1 Kings 20:34

1 Kings 20:34 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Ben–hadad said unto him, The cities, which my father took from thy father, I will restore; and thou shalt make streets for thee in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria. Then said Ahab, I will send thee away with this covenant. So he made a covenant with him, and sent him away.
• New International Version (NIV)“I will return the cities my father took from your father,” Ben-Hadad offered. “You may set up your own market areas in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.” Ahab said, “On the basis of a treaty I will set you free.” So he made a treaty with him, and let him go.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And Ben-hadad said to him, "The cities that my father took from your father I will restore, and you may establish bazaars for yourself in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria." And Ahab said, "I will let you go on these terms." So he made a covenant with him and let him go.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So Ben-Hadad said to him, “The cities which my father took from your father I will restore; and you may set up marketplaces for yourself in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.” Then Ahab said, “I will send you away with this treaty.” So he made a treaty with him and sent him away.

Context of 1 Kings 20:34

32So they put on burlap and ropes, and they went to the king of Israel and begged, “Your servant Ben-hadad says, ‘Please let me live!’” The king of Israel responded, “Is he still alive? He is my brother!” 33The men took this as a good sign and quickly picked up on his words. “Yes,” they said, “your brother Ben-hadad!” “Go and get him,” the king of Israel told them. And when Ben-hadad arrived, Ahab invited him up into his chariot. Ben-hadad told him, “I will give back the towns my father took from your father, and you may establish places of trade in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.” Then Ahab said, “I will release you under these conditions.” So they made a new treaty, and Ben-hadad was set free. 35Meanwhile, the Lord instructed one of the group of prophets to say to another man, “Hit me!” But the man refused to hit the prophet. 36Then the prophet told him, “Because you have not obeyed the voice of the Lord, a lion will kill you as soon as you leave me.” And when he had gone, a lion did attack and kill him.

1 Kings 20:34 word by word

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֡יו הֶעָרִ֣ים אֲשֶׁר־לָֽקַח־אָבִי֩ מֵאֵ֨ת אָבִ֜יךָ אָשִׁ֗יב וְ֠חוּצוֹת תָּשִׂ֨ים לְךָ֤ בְדַמֶּ֙שֶׂק֙ כַּאֲשֶׁר־שָׂ֤ם אָבִי֙ בְּשֹׁ֣מְר֔וֹן וַאֲנִ֖י בַּבְּרִ֣ית אֲשַׁלְּחֶ֑ךָּ וַיִּכְרָת־ל֥וֹ בְרִ֖ית וַֽיְשַׁלְּחֵֽהוּ׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto him, The citiesעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• which my fatherאָב'âb · fatherH1
• tookלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
• I will restoreשׁוּבshûb · to return: rescueH7725
• and thou shalt makeשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: makeH7760
• streetsחוּץchûts chûts · outsideH2351
• for thee in Damascusדַּמֶּ֫שֶׂקdammeώeq dûmeώeq darmeώeq · DamascusH1834
• in Samariaשֹׁמְרוֹןshômerôn · SamariaH8111
• I will send thee awayשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: let goH7971
• with this covenantבְּרִיתberîyth · covenantH1285
• So he madeכָּרַתkârath · to cut: make(covenant)H3772

Cross-references for 1 Kings 20:34

• 1 Kings 13:21He cried out to the man of God from Judah, “This is what the Lord says: You have defied the word of the Lord and have disobeyed the command the Lord your God gave you.
• 1 Samuel 15:22But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.

Commentaries on 1 Kings 20:34

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 34Thou shalt make streets for thee in Damascus - It appears that it was customary for foreigners to have a place assigned to them, particularly in maritime towns, where they might deposit and vend their merchandise. This was the very origin of European settlements in Asiatic countries: "The people gave an inch to those strangers; and in consequence they took an ell." Under the pretense of strengthening the place where they kept their wares, to prevent…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 34Ben-hadad, secure of his life, suggests terms of peace as the price of his freedom. He will restore to Ahab the Israelite cities taken from Omri by his father, among which Ramoth Gilead was probably the most important 1 Kings 22:3; and he will allow Ahab the privilege of making for himself “streets,” or rather squares, in Damascus, a privilege which his own father had possessed with respect to Samaria. Commercial advantages, rather than any other, were…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. 34The treaty between Ahab and Ben-hadad treated both sides equally, but it favored Ahab as the winner. The towns Israel lost to Aram (1 Kings 15:20) were returned, and Ben-hadad agreed to important trade deals with Ahab. Ahab likely thought this would be profitable and give him an ally against the growing power of Shalmaneser III of Assyria.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 20:34

• Covenant
• Damascus
• Diplomacy
• Kindness
• Magnanimity
• Omri
• Self-Delusion
• Treaty

In the dictionaries

• Ahab
• Damascus
• Samaria
• Mark
• Alliance
• Benhadad
• Captivity
• Commerce
• Covenant, in the Old Testament
• Dispersion, the

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