Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge, by R.A. Torrey, [ca. 1880], at sacred-texts.com
3 Kings (1 Kings) Chapter 20
Overview
Kg1 20:1, Ben-hadad, not content with Ahab's homage, besieges Samaria; Kg1 20:13, By the direction of a prophet, the Syrians are slain; Kg1 20:22, As the prophet forewarned Ahab, the Syrians, trusting in the valleys, come against him in Aphek; Kg1 20:28, By the word of the prophet, and God's judgment, the Syrians are smitten again; Kg1 20:31, The Syrians submitting themselves, Ahab sends Ben-hadad away with a covenant; Kg1 20:35, The prophet, under the parable of a prisoner, making Ahab judge himself, denounces God's judgment against him.
am 3103, bc 901
Benhadad: Kg1 15:18, Kg1 15:20; Kg2 8:7-10; Ch2 16:2-4; Jer 49:27; Amo 1:4
Thirty and two: Kg1 20:16, Kg1 20:24; Gen 14:1-5; Jdg 1:7; Ezr 7:12; Isa 10:8; Eze 26:7; Dan 2:37
and horses: Exo 14:7; Deu 20:1; Jdg 4:3; Sa1 13:5; Isa 37:24
besieged: Lev 26:25; Deu 28:52; Kg2 6:24-29, Kg2 17:5, Kg2 17:6
Kg2 19:9; Isa. 36:2-22, Isa 37:9, Isa 37:10
Exo 15:9; Isa 10:13, Isa 10:14
I am thine: Lev 26:36; Deu 28:48; Jdg 15:11-13; Sa1 13:6, Sa1 13:7; Kg2 18:14-16
and they shall search: Sa1 13:19-21; Sa2 24:14; Kg2 18:31, Kg2 18:32
pleasant: Heb. desirable, Gen 27:15; Ezr 8:27; Isa 44:9; Jer 25:34; Lam 1:7, Lam 1:10; Hos 13:15; Joe 3:5 *marg.
all the elders: Kg1 8:1; Kg2 5:7; Ch1 13:1, Ch1 28:1; Pro 11:14
Mark: Kg2 5:7
seeketh mischief: Job 15:35; Psa 7:14, Psa 36:4, Psa 62:3, Psa 140:2; Pro 6:14, Pro 11:27, Pro 24:2; Dan 11:27; Rom 3:13-18
denied him not: Heb. kept not back from him, Kg1 20:4
if the dust: Sa2 17:12, Sa2 17:13; Kg2 19:23, Kg2 19:24; Isa 10:13, Isa 10:14, Isa 37:24, Isa 37:25
follow me: Heb. are at my feet, Exo 11:8 *marg. Jdg 4:10
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." Sa1 14:6, Sa1 14:12, Sa1 14:13, Sa1 17:44-47; Pro 27:1; Ecc 9:11; Isa 10:15, Isa 10:16; Mat 26:33-35, Mat 26:75
harness: The word harness is an obsolete word for armour, derived from the French harnois. See note on Exo 13:18.
message: Heb. word
drinking: Kg1 20:16, Kg1 16:9; Sa1 25:36; Sa2 13:28; Pro 31:4, Pro 31:5; Dan 5:2, Dan 5:30; Luk 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
came: Heb. approached
Hast thou: Kg2 6:8-12, Kg2 7:1, Kg2 13:23; Isa 7:1-9; Eze 20:14, Eze 20:22
and thou shalt: Kg1 20:28, Kg1 18:37; Exo 14:18, Exo 16:12; Psa 83:18; Isa 37:20; Eze 6:7; Joe 3:17
young men: or, servants, Gen 14:14-16; Jdg 7:16-20; Sa1 17:50; Co1 1:27-29
order: Heb. bind, or tie, Kg1 18:44
two hundred: Jdg 7:7, Jdg 7:16; Sa1 14:6; Ch2 14:11
seven thousand: Kg1 19:18; Sa1 14:2; Kg2 13:7; Psa 106:40-43
Benhadad: Kg1 20:11, Kg1 20:12, Kg1 16:7; Pro 23:29-32; Ecc 10:16, Ecc 10:17; Hos 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 palpable 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.
Kg1 20:14, Kg1 20:15, Kg1 20:19
Sa1 2:3, Sa1 2:4, Sa1 14:11, Sa1 14:12, Sa1 17:44; Kg2 14:8-12; Pro 18:12
the Syrians: Lev 26:8; Jdg 7:20-22; Sa1 14:13-15; Kg2 7:6, Kg2 7:7; Psa 33:16, Psa 46:6
escaped: Sa1 30:16, Sa1 30:17; Kg2 19:36
went out: Jdg 3:28, Jdg 7:23-25; Sa1 14:20-22, Sa1 17:52; Kg2 3:18, Kg2 3:24
the prophet: Kg1 20:13, Kg1 20:38, Kg1 19:10, Kg1 22:8; Kg2 6:12
strengthen: Ch2 25:8, Ch2 25:11; Psa 27:14; Pro 18:10, Pro 20:18; Isa 8:9; Joe 3:9, Joe 3:10; Eph 6:10
at the return: Kg1 20:26; Sa2 11:1; Ch1 20:1; Psa 115:2, Psa 115:3; Isa 26:11, Isa 42:8
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. Kg1 20:28, Kg1 14:23; Sa1 4:8; Kg2 19:12; Ch2 32:13-19; Psa 50:21, Psa 50:22, Psa 121:1, Psa 121:2; Isa 42:8
Take the: Kg1 20:1, Kg1 20:16, Kg1 22:31; Pro 21:30
thou hast lost: Heb. was fallen
and surely: Psa 10:3
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. Kg1 20:30; Jos 13:4, Jos 19:30; Jdg 1:31, Aphik, Sa1 4:1, Sa1 29:1; Kg2 13:17
to fight against Israel: Heb. to the war with Israel
were all present: or, were victualled, Jos 1:11; Jdg 7:8
like two: Deu 32:30; Jdg 6:5; Sa1 13:5-8, Sa1 14:2; Ch2 32:7, Ch2 32:8; Ecc 9:11
there came: Kg1 20:13, Kg1 20:22, Kg1 13:1, Kg1 17:18; Ch2 20:14-20
Because: Kg1 20:23; Isa 37:29-37
therefore will: Kg1 20:13; Deu 32:27; Jos 7:8, Jos 7:9; Job 12:16-19; Psa 58:10, Psa 58:11, Psa 79:10; Isa 37:29, Isa 37:35; Jer 14:7; Eze 20:9, Eze 20:14, Eze 36:21-23, Eze 36:32
ye shall know: Kg1 20:13; Exo 6:7, Exo 7:5, Exo 8:22; Deu 29:6; Eze 6:14, Eze 11:12, Eze 12:16, Eze 36:22, Eze 39:7
seven days: Jos 6:15; Sa1 17:16; Psa 10:16
an hundred thousand: Sa2 10:18; Ch2 13:17, Ch2 20:23-25, Ch2 28:6; Isa 37:36
the rest: Psa 18:25
a wall: Isa 24:18; Jer 48:44; Amo 2:14, Amo 2:15, Amo 5:19, Amo 9:3; Luk 13:4
fled: Kg1 20:10, Kg1 20:20; Dan 4:37
into an inner chamber: or, from chamber to chamber, Heb. into a chamber within a chamber. Kg1 22:25; Ch2 18:24
his servants: Kg1 20:23; Kg2 5:13
merciful kings: Pro 20:28; Isa 16:5; Eph 1:7, Eph 1:8
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: Kg1 21:27-29; Gen 37:34; Sa2 3:31, Sa2 14:2; Kg2 19:1, Kg2 19:2; Est 4:1-3; Isa 22:12; Isa 37:1; Jon 3:5, Jon 3:6; Rev 11:3
peradventure: Kg2 7:4; Est 4:16; Job 2:4; Mat 10:28
Thy servant: Kg1 20:3-6; Job 12:17, Job 12:18, Job 40:11, Job 40:12; Isa 2:11, Isa 2:12, Isa 10:12; Dan 5:20-23; Oba 1:3, Oba 1:4
he is my brother: Kg1 20:42; Sa1 15:8-20
and he caused: Kg2 10:15; Act 8:31
The cities: Kg1 15:20; Ch2 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. Kg1 20:42, Kg1 22:31; Ch2 18:30; Isa 8:12, Isa 26:10
of the sons: Kg1 20:38; Sa1 10:12; Kg2 2:3, Kg2 2:5, Kg2 2:7, Kg2 2:15, Kg2 4:1, Kg2 4:38; Amo 7:14
in the word: Kg1 13:1, Kg1 13:2, Kg1 13:17, Kg1 13:18
Smite me: Kg1 20:37; Isa 8:18, Isa 20:2, Isa 20:3; Jer 27:2, Jer 27:3; Eze 4:3; Mat 16:24
Kg1 13:21-24, Kg1 13:26; Sa1 15:22, Sa1 15:23
Smite me: Kg1 20:35; Exo 21:12
so that: etc. Heb. smiting and wounding
disguised: Kg1 14:2, Kg1 22:30; Sa2 14:2; Mat 6:16
Thy servant: Jdg 9:7-20; Sa2 12:1-7, Sa2 14:5-7; Mar 12:1-12
thy life: Kg1 20:42; Kg2 10:24
or else: Exo 21:30; Job 36:18; Psa 49:7; Pro 6:35, Pro 13:8; Pe1 1:18, Pe1 1:19
pay: Heb. weigh
he was gone: Heb. he was not
So shall thy judgment be: Sa2 12:5-7; Job 15:6; Mat 21:41-43, Mat 25:24-27; Luk 19:22
the ashes away: Kg1 20:38; Sa2 13:19; Job 2:8; Jer 6:26
Because: Kg1 20:34, Kg1 22:31-37; Sa1 15:9-11
thy life shall go: Kg1 22:31-37; Kg2 6:24, Kg2 8:12; Ch2 18:33, Ch2 18:34
went: Kg1 21:4, Kg1 22:8; Est 5:13, Est 6:12, Est 6:13; Job 5:2; Pro 19:3