1 Kings 20:39

1 Kings 20:39 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And as the king passed by, he cried unto the king: and he said, Thy servant went out into the midst of the battle; and, behold, a man turned aside, and brought a man unto me, and said, Keep this man: if by any means he be missing, then shall thy life be for his life, or else thou shalt pay a talent of silver.
• New International Version (NIV)As the king passed by, the prophet called out to him, “Your servant went into the thick of the battle, and someone came to me with a captive and said, ‘Guard this man. If he is missing, it will be your life for his life, or you must pay a talent of silver.’
• English Standard Version (ESV)And as the king passed, he cried to the king and said, "Your servant went out into the midst of the battle, and behold, a soldier turned and brought a man to me and said, 'Guard this man; if by any means he is missing, your life shall be for his life, or else you shall pay a talent of silver.'
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now as the king passed by, he cried out to the king and said, “Your servant went out into the midst of the battle; and there, a man came over and brought a man to me, and said, ‘Guard this man; if by any means he is missing, your life shall be for his life, or else you shall pay a talent of silver.’

Context of 1 Kings 20:39

37Then the prophet found another man. He said to him, ‘Please hit me!’ So the man hit him. He hurt the prophet very much. 38Then the prophet went and he stood beside the road. He was waiting for king Ahab to come. He tied a cloth over his eyes so that the king would not recognize him. When the king came along the road, the prophet shouted to him, ‘Please sir, I went to fight in the middle of the battle. Then someone brought an enemy soldier to me as a prisoner. He said to me, “Keep this prisoner safe. If he escapes for any reason, you will die! To save your life, you will have to pay 3,000 silver coins.” 40But I had other things to do, sir. While I was doing them, the prisoner escaped.’ King Ahab replied, ‘What you have just said shows that you deserve your punishment.’ 41Then the prophet quickly took away the cloth that covered his eyes. The king recognized that the man was one of the prophets.

1 Kings 20:39 word by word

וַיְהִ֤י הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ עֹבֵ֔ר וְה֖וּא צָעַ֣ק אֶל־הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ וַיֹּ֜אמֶר עַבְדְּךָ֣׀ יָצָ֣א בְקֶֽרֶב־הַמִּלְחָמָ֗ה וְהִנֵּֽה־אִ֨ישׁ סָ֜ר וַיָּבֵ֧א אֵלַ֣י אִ֗ישׁ וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ שְׁמֹר֙ אֶת־הָאִ֣ישׁ הַזֶּ֔ה אִם־הִפָּקֵד֙ יִפָּקֵ֔ד וְהָיְתָ֤ה נַפְשְׁךָ֙ תַּ֣חַת נַפְשׁ֔וֹ א֥וֹ כִכַּר־כֶּ֖סֶף תִּשְׁקֽוֹל׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And as the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• passed byעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
• he criedצָעַקtsâ‛aq · to cryH6817
• and he saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Thy servantעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
• went outיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
• into the midstקֶ֫רֶבqereb · entrails: amongH7130
• of the battleמִלְחָמָהmilchâmâh · battleH4421
• and, behold, a manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• turned asideסוּרsûr ώûr · to turn aside: turn asideH5493
• and broughtבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): bringH935
• Keepשָׁמַרshâmar · to keep: guardH8104
• if by any meansפָּקַדpâqad · to reckon: missingH6485
• then shall thy lifeנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: lifeH5315
• or else thou shalt payשָׁקַלshâqal · to weighH8254
• a talentכִּכָּרkikâr · talentH3603
• of silverכֶּ֫סֶףkeseph · silver: moneyH3701

Cross-references for 1 Kings 20:39

• 1 Kings 20:38Then the prophet went and he stood beside the road. He was waiting for king Ahab to come. He tied a cloth over his eyes so that the king would not recognize him.
• 2 Samuel 13:19Now Tamar put ashes on her head. She tore the beautiful dress that she was wearing. She covered her head with her hands. She wept loudly as she went home.
• Job 2:8Job was very upset and he sat down among some ashes. He used a piece of a broken pot to remove the bad bits of skin.
• Jeremiah 6:26So I say, ‘My dear people, show that you are sorry. Wear sackcloth and sit in ashes. Weep and cry aloud, as if your only child had died. Realize that the enemy's army will soon be here and they are ready to destroy us.’

Commentaries on 1 Kings 20:39

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 39Keep this man - The drift of this is at once seen; but Ahab, not knowing it, was led to pass sentence on himself.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. 3939. a talent of silver--£342.Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Kings 20:39

• Parables
• Self-Condemnation
• Symbols and Similitudes

In the dictionaries

• Ahab
• Mark
• Micaiah
• Israel, Kingdom of
• Slave; Slavery

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