1 Kings 20:42

1Ki 20:42 And he said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Because thou hast let go out of [thy] hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore thy life shall go for his life, and thy people for his people.

Ver. 42. A man whom I had appointed to utter destruction.] Heb., A man of mine accursing; such as was the king of Jericho, and his people, and afterwards Agag king of Amalek. {1Sa 15:33} He had vilified and blasphemed the God of Israel, {1Ki 20:28} and was therefore devoted to destruction. So was Julian the apostate, Chosroes king of Persia, Lucian the athiest, devoured by dogs, &c.

Therefore thy life shall go for his life.] Let princes and judges take heed by Ahab’s example, how they save the lives of such as by God’s law ought to die, of blasphemers especially. Ambrose, closing up the story of Ahab and Jezebel’s fearful end, saith, Fuge ergo, dives, eiusmodi exitum, &c. Shun Ahab’s sin, as thou desirest to shun Ahab’s end.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Ki 20:42. Thus saith the Lord, Because, &c. — “What was the great sin of Ahab in this action, for which God so severely punished him?” The great dishonour hereby done to God, in suffering so horrid a blasphemer to go unpunished, which was contrary to an express law, Lev 24:16. And God had delivered him into Ahab’s hand, for his blasphemy, as he promised to do, (1Ki 20:28,) by which act of his providence, compared with that law, it was most evident that this man was appointed by God to destruction. But Ahab was so far from punishing this blasphemer, that he did not so much as rebuke him, but dismissed him upon easy terms, and took not the least care for the reparation of God’s honour. And the people were punished for their own sins, which were many and great; though God took this occasion to inflict the punishment. The former part of this decree of God, Thy life shall go for his life, was fulfilled three years after, when Ahab was killed in a battle against the Syrians, 1Ki 22:1-40. But the latter, And thy people for his people, was deferred till the reign of Hazael, who fulfilled it by the wars he had with the Israelites, and the slaughter he made of them, 2Ki 10:32-33.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

20:42-43 The Lord had apparently told Ahab to put Ben-hadad to death (cp. Josh 6:17-21), but Ahab violated his charge, perhaps viewing the Aramean king as part of the spoils of war (cp. 1 Sam 15:1-23). The king of Israel would regret his folly: He later faced Ben-hadad in another battle that would cost him his life (1 Kgs 22:29-37). Rather than learning from the prophet’s rebuke, Ahab went home angry and sullen.

20:42 destroyed: See “Complete Destruction” Theme Note.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 42. Thy life shall go for his life] This was fulfilled at the battle of Ramoth-gilead, where he was slain by the Syrians; see 1Kg 22:34-35.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(42) A man whom I appointed—properly, a man under my curse. The rash action of Ahab, like the deliberate disobedience of Saul (1 Samuel 15), may have been due partly to compassion, partly to weakness. In either case it had no right to stand unauthorised between God’s judgment and him on whom it was pronounced; for even soft-heartedness, as in the case of Eli, may be treason to the cause of righteousness. The prophet (like Elisha, in 2Ki_13:19) speaks partly as a patriot, jealous—and, as the event proved, with a sagacious jealousy—of the lenity which left the deadly enemy of Israel unsubdued; but he speaks also as the representative of God’s stern and righteous judgment. which Ahab, after signal deliverance, had treated as of no account. (For the fulfilment of his words, see 1Ki_22:34-36.)

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

42. a man] R.V. the man. For the whole multitude, and of course the king above all, had been delivered into Ahab’s hand (see 1Ki_20:28), and the victory was to be an evidence that Jehovah had fought for Israel.

appointed to utter destruction] R.V. devoted to destruction. This was the purpose for which Ben-hadad had been brought into Ahab’s hand. The literal rendering is ‘the man of my banning’, whom I have laid under a ban. It is used Isa_34:5 ‘the people of my curse’.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And he said unto him, thus saith the Lord,.... He spake not his own sense, and in his own words, but in the name of the Lord, for which he had authority, that it might have the greater weight with Ahab:

because thou hast let go out of thy hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction; meaning Benhadad; or "the man of my anathema or curse" (w); cursed of God for his blasphemy of him, and devoted by him to ruin on that account; or "of my net" (x), being by his providence brought into a net or noose at Aphek, out of which he could not have escaped, had not Ahab let him go:

therefore thy life shall go for his life; as it shortly did, and that by the hand of a Syrian soldier, Kg1 22:34,

and thy people for his people; which was fulfilled by Hazael king of Syria, the sins of Israel rendering them deserving of the calamities they endured by his means, see Kg2 8:12.

(w) "vir anathematis mei", Montanus, Piscator. (x) "Vir retis mei"; so some in Vatablus.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

A man whom I appointed to utter destruction - or to חרם chērem, i. e., a man on whom My curse had been laid (Lev 27:28 note).

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Worthy. Hebrew, "of my anathema;" or, "the man who has fallen into my snares." (Vatable) Cherem is taken in this sense, Micheas vii. 2., &c. He was my prey, and you ought not to have disposed of him without my leave. (Calmet) --- People. This was verified (chap. xxii.; Menochius) within three years. (Salien)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Quest. What was the great sin of Ahab in this action for which God so severely punisheth him?

Answ. The great dishonour hereby done to God in suffering so horrid a blasphemer, 1Ki 20:23, to go unpunished, which was, contrary to an express law, Lev 24:16.

Object. What is this to Ben-hadad, seeing that law concerned Israelites only?

Answ. It reached both to them that were born in the land, and (as is there expressed) unto strangers that were among them, and in their power, which was Ben-hadad’s case; for God had delivered him into Ahab’s hand for his blasphemy, as he promised to do, 1Ki 20:28, by which act of his providence, especially compared with that law, it was most evident that this man was appointed by God to destruction, as is here said. But Ahab was so far from punishing this blasphemer, that he doth not so much as rebuke him, but treats him like a friend and a brother; dismisseth him upon easy terms, and takes his word for the performance, and takes not the least care for the reparation of God’s honour, but only for the amplification of his own power.

Thy people for his people.

Quest. Why were the people punished for Ahab’s sin?

Answ. 1. Because Ahab was punished in the loss of his people.

2. The people were punished for their own sins, which were many and great; though God took this occasion to inflict it.

3. The great injury and mischief was hereby done to his own people, who by this most foolish and wicked act were exposed to all those rapines and slaughters which Ben-hadad either did commit, or might have committed, against them afterwards; of which consequently Ahab was guilty. And it must be considered that all the Israelites were the Lord’s peculiar people; nor did their apostacy from God deprive God of his right; and the kings of Israel and Judah had these committed to them, in way of trust, to be governed and protected by them. And therefore Ahab for this gross breach of his trust was justly liable, though not to the censures of his people, yet to the hand of God, who was his King and Governor.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

42. A man whom I appointed to utter destruction — Literally, the man of my curse: that is, Ben-hadad, whom God had in judgment devoted to destruction. Compare Lev_27:29.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And he said onto him. Thus saith the lord, Because thou hast let go Heb. sent away; same word as in ver; 34. This is an in direct proof that those were the words of Ahab out of thy hand Heb. out of hand same idiom in 1Sa_26:23 i.e., power, possession. (Cf. Gen_32:12; Exo_18:9; Num_35:25) a man whom I appointed to utter destruction Heb. a man of my devoting. Cf. Isa_34:5; Zec_14:11. It is the word used of the Canaanites and their cities, Deu_2:34 Deu_7:2; Jos_8:26 Jos_10:28; and it gave a name to the city Hormah,, Num_21:3 Num_14:45. Ben-hadad, therefore, was doomed of God therefore thy life shall go for Heb. be instead of his life, and thy people for his people. By the lex talionis. It was probably because of this denunciation (cf. 1Ki_22:8) that Josephus identifies this prophet with Micaiah, the son of Imlah, "whom Ahab appears to have imprisoned on account of some threatening prophecy (Rawlinson). See 1Ki_22:9, 1Ki_22:26. For the fulfilment o! this prediction see ch. 22. It has seemed to some writers as if Ahab were here very hardly dealt with for merely gratifying s generous impulse, and dealing magnanimously with a conquered foe. Indeed, there are commentators who see in his release of the cruel and insolent tyrant s "trait which does honour to the heart of Ahab." But it is to be remembered, first, that Ahab was not free to do as he liked in this matter. His victories had been won, not by his prowess, by the skill of his generals, or the valour of his soldiers, but by the power of God alone. The war, that is to say, was God"s war: it was begun and continued, and should therefore have been ended, in Him. When even the details of the attack had been ordered of God (ver. 14), surely He should have been consulted as to the disposal of the prisoners. The prophet who promised Divine aid might at any rate have been asked as prophets constantly were in that age (1Ki_22:5, 1Ki_22:8) what was the "word of the Lord" concerning Israel"s overbearing and inveterate enemy. But Ahab, who had himself played so craven a part (vers. 21, 31), and who had contributed nothing to these great and unhoped-for victories, nevertheless arrogated to himself their fruits, and thereby ignored and dishonoured God. Secondly, if he had so little regard for his own private interests as to liberate such a man as Ben-hadad, he ought, as trustee for the peace and welfare of Israel, to have acted differently. The demand of ver. 6 should have revealed to him the character of the man he had to deal with. And lastly, he was acting in defiance of all the principles and precedents of the Old Testament dispensation. For one great principle of that dispensation was the lex talionis. The king was the authorized dispenser of rewards and punishments, not only to wicked subjects but to aggressive nations. It was his duty to mete out to them the measure they had served to Israel. And the precedents were all in favour of putting such wretches as this Ben-hadad to the sword (Jos_10:26; Jud_1:7:25; 1Sa_15:33) If he had been the first oppressor who fell into the hands of Israel, Ahab might have had some excuse. But with the fate of Agog, of Adonibezek, of Oreb and Zeeb, in his memory, he ought at any rate to have paused and asked counsel of God before taking Ben-hadad into his chariot and sending him away with a covenant of peace, to reappear at no distant period on the scene as the scourge of the Lord"s people.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Thy life - "What was the great sin of Ahab in this action, for which God so severely punisheth him?" The great dishonour hereby done to God, in suffering so horrid a blasphemer, to go unpunished, which was contrary to an express law, Lev. xxiv, 16. And God had delivered him into Ahab's hand, for his blasphemy, as he promised to do, ver. 28, by which act of his providence, compared with that law, it was most evident, that this man was appointed by God to destruction, but Ahab was so far from punishing this blasphemer, that he doth not so much as rebuke him, but dismisseth him upon easy terms, and takes not the least care for the reparation of God's honour, and the people were punished for their own sins, which were many, and great; though God took this occasion to inflict it.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

The man whom I condemned. איש חרמי means “the man of My war,” an expression of strife. An expression of strife [חרם] can be applied to war, and similarly, “on Edom it will descend and on the nation with whom I war [חרמי]. The Midrash Aggadah [states], “Many traps and nets [חרמים] have I spread for you until he fell into your hand.”

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.