◄ 1 Kings 20:18 ►
"If they have marched out in peace," he said, "take them alive. Even if they have marched out for war, take them alive."
Study Bible
If they have marched out in peace,
This phrase occurs during a confrontation between the Arameans and Israel. The context is a battle where King Ben-Hadad of Aram is strategizing against King Ahab of Israel. The mention of "peace" suggests a potential diplomatic approach or surrender, which was common in ancient Near Eastern warfare. The Arameans might have expected a peaceful delegation or a surrender, reflecting the complex nature of ancient warfare where battles could be resolved through negotiation or submission.

he said,
The speaker here is Ben-Hadad, the king of Aram. His command reflects his authority and the centralized power of monarchs in the ancient world. Kings often made strategic decisions in battle, and their words were law for their commanders and soldiers. This highlights the hierarchical structure of ancient armies and the absolute power wielded by kings.

take them alive.
The command to take captives alive rather than kill them indicates a strategic decision. Capturing enemies alive could serve multiple purposes: gaining intelligence, using them as hostages, or demonstrating power and mercy. This practice is seen elsewhere in the Bible, such as when David spared King Saul's life. It reflects a broader biblical theme of mercy and the potential for reconciliation.

Even if they have marched out for war,
This phrase acknowledges the possibility of an aggressive approach by the Israelites. The readiness for war contrasts with the earlier mention of peace, showing the unpredictability of human intentions. It also reflects the constant state of tension and conflict in the region, where alliances and enmities could shift rapidly. The dual possibility of peace or war underscores the need for vigilance and preparedness.

take them alive.
Reiterating the command emphasizes its importance. In biblical narratives, repetition often signifies emphasis or certainty. This insistence on capturing rather than killing could be seen as a strategic move to weaken Israel without unnecessary bloodshed. It also aligns with the biblical principle of valuing life, even in the context of conflict. This approach can be seen as a type of Christ, who came to save and redeem rather than destroy.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Ben-Hadad
The king of Aram (Syria) who is besieging Samaria, the capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. He is a central figure in this chapter, known for his arrogance and overconfidence.

2. Ahab
The king of Israel at the time, who is often criticized for his idolatry and weak leadership. He is the one defending against Ben-Hadad's siege.

3. Samaria
The capital city of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, under siege by Ben-Hadad and his coalition of kings.

4. Aramean Army
The forces led by Ben-Hadad, consisting of a coalition of 32 kings, who are attempting to conquer Israel.

5. Prophet of God
Though not directly mentioned in this verse, a prophet plays a crucial role in the chapter by delivering God's messages to Ahab, offering divine guidance and assurance of victory.
Teaching Points
The Folly of Pride
Ben-Hadad's command reflects his arrogance and underestimation of Israel. Pride often blinds us to reality and can lead to our downfall.

God's Sovereignty
Despite Israel's unfaithfulness, God remains sovereign and can use any situation to fulfill His purposes. This reminds us that God's plans are not thwarted by human actions.

The Importance of Obedience
Ahab's eventual victory is tied to his obedience to the prophet's instructions. Obedience to God's word is crucial for experiencing His blessings.

Divine Protection
The passage illustrates that God can protect and deliver His people even when they are outnumbered or facing seemingly insurmountable odds.

Discernment in Conflict
Ben-Hadad's command to take the Israelites alive, regardless of their intentions, shows a lack of discernment. We must seek God's wisdom in how we approach conflicts and challenges.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Ben-Hadad's attitude in 1 Kings 20:18 reflect the dangers of pride, and what are some modern examples of this?

2. In what ways does God's intervention in this chapter demonstrate His sovereignty, and how can this encourage us in our personal challenges?

3. How does Ahab's response to the prophet's message in this chapter illustrate the importance of obedience to God, and how can we apply this in our lives?

4. What lessons can we learn from the Aramean army's approach to conflict, and how can we apply discernment in our own conflicts?

5. How does the theme of divine protection in 1 Kings 20 relate to other biblical accounts of God's deliverance, and how can this strengthen our faith today?
Connections to Other Scriptures
2 Kings 6:8-23
This passage also involves the Arameans and highlights God's intervention in protecting Israel, showing a pattern of divine deliverance.

Proverbs 16:18
This verse speaks to the theme of pride leading to downfall, which is evident in Ben-Hadad's overconfidence.

Romans 8:31
This New Testament verse emphasizes that if God is for us, who can be against us, reflecting the divine support Israel receives despite their unfaithfulness.
Sermons
Veiled MerciesJ. Urquhart 1 Kings 20:1-21
The Hand of GodJ.A. Macdonald 1 Kings 20:12-21
People
Ahab, Aram, Ben, Benhadad, Ben-hadad, Hadad, Israelites, Syrians
Places
Aphek, Damascus, Samaria, Syria
Topics
Alive, Battle, Catch, Peace, War, Whether
Dictionary of Bible Themes
1 Kings 20:13-21

     1429   prophecy, OT fulfilment

1 Kings 20:15-20

     5529   sieges

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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