1 Kings 20:39
in 1 Kings 20As the king passed by, he cried out to the king: “Your servant had marched out into the middle of the battle, when suddenly a man came over with a captive and told me, ‘Guard this man! If he goes missing for any reason, your life will be exchanged for his life, or you will weigh out a talent of silver.’
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And as the king passed by, he cried unto the king; and he said, Thy servant went out into the midst of the battle; and, behold, a man turned aside, and brought a man unto me, and said, Keep this man: if by any means he be missing, then shall thy life be for his life, or else thou shalt pay a talent of silver.
KJV
And as the king passed by, he cried unto the king: and he said, Thy servant went out into the midst of the battle; and, behold, a man turned aside, and brought a man unto me, and said, Keep this man: if by any means he be missing, then shall thy life be for his life, or else thou shalt pay a talent of silver.
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This verse in 1 Kings 20
Commentary
5 notes on this verseHe said - This relation is a parable; an usual way of instruction in the eastern parts, and most fit for this occasion wherein an obscure prophet was to speak to a great king; impatient of a down-right reproof, and exceeding partial in his own cause.
This site's exposition
Thy servant went out into the midst of the battle
on 1 Kings 20:39-40
The disguised prophet tells Ahab a soldier's story, a captured man was given into his care with the sentence that his own life, or a talent of silver, would answer for the prisoner's escape. When the prophet confesses the prisoner got away while he was busy elsewhere, Ahab pronounces the sentence himself, so shall thy judgment be, before he knows what he has judged. Wesley calls the device a parable, the usual way of instruction in the east and the only way an obscure prophet could reach a king too proud for a direct rebuke.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
2 And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city, and said unto him, Thus saith Benhadad, 3 Thy silver and thy gold is mine; thy wives also and thy children, even the goodliest, are mine.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:97%@v2-3
And as the king passed by, he cried unto the king,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Keep this man - The drift of this is at once seen; but Ahab, not knowing it, was led to pass sentence on himself.
The words behind it
34 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְהִ֤י | vayhi | and he was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| עֹבֵ֔ר | ʾover | passing by | H5674 → | 556 times |
| וְה֖וּא | vehu' | and he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| צָעַ֣ק | tzaak | he cried out | H6817 → | |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| וַיֹּ֜אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| עַבְדְּךָ֣׀ | ʾavdekha | servant your | H5650 → | 799 times |
| יָצָ֣א | yatza' | he went out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| בְקֶֽרֶב־ | vekerev- | in [the] midst of | H7130 → | 227 times |
| הַמִּלְחָמָ֗ה | hamilchamah | the battle | H4421 → | 320 times |
| וְהִנֵּֽה־ | vehineh- | and there! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| אִ֨ישׁ | ʾish | a man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| סָ֜ר | sar | he turned aside | H5493 → | 299 times |
| וַיָּבֵ֧א | vaiyave' | and he brought | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֵלַ֣י | ʾelai | to me | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אִ֗ישׁ | ʾish | a man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| שְׁמֹר֙ | shemor | guard | H8104 → | 468 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָאִ֣ישׁ | haish | the man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| הַזֶּ֔ה | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| הִפָּקֵד֙ | hipaked | indeed <be missing> | H6485 → | 303 times |
| יִפָּקֵ֔ד | yipaked | he will be missing | H6485 → | 303 times |
| וְהָיְתָ֤ה | vehayetah | and it will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| נַפְשְׁךָ֙ | nafshekha | life your | H5315 → | 754 times |
| תַּ֣חַת | tachat | in place of | H8478 → | 505 times |
| נַפְשׁ֔וֹ | nafsho | life his | H5315 → | 754 times |
| א֥וֹ | ʾo | or | H176 → | 321 times |
| כִכַּר־ | khikar- | a talent of | H3603 → | 68 times |
| כֶּ֖סֶף | kesef | silver | H3701 → | 403 times |
| תִּשְׁקֽוֹל׃ | tishkol | you will weigh out | H8254 → |
וַיְהִ֤יand he was
vayhiH1961 →3559 times
הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙the king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
עֹבֵ֔רpassing by
ʾoverH5674 →556 times
וְה֖וּאand he
vehu'H1931 →1879 times
צָעַ֣קhe cried out
tzaakH6817 →
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הַמֶּ֑לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
וַיֹּ֜אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
עַבְדְּךָ֣׀servant your
ʾavdekhaH5650 →799 times
יָצָ֣אhe went out
yatza'H3318 →1067 times
בְקֶֽרֶב־in [the] midst of
vekerev-H7130 →227 times
הַמִּלְחָמָ֗הthe battle
hamilchamahH4421 →320 times
וְהִנֵּֽה־and there!
vehineh-H2009 →843 times
אִ֨ישׁa man
ʾishH376 →1663 times
סָ֜רhe turned aside
sarH5493 →299 times
וַיָּבֵ֧אand he brought
vaiyave'H935 →2568 times
אֵלַ֣יto me
ʾelaiH413 →5510 times
אִ֗ישׁa man
ʾishH376 →1663 times
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙and he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
שְׁמֹר֙guard
shemorH8104 →468 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָאִ֣ישׁthe man
haishH376 →1663 times
הַזֶּ֔ה<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
אִם־if
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
הִפָּקֵד֙indeed <be missing>
hipakedH6485 →303 times
יִפָּקֵ֔דhe will be missing
yipakedH6485 →303 times
וְהָיְתָ֤הand it will be
vehayetahH1961 →3559 times
נַפְשְׁךָ֙life your
nafshekhaH5315 →754 times
תַּ֣חַתin place of
tachatH8478 →505 times
נַפְשׁ֔וֹlife his
nafshoH5315 →754 times
א֥וֹor
ʾoH176 →321 times
כִכַּר־a talent of
khikar-H3603 →68 times
כֶּ֖סֶףsilver
kesefH3701 →403 times
תִּשְׁקֽוֹל׃you will weigh out
tishkolH8254 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
6 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Proverbs 13:8Riches may ransom a man’s life, but a poor man hears no threat.
it leads to
- Matthew 16:26
What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
- 1 Peter 1:18–19
For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life you inherited from your forefathers,
- Psalms 49:6–10
They trust in their wealth and boast in their great riches.
- 2 Kings 24:14
He carried into exile all Jerusalem—all the commanders and mighty men of valor, all the craftsmen and metalsmiths—ten thousand captives in all. Only the poorest people of the land remained.
- Job 2:4
“Skin for skin!” Satan replied. “A man will give up all he owns in exchange for his life.
- Matthew 16:26
Through
2 Kings 10:24And they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had stationed eighty men outside and warned them, “If anyone allows one of the men I am delivering into your hands to…
it leads to
- 1 Kings 20:30–42
The rest of them fled into the city of Aphek, where the wall fell on twenty-seven thousand of the remaining men. Ben-hadad also fled to the city and hid in an inner room.
- 1 Kings 20:30–42
About 1 Kings
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the 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.