   * Ps 18:25
- a wall.
   * Isa 24:18 Jer 48:44 Am 2:14,15; 5:19; 9:3 Lu 13:4
- fled.
   * :10,20 Da 4:37
- into an inner chamber.  or, from chamber to chamber.  Heb.
  into a chamber within a chamber.
   * 1Ki 22:25 2Ch 18:24


VERSE 31 
 - his servants.
   * :23 2Ki 5:13
- merciful kings.
   * Pr 20:28 Isa 16:5 Eph 1:7,8
- let us, I pray thee.
  Six of the citizens of Calais are reported to have acted
  nearly in the same manner, when they surrendered their city to
  Edward the Third, king of England, in 1346.  See the whole
  story circumstantially related by Sir John Froissart, (who
  lived in that time,) with that simplicity and detail that give
  it every appearance of truth.

- put sackcloth.
   * 1Ki 21:27-29 Ge 37:34 2Sa 3:31; 14:2 2Ki 19:1,2 Es 4:1-3 Isa 22:12
   * Isa 37:1 Jon 3:5,6 Re 11:3
- peradventure.
   * 2Ki 7:4 Es 4:16 Job 2:4 Mt 10:28


VERSE 32 
 - Thy servant.
   * :3-6 Job 12:17,18; 40:11,12 Isa 2:11,12; 10:12 Da 5:20-23 Ob 1:3,4
- he is my brother.
   * :42 1Sa 15:8-20


VERSE 33 
 - the men.
   * Pr 25:13 Lu 16:8
- and he caused.
   * 2Ki 10:15 Ac 8:31


VERSE 34 
 - The cities.
   * 1Ki 15:20 2Ch 16:4
- So he made a covenant.
  One of the conditions of this covenant, we learn, was, that
  Ahab should have "streets (chutzoth) in Damascus;" a proposal
  better relished by Ahab then understood by the generality of
  commentators.  This, however, is well illustrated by Mr.
  Harmer, from William of Tyre, the great historian of the
  Crusades; from whom it appears that it was customary to give
  those nations which were engaged in them, churches, streets,
  and great jurisdiction therein, in those places which they
  assisted to conquer.  The Genoese and Venetians had each a
  street in Acon, or Acre, in which they had their own
  jurisdiction, with liberty to have an oven, mill, baths,
  weights, and measures, etc.

   * :42; 22:31 2Ch 18:30 Isa 8:12; 26:10


VERSE 35 
 - of the sons.
   * :38 1Sa 10:12 2Ki 2:3,5,7,15; 4:1,38 Am 7:14
- in the word.
   * 1Ki 13:1,2,17,18
- Smite me.
   * :37 Isa 8:18; 20:2,3 Jer 27:2,3 Eze 4:3 Mt 16:24

VERSE 36
    * 1Ki 13:21-24,26 1Sa 15:22,23


VERSE 37 
 - Smite me.
   * :35 Ex 21:12
- so that, etc.  Heb. smiting and wounding.


VERSE 38 
 - disguised.
   * 1Ki 14:2; 22:30 2Sa 14:2 Mt 6:16


VERSE 39 
 - Thy servant.
   * Jud 9:7-20 2Sa 12:1-7; 14:5-7 Mr 12:1-12
- thy life.
   * :42 2Ki 10:24
- or else.
   * Ex 21:30 Job 36:18 Ps 49:7 Pr 6:35; 13:8 1Pe 1:18,19
- pay.  Heb. weigh.


VERSE 40 
 - he was gone.  Heb. he was not.  So shall thy judgment be.
   * 2Sa 12:5-7 Job 15:6 Mt 21:41-43; 25:24-27 Lu 19:22


VERSE 41 
 - the ashes away.
   * :38 2Sa 13:19 Job 2:8 Jer 6:26


VERSE 42 
 - Because.
   * :34; 22:31-37 1Sa 15:9-11
- thy life shall go.
   * 1Ki 22:31-37 2Ki 6:24; 8:12 2Ch 18:33,34


VERSE 43 
 - went.
   * 1Ki 21:4; 22:8 Es 5:13; 6:12,13 Job 5:2 Pr 19:3



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