He sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel, into the city, and said to him, “Ben Hadad says, ‘Your silver and your gold is mine. Your wives also and your children, even the best, are mine.’ ”
The king of Israel answered, “It is according to your saying, my lord, O king. I am yours, and all that I have.”
The messengers came again, and said, “Ben Hadad says, ‘I sent indeed to you, saying, “You shall deliver me your silver, and your gold, and your wives, and your children; but I will send my servants to you tomorrow about this time, and they will search your house, and the houses of your servants; whatever is pleasant in your eyes, they will put it in their hand, and take it away.” ’ ”
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv4, 6 I am content to obey and pay tribute.
I am content to obey and pay tribute.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv2–6 1Ki 20:2 And he sent messengers to Ahab king…
1Ki 20:2 And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city, and said unto him, Thus saith Benhadad,
Ver. 2. And he sent messengers.] As presuming they should find that favour with Ahab which himself denied to Ahab’s messengers, whom he commanded to be taken alive, whatsoever their errand was. This was against the law of arms. {1Ki 20:18}
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.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv3–6 I challenge them as my own, and accordingly expect…
I challenge them as my own, and accordingly expect to have them forthwith delivered into my possession, if thou expectest peace with me.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv2–6 And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel,…
And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel, into the city,.... Who there remained, and attempted not to go forth and meet him, and stop his progress, though he must have passed great part of his dominions to come to Samaria:
and said unto him, thus saith Benhadad; by them, his messengers, as follows.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv3–6 Thy silver, &c. - I challenge them as my…
Thy silver, &c. - I challenge them as my own, and expect to have them forthwith delivered, if thou expect peace with me.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv4, 6 Verse 4. I am thine, and all that I…
Verse 4. I am thine, and all that I have.] He probably hoped by this humiliation to soften this barbarous king, and perhaps to get better conditions.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv3, 5 1Ki 20:3-4. Thy silver and thy gold is mine…
1Ki 20:3-4. Thy silver and thy gold is mine — I challenge them as my own, and expect to have them forthwith delivered, if thou expect peace with me. The king said, My lord, O king, I am thine — I do so far comply with thy demand, that I will own thee for my lord, and myself for thy vassal, and will hold my wives, and children, and estate, as by thy favour, and with an acknowledgment.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv2, 6 It may be supposed that a considerable time had…
It may be supposed that a considerable time had passed in the siege, that the city had been reduced to an extremity, and that ambassadors had been sent by Ahab to ask terms of peace short of absolute surrender, before Ben-hadad would make such a demand. He would expect and intend his demand to be rejected, and this would have left him free to plunder the town, which was evidently what he desired and purposed.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv3, 4, 6 Mine. He had a desire to dispose of them,…
Mine. He had a desire to dispose of them, as he though proper. Achab was willing to pay tribute, to remove the impending danger. (Calmet)
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).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On v2 Thus said Ben-hadad, Thy silver and thy gold is…
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 object in these and other boastful menaces was to intimidate Ahab. But the weak sovereign began to show a little more spirit, as appears in his abandoning "my lord the king" for the single "tell him," and giving him a dry but sarcastic hint to glory no more till the victory is won. Kindling into a rage at the cool defiance, Ben-hadad gave orders for the immediate sack of the city.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv3–6 3. Thy silver and thy gold is mine —…
3. Thy silver and thy gold is mine — This demand was somewhat ambiguous and uncertain, and Ahab seems to have understood it as merely a proposition of Ben-hadad to raise the siege and go away from Samaria on condition of receiving certain amounts of gold and silver, and the goodliest of his wives and children, leaving Ahab to make the selection.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv2–6 2. he sent messengers] Sending first, no doubt, as…
2. he sent messengers] Sending first, no doubt, as Josephus explains, a herald to ask that his ambassadors might be received to explain his demands.
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.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On v6 (6) Whatsoever is pleasant.—The demand, which is virtually for…
(6) Whatsoever is pleasant.—The demand, which is virtually for the plunder of Samaria, probably neither expects nor desires acceptance, and is therefore a refusal of all but unconditional surrender. It is notable that in the last extremity Ahab falls back on an exceptional appeal to the patriotism of the people.
The “elders of the land” (evidently present in Samaria at this time) were the representatives in the northern kingdom of the ancient assembly of the “elders of Israel,” existing from the time of Moses downwards as a senate, having power not only of advice, but of concurrence, in relation to the Judge or King. (See Exo_3:16; Exo_12:21; Exo_24:1; Deu_27:1; Deu_31:9; Jos_7:6; 2Sa_5:3; 1Ki_8:3). The solemn appointment of the seventy in Num_11:24-25 seems to be simply the re-constitution and consecration of the original body. Each tribe and each town had also its lesser body of elders. (See 1Sa_30:26, “the elders of Judah;” Deu_19:12; Deu_21:3, &c., “the elders of the city.”) The authority of all these assemblies must have been at all times largely overborne by the royal power (see 1Ki_21:11), and must have varied according to time and circumstance.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv2–6 And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel…
And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into Heb. to. It is not clear that they entered the city. They may have delivered their message to the king, or to his representatives at the gates or to the people on the walls (2Ki_18:18, 2Ki_18:27) the city, and said unto him, Thus saith Ben-hadad,
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v4 It is as you say
It is as you say
This is an idiom to express agreement. AT: "I agree with you" (See: Idiom)
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tomorrow about this time
"tomorrow at the same time of day that it is now"
whatever pleases their eyes
Here the "eyes" represent the whole person and emphasize them looking at something and desiring it. AT: "whatever pleases them" (See: Synecdoche)
translationWords
lord
word
hand
servant
house
seize
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v2 20:2-4 Ben-hadad’s first delegation of messengers brought his demand…
20:2-4 Ben-hadad’s first delegation of messengers brought his demand that Israel must agree to surrender both its treasures and people. Ahab capitulated, wanting peace at any cost. He would give up royal treasures and even his family rather than face bloody war with a powerful enemy.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.