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Sunday, July 20th, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Christian Standard Bible ®

1 Kings 20:2

He sent messengers into the city to King Ahab of Israel and said to him, “This is what Ben-hadad says:

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Ambassadors;   Thompson Chain Reference - Ahab;   Ambassadors;   Benhadad;   Nation, the;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Samaria, Ancient;   Sieges;   Syria;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Ben-Hadad;   Samaria;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Ben-hadad;   Samaria, samaritans;   Syria;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Samaria;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ben-Hadad;   Kings, 1 and 2;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ahab;   Ben-Hadad;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Benhadad ;   Samaria ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Samaria;   Smith Bible Dictionary - A'hab;   Ambassador,;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Joel (2);   Samaria, City of;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Benhadad;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - War;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
He sent messengers to Ach'av king of Yisra'el, into the city, and said to him, Thus says Ben-Hadad,
King James Version
And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city, and said unto him, Thus saith Benhadad,
English Standard Version
And he sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel and said to him, "Thus says Ben-hadad:
New Century Version
The king sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel. This was his message: "Ben-Hadad says,
New English Translation
He sent messengers to King Ahab of Israel, who was in the city.
Amplified Bible
Then he sent messengers to the city to Ahab king of Israel; and he said to him, "Thus says Ben-hadad:
New American Standard Bible
Then he sent messengers to the city to Ahab, king of Israel, and said to him, "This is what Ben-hadad says:
Geneva Bible (1587)
And he sent messengers to Ahab King of Israel, into the citie,
Legacy Standard Bible
Then he sent messengers to the city to Ahab king of Israel and said to him, "Thus says Ben-hadad,
Contemporary English Version
Benhadad sent a messenger to tell King Ahab of Israel,
Complete Jewish Bible
He sent messengers inside the city to Ach'av king of Isra'el
Darby Translation
And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city, and said to him, Thus says Ben-Hadad:
Easy-to-Read Version
The king sent messengers to King Ahab of Israel who was inside the city.
George Lamsa Translation
And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel, and said to him, Thus says Bar-hadad,
Good News Translation
He sent messengers into the city to King Ahab of Israel to say, "King Benhadad demands that
Lexham English Bible
He sent messengers to the city to Ahab king of Israel.
Literal Translation
And he sent messengers to Ahab the king of Israel, to the city, and said to him, So says Ben-hadad,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And he sent messaungers vnto Achab ye kynge of Israel in to ye cite, & caused to saye vnto him: Thus sayeth Benadab:
American Standard Version
And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel, into the city, and said unto him, Thus saith Ben-hadad,
Bible in Basic English
And he sent representatives into the town to Ahab, king of Israel;
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the citie, and sayde vnto him, thus saith Benhadad.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel, into the city,
King James Version (1611)
And hee sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel, into the city, and saide vnto him, Thus saith Benhadad,
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Achaab spoke to Nabuthai, saying, Give me thy vineyard, and I will have it for a garden of herbs, for it is near my house: and I will give thee another vineyard better than it; or if it please thee, I will give thee money, the price of this thy vineyard, and I will have it for a garden of herbs.
English Revised Version
And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel, into the city, and said unto him, Thus saith Ben–hadad,
Berean Standard Bible
Then he sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel,
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And he sente messangeris to Achab, kyng of Israel, in to the citee,
Young's Literal Translation
and sendeth messengers unto Ahab king of Israel, to the city,
Update Bible Version
And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel, into the city, and said to him, Thus says Ben-hadad,
Webster's Bible Translation
And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city, and said to him, Thus saith Ben-hadad,
World English Bible
He sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel, into the city, and said to him, Thus says Ben-hadad,
New King James Version
Then he sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel, and said to him, "Thus says Ben-Hadad:
New Living Translation
Ben-hadad sent messengers into the city to relay this message to King Ahab of Israel: "This is what Ben-hadad says:
New Life Bible
Then he sent men with news to the city of Ahab king of Israel, saying, "This is what Ben-hadad says.
New Revised Standard
Then he sent messengers into the city to King Ahab of Israel, and said to him: "Thus says Ben-hadad:
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And he sent messengers unto Ahab king of Israel, into the city, and said to him, - Thus, saith Ben-hadad,
Douay-Rheims Bible
And sending messengers to Achab, king of Israel, into the city,
Revised Standard Version
And he sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel, and said to him, "Thus says Ben-ha'dad:
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then he sent messengers to the city to Ahab king of Israel and said to him, "Thus says Ben-hadad,

Contextual Overview

1Now King Ben-hadad of Aram assembled his entire army. Thirty-two kings, along with horses and chariots, were with him. He marched up, besieged Samaria, and fought against it. 2He sent messengers into the city to King Ahab of Israel and said to him, “This is what Ben-hadad says: 3‘Your silver and your gold are mine! And your best wives and children are mine as well!’” 4Then the king of Israel answered, “Just as you say, my lord the king: I am yours, along with all that I have.” 5The messengers then returned and said, “This is what Ben-hadad says: ‘I have sent messengers to you, saying: You are to give me your silver, your gold, your wives, and your children. 6But at this time tomorrow I will send my servants to you, and they will search your palace and your servants’ houses. They will lay their hands on and take away whatever is precious to you.’” 7Then the king of Israel called for all the elders of the land and said, “Recognize that this one is only looking for trouble, for he demanded my wives, my children, my silver, and my gold, and I didn’t turn him down.” 8All the elders and all the people said to him, “Don’t listen or agree.” 9So he said to Ben-hadad’s messengers, “Say to my lord the king, ‘Everything you demanded of your servant the first time, I will do, but this thing I cannot do.’” So the messengers left and took word back to him. 10Then Ben-hadad sent messengers to him and said, “May the gods punish me and do so severely if Samaria’s dust amounts to a handful for each of the people who follow me.”

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

2 Kings 19:9, Isaiah 36:2-22, Isaiah 37:9, Isaiah 37:10

Cross-References

Genesis 12:15
Pharaoh’s officials saw her and praised her to Pharaoh, so the woman was taken to Pharaoh’s household.
Genesis 20:11
Abraham replied, “I thought, ‘There is absolutely no fear of God in this place. They will kill me because of my wife.’
Genesis 20:12
Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife.
Genesis 20:13
So when God had me wander from my father’s house, I said to her: Show your loyalty to me wherever we go and say about me: ‘He’s my brother.’”
Genesis 26:1
There was another famine in the land in addition to the one that had occurred in Abraham’s time. And Isaac went to Abimelech, king of the Philistines, at Gerar.
Genesis 26:7
When the men of the place asked about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” for he was afraid to say “my wife,” thinking, “The men of the place will kill me on account of Rebekah, for she is a beautiful woman.”
Genesis 26:16
And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Leave us, for you are much too powerful for us.”
2 Chronicles 19:2
Then Jehu son of the seer Hanani went out to confront him and said to King Jehoshaphat, “Do you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? Because of this, the Lord’s wrath is on you.
2 Chronicles 20:37
Then Eliezer son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because you formed an alliance with Ahaziah, the Lord has broken up what you have made.” So the ships were wrecked and were not able to go to Tarshish.
2 Chronicles 32:31
When the ambassadors of Babylon’s rulers were sent to him to inquire about the miraculous sign that happened in the land, God left him to test him and discover what was in his heart.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel, into the city,.... Who there remained, and attempted not to go forth and meet him, and stop his progress, though he must have passed great part of his dominions to come to Samaria:

and said unto him, thus saith Benhadad; by them, his messengers, as follows.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

It may be supposed that a considerable time had passed in the siege, that the city had been reduced to an extremity, and that ambassadors had been sent by Ahab to ask terms of peace short of absolute surrender, before Ben-hadad would make such a demand. He would expect and intend his demand to be rejected, and this would have left him free to plunder the town, which was evidently what he desired and purposed.


 
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