◄ 1 Kings 20:31 ►
Then the servants of Ben-hadad said to him, "Look now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful. Let us go out to the king of Israel with sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads. Perhaps he will spare your life."
Study Bible
Then his servants said to him
This phrase introduces the counsel given by the servants of Ben-Hadad, the king of Aram. The Hebrew word for "servants" is "עֲבָדָיו" (avadav), which can also mean "slaves" or "attendants." This indicates a position of subservience but also of trusted advisors. In the ancient Near Eastern context, servants often played crucial roles in advising kings, reflecting the importance of wise counsel in leadership.

Consider now
The phrase "consider now" is a call to reflection and action. The Hebrew word "הִנֵּה" (hinneh) is often used to draw attention to something important. It suggests urgency and the need for immediate contemplation, highlighting the dire situation faced by Ben-Hadad after his defeat.

we have heard
This phrase underscores the reputation of the Israelite kings. The Hebrew "שָׁמַעְנוּ" (shamanu) implies not just hearing but understanding and acknowledging. It reflects the widespread knowledge of the character of Israel's kings, suggesting that their merciful nature was well-known even among their enemies.

that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings
The term "merciful" is translated from the Hebrew "חַסְדָּן" (chasdan), which is related to "חֶסֶד" (chesed), meaning loving-kindness or covenantal loyalty. This highlights a key aspect of God's character as reflected in His people. The "house of Israel" refers to the lineage and covenant community of Israel, emphasizing their distinct identity and divine calling to reflect God's mercy.

Let us put sackcloth around our waists
Sackcloth, or "שַׂקִּים" (saqqim), was a coarse material worn as a sign of mourning, repentance, or humility. In the ancient world, wearing sackcloth was a physical demonstration of contrition and a plea for mercy. This act signifies a recognition of wrongdoing and a desire for reconciliation.

and ropes around our heads
The "ropes" or "חֲבָלִים" (chavalim) symbolize submission and surrender. In ancient times, captives or those seeking mercy would use ropes to indicate their willingness to be bound or to show their vulnerability. This gesture is a powerful symbol of humility and a plea for clemency.

and go out to the king of Israel
The act of "going out" to the king signifies an approach with humility and hope. The Hebrew "וְנֵצֵא" (venetze) implies a deliberate action, a step of faith towards seeking mercy. The "king of Israel" here is Ahab, who, despite his flaws, is seen as a representative of God's covenant people.

Perhaps he will spare your life
The word "perhaps" or "אוּלַי" (ulay) indicates uncertainty but also hope. It reflects the belief in the possibility of mercy, even when it is not guaranteed. The phrase "spare your life" underscores the value of life and the hope for redemption. It is a testament to the belief in the transformative power of mercy and forgiveness, central themes in the biblical narrative.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Ben-Hadad
The king of Aram (Syria) who was defeated by the Israelites. He is seeking mercy after his defeat.

2. Servants of Ben-Hadad
Advisers to the king of Aram who suggest a strategy to appeal to the mercy of the king of Israel.

3. Ahab
The king of Israel at the time, known for his complex character and interactions with prophets and foreign nations.

4. Israel
The northern kingdom of the divided Israelite monarchy, often in conflict with surrounding nations.

5. Sackcloth and Ropes
Symbols of humility and submission, used by Ben-Hadad's servants to appeal for mercy.
Teaching Points
The Power of Mercy
Mercy is a powerful tool that can transform relationships and situations. Ahab's potential for mercy reflects God's own merciful nature.

Humility in Seeking Forgiveness
The act of wearing sackcloth and ropes symbolizes humility and repentance. True repentance requires a humble heart.

The Influence of Reputation
The reputation of Israel's kings as merciful influenced the actions of Ben-Hadad's servants. Our reputations as Christians should reflect Christ's love and mercy.

Strategic Wisdom in Conflict
The servants' advice to Ben-Hadad shows the importance of wisdom and strategy in resolving conflicts. We should seek godly wisdom in our interactions.

The Role of Leadership
Ahab's decision-making highlights the responsibility of leaders to act justly and mercifully. Christian leaders are called to reflect God's character in their leadership.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the reputation of being merciful impact the way others perceive and interact with us as Christians?

2. In what ways can we demonstrate humility and repentance in our own lives, similar to the actions of Ben-Hadad's servants?

3. How can the principle of showing mercy to our enemies, as seen in this passage, be applied in modern-day conflicts or disagreements?

4. What are some practical ways we can seek and apply godly wisdom in resolving conflicts, both personally and within our communities?

5. How can Christian leaders today reflect the balance of justice and mercy in their leadership, as seen in the actions of Ahab?
Connections to Other Scriptures
2 Kings 6:21-23
This passage also highlights the mercy shown by the king of Israel to his enemies, reflecting a consistent theme of mercy in the Israelite monarchy.

Matthew 5:7
Jesus teaches about the blessedness of the merciful, which can be seen as a New Testament reflection of the merciful actions of Israel's kings.

Proverbs 25:21-22
Advises showing kindness to one's enemies, which aligns with the actions taken by Ahab in this account.
Sermons
Resisted MercyJ. Urquhart 1 Kings 20:22-43
False MercyJ.A. Macdonald 1 Kings 20:30-43
People
Ahab, Aram, Ben, Benhadad, Ben-hadad, Hadad, Israelites, Syrians
Places
Aphek, Damascus, Samaria, Syria
Topics
Alive, Behold, Bodies, Cords, Full, Haircloth, Heads, Kind, Kings, Loins, Maybe, Merciful, Mercy, Peradventure, Perhaps, Please, Ropes, Sackcloth, Save, Servants, Spare, Waists
Dictionary of Bible Themes
1 Kings 20:31

     5507   rope and cord
     6742   sackcloth and ashes

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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