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Wednesday, August 6th, 2025
the Week of Proper 13 / Ordinary 18
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Read the Bible

English Standard Version

1 Kings 20:2

And he sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel and said to him, "Thus says Ben-hadad:

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

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

1 Ben-hadad the king of Syria gathered all his army together. Thirty-two kings were with him, and horses and chariots. And he went up and closed in on Samaria and fought against it. 2 And he sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel and said to him, "Thus says Ben-hadad: 3 ‘Your silver and your gold are mine; your best wives and children also are mine.'" 4 And the king of Israel answered, "As you say, my lord, O king, I am yours, and all that I have." 5 The messengers came again and said, "Thus says Ben-hadad: ‘I sent to you, saying, "Deliver to me your silver and your gold, your wives and your children." 6 Nevertheless I will send my servants to you tomorrow about this time, and they shall search your house and the houses of your servants and lay hands on whatever pleases you and take it away.'" 7 Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land and said, "Mark, now, and see how this man is seeking trouble, for he sent to me for my wives and my children, and for my silver and my gold, and I did not refuse him." 8 And all the elders and all the people said to him, "Do not listen or consent." 9 So he said to the messengers of Ben-hadad, "Tell my lord the king, ‘All that you first demanded of your servant I will do, but this thing I cannot do.'" And the messengers departed and brought him word again. 10 Ben-hadad sent to him and said, "The gods do so to me and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all 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
And when the princes of Pharaoh saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house.
Genesis 20:11
Abraham said, "I did it because I thought, ‘There is no fear of God at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.'
Genesis 20:12
Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife.
Genesis 20:13
And when God caused me to wander from my father's house, I said to her, ‘This is the kindness you must do me: at every place to which we come, say of me, "He is my brother."'"
Genesis 26:1
Now there was a famine in the land, besides the former famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Gerar to Abimelech king of the Philistines.
Genesis 26:7
When the men of the place asked him about his wife, he said, "She is my sister," for he feared to say, "My wife," thinking, "lest the men of the place should kill me because of Rebekah," because she was attractive in appearance.
Genesis 26:16
And Abimelech said to Isaac, "Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we."
2 Chronicles 19:2
But Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him and said to King Jehoshaphat, "Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord ? Because of this, wrath has gone out against you from the Lord .
2 Chronicles 20:37
Then Eliezer the son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, "Because you have joined with Ahaziah, the Lord will destroy what you have made." And the ships were wrecked and were not able to go to Tarshish.
2 Chronicles 32:31
And so in the matter of the envoys of the princes of Babylon, who had been sent to him to inquire about the sign that had been done in the land, God left him to himself, in order to test him and to know all that 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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