1 Kings 20

This chapter was originally written in the Hebrew language and since the 16th century is divided into 43 verses.

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text tradition, which includes the Codex Cairensis (895), Aleppo Codex (10th century), and Codex Leningradensis (1008).{{sfn|Würthwein|1995|pp=35-37}}

There is also a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint, made in the last few centuries BCE. Extant ancient manuscripts of the Septuagint version include Codex Vaticanus (B; $\backslash mathfrak\{G\}$^B; 4th century) and Codex Alexandrinus (A; $\backslash mathfrak\{G\}$^A; 5th century).{{sfn|Würthwein|1995|pp=73-74}}{{efn|The whole book of 1 Kings is missing from the extant Codex Sinaiticus.{{Catholic Encyclopedia|wstitle=Codex Sinaiticus}}}} The extant palimpsest AqBurkitt contains verses 7–17 in Koine Greek translated by Aquila of Sinope approximately in the early or mid-second century CE.{{Cite book|title=Fragments of the Books of Kings According to the Translation of Aquila|last=Burkitt|first=Francis Crawford|author-link=Francis Crawford Burkitt|year=1897|page=10 |publisher=University Press|location=Cambridge|isbn=1117070484|url=https://archive.org/details/fragmentsofbooks00aquiuoft|oclc=5222981}}

{{Further|Israelite–Aramean War}}

1 Kings 20 and 22 record a series of wars between an Aramean king, Ben-Hadad, and King Ahab

of Israel.{{sfn|Dietrich|2007|p=247}} With the help of prophetic oracles, the Israelite king managed to repeatedly defeat an aggressive, arrogant and stronger enemy.{{sfn|Dietrich|2007|p=247}} The Arameans initially regarded YHWH to be 'a mountain god who had no power on the plains' (verses 23), based on the religious and social history that Yahweh's home was originally the mountains of southern Sinai and Edom (Exodus 3; Judges 5:4) and Israel was developed into an ethnic and political power on the mountains of Israel/Palestine (Judges 1:27-35; 1 Samuel 13–14; 2 Samuel 2:9).{{sfn|Dietrich|2007|p=247}} However, at the end it was shown that the entire country belongs to Yahweh (and his people), even Ahab managed to force Ben-Hadad to accept the establishment of an Israelite trading office in Damascus (verse 34).{{sfn|Dietrich|2007|p=247}} This period may fit the record from Assyrian sources that Ahab and the Aramean king, Adad-idri (Aramaic: "Hadadezer") were closely allied to each other to fight Assyrian army (ANET 276–277).{{sfn|Dietrich|2007|p=247}}

:So Ben-Hadad said to him, "The cities which my father took from your father I will restore; and you may set up marketplaces for yourself in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria."

:Then Ahab said, "I will send you away with this treaty." So he made a treaty with him and sent him away.{{bibleref2|1 Kings|20:34|NKJV}} NKJV

• "My father took from your father": may refer to Baasha during whose reign the Arameans (Syrians) took some cities from the kingdom of Israel ({{bibleverse|1 Kings|15:20|9}}), so "father" here has the sense of "predecessor", or refer to Omri, Ahab's father, who might have war with the Syrians but not recorded in the Scripture ({{bibleverse|1 Kings|16:27|9}}).Exell, Joseph S.; Spence-Jones, Henry Donald Maurice (Editors). [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/pulpit/1_kings/20.htm On "1 Kings 20".] In: The Pulpit Commentary. 23 volumes. First publication: 1890. Accessed 24 April 2019.

Biblical scholar Burke O. Long (1985) pointed out that these verses have a chiastic structure:{{sfn|Long|1985|p=406}}

The positive outcome of the war against Aram was tarnished by Ahab's action to make business contracts with Benhadad, instead of killing him ("devoted him to destruction", which was an 'underlying principle of Deuteronomistic theory and historical writing'; cf. Deuteronomy 13:12–18; 20:16–18; Joshua 6–7; 11:10–15, etc.). The prophetic rebuke was given through a prophet's ingenious scheming which forced the king to call out his own error and 'bring judgement

upon himself' (cf. as Nathan did to David in 2 Samuel 12).{{sfn|Dietrich|2007|p=247}}

:And he said to him, "Thus says the Lord, ‘Because you have let go out of your hand the man whom I had devoted to destruction,[a] therefore your life shall be for his life, and your people for his people."{{bibleref2|1 Kings|20:42|ESV}} ESV

• "Devoted to destruction": or "set apart (devoted) as an offering to the Lord (for destruction)".Note of 1 Kings 20:42 in ESV Like Saul who released an enemy king whom God had "devoted to destruction" (1 Samuel 15), Ahab's life was forfeit because he released Benhadad.{{sfn|Coogan|2007|p=528 Hebrew Bible}}

{{columns-list|colwidth=22em|

• Aphek (biblical)
• Damascus
• Israel
• Jezreel
• Prophet
• Samaria
• Syria}}
• Related Bible parts: Deuteronomy 13, Joshua 6, Joshua 7, 1 Samuel 15, 2 Samuel 12, 1 Kings 15, 1 Kings 16

{{notelist}}

{{reflist}}

• {{cite book | last = Collins | first = John J. | title = Introduction to the Hebrew Scriptures |chapter = Chapter 14: 1 Kings 12 – 2 Kings 25 | pages = 277–296 |publisher = Fortress Press|year = 2014 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=fbsoBAAAQBAJ |isbn = 978-1451469233}}
• {{cite book | last= Coogan| first = Michael David | author-link= Michael D. Coogan | title = The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books: New Revised Standard Version, Issue 48 | editor-last1 = Coogan | editor-first1= Michael David | editor-first2 = Marc Zvi | editor-last2 = Brettler | editor-first3 = Carol Ann | editor-last3 = Newsom | editor-first4= Pheme | editor-last4 = Perkins | edition= Augmented 3rd | publisher = Oxford University Press | year = 2007 |isbn = 978-0195288810 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=HmpMPgAACAAJ}}
• {{cite book|last= Dietrich | first= Walter | chapter = 13. 1 and 2 Kings | title=The Oxford Bible Commentary | editor-first1=John | editor-last1 = Barton | editor1-link = John Barton (theologian) | editor-first2=John | editor-last2= Muddiman | editor2-link = John Muddiman | publisher = Oxford University Press | edition= first (paperback) | year = 2007 | pages = 232–266 | isbn = 978-0199277186 | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=ZJdVkgEACAAJ | access-date=February 6, 2019}}
• {{cite book | last= Halley | first= Henry H. | author-link= Henry Hampton Halley | title= Halley's Bible Handbook: an abbreviated Bible commentary |edition=24th (revised)| publisher= Zondervan Publishing House | date= 1965 | url= https://archive.org/details/halleysbiblehand00henr | url-access= registration| isbn= 0-310-25720-4}}
• {{Cite book | last = Hayes | first = Christine | title = Introduction to the Bible |publisher = Yale University Press | year = 2015 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=SKbkXYHxvlAC |isbn = 978-0300188271}}
• {{cite book |last= Leithart | first = Peter J. | title = 1 & 2 Kings | series = Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible | publisher= Brazos Press | year= 2006 | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=Z_gvin9G7LgC | isbn= 978-1587431258 }}
• {{Cite book | last= McKane | first= William | chapter= Kings, Book of |editor1-last = Metzger | editor1-first = Bruce M |editor1-link = Bruce M. Metzger | editor2-last = Coogan | editor2-first = Michael D | title = The Oxford Companion to the Bible | url= https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780195046458 | url-access= registration | publisher = Oxford University Press | year = 1993 | pages= [https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780195046458/page/409 409]–413 | isbn = 978-0195046458 }}
• {{cite journal |last=Long |first=Burke O. |title=Historical Narrative and the Fictionalizing Imagination |journal=Vetus Testamentum |publisher=Brill |volume=35 |issue=4 |year=1985 |issn=0042-4935 |jstor=1517757 |pages=405–416 |doi=10.2307/1517757 |url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/1517757|url-access=subscription }}
• {{Cite book | editor1-last = Metzger |editor1-first = Bruce M | editor1-link = Bruce M. Metzger

| editor2-last = Coogan | editor2-first = Michael D | title = The Oxford Companion to the Bible

| publisher = Oxford University Press | year = 1993 | isbn = 978-0195046458}}

• {{cite book | last = Würthwein | first = Ernst | author-link = Ernst Würthwein | title = The Text of the Old Testament | publisher = Wm. B. Eerdmans |location = Grand Rapids, MI | year= 1995 | translator-first1 = Erroll F.| translator-last1 = Rhodes | isbn = 0-8028-0788-7 | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=FSNKSBObCYwC | access-date= January 26, 2019}}

• Jewish translations:
• [https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/15904 Melachim I - I Kings - Chapter 20 (Judaica Press)]. Hebrew text and English translation [with Rashi's commentary] at Chabad.org
• Christian translations:
• [http://www.gospelhall.org/bible/bible.php?passage=1+Kings+20 Online Bible at GospelHall.org] (ESV, KJV, Darby, American Standard Version, Bible in Basic English)
• [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=11&chapter=20&version=9 1 Kings chapter 20. Bible Gateway]

{{First Book of Kings}}

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Category:Aram-Damascus