and each one struck down his opponent. So the Arameans fled, with the Israelites in pursuit. But Ben-hadad king of Aram escaped on horseback with the cavalry. and each one struck down his opponent.This phrase highlights the individual combat prowess of the Israelites, suggesting a divinely inspired victory. The context is a battle between the Israelites and the Arameans, where God promised victory to Ahab despite the odds. This mirrors other biblical instances where God grants victory to His people, such as David's triumph over Goliath (1 Samuel 17). The personal nature of the combat underscores the courage and skill of the Israelite soldiers, reminiscent of the judges like Gideon who led Israel to victory against overwhelming forces (Judges 7). So the Arameans fled,
The flight of the Arameans signifies a turning point in the battle, demonstrating the fulfillment of God's promise to deliver the Arameans into the hands of Israel (1 Kings 20:13). This retreat is a common motif in biblical battles where God intervenes, as seen in the Exodus narrative when the Egyptians fled before the Israelites (Exodus 14:25). The Arameans' retreat also reflects the fear and confusion that often accompany divine intervention in warfare. with the Israelites in pursuit.
The pursuit by the Israelites indicates their complete dominance in the battle, a common practice in ancient warfare to ensure a decisive victory. This pursuit can be compared to Joshua's campaigns, where the Israelites chased their enemies to secure the land promised by God (Joshua 10:10). The relentless pursuit underscores the Israelites' obedience to God's command to defeat their enemies completely. But Ben-hadad king of Aram escaped on horseback with the cavalry.
Ben-hadad's escape highlights the incomplete nature of the victory, as the enemy king survives. This escape sets the stage for future conflicts between Israel and Aram. The use of cavalry indicates the wealth and military sophistication of the Arameans, as horses were valuable assets in ancient warfare. Ben-hadad's survival can be seen as a test for Ahab, who later fails to fully obey God's command regarding Ben-hadad, leading to future consequences (1 Kings 20:42). This escape also foreshadows the recurring theme of incomplete obedience leading to future troubles, as seen in Saul's failure to fully destroy the Amalekites (1 Samuel 15). Persons / Places / Events 1. Ben-hadadThe king of Aram (Syria) who led a coalition against Israel. His escape signifies a temporary reprieve from defeat. 2. ArameansThe army of Aram, who were defeated by the Israelites in this battle. 3. IsraelitesThe people of Israel, led by King Ahab, who were victorious in this encounter. 4. King AhabThe king of Israel at the time, who, despite his flaws, was used by God to achieve victory over the Arameans. 5. SamariaThe capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, which was under threat from the Aramean forces. Teaching Points God's Sovereignty in BattleDespite human plans and strength, it is God who grants victory. This passage reminds us to rely on God's power rather than our own abilities. The Role of Obedience and FaithAhab's victory was preceded by a prophetic word. Obedience to God's instructions, even when they seem unlikely, is crucial for success. The Fleeting Nature of Human PowerBen-hadad's escape on horseback symbolizes the temporary nature of human power and plans. Trust in God provides lasting security. Pursuit of God's EnemiesThe Israelites' pursuit of the Arameans can be seen as a metaphor for the Christian's call to actively resist and overcome sin and evil in their lives. God's Mercy and JusticeEven in victory, God’s justice is tempered with mercy, as seen in the opportunity for Ben-hadad to escape, which later leads to further interactions with Israel. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the victory of the Israelites in 1 Kings 20:20 demonstrate God's sovereignty, and how can we apply this understanding to challenges we face today? 2. In what ways does the escape of Ben-hadad reflect the temporary nature of human power, and how should this influence our trust in God rather than worldly strength? 3. How can we relate the Israelites' pursuit of the Arameans to our personal spiritual battles against sin and temptation? 4. What lessons can we learn from King Ahab's obedience to the prophetic word, and how can we apply these lessons to our own lives when we receive guidance from God? 5. How does this passage connect with other biblical instances of God granting victory, and what does this teach us about His character and our response to His leading? Connections to Other Scriptures 1 Kings 20:13-15Provides context for the battle, where a prophet assures Ahab of victory, emphasizing God's sovereignty and intervention. 2 Chronicles 18:31Illustrates another instance where God intervenes in battle, protecting King Jehoshaphat. Psalm 33:16-17Highlights that victory does not come from human strength or numbers but from the Lord. Proverbs 21:31Reinforces the idea that while preparation is necessary, ultimate victory is from the Lord. People Ahab, Aram, Ben, Benhadad, Ben-hadad, Hadad, Israelites, SyriansPlaces Aphek, Damascus, Samaria, SyriaTopics Aram, Aramaeans, Arameans, Ben, Benhadad, Ben-hadad, Ben-ha'dad, Death, Escaped, Escapeth, Fled, Fleeth, Flight, Got, Hadad, Horse, Horseback, Horsemen, Israelites, Killed, Opponent, Pursued, Pursueth, Pursuit, Safely, Slew, Smite, Syria, SyriansDictionary of Bible Themes 1 Kings 20:13-21 1429 prophecy, OT fulfilment 1 Kings 20:15-20 5529 sieges 1 Kings 20:20-21 4657 horse 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 IscariotPutting 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 Links 1 Kings 20:20 NIV1 Kings 20:20 NLT1 Kings 20:20 ESV1 Kings 20:20 NASB1 Kings 20:20 KJV
1 Kings 20:20 Commentaries
Bible Hub |
