1 Kings 20:8

Contextual Overview

¹ Then Ben-hadad the King of Aram assembled all his armie, and two & thirtie Kings with him, with horses, and charets, & went vp and besieged Samaria, and fought against it. ¹ Ben-Hadad the king of Aram gathered all his host together; and there were thirty-two kings with him, and horses and chariots: and he went up and besieged Shomron, and fought against it. ¹ King Ben-Hadad of Aram gathered his army together. There were 32 kings with him and many horses and chariots. They surrounded Samaria and attacked it. ¹ Ben-hadad the king of Syria gathered all his army together. Thirty-two kings were with him, and horses and chariots. And he went up and closed in on Samaria and fought against it. ¹Ben-hadad king of Aram (Syria) gathered all his army together; thirty-two kings were [allied] with him, with horses and chariots. And he went up and besieged Samaria [Israel's capital], and fought against it. ¹ And Ben-hadad the king of Syria gathered all his host together; and there were thirty and two kings with him, and horses and chariots: and he went up and besieged Samaria, and fought against it. 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. ¹ King Benhadad of Syria called his army together. He was joined by thirty-two other kings with their horses and chariots, and together they marched to Samaria and attacked. ¹ Now Ben-Hadad the king of Aram rallied his whole army; with him were thirty-two kings, besides horses and chariots. Then he marched on Shomron and laid siege to it. ¹ And Ben-hadad the king of Aram gathered all his host together; and there were thirty and two kings with him, and horses and chariots; and he went up and besieged Samaria, and fought against it.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And all the elders and all the people said unto him,.... They were unanimous in their advice:

hearken not [unto him], nor consent; promising, no doubt, that they would stand by him.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

“The people” had no distinct place in the ordinary Jewish or Israelite constitution; but they were accustomed to signify their approbation or disapprobation of the decisions of the elders by acclamations or complaints (Joshua 9:18; Judges 11:11, etc.).

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Kings 20:8. Hearken not unto him — The elders had every thing at stake, and they chose rather to make a desperate defense than tamely to yield to such degrading and ruinous conditions.