1 Kings 20:35

1 Kings 20:35 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said unto his neighbour in the word of the Lord, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man refused to smite him.
• New International Version (NIV)By the word of the Lord one of the company of the prophets said to his companion, “Strike me with your weapon,” but he refused.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said to his fellow at the command of the Lord, "Strike me, please." But the man refused to strike him.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now a certain man of the sons of the prophets said to his neighbor by the word of the Lord, “Strike me, please.” And the man refused to strike him.

Context of 1 Kings 20:35

33When Ben-Hadad's men heard this, they thought that it was a friendly answer. So they quickly agreed, ‘Yes! Ben-Hadad is like your own brother.’ King Ahab said, ‘Go and fetch him.’ So Ben-Hadad came out from Aphek city. Ahab took him up into his chariot. 34Ben-Hadad said, ‘I will give back to you the cities that my father took from your father. Your traders can have their own markets in Damascus, as my father had in Samaria.’ Ahab answered, ‘If you do that, I will agree to let you go as a free man.’ So King Ahab made an agreement with King Ben-Hadad. Then he let him go home. At this time, the Lord gave a message to a prophet who belonged to a group of prophets. He told the prophet to say to one of his friends, ‘Hit me with your stick.’ But his friend refused to do it. 36So the prophet said to him, ‘You have not obeyed the Lord's command. Because of that, a lion will kill you as soon as you leave here.’ After the man left the prophet, a lion attacked him and it killed him. 37Then the prophet found another man. He said to him, ‘Please hit me!’ So the man hit him. He hurt the prophet very much.

1 Kings 20:35 word by word

וְאִ֨ישׁ אֶחָ֜ד מִבְּנֵ֣י הַנְּבִיאִ֗ים אָמַ֧ר אֶל־רֵעֵ֛הוּ בִּדְבַ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה הַכֵּ֣ינִי נָ֑א וַיְמָאֵ֥ן הָאִ֖ישׁ לְהַכֹּתֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And a certainאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
• manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• of the sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• of the prophetsנָבִיאnâbîy' · prophetH5030
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto his neighbourרֵעַrêa‛ rêya‛ · neighborH7453
• in the wordדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
• of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• Smiteנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
• refusedמָאֵןmâ'ên · to refuseH3985

Cross-references for 1 Kings 20:35

• Exodus 21:12Perhaps a person may hit another person so that he dies. You must punish the murderer with death.

Commentaries on 1 Kings 20:35

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 35In the word of the Lord - By the word or command of the Lord; that is, God has commanded thee to smite me. Refusing to do it, this man forfeited his life, as we are informed in the next verse. By this emblematical action he intended to inform Ahab that, as the man forfeited his life who refused to smite him when he had the Lord's command to do it; so he (Ahab) had forfeited his life, because he did not smite Ben-hadad when he had him in his power.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 35The sons of the prophets - The expression occurs here for the first time. It signifies (marginal references), the schools or colleges of prophets which existed in several of the Israelite, and probably of the Jewish, towns, where young men were regularly educated for the prophetical office. These “schools” make their first appearance under Samuel 1 Samuel 19:20. There is no distinct evidence that they continued later than the time of Elisha; but it is on…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 31-43Verses 31-43 This encouragement sinners have to repent and humble themselves before God; Have we not heard, that the God of Israel is a merciful God? Have we not found him so? That is gospel repentance, which flows from an apprehension of the mercy of God, in Christ; there is forgiveness with him. What a change is here! The most haughty in prosperity often are most abject in adversity; an evil spirit will thus affect a man in both these conditions. There…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 35-43Ahab showed mercy to Ben-hadad, which displeased God. An unnamed prophet used symbolic actions to show this disapproval. God's prophets often used symbols to deliver his messages (Isaiah 20; Jeremiah 27:1–7; Ezekiel 4:1–3, 9–17; 5:1–4). By sparing an untrustworthy enemy, Ahab brought judgment on himself and his people instead of relying more on the Lord.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 35-3835-38. Smite me--This prophet is supposed (1Ki 20:8) to have been Micaiah. The refusal of his neighbor to smite the prophet was manifestly wrong, as it was a withholding of necessary aid to a prophet in the discharge of a duty to which he had been called by God, and it was severely punished [1Ki 20:36], as a beacon to warn others (see on 1Ki 13:2-24). The prophet found a willing assistant, and then, waiting for Ahab, leads the king unconsciously, in the…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Kings 20:35

• Disobedience to God
• Prophecy
• Prophets
• Students
• Symbols and Similitudes

In the dictionaries

• Ahab
• Mark
• Micaiah
• Child; Children
• Fellow
• Israel, Kingdom of

Commentaries on 1 Kings 20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary