1 Kings 20:8
in 1 Kings 20And the elders and the people all said, “Do not listen to him or consent to his terms.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And all the elders and all the people said unto him, Hearken thou not, neither consent.
KJV
And all the elders and all the people said unto him, Hearken not unto him, nor consent.
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This verse in 1 Kings 20
Commentary
8 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
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.
This site's exposition
summoned all the elders of the land
on 1 Kings 20:7-9
Ahab calls the elders of the land and lays the second demand before them. Their answer is unanimous, “Do not listen to him or consent to his terms”. He still stands by the surrender of verse 4, a half-measure that leaves Ben-hadad free to call it treachery.
This site's exposition
And the elders and the people
The people join the elders, so the whole city of Samaria stands behind the refusal of the king. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown mark this as the point where Ahab began to show some spirit. His next answer to Ben-hadad is firmer.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Ahab, encouraged by a prophet, overthrows him twice, ver. 13-30. Makes a covenant with him, ver. 31-34. Is reproved and threatened by a prophet, ver. 35-43.
quarantine:anchor (2026-07-29) — cites-ver-31/35-anchored-1-12
), though they promised to stand by him. This prophet, who is not named (for he spoke in God's name ), tells him from God that this very day the siege shall be raised, and the army of the Syrians routed,
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
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.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
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.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
“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 (Jos 9:18; Jdg 11:11, etc.).
The words behind it
10 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּאמְר֥וּ | vaiyomeru | and they said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֵלָ֛יו | ʾelav | to him | H413 → | 5510 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַזְּקֵנִ֖ים | hazekenim | the elders | H2205 → | 178 times |
| וְכָל־ | vekhol | and all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הָעָ֑ם | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| אַל־ | ʾal- | may not | H408 → | 724 times |
| תִּשְׁמַ֖ע | tishma' | you listen | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| וְל֥וֹא | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תֹאבֶֽה׃ | toveh | you must be willing | H14 → |
וַיֹּאמְר֥וּand they said
vaiyomeruH559 →5305 times
אֵלָ֛יוto him
ʾelavH413 →5510 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הַזְּקֵנִ֖יםthe elders
hazekenimH2205 →178 times
וְכָל־and all
vekholH3605 →5413 times
הָעָ֑םthe people
haamH5971 →1873 times
אַל־may not
ʾal-H408 →724 times
תִּשְׁמַ֖עyou listen
tishma'H8085 →1159 times
וְל֥וֹאand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
תֹאבֶֽה׃you must be willing
tovehH14 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
About 1 Kings
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.