1 Kings 20:4 kjv
And the king of Israel answered and said, My lord, O king, according to thy saying, I am thine, and all that I have.
1 Kings 20:4 nkjv
And the king of Israel answered and said, "My lord, O king, just as you say, I and all that I have are yours."
1 Kings 20:4 niv
The king of Israel answered, "Just as you say, my lord the king. I and all I have are yours."
1 Kings 20:4 esv
And the king of Israel answered, "As you say, my lord, O king, I am yours, and all that I have."
1 Kings 20:4 nlt
"All right, my lord the king," Israel's king replied. "All that I have is yours!"
1 Kings 20 4 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference ||-------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|| Deut 28:47-48 | "Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy... therefore you shall serve your enemies..." | Consequence of disobedience, leading to servitude || Jdg 3:15-18 | Ehud delivers tribute to Eglon king of Moab, Israel's oppressor. | Kings giving tribute as a sign of subjugation || 1 Sam 8:14 | "...He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards... give them to his servants." | A king's right to demand possessions || 2 Sam 12:7-8| "Thus says the Lord, 'I anointed you king over Israel... and gave you your master's wives into your arms...'" | God giving kingdoms/possessions to another || 2 Kgs 16:7-8| "Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, saying, 'I am your servant and your son. Come up...'" | A king's plea for help by submission || 2 Kgs 18:14 | Hezekiah sending tribute to Sennacherib, acknowledging subjugation. | King buying off an attacker || Prov 21:1 | "The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will." | God's ultimate sovereignty over rulers || Isa 2:11 | "The haughty looks of man shall be brought low, and the lofty pride of men shall be humbled..." | Humbling of the proud and powerful || Isa 45:1 | "Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus... 'to open doors before him...'" | God uses kings for His purposes || Jer 27:6-7 | "Now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, my servant..." | God gives power/nations to other kings || Dan 2:37-38 | "You, O king, are the king of kings... and has given them into your hand." | Acknowledging God-given universal dominion || Dan 4:30-32 | Nebuchadnezzar's pride led to losing his kingdom until he acknowledged God's sovereignty. | Humbling of a king's power and possessions || Mt 10:39 | "Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." | Spiritual principle of giving all to gain || Lk 14:33 | "So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple." | Total surrender/possession in spiritual terms || Rom 6:13 | "Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God..." | Presentation of oneself and possessions to God || Phil 3:7-8 | Paul counting all his gains as loss for the sake of Christ. | Giving up earthly value for spiritual gain || Heb 12:9 | "...we submit to our earthly fathers and live, shall we not much more readily submit to the Father of spirits...?" | Submission to authority (God's) || Jas 4:6 | "...God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." | Humility before a stronger power || 1 Pet 5:6 | "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you..." | Humbling before God leads to exaltation || Rev 3:17-18 | Laodicea's false perception of wealth contrasts with Christ's call to buy "gold refined by fire." | True spiritual riches vs. earthly possessions |
1 Kings 20 verses
1 Kings 20 4 Meaning
King Ahab of Israel, faced with an overwhelming military threat from Ben-Hadad, King of Aram, readily agrees to Ben-Hadad's initial demands. This verse captures Ahab's complete and unconditional surrender of himself and all his possessions, signifying an act of desperation and acknowledgment of his powerlessness against the superior force. It indicates an acceptance of subservience, willing to become a vassal state, offering everything to avert immediate destruction.
1 Kings 20 4 Context
1 Kings chapter 20 describes two distinct military conflicts between Aram (Syria), led by King Ben-Hadad, and Israel, led by King Ahab. This specific verse, 1 Kings 20:4, occurs at the outset of the first conflict. Ben-Hadad, with a massive army, besieges Samaria, the capital of Israel. He sends a defiant message to Ahab, demanding Ahab's silver, gold, wives, and finest children. Ahab's immediate response in verse 4 is one of complete submission. This seemingly humble and agreeable posture is an attempt to avert further destruction and a full-scale battle, reflecting a pragmatic, though desperate, move by the Israelite king to preserve his kingdom by surrendering all his wealth and authority. The later parts of the chapter reveal Ben-Hadad's further, more outrageous demands, which Ahab, under the counsel of his elders, eventually rejects, leading to an unexpected divine intervention in favor of Israel. Historically, kings in the ancient Near East often made such demands of vanquished or threatened rulers, asserting absolute suzerainty.
1 Kings 20 4 Word analysis
- And: Connects the narrative seamlessly, indicating Ahab's immediate reaction to Ben-Hadad's demands.
- the king of Israel: Refers to Ahab, emphasizing his royal but currently vulnerable position. This title contrasts with "my lord, O king" showing his sudden submission.
- answered: Signifies his verbal response, an explicit declaration of his stance.
- "It is as you say,": This phrase (Hebrew: dib·rā·ṯe·ḵā - "your words") indicates complete and immediate agreement, assent, and concession. It is a humble acknowledgment of the other party's complete right to dictate terms. It implies: "Your words are law," or "What you command, so shall it be."
- "my lord, O king;": A formal address acknowledging Ben-Hadad's superior authority and expressing submission. My lord (Hebrew: ’ă·ḏō·nî) implies a subordinate addressing a superior, highlighting Ahab’s debasement.
- "I and all that I have": This comprehensive phrase signifies an unconditional surrender of his person (himself, his life, his sovereignty) and all his possessions (his wealth, family, power, kingdom, people, resources). It covers the specific items Ben-Hadad demanded in verse 3 and extends to everything else, demonstrating absolute prostration before the conquering power.
- "I" (Hebrew: ’ănî): Emphasizes personal submission. Ahab puts himself directly under Ben-Hadad's command.
- "all that I have" (Hebrew: wə·ḵol-’ă·šer lî): This phrase indicates all that belongs to him, including tangible property (silver, gold, wealth, territory), and people (wives, children, subjects).
- "are yours.": A declaration of complete ownership transfer. (Hebrew: lə·ḵā hêm - "to you they are"). This acknowledges Ben-Hadad’s full right to claim, dispose of, and rule over Ahab and all his domain, indicating a complete reversal of sovereignty. It is the language of capitulation and becoming a vassal.
1 Kings 20 4 Bonus section
The speed and completeness of Ahab's surrender here reveal much about his character as a king. Unlike David who would seek God’s counsel (2 Sam 5:19), or even earlier kings of Israel (e.g., Saul reluctantly seeking God’s guidance through a prophet), Ahab does not turn to the Lord. His decision is purely pragmatic, aiming to save himself and his capital from immediate destruction. This verse, therefore, subtly underscores Ahab's spiritual deficiency and his reliance on human assessment rather than divine guidance, which is a recurring theme in the narratives of the northern kingdom. It sets the stage for God's dramatic and unsolicited intervention later in the chapter, demonstrating that Israel's deliverance ultimately comes not from human strength or cunning but from God's sovereign will and power.
1 Kings 20 4 Commentary
1 Kings 20:4 captures Ahab's initial desperate act of complete and unconditional surrender to Ben-Hadad. Faced with an overwhelming army at his city gates, Ahab, without consulting the Lord or even his people, immediately capitulates to what appears to be a lesser of two evils. His declaration "I and all that I have are yours" is not an act of noble humility but one born out of fear and expediency. It reveals the severe predicament he faced and his willingness to sacrifice everything, including personal sovereignty, to prevent the utter destruction of Samaria. This response stands in stark contrast to how a king in Israel should act, whose ultimate allegiance should be to the Lord God, not a foreign aggressor. It showcases a ruler prioritizing his survival over the honor and distinctiveness of the kingdom dedicated to God. This immediate concession also serves to highlight the hubris of Ben-Hadad and foreshadows God's subsequent intervention to show that His power transcends human might and political maneuvering.