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Wednesday, October 8th, 2025
the Week of Proper 22 / Ordinary 27
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Bible in Basic English

1 Kings 20:2

And he sent representatives into the town to Ahab, king of Israel;

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Ambassadors;   Thompson Chain Reference - Ahab;   Ambassadors;   Benhadad;   Nation, the;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Samaria, Ancient;   Sieges;   Syria;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Ben-Hadad;   Samaria;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Ben-hadad;   Samaria, samaritans;   Syria;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Samaria;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ben-Hadad;   Kings, 1 and 2;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ahab;   Ben-Hadad;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Benhadad ;   Samaria ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Samaria;   Smith Bible Dictionary - A'hab;   Ambassador,;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Joel (2);   Samaria, City of;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Benhadad;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - War;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
He sent messengers into the city to King Ahab of Israel and said to him, “This is what Ben-hadad says:
Hebrew Names Version
He sent messengers to Ach'av king of Yisra'el, into the city, and said to him, Thus says Ben-Hadad,
King James Version
And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city, and said unto him, Thus saith Benhadad,
English Standard Version
And he sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel and said to him, "Thus says Ben-hadad:
New Century Version
The king sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel. This was his message: "Ben-Hadad says,
New English Translation
He sent messengers to King Ahab of Israel, who was in the city.
Amplified Bible
Then he sent messengers to the city to Ahab king of Israel; and he said to him, "Thus says Ben-hadad:
New American Standard Bible
Then he sent messengers to the city to Ahab, king of Israel, and said to him, "This is what Ben-hadad says:
Geneva Bible (1587)
And he sent messengers to Ahab King of Israel, into the citie,
Legacy Standard Bible
Then he sent messengers to the city to Ahab king of Israel and said to him, "Thus says Ben-hadad,
Contemporary English Version
Benhadad sent a messenger to tell King Ahab of Israel,
Complete Jewish Bible
He sent messengers inside the city to Ach'av king of Isra'el
Darby Translation
And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city, and said to him, Thus says Ben-Hadad:
Easy-to-Read Version
The king sent messengers to King Ahab of Israel who was inside the city.
George Lamsa Translation
And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel, and said to him, Thus says Bar-hadad,
Good News Translation
He sent messengers into the city to King Ahab of Israel to say, "King Benhadad demands that
Lexham English Bible
He sent messengers to the city to Ahab king of Israel.
Literal Translation
And he sent messengers to Ahab the king of Israel, to the city, and said to him, So says Ben-hadad,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And he sent messaungers vnto Achab ye kynge of Israel in to ye cite, & caused to saye vnto him: Thus sayeth Benadab:
American Standard Version
And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel, into the city, and said unto him, Thus saith Ben-hadad,
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the citie, and sayde vnto him, thus saith Benhadad.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel, into the city,
King James Version (1611)
And hee sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel, into the city, and saide vnto him, Thus saith Benhadad,
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Achaab spoke to Nabuthai, saying, Give me thy vineyard, and I will have it for a garden of herbs, for it is near my house: and I will give thee another vineyard better than it; or if it please thee, I will give thee money, the price of this thy vineyard, and I will have it for a garden of herbs.
English Revised Version
And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel, into the city, and said unto him, Thus saith Ben–hadad,
Berean Standard Bible
Then he sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel,
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And he sente messangeris to Achab, kyng of Israel, in to the citee,
Young's Literal Translation
and sendeth messengers unto Ahab king of Israel, to the city,
Update Bible Version
And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel, into the city, and said to him, Thus says Ben-hadad,
Webster's Bible Translation
And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city, and said to him, Thus saith Ben-hadad,
World English Bible
He sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel, into the city, and said to him, Thus says Ben-hadad,
New King James Version
Then he sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel, and said to him, "Thus says Ben-Hadad:
New Living Translation
Ben-hadad sent messengers into the city to relay this message to King Ahab of Israel: "This is what Ben-hadad says:
New Life Bible
Then he sent men with news to the city of Ahab king of Israel, saying, "This is what Ben-hadad says.
New Revised Standard
Then he sent messengers into the city to King Ahab of Israel, and said to him: "Thus says Ben-hadad:
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And he sent messengers unto Ahab king of Israel, into the city, and said to him, - Thus, saith Ben-hadad,
Douay-Rheims Bible
And sending messengers to Achab, king of Israel, into the city,
Revised Standard Version
And he sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel, and said to him, "Thus says Ben-ha'dad:
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then he sent messengers to the city to Ahab king of Israel and said to him, "Thus says Ben-hadad,

Contextual Overview

1 Now Ben-hadad, king of Aram, got all his army together, and thirty-two kings with him, and horses and carriages of war; he went up and made war on Samaria, shutting it in. 2 And he sent representatives into the town to Ahab, king of Israel; 3 And they said to him, Ben-hadad says, Your silver and your gold are mine; and your wives and children are mine. 4 And the king of Israel sent him an answer saying, As you say, my lord king, I am yours with all I have. 5 Then the representatives came back again, and said, These are the words of Ben-hadad: I sent to you saying, Give up to me your silver and your gold, your wives and your children; 6 But I will send my servants to you tomorrow about this time, to make a search through your house and the houses of your people, and everything which is pleasing in your eyes they will take away in their hands. 7 Then the king of Israel sent for all the responsible men of the land, and said, Now will you take note and see the evil purpose of this man: he sent for my wives and my children, my silver and my gold, and I did not keep them back. 8 And all the responsible men and the people said to him, Do not give attention to him or do what he says. 9 So he said to the representatives of Ben-hadad, Say to my lord the king, All the orders you sent the first time I will do; but this thing I may not do. And the representatives went back with this answer. 10 Then Ben-hadad sent to him, saying, May the gods' punishment be on me if there is enough of the dust of Samaria for all the people at my feet to take some in their hands.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

2 Kings 19:9, Isaiah 36:2-22, Isaiah 37:9, Isaiah 37:10

Cross-References

Genesis 12:15
And Pharaoh's great men, having seen her, said words in praise of her to Pharaoh, and she was taken into Pharaoh's house.
Genesis 20:11
And Abraham said, Because it seemed to me that there was no fear of God in this place, and that they might put me to death because of my wife.
Genesis 20:12
And, in fact, she is my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife:
Genesis 20:13
And when God sent me wandering from my father's house, I said to her, Let this be the sign of your love for me; wherever we go, say of me, He is my brother.
Genesis 26:1
Then came a time of great need in the land, like that which had been before in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Abimelech, king of the Philistines, at Gerar.
Genesis 26:7
And when he was questioned by the men of the place about his wife, he said, She is my sister; fearing to say, She is my wife; for, he said, the men of the place may put me to death on account of Rebekah; because she is very beautiful.
Genesis 26:16
And Abimelech said to Isaac, Go away from us, for you are stronger than we are.
2 Chronicles 19:2
And Jehu, the son of Hanani the seer, went to King Jehoshaphat and said to him, Is it right for you to go to the help of evil-doers, loving the haters of the Lord? because of this, the wrath of the Lord has come on you.
2 Chronicles 20:37
Then the word of Eliezer the prophet, the son of Dodavahu of Mareshah, came against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because you have let yourself be joined with Ahaziah, the Lord has sent destruction on your works. And the ships were broken and were not able to go to Tarshish.
2 Chronicles 32:31
However, in the business of the representatives sent by the rulers of Babylon to get news of the wonder which had taken place in the land, God gave up guiding him, testing him to see what was in his heart.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

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.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

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.


 
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