1 Kings 20:9

1 Kings 20:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Wherefore he said unto the messengers of Ben–hadad, Tell my lord the king, All that thou didst send for to thy servant at the first I will do: but this thing I may not do. And the messengers departed, and brought him word again.
• English Standard Version (ESV)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.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore he said to the messengers of Ben-Hadad, “Tell my lord the king, ‘All that you sent for to your servant the first time I will do, but this thing I cannot do.’ ” And the messengers departed and brought back word to him.
• New Living Translation (NLT)So Ahab told the messengers from Ben-hadad, “Say this to my lord the king: ‘I will give you everything you asked for the first time, but I cannot accept this last demand of yours.’” So the messengers returned to Ben-hadad with that response.

Context of 1 Kings 20:9

7The king of Israel summoned all the elders of the land and said to them, “See how this man is looking for trouble! When he sent for my wives and my children, my silver and my gold, I did not refuse him.” 8The elders and the people all answered, “Don’t listen to him or agree to his demands.” So he replied to Ben-Hadad’s messengers, “Tell my lord the king, ‘Your servant will do all you demanded the first time, but this demand I cannot meet.’ ” They left and took the answer back to Ben-Hadad. 10Then Ben-Hadad sent another message to Ahab: “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if enough dust remains in Samaria to give each of my men a handful.” 11The king of Israel answered, “Tell him: ‘One who puts on his armor should not boast like one who takes it off.’ ”

1 Kings 20:9 word by word

וַיֹּ֜אמֶר לְמַלְאֲכֵ֣י בֶן־הֲדַ֗ד אִמְר֞וּ לַֽאדֹנִ֤י הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ כֹּל֩ אֲשֶׁר־שָׁלַ֨חְתָּ אֶל־עַבְדְּךָ֤ בָרִֽאשֹׁנָה֙ אֶעֱשֶׂ֔ה וְהַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֔ה לֹ֥א אוּכַ֖ל לַעֲשׂ֑וֹת וַיֵּֽלְכוּ֙ הַמַּלְאָכִ֔ים וַיְשִׁבֻ֖הוּ דָּבָֽר׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Wherefore he saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto the messengersמַלְאָךְmal'âk · messengerH4397
• of Ben–hadadבֶּן־הֲדַדben-hădad · Ben-hadadH1130
• my lordאָדוֹן'âdôn 'âdôn · lordH113
• the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• All that thou didst sendשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
• for to thy servantעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
• at the firstרִאשׁוֹןri'shôn ri'shôn · firstH7223
• I will doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• but this thingדָּבָרdâbâr · word: thingH1697
• I mayיָכֹלyâkôl yâkôl · be ableH3201
• departedיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
• and broughtשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
• him wordדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697

Cross-references for 1 Kings 20:9

• 1 Samuel 14:6Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised men. Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.”
• 1 Samuel 17:44“Come here,” he said, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and the wild animals!”
• Proverbs 27:1Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.
• Ecclesiastes 9:11I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.
• Isaiah 10:15Does the ax raise itself above the person who swings it, or the saw boast against the one who uses it? As if a rod were to wield the person who lifts it up, or a club brandish the one who is not wood!
• Matthew 26:33Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.”
• Matthew 26:75Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.
• Exodus 13:18So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt ready for battle.

Commentaries on 1 Kings 20:9

• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7-9When Ben-hadad's second group made even bigger demands (see 1 Samuel 11:1–2), Ahab realized Ben-hadad wanted war. Ahab agreed to the first demand but refused the second. my lord the king: Ahab spoke to Ben-hadad politely, showing he was willing to accept the Aramean king's rule. He might have hoped his polite response would prevent a fight.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2-122-12. Thus said Ben-hadad, Thy silver and thy gold is mine--To this message sent him during the siege, Ahab returned a tame and submissive answer, probably thinking it meant no more than an exaction of tribute. But the demand was repeated with greater insolence; and yet, from the abject character of Ahab, there is reason to believe he would have yielded to this arrogant claim also, had not the voice of his subjects been raised against it. Ben-hadad's…Read the comment

In the dictionaries

• Ahab
• Mark
• Samaria
• Benhadad
• Israel, Kingdom of
• Samaria, City 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