1 Kings 20 39

1 Kings 20:39 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.

1 Kings 20:39 nkjv

Now as the king passed by, he cried out to the king and said, "Your servant went out into the midst of the battle; and there, a man came over and brought a man to me, and said, 'Guard this man; if by any means he is missing, your life shall be for his life, or else you shall pay a talent of silver.'

1 Kings 20:39 niv

As the king passed by, the prophet called out to him, "Your servant went into the thick of the battle, and someone came to me with a captive and said, 'Guard this man. If he is missing, it will be your life for his life, or you must pay a talent of silver.'

1 Kings 20:39 esv

And as the king passed, he cried to the king and said, "Your servant went out into the midst of the battle, and behold, a soldier turned and brought a man to me and said, 'Guard this man; if by any means he is missing, your life shall be for his life, or else you shall pay a talent of silver.'

1 Kings 20:39 nlt

As the king passed by, the prophet called out to him, "Sir, I was in the thick of battle, and suddenly a man brought me a prisoner. He said, 'Guard this man; if for any reason he gets away, you will either die or pay a fine of seventy-five pounds of silver!'

1 Kings 20 verses

1 Kings 20 39 Meaning

This verse describes a disguised prophet confronting King Ahab with a carefully constructed legal dilemma. The prophet, feigning a battle injury, presents a scenario where he was entrusted with a captive soldier. He recounts being explicitly warned that if the captive were to escape, the prophet's own life would be forfeited in exchange. This narrative is a direct allegory designed to parallel King Ahab's recent, unauthorized release of Ben-Hadad, the captured Aramean king, thereby setting the stage for Ahab to unknowingly condemn himself.

1 Kings 20 39 Context

This verse is part of a prophetic act following Israel's victory over Aram, led by King Ben-Hadad. The Lord had delivered Aram into Ahab's hand twice, signifying divine intervention. However, after the second victory, Ahab made a covenant with Ben-Hadad, releasing him instead of destroying him as God likely intended (based on the prophet's judgment that follows). This decision of Ahab disregarded God's will for a political advantage. The prophet, bruised and bandaged to appear as a battle casualty, confronts Ahab. This theatrical, parabolical approach serves to bring King Ahab to pronounce judgment upon himself, mirroring Nathan's confrontation with David (2 Sam 12). The chapter's immediate context establishes God's faithfulness in delivering Israel and Ahab's subsequent disobedience, leading to severe divine condemnation in the next verses (1 Kgs 20:42).

1 Kings 20 39 Word analysis

• And as the king passed by: Indicates Ahab's journey, likely returning victorious to his capital, Samaria, perhaps riding in triumph. The prophet intercepts him deliberately.
• he cried unto the king: The prophet actively seeks Ahab's attention, not passively waiting. The Hebrew qara' (קָרָא) means to call, proclaim, summon. This was a direct, formal appeal to the king for justice.
• And he said: Introduces the prophet's crafted narrative.
• Thy servant went out: A customary deferential address to the king, indicating the speaker's lowly status and setting a believable scene for his story as a common soldier.
• into the midst of the battle: Establishes a setting of danger, chaos, and duty, making the subsequent events seem plausible within military context.
• and, behold, a man turned aside, and brought a man unto me: "Behold" (וְהִנֵּה wəhinnēh) draws immediate attention to a pivotal, unexpected turn in the narrative. "A man" (אִישׁ ʾîš) implies an anonymous or generic individual, representing an agent of circumstances that are actually divinely orchestrated, setting up the parallel to Ahab's encounter with Ben-Hadad. This transfer of custody is central to the analogy.
• and said, Keep this man: The command (shamar, שָׁמַר) signifies the immediate bestowal of a solemn trust and responsibility for the captive's safety and custody. This is the crucial point for the "contract."
• if by any means he be missing: This sets the explicit condition for failure. The Hebrew paqad (פָּקַד) here carries the sense of being "missed" or "sought and not found," implying a failure in guardianship.
• then shall thy life be for his life: The binding consequence and penalty for failure. This echoes the "life for life" (נֶפֶשׁ תַּחַת נֶפֶשׁ nephesh taḥat nephesh) principle, known as lex talionis, found in the Mosaic Law for severe offenses (e.g., Ex 21:23; Deut 19:21), making the terms of responsibility clear and severe within Israelite legal understanding.

1 Kings 20 39 Bonus section

The prophet's disguise, specifically noted as having "ashes upon his face" (1 Kgs 20:38), might signify either a traditional form of mourning or a common way for a wounded soldier to appear, emphasizing the authenticity of his act. The entire performance functions as a legal appeal or a parable in action, typical of some prophetic practices. This method demonstrates God's sovereignty over kings and political outcomes, reinforcing that even a powerful monarch like Ahab is ultimately answerable to divine justice, particularly when God gives specific instructions, as He did for Ben-Hadad's demise. The confrontation highlights the prophetic role as divine messenger, even when the message is indirect, aiming to convict the heart and mind of the hearer before judgment is explicitly declared.

1 Kings 20 39 Commentary

1 Kings 20:39 presents a masterful prophetic strategy to deliver a divine verdict to King Ahab. The prophet, concealing his identity and divine commission, constructs a compelling allegory designed to trap the king into self-condemnation. By presenting a common scenario of wartime responsibility – the guarding of a captive with a severe penalty for failure – the prophet taps into Ahab's understanding of justice and legal obligations. The narrative is concise but carries immense weight, mimicking a typical legal case presented to a sovereign. Ahab, unknowingly acting as judge in a case mirroring his own actions, validates the strict consequences of mishandling entrusted responsibility. The dramatic tension lies in the revelation that the "man" the prophet lost represents Ben-Hadad, the enemy king Ahab had spared, and the prophet's feigned consequence is actually Ahab's true divine judgment. The verse highlights God's unwavering standards of obedience, the serious nature of covenant infidelity, and the king's accountability before divine law. It foreshadows the impending divine judgment explicitly declared against Ahab (1 Kgs 20:42) for his disobedience to God's will in dealing with Ben-Hadad.