Keraia
1 Kings 20

1 Kings 20:34

Ahab Spares Ben-hadad · 1 Kings 20:31–34
Read 1 Kings 20

Translations

Modern
Ben-hadad said to him, “I will restore the cities my father took from your father; you may set up your own marketplaces in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.” “By this treaty I release you,” Ahab replied. So he made a treaty with him and sent him away.
Traditional
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.
Literal
And he said to him, “The cities that my father took from your father, I will restore, and you may set up streets for yourself in Damascus as my father set up in Samaria. And I will send you away by the covenant.” And he made with him a covenant and sent him away.
Latin
Qui dixit ei: Civitates quas tulit pater meus a patre tuo, reddam: et plateas fac tibi in Damasco, sicut fecit pater meus in Samaria, et ego fœderatus recedam a te. Pepigit ergo fœdus, et dimisit eum.

Original

Hebrew
English
Ben-hadad said to him, “I will restore the cities my father took from your father; you may set up your own marketplaces in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.” “By this treaty I release you ,” Ahab replied. So he made a treaty with him and sent him away.

Notes

1 Kings 20:34

  • The 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.

1 Kings 20:13–34

Two separate battles took place, one in Samaria (1 Kings 20:13–25) and another at Aphek (1 Kings 20:26–34). The writer shared similar details for both:

  1. advice before the battle (1 Kings 20:13–14, 23–25),

  2. conditions before the battle (1 Kings 20:15–16, 26–28),

  3. Israel's victory despite being outnumbered (1 Kings 20:17–21, 29–30), and

  4. advice after the battle (1 Kings 20:22, 31).

Theme notes and profiles

Ahab Arameans Jezebel

Places

Damascus: Ancient city, capital of Syria, important in biblical history Samaria: Capital city of the northern kingdom of Israel; Samaritan inhabitants

Glossary

Ahab (King) Gilead (Place) Kings, Books of First and Second Merchant Samaria

Topics

Covenant: Ahab with Benhadad Damascus: Capital of Syria Diplomacy: Ambassadors from Ben-Hadad to Ahab Kindness: Ahab to Ben-Hadad Magnanimity: Ahab to Benhadad Omri: King of Israel: Surrendered Cities to King of Syria Self-Delusion: Ahab Syria: The Israelites: Craftily Drawn Into a League With Treaty: Ceding of the Territory By