Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Kings 20:13
And, behold, there came a prophet unto Ahab king of Israel, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou seen all this great multitude? behold, I will deliver it into thine hand this day; and thou shalt know that I [am] the LORD.
13 21. God by a prophet promises the victory to Ahab. The Syrians are defeated (Not in Chronicles)
13. there came a prophet ] The Hebrew verb is not the common word for ‘to come.’ The R.V. has therefore translated it here, and in 1Ki 20:22 ; 1Ki 20:28, by came near, as it is very frequently translated elsewhere in the A.V.
This prophet must have been one of those who were saved at the time of Jezebel’s attempt to destroy them all. Obadiah had saved a hundred, and no doubt others also escaped. When Elijah complained ‘I, even I only, am left,’ the reason was that, through the persecution, a stop had been put to all prophetic activity. In the present strait we need not doubt that any messenger of good tidings would be welcome. So that there is nothing strange about the prophet’s visit. The national thoughts were occupied on other things than the slaughter of Jehovah’s prophets.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The rabbinical commentators conjecture that this prophet was Micaiah, the son of Imlah, who is mentioned below 1Ki 22:8.
Hast thou seen all this great multitude? – The boast of Ben-hadad 1Ki 20:10, was not without a basis of truth; his force seems to have exceeded 130, 000 (compare 1Ki 20:25, 1Ki 20:29-30). In his wars with the Assyrians we find him sometimes at the head of 100, 000 men.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 13. There came a prophet] Who this was we cannot tell; Jarchi says it was Micaiah, son of Imlah. It is strange that on such an occasion we hear nothing of Elijah or Elisha. Is it not possible that this was one of them disguised?
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
There came a prophet; who having hid himself before, now ventures to come to Ahab, having this welcome message in his mouth.
Thus saith the Lord: God, though forsaken and neglected by Ahab, prevents him with his gracious promise of help; partly that Ahab and the idolatrous Israelites might hereby be fully convinced, and won to God, or left without all excuse; and partly, that Ben-hadads intolerable pride, and contempt of God, and of his people, might be repressed and punished; and partly, that the remnant of his prophets and people who were involved in the same calamity with the rest of the Israelites might be preserved and delivered.
Thou shalt know that I am the Lord, and not Baal, because I will deliver thee, which he cannot do.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
13-21. behold, there came a prophetunto AhabThough the king and people of Israel had highlyoffended Him, God had not utterly cast them off. He still cherisheddesigns of mercy towards them, and here, though unasked, gave them asignal proof of His interest in them, by a prophet’s animatingannouncement that the Lord would that day deliver the mighty hosts ofthe enemy into his hand by means of a small, feeble, inadequate band.Conformably to the prophet’s instructions, two hundred thirty-twoyoung men went boldly out towards the camp of the enemy, while seventhousand more, apparently volunteers, followed at some littledistance, or posted themselves at the gate, to be ready to reinforcethose in front if occasion required it. Ben-hadad and his vassals andprinces were already, at that early hourscarcely middaydeep intheir cups; and though informed of this advancing company, yetconfiding in his numbers, or it may be, excited with wine, he orderedwith indifference the proud intruders to be taken alive, whether theycame with peaceful or hostile intentions. It was more easily saidthan done; the young men smote right and left, making terrible havocamong their intended captors; and their attack, together with thesight of the seven thousand, who soon rushed forward to mingle in thefray, created a panic in the Syrian army, who immediately took upflight. Ben-hadad himself escaped the pursuit of the victors on afleet horse, surrounded by a squadron of horse guards. This gloriousvictory, won so easily, and with such a paltry force opposed tooverwhelming numbers, was granted that Ahab and his people might know(1Ki 20:13) that God is theLord. But we do not read of this acknowledgment being made, or of anysacrifices being offered in token of their national gratitude.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And, behold, there came a prophet unto Ahab king of Israel,…. Supposed by the Jewish writers to be Micaiah the son of Imlah, 1Ki 22:9 one of those perhaps that Obadiah hid in the cave, and now is sent out publicly on an errand to Ahab:
saying, thus saith the Lord, hast thou seen all this great multitude? considered what a vast number Benhadad’s army consisted of:
behold, I will deliver it into thine hand this day; as great as it is:
and thou shalt know that I am the Lord; and not Baal, who can save by few as well as by many, and from a great multitude.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Ahab’s Victory, Verses 13-21
God rewarded Ahab’s show of courage by sending a prophet promising to give him victory over the boastful Ben-hadad and the great Syrian army. He called Ahab’s attention to the mighty physical capability of the Syrians, then said, “I will deliver it into thine hand this day.” He made it clear why He was allowing Ahab such a spectacular victory. Not because Ahab had suddenly shown a surge of stamina, or because Israel was the under-dog, nor because of the paganism of the Syrians. It was that Ahab and Israel might have still another evidence of the true God, the Lord of all.
Ahab seems to have welcomed the thought and began to make inquiries of the prophet as to how the battle should be ordered. When such things as this are observed in Ahab one cannot help thinking the king might have, if left to himself, turned out to be a believer and follower of the Lord, but he was wholly dominated by his wife, Jezebel. Ahab needed to read, and heed, the advice of Solomon, “A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike; whosoever hideth her hideth the wind, and the ointment of his right hand betrayeth him” (Pro 27:15-16).
Ahab was told the princes of the provinces should lead the men, and Ahab himself should be at their head. There were two hundred thirty-two of the young princes and only seven thousand fighting men. While Ahab was getting this small force together Ben-hadad and his tributary kings were getting drunk in the officers’ pavilion. Their party was too important for them to interrupt and go out against a small and seemingly insignificant force of approaching Israelites. When Ben-hadad was apprised of their approach he told the lesser officers to take them alive, whether they came to fight or to make peace. Evidently he hoped to have some sport with them.
But when the Syrians approached to meet the seven thousand Israelites they got a great surprise. Not only had the men of Israel come to fight, but they were invincible. God made it impossible in some unrevealed manner for the Syrian multitudes to make an effective defense. The Israelites slew Syrians right and left, confusion broke out among the enemy forces, and even the cavalry fled. Ben-hadad was not too drunk to mount a horse and flee with them, barely escaping the vengeful Israelites. A very great slaughter was effected against Ahab’s enemies, and God had proved Himself to Israel again.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(13) There came a prophet.The appearance of this unknown prophet evidently shows (see also 1Ki. 22:6-7) that Ahabs enmity to the prophetic order was over since the great day at Carmel, and that the schools of the prophets were forming themselves againperhaps not free from connection with the idolatry of Jeroboam, but safe from all attacks from the worshippers of Baal. It is notable that in all these political functions of prophecy Elijah does not appear, reserving himself for the higher moral and religious mission from God. Ahab receives the prophets message with perfect confidence and reverence; he has returned in profession to the allegiance to Jehovah, which he had, perhaps, never wholly relinquished.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
13. There came a prophet From one of the schools of the prophets, sent, probably, by Elijah. Compare 1Ki 20:35.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
1Ki 20:13. Behold there came a prophet The Scripture nowhere informs us who this prophet was. It is something extraordinary, that during this whole war with Ben-hadad, neither Elijah nor Elisha, the two principal prophets of Israel, should appear; though other prophets, whereof there seems to have been a considerable number, make no scruple of executing their office; whether it was, that this war commenced before Jezebel’s persecution of the prophets, or that this impious queen abated her persecution, and let them have some respite, when she had, as she thought, exterminated Elijah, cannot now be ascertained.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
(13) And, behold, there came a prophet unto Ahab king of Israel, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou seen all this great multitude? behold, I will deliver it into thine hand this day; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD. (14) And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, Thus saith the LORD, Even by the young men of the princes of the provinces. Then he said, Who shall order the battle? And he answered, Thou. (15) Then he numbered the young men of the princes of the provinces, and they were two hundred and thirty two: and after them he numbered all the people, even all the children of Israel, being seven thousand.
Observe the graciousness of God. Though Ahab be so undeserving: and though Israel be so undeserving also, in general; yet the Lord hath his seven thousand in Israel, for whose sakes the city must be preserved. Oh! how much, could it be calculated, do the ungodly owe to the Lord’s people! See sweet examples, Gen 19:22 ; Isa 65:8Isa 65:8 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
1Ki 20:13 And, behold, there came a prophet unto Ahab king of Israel, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou seen all this great multitude? behold, I will deliver it into thine hand this day; and thou shalt know that I [am] the LORD.
Ver. 13. And, behold, there came a prophet. ] Michaiah, as some think; or one of those haply that were hid by Obadiah.
Behold, I will deliver it into thine hand.
a Bishop Hall.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
behold. Figure of speech Asterismos. App-6.
Hast. ? Figure of speech Erotesis. App-6.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
came: Heb. approached
Hast thou: 2Ki 6:8-12, 2Ki 7:1, 2Ki 13:23, Isa 7:1-9, Eze 20:14, Eze 20:22
and thou shalt: 1Ki 20:28, 1Ki 18:37, Exo 14:18, Exo 16:12, Psa 83:18, Isa 37:20, Eze 6:7, Joe 3:17
Reciprocal: Exo 23:31 – deliver the Num 21:34 – for I have 2Sa 10:13 – they fled 1Ki 18:22 – I only 1Ki 19:10 – I only 1Ki 20:22 – the prophet 2Ki 3:18 – he will 2Ki 3:27 – they departed 2Ki 6:9 – Beware 1Ch 19:14 – they fled 2Ch 28:9 – he went out Psa 10:5 – he puffeth Eze 22:16 – thou shalt know Dan 11:11 – the multitude Amo 2:11 – I raised
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1Ki 20:13. And, behold there came a prophet unto Ahab One of those, probably, that had been hid, but was now commanded of God to appear and carry a message to Ahab; which the prophet did not fear to do, as he brought him such good news as those which follow. Thus saith the Lord, Hast thou seen this great multitude, &c.? God, though forsaken and neglected by Ahab, prevents him with his gracious promise of help; that Ahab and the idolatrous Israelites might hereby be fully convinced, or left without excuse; that Ben-hadads intolerable pride, and contempt of God, and of his people, might be punished; and that the remnant of his prophets and people, who were involved in the same calamity with the rest of the Israelites, might be preserved and delivered. I am the Lord And not Baal, because I will deliver thee, which he cannot do.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
20:13 And, behold, there came a prophet unto Ahab king of Israel, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou seen all this great multitude? behold, I will deliver it into thine hand this day; and thou shalt know {g} that I [am] the LORD.
(g) Before God went about with signs and miracles to pull Ahab from his impiety, and now again with wonderful victories.