列王纪上 20:31

Chinese NCV (Simplified)

他的臣僕對他說：“我們聽說以色列家的王都是仁慈的王；我們不如腰束麻布，頭套繩索，出去投降以色列王，或許他會使你的性命存活。”

Parallel Translations

Chinese Union (Simplified)
他 的 臣 仆 对 他 说 ： 我 们 听 说 以 色 列 王 都 是 仁 慈 的 王 ， 现 在 我 们 不 如 腰 束 麻 布 ， 头 套 绳 索 ， 出 去 投 降 以 色 列 王 ， 或 者 他 存 留 王 的 性 命 。

Contextual Overview

³¹ His officers said to him, "We have heard that the kings of Israel are trustworthy. Let's dress in rough cloth to show our sadness, and wear ropes on our heads. Then we will go to the king of Israel, and perhaps he will let you live." ³² So they dressed in rough cloth and wore ropes on their heads and went to the king of Israel. They said, "Your servant Ben-Hadad says, ‘Please let me live.'" Ahab answered, "Is he still alive? He is my brother." ³³ Ben-Hadad's men had wanted a sign from Ahab. So when Ahab called Ben-Hadad his brother, they quickly said, "Yes! Ben-Hadad is your brother." Ahab said, "Bring him to me." When Ben-Hadad came, Ahab asked him to join him in the chariot. ³⁴ Ben-Hadad said to him, "Ahab, I will give you back the cities my father took from your father. And you may put shops in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria." Ahab said, "If you agree to this, I will allow you to go free." So the two kings made a peace agreement. Then Ahab let Ben-Hadad go free. ³⁵ One prophet from one of the groups of prophets told another, "Hit me!" He said this because the Lord had commanded it, but the other man refused. ³⁶ The prophet said, "You did not obey the Lord 's command, so a lion will kill you as soon as you leave me." When the man left, a lion found him and killed him. ³⁷ The prophet went to another man and said, "Hit me, please!" So the man hit him and hurt him. ³⁸ The prophet wrapped his face in a cloth so no one could tell who he was. Then he went and waited by the road for the king. ³⁹ As Ahab king of Israel passed by, the prophet called out to him. "I went to fight in the battle," the prophet said. "One of our men brought an enemy soldier to me. Our man said, ‘Guard this man. If he runs away, you will have to give your life in his place. Or, you will have to pay a fine of seventy-five pounds of silver.' ⁴⁰ But I was busy doing other things, so the man ran away." The king of Israel answered, "You have already said what the punishment is. You must do what the man said."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

his servants: 1 Kings 20:23, 2 Kings 5:13

merciful kings: Proverbs 20:28, Isaiah 16:5, Ephesians 1:7, Ephesians 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: 1 Kings 21:27-29, Genesis 37:34, 2 Samuel 3:31, 2 Samuel 14:2, 2 Kings 19:1, 2 Kings 19:2, Esther 4:1-3, Isaiah 22:12, Isaiah 37:1, Jonah 3:5, Jonah 3:6, Revelation 11:3

peradventure: 2 Kings 7:4, Esther 4:16, Job 2:4, Matthew 10:28

Reciprocal: Genesis 32:20 - peradventure Joshua 9:4 - work wilily Esther 7:3 - let my life Job 41:4 - Will he Amos 5:15 - it may Luke 14:32 - and desireth Luke 15:18 - will arise

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And his servants said unto him,.... Being reduced to the utmost extremity; for if he attempted to go out of the city, he would fall into the hands of the Israelites, and there was no safety in it, the wall of it being fallen down; and it could not be thought he could be concealed long in the chamber where he was, wherefore his servants advised as follows:

behold, now, we have heard that the kings of the Israel are merciful kings; not only the best of them as David and Solomon, but even the worst of them, in comparison of Heathen princes, were kind and humane to those that fell into their hands, and became their captives:

let us, I pray thee; so said one in the name of the rest:

put sack cloth on our loins, and ropes upon our heads; and so coming in such a mean and humble manner, and not with their armour on, they might the rather hope to have admittance; so, the Syracusans sent ambassadors to Athens, in filthy garments, with the hair of their heads and beards long, and all in slovenly habits, to move their pity r;

and go out to the king of Israel: and be humble supplicants to him:

peradventure he will save thy life; upon a petition to him from him; to which the king agreed, and sent it by them.

r Justin e Trogo, l. 4. c. 4.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And ropes upon our heads - “Ropes about our necks” is probably meant. They, as it were, put their lives at Ahab’s disposal, who, if he pleased, might hang them at once.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 31. Put sackcloth on our loins, and ropes upon our heads — Let us show ourselves humbled in the deepest manner, and let us put ropes about our necks, and go submitting to his mercy, and deprecating his wrath. The citizens of Calais are reported to have acted nearly in the same way when they surrendered their city to Edward III., king of England, in 1346. See at the end. 1 Kings 20:43.