1 Kings 20:6 kjv
Yet I will send my servants unto thee to morrow about this time, and they shall search thine house, and the houses of thy servants; and it shall be, that whatsoever is pleasant in thine eyes, they shall put it in their hand, and take it away.
1 Kings 20:6 nkjv
but I will send my servants to you tomorrow about this time, and they shall search your house and the houses of your servants. And it shall be, that whatever is pleasant in your eyes, they will put it in their hands and take it.' "
1 Kings 20:6 niv
But about this time tomorrow I am going to send my officials to search your palace and the houses of your officials. They will seize everything you value and carry it away.'?"
1 Kings 20:6 esv
Nevertheless I will send my servants to you tomorrow about this time, and they shall search your house and the houses of your servants and lay hands on whatever pleases you and take it away.'"
1 Kings 20:6 nlt
But about this time tomorrow I will send my officials to search your palace and the homes of your officials. They will take away everything you consider valuable!'"
1 Kings 20 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 20:17 | “You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant... or anything that is your neighbor's.” | Ben-Hadad's demand violates this commandment. |
| Deut 5:21 | “‘And you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife... or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.’” | Reinforces the prohibition against covetousness of others' possessions. |
| Josh 7:21 | “When I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak from Shinar, and 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold... I coveted them and took them.” | Achan's sin directly parallels "taking what is pleasant in your eyes." |
| 1 Sam 8:14 | “He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards... He will take the tenth of your grain... Your male servants and female servants and the best of your young men and your donkeys he will take for his own use.” | Samuel's warning about an oppressive king taking people's best assets. |
| Prov 1:11-14 | “If they say, ‘Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood; let us ambush the innocent without provocation... We shall find all precious possessions; we shall fill our houses with plunder.’” | Illustrates the mindset of those seeking to seize valuable things through violence. |
| Prov 16:18 | “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” | Ben-Hadad's arrogance foreshadows his subsequent defeat. |
| Isa 2:11 | “The haughtiness of man shall be humbled, and the lofty pride of men shall be brought low, and the LORD alone will be exalted in that day.” | Prophecy of humbling human pride, applicable to Ben-Hadad. |
| Isa 14:4 | “You will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon: ‘How the oppressor has ceased...’” | A taunt against a tyrannical king whose oppression comes to an end. |
| Isa 33:1 | “Woe to you, destroyer, who yourself have not been destroyed; you treacherous one, who yourself have not been dealt with treacherously! When you have ceased to destroy, you will be destroyed; and when you have finished dealing treacherously, you will be dealt with treacherously.” | Direct condemnation for one who plunders without restraint. |
| Isa 57:17 | “Because of the iniquity of his unjust gain I was enraged; I struck him and hid my face and was enraged, but he went on stubbornly in the way of his own heart.” | God's judgment against those who pursue unjust gain. |
| Jer 22:17 | “But you have eyes and heart only for your dishonest gain, for shedding innocent blood, and for practicing oppression and violence.” | Describes the character of an unrighteous ruler who pursues selfish desires. |
| Amos 5:11 | “Therefore because you trample on the poor and exact taxes of grain from him, you have built houses of hewn stone, but you shall not dwell in them...” | Warning against oppressive demands that impoverish others. |
| Mic 2:2 | “They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and take them away; they oppress a man and his house, a man and his inheritance.” | Depicts seizing desired property through oppressive means. |
| Hab 2:9-11 | “Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house... For the stone will cry out from the wall, and the beam from the woodwork respond.” | Prophecy against unlawful acquisition and unjust enrichment. |
| Zech 14:2 | “For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be captured and the houses plundered and the women raped.” | Context of a future invasion where homes are searched and plundered. |
| Matt 24:16-18 | “Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains... Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house... And let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak.” | Reflects a time of extreme distress when personal belongings are left behind during invasion. |
| Luke 12:15 | “And he said to them, 'Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.'” | New Testament emphasis on the spiritual danger of covetousness. |
| Col 3:5 | “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you... covetousness, which is idolatry.” | Covetousness linked directly to idolatry, illustrating Ben-Hadad's spiritual blindness. |
| 1 Tim 6:9-10 | “But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare... For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” | Highlights the destructive nature of insatiable desire for wealth, applicable to Ben-Hadad. |
| Jas 4:6 | “But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.'” | A key principle contrasting God's view of Ben-Hadad's pride and Ahab's eventual humbling. |
| Rev 18:16 | “Alas, alas, for the great city... For in a single hour all your riches have come to nothing.” | Describes the plundering and loss of vast riches from an oppressive entity. |
1 Kings 20 verses
1 Kings 20 6 Meaning
This verse details the second, escalating demand from Ben-Hadad, King of Aram, to King Ahab of Israel during the siege of Samaria. After Ahab initially agreed to hand over his silver, gold, wives, and children as tribute, Ben-Hadad's subsequent message asserts that his servants will personally enter Ahab's house and the houses of his officials, systematically searching and seizing anything that catches their eye and is considered desirable. This goes beyond standard tribute; it is a profound act of humiliation and total subjugation, claiming not only the king's possessions but also the personal and cherished items of his people, indicating an intent to utterly demoralize and strip away dignity rather than simply extract wealth. It marked a crucial turning point, revealing Ben-Hadad's tyrannical nature and compelling Ahab to resist.
1 Kings 20 6 Context
This verse occurs in a dramatic and pivotal episode concerning King Ahab of Israel. He is under siege in Samaria by the powerful Ben-Hadad II, King of Aram (Syria). Initially, Ben-Hadad sends an ultimatum demanding Ahab's silver, gold, wives, and children. Ahab, desperate to avoid total destruction, submits, stating, "I am yours, and all that I have" (1 Kgs 20:4). This initial concession was already severe, marking Ahab as a complete vassal. However, Ben-Hadad, likely sensing Ahab's fear and wishing to exert total humiliation and control, escalates his demands immediately. This second message, relayed in 1 Kings 20:5-6, goes beyond mere tribute. It proposes an unprecedented level of intrusion and pillage: Ben-Hadad’s own servants will ransack Ahab’s private quarters and those of his officials, taking anything they find appealing, not just agreed-upon tribute. This personal and invasive nature of the demand is key. It implies stripping the dignity and pride of Ahab and his people, an insult so profound it shifts Ahab's initial acquiescence to a resolute refusal, bolstered by the counsel of his elders. This refusal ultimately leads to God's miraculous intervention on behalf of Israel and Ben-Hadad's subsequent defeat, showcasing divine sovereignty over oppressive foreign powers.
1 Kings 20 6 Word analysis
- But tomorrow about this time: Indicates a specific, imminent, and unchangeable timeline. It conveys immediacy and a clear, non-negotiable intention. The Hebrew כָּעֵת (ka’et) suggests precision ("at this very time," "precisely"). This detail amplifies the psychological pressure.
- I will send my servants to you: The shift from Ben-Hadad himself dictating terms to sending his "servants" (עֲבָדָ֑י, avaday) highlights the master-servant dynamic Ben-Hadad is enforcing. These are not merely messengers; they are agents empowered to carry out the plunder, emphasizing the active, physical violation of Ahab's sovereignty.
- and they will search your house: The verb חָפְשׂ֤וּ (chapheshoosh), meaning "to search thoroughly, to explore, to examine closely," implies an intrusive and methodical ransacking, leaving no private space untouched. This goes beyond simple tribute collection; it's an act of deep humiliation and total disregard for privacy or personal property rights.
- and the houses of your servants: The demand extends the humiliation and plundering not only to the king but also to his officials and potentially prominent citizens. This collectivizes the oppression and ensures no one is exempt from the Aramean king's arbitrary authority.
- and whatever is pleasant in your eyes: This is the crux of the demand. The Hebrew וְכֹל֩ מַחְמַד־עֵינֶ֙יךָ֙ (vekhol machmad `êyneka).
- מַחְמַד (machmad): Derives from the root חָמַד (chamad), meaning "to covet, desire, crave." Thus, machmad means "a desirable thing," "precious possession," or "object of delight." It refers to something held dear, valued beyond mere material worth.
- עֵינֶ֙יךָ֙ (`êyneka): "your eyes." The phrase "pleasant/desirable in your eyes" is highly subjective and invasive. It means whatever they arbitrarily decide is valuable or appealing, irrespective of its objective worth or its sacredness to the owner. This includes cherished heirlooms, unique artifacts, or personal items with sentimental value. It signifies total psychological domination.
- they will take in their hand: The verb לָקַח (laqaḥ), "to take," combined with "in their hand" (בְיָדָם, v`yadām), signifies immediate, forceful appropriation, leaving no room for negotiation or consent. It portrays an act of robbery rather than taxation.
- and carry away: The verb יָבָא (yavá), in the Hiphil form (וְהוֹבִ֣יאוּ, vehoviy’u), means "to cause to come," thus "to bring away, carry off." This implies permanent confiscation, not temporary borrowing, signifying the lasting loss and total forfeiture of cherished possessions.
1 Kings 20 6 Bonus section
This verse highlights how political demands can escalate beyond material tribute into deeply personal violations. In the ancient Near East, kings often extracted heavy tribute from defeated or subjugated nations, but the specified nature of Ben-Hadad's demand – a selective ransacking for anything "desirable to their eyes" – suggests an unparalleled level of personal humiliation, treating the conquered as slaves whose every possession, even their most private, was subject to seizure. This deliberate act of maximal affront, calculated to crush the spirit, underscores the extreme test of faith and leadership faced by Ahab, ultimately leading to God's miraculous vindication of His people against overwhelming odds. This interaction became a profound lesson in God's willingness to intervene even for a compromised king like Ahab when faced with overt aggression challenging His people's very existence.
1 Kings 20 6 Commentary
This verse encapsulates the depth of Ben-Hadad's hubris and the calculated brutality of his demands. It reveals a desire not merely for wealth, but for absolute subjugation and public degradation of King Ahab and his kingdom. The phrase "whatever is pleasant in your eyes" is crucial; it bypasses standard tribute (already agreed upon by Ahab) and introduces a subjective, arbitrary plunder. This was a direct affront to dignity and sovereignty, demanding even the most personal and cherished items, thus stripping Ahab not just of his wealth but also of his honor. This extreme demand was a psychological maneuver intended to break Ahab entirely, but instead, it ironically became the catalyst for his resistance, revealing the tyranny and prompting divine intervention against such oppressive power. It illustrates the destructive nature of unchecked covetousness and pride, contrasting with the principle of humility before God.