◄ 1 Kings 20:28 ►
Then the man of God approached the king of Israel and said, "This is what the LORD says: 'Because the Arameans think the LORD is a god of the hills and not of the valleys, I will deliver all this great army into your hand. Then you will know that I am the LORD.'"
Study Bible
Then the man of God
This phrase refers to a prophet, a messenger chosen by God to deliver His word. In the Hebrew context, "man of God" (אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים, ish ha-Elohim) signifies someone who is divinely inspired and set apart for God's purposes. Prophets played a crucial role in Israel's history, serving as intermediaries between God and His people, often bringing messages of warning, guidance, or encouragement.

came and said to the king of Israel
The king of Israel at this time was Ahab, a ruler known for his idolatry and opposition to God's prophets. Despite Ahab's unfaithfulness, God still sent His prophet to deliver a message, demonstrating His mercy and desire for repentance. This encounter underscores the importance of divine communication and the responsibility of leaders to heed God's word.

This is what the LORD says
This phrase introduces a direct message from God, emphasizing the authority and authenticity of the prophet's words. In Hebrew, "LORD" is represented by the tetragrammaton YHWH, the sacred and personal name of God, highlighting His covenant relationship with Israel. The phrase assures the listener that the message is not of human origin but divinely ordained.

Because the Arameans think
The Arameans, Israel's adversaries, held a limited view of God, believing He was only powerful in certain geographical areas. This reflects a common ancient Near Eastern belief in localized deities. Their misconception sets the stage for God to demonstrate His sovereignty over all creation, not confined to hills or valleys.

the LORD is a god of the hills and not a god of the valleys
This statement reveals the Arameans' misunderstanding of God's omnipotence. In ancient warfare, terrain often influenced the perceived strength of deities. By assuming God was limited to the hills, the Arameans underestimated His power. This sets up a divine demonstration that God is sovereign over all the earth, transcending human limitations and geographical boundaries.

I will deliver all this great army into your hand
God promises victory to Israel, not because of their own strength or righteousness, but to reveal His power and correct the Arameans' false beliefs. The phrase "deliver into your hand" is a common biblical expression denoting divine intervention and assurance of triumph. It highlights God's active role in the affairs of nations and His ability to fulfill His promises.

and you will know that I am the LORD
The ultimate purpose of this divine intervention is revelation. God desires that both Israel and their enemies recognize His true nature and authority. This phrase echoes throughout Scripture, emphasizing God's desire for His people to understand and acknowledge Him as the one true God. It serves as a call to faith and recognition of God's sovereignty, inviting all to trust in His power and purpose.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The Man of God
A prophet sent by God to deliver His message to the king of Israel. Prophets were often used by God to communicate His will and guidance to the people and their leaders.

2. The King of Israel
At this time, Ahab was the king of Israel. He was known for his idolatry and disobedience to God, yet God still chose to deliver a message to him through the prophet.

3. The Arameans
A group of people who were enemies of Israel. They believed that the God of Israel was limited to certain geographical areas, specifically the hills.

4. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant name of God, emphasizing His eternal presence and faithfulness. He is portrayed as sovereign over all creation, not limited by geography.

5. The Battle
The context involves a military confrontation between Israel and the Arameans, where God promises victory to demonstrate His power and sovereignty.
Teaching Points
God's Sovereignty
God is not limited by human perceptions or geographical boundaries. He is the God of both the hills and the valleys, demonstrating His omnipresence and omnipotence.

Misconceptions about God
The Arameans' belief that God was only a "god of the hills" reflects a common human tendency to limit God based on our understanding. We must recognize and trust in God's unlimited power and presence in all areas of our lives.

God's Purpose in Deliverance
God's deliverance of Israel was not just for their benefit but to reveal His identity and power to both Israel and their enemies. Our victories and blessings should point others to God.

Faith in God's Promises
Despite Ahab's unfaithfulness, God still chose to deliver Israel to demonstrate His faithfulness. We can trust in God's promises even when we feel unworthy.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the belief of the Arameans about God being a "god of the hills" reflect common misconceptions people have about God today?

2. In what ways can we see God's sovereignty in our own lives, especially in situations where we feel limited or constrained?

3. How can we ensure that our victories and blessings point others to the power and identity of God?

4. What are some areas in your life where you might be limiting God's power or presence? How can you change this perspective?

5. How does the account of God's deliverance in 1 Kings 20:28 encourage you to trust in His promises, even when you feel unworthy or unfaithful?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Exodus 14:4
This verse highlights God's intention to demonstrate His power and glory through the deliverance of Israel, similar to how He intends to show His sovereignty over the Arameans.

Psalm 24:1
This psalm declares that the earth and everything in it belong to the LORD, reinforcing the idea that God is not limited by geography.

Isaiah 45:5-6
These verses emphasize that there is no other God besides Yahweh, who is sovereign over all nations and places.
Sermons
Wisdom in CounselJ.A. Macdonald 1 Kings 20:22-30
Resisted MercyJ. Urquhart 1 Kings 20:22-43
A Mistaken InferenceW. A. Gray.1 Kings 20:28-30
God of the Hills and God of the ValleysSpurgeon, Charles Haddon1 Kings 20:28-30
The Universal GodJ. Parker, D. D.1 Kings 20:28-30
People
Ahab, Aram, Ben, Benhadad, Ben-hadad, Hadad, Israelites, Syrians
Places
Aphek, Damascus, Samaria, Syria
Topics
Aramaeans, Arameans, Army, Deliver, Drew, Hands, Hills, Mountains, Multitude, Nigh, Says, Spake, Speaketh, Spoke, Syrians, Thus, Valleys, Vast
Dictionary of Bible Themes
1 Kings 20:28

     5029   knowledge, of God
     8829   superstition

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

Links
1 Kings 20:28 NIV
1 Kings 20:28 NLT
1 Kings 20:28 ESV
1 Kings 20:28 NASB
1 Kings 20:28 KJV

1 Kings 20:28 Commentaries

Bible Hub
1 Kings 20:27
Top of Page
Top of Page