God’s Word Translation
1 Kings 20:32
32So they dressed in sackcloth and put ropes around their necks. They went to the king of Israel and said, “Your servant Benhadad says, ‘Please let me live.’ ” Ahab asked, “He’s still alive? He’s my brother.”
1 Kings 20:32 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)So they girded sackcloth on their loins, and put ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, Thy servant Ben–hadad saith, I pray thee, let me live. And he said, Is he yet alive? he is my brother.
- New International Version (NIV)Wearing sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their heads, they went to the king of Israel and said, “Your servant Ben-Hadad says: ‘Please let me live.’ ” The king answered, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)So they tied sackcloth around their waists and put ropes on their heads and went to the king of Israel and said, "Your servant Ben-hadad says, 'Please, let me live.'" And he said, "Does he still live? He is my brother."
- New King James Version (NKJV)So they wore sackcloth around their waists and put ropes around their heads, and came to the king of Israel and said, “Your servant Ben-Hadad says, ‘Please let me live.’ ” And he said, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”
Context of 1 Kings 20:32
30The survivors fled to Aphek, the city where the wall fell on 27,000 of them. Benhadad had also fled. He came to the city and hid in an inner room. 31His officers told him, “We have heard that the kings of Israel are merciful. Allow us to dress in sackcloth, put ropes around our necks, and go to the king of Israel. Maybe he’ll let you live.” So they dressed in sackcloth and put ropes around their necks. They went to the king of Israel and said, “Your servant Benhadad says, ‘Please let me live.’ ” Ahab asked, “He’s still alive? He’s my brother.” 33The men, watching for a good sign, were quick to take him at his word. “Benhadad is your brother,” they said. Ahab said, “Bring him here.” When Benhadad arrived, Ahab had him come up on the chariot with him. 34Benhadad told him, “I will give back the towns my father took from your father. You may set up trading centers in Damascus as my father did in Samaria.” Ahab said, “If you will put this into a treaty, I will let you go.” So Ahab made a treaty with Benhadad and let him go.
Read all of 1 Kings 201 Kings 20:32 word by word
וַיַּחְגְּרוּ֩ שַׂקִּ֨ים בְּמָתְנֵיהֶ֜ם וַחֲבָלִ֣ים בְּרָאשֵׁיהֶ֗ם וַיָּבֹ֙אוּ֙ אֶל־מֶ֣לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ עַבְדְּךָ֧ בֶן־הֲדַ֛ד אָמַ֖ר תְּחִֽי־נָ֣א נַפְשִׁ֑י וַיֹּ֛אמֶר הַעוֹדֶ֥נּוּ חַ֖י אָחִ֥י הֽוּא׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- So they girdedחָגַרchâgar · to girdH2296
- sackclothשַׂקώaq · sackclothH8242
- on their loinsמׇתְנַ֫יִםmôthen · loinH4975
- ropesחֶ֫בֶלchebel chêbel · cordH2256
- on their headsרֹאשׁrô'sh · headH7218
- and cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- to the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Thy servantעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
- Ben–hadadבֶּן־הֲדַדben-hădad · Ben-hadadH1130
- I pray thee, let me liveנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: lifeH5315
- I pray thee, let me liveחָיָהchâyâh · to liveH2421
- he yet aliveחַיchay · aliveH2416
- my brotherאָח'âch · brother: compatriotH251
Cross-references for 1 Kings 20:32
- 1 Kings 15:20Benhadad did what King Asa requested. He sent his generals and their armies to attack the cities of Israel. He conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel Beth Maacah, and the entire area around Chinneroth with the entire territory of Naphtali.
- 2 Chronicles 16:4Benhadad did what King Asa requested. He sent his generals and their armies to attack the cities of Israel. He conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel Maim, and all the storage cities in the territory of Naphtali.
- 1 Kings 20:42The prophet told him, “This is what the Lord says: You let the man go. He was claimed by God and should have been killed. For that reason your life will be taken in place of his life and your people in place of his people.”
- 1 Kings 22:31The king of Aram had given orders to the 32 chariot commanders. He said, “Don’t fight anyone except the king of Israel.”
- 2 Chronicles 18:30The king of Aram had given orders to the chariot commanders. He said, “Don’t fight anyone except the king of Israel.”
- Isaiah 8:12“Don’t say that everything these people call a conspiracy is a conspiracy. Don’t fear what they fear. Don’t let it terrify you.”
- Isaiah 26:10Although the wicked are shown pity, they do not learn to do what is right. They do what is wrong in the upright land and do not see the majesty of the Lord.
Commentaries on 1 Kings 20:32
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 32Thy servant Ben-hadad - See the vicissitude of human affairs! A little before he was the haughtiest of all tyrants, and Ahab calls him his lord; now, so much is he humbled, that he will be glad to be reputed Ahab's slave!Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 32Ben-hadad is now as humble as Ahab had been a year before 1 Kings 20:9. He professes himself the mere “slave” of his conqueror.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. 32-33my brother: Ahab spoke to Ben-hadad in a polite way, showing respect for the Aramean king's authority and Ahab's wish for good relations. Ahab invited Ben-hadad into his chariot to warmly welcome him and to show that he should see Ahab as his equal. In the ancient Near East, kings spoke to each other as brothers to express friendship, good relations, or formal equality.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 32-3432-34. put ropes on their heads--Captives were dragged by ropes round their necks in companies, as is depicted on the monuments of Egypt. Their voluntary attitude and language of submission flattered the pride of Ahab, who, little concerned about the dishonor done to the God of Israel by the Syrian king, and thinking of nothing but victory, paraded his clemency, called the vanquished king "his brother," invited him to sit in the royal chariot, and…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Kings 20:32
In the dictionaries
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
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