The Meaning of 1 Kings 20:9 Explained

1 Kings 20:9

KJV: Wherefore he said unto the messengers of Benhadad, Tell my lord the king, All that thou didst send for to thy servant at the first I will do: but this thing I may not do. And the messengers departed, and brought him word again.

YLT: And he saith to the messengers of Ben-Hadad, 'Say to my lord the king, All that thou didst send for unto thy servant at the first I do, and this thing I am not able to do;' and the messengers go and take him back word.

Darby: And he said to the messengers of Ben-Hadad, Tell my lord the king, All that thou didst send for to thy servant at the first I will do; but this thing I cannot do. And the messengers departed, and brought him word again.

ASV: Wherefore he said unto the messengers of Ben-hadad, Tell my lord the king, All that thou didst send for to thy servant at the first I will do; but this thing I may not do. And the messengers departed, and brought him word again.

Discover 1 Kings 20:9

CONTEXT: What is the Context of 1 Kings 20:9?

MEANING: What does 1 Kings 20:9 Mean?

WORDS: What do the individual words in 1 Kings 20:9 mean?

RELATIONS: What do the major concepts mean in 1 Kings 20:9?

What is the context of 1 Kings 20:9?

War with Aram (1 Kings 20:1-12)
Ahab Attacks the Arameans (1 Kings 20:1-12)
Ben-Hadad Attacks Samaria (1 Kings 20:1-12)
Ahab's Wars with Syria (1 Kings 20:1-12)
Ahab Defeats the Syrians (1 Kings 20:1-22)
Victory over Ben-hadad (1 Kings 20:1-34)
Syrian-Israeli Conflicts: Ben-Hadad vs. Ahab of Israel (1 Kings 20:1-43)

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Wherefore he said unto the messengers of Benhadad, Tell my lord the king, All that thou didst send for to thy servant at the first I will do: but this thing I may not do. And the messengers departed, and brought him word again.

What does 1 Kings 20:9 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Kings 20:1-15 - Boasting Before The Battle

Ben-hadad's insolent demand indicated how low Israel had sunk. The worship of Jezebel's gods had wrought moral degeneracy. Let us never forget this lesson. When national religion fades and our churches are deserted; when the Bible loses place in education, and family prayer fades out of the home, dry-rot and decay eat away the strength of the national heart.

Ahab's answer was better than might have been expected from such a man, but it would have amounted to little beyond a stalwart boast if there had not been other influences at work on the behalf of the chosen race. It may be that at this crisis, ceaseless prayer was being offered in the schools of the prophets. Elijah, certainly, was not silent, but on mountain heights or by the Cherith brook, was no doubt pouring out his mighty soul. The advent of this prophet, 1 Kings 20:13, unasked, was a harbinger of good. Notice how God's loving-kindness follows us into a far country. See Ezekiel 36:32. He does not forget, but woos us back. His tools of help, however, are not what we should expect, but ever the weakest and least likely, that no flesh should glory, 1 Corinthians 1:27.

1 Kings 20:1-43 - A Prosperous Nation

What a picture is here given of national contentment and prosperity! We can almost hear the gladsome voice of the myriad-peopled land, teeming with young life and laden with golden harvests. It was the summer of their national existence. The sacred scribe enumerates first the high officials of the court, then the daily provision of the king, his studies, and his fame. Abundant proof was yielded by all these circumstances to the manner in which God kept the pledges which had been made to David, his father.

Here is Solomon "in all his glory," but as we turn from him to the lowly Carpenter of Nazareth, who had nowhere to lay His head; who found His friends among the poor; and who ultimately laid down His life a ransom for many, we realize that, even apart from His divine nature, His was the nobler ideal and the richer existence. "A greater than Solomon is here." Who can measure His empire or resources? What tongue can recount His wisdom? Happy and safe are they that sit at His table, hear His words, and are joint-heirs with Him in His Kingdom! Romans 8:17. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Kings 20

¹ Ben-Hadad, not content with Ahab's homage, besieges Samaria
¹³ By the direction of a prophet, the Syrians are slain
²² As the prophet forewarned Ahab, the Syrians come against him in Aphek
²⁸ By the word of the prophet, and God's judgment, the Syrians are smitten again
³¹ The Syrians submit; Ahab sends Ben-Hadad away with a covenant
³⁵ The prophet, under the parable of a prisoner,
³⁹ making Ahab judge himself, denounces God's judgment against him

What do the individual words in 1 Kings 20:9 mean?

Therefore he said to the messengers of Ben-hadad Tell my lord the king all that you sent for to your servant the first time I will do but thing this not I cannot do And departed the messengers and brought back to him word

וַיֹּ֜אמֶר לְמַלְאֲכֵ֣י בֶן־ הֲדַ֗ד אִמְר֞וּ לַֽאדֹנִ֤י הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ כֹּל֩ אֲשֶׁר־ שָׁלַ֨חְתָּ אֶל־ עַבְדְּךָ֤ בָרִֽאשֹׁנָה֙ אֶעֱשֶׂ֔ה וְהַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֔ה לֹ֥א אוּכַ֖ל לַעֲשׂ֑וֹת וַיֵּֽלְכוּ֙ הַמַּלְאָכִ֔ים וַיְשִׁבֻ֖הוּ דָּבָֽר

וַיֹּ֜אמֶר	Therefore he said
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular Root: אָמַר Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לְמַלְאֲכֵ֣י	to the messengers
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct Root: מַלְאָךְ Sense: messenger, representative.
הֲדַ֗ד	Ben-hadad
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular Root: בֶּן־הֲדַד Sense: the king of Syria, contemporary with Asa of Judah.
אִמְר֞וּ	Tell
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural Root: אָמַר Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לַֽאדֹנִ֤י	my lord
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular Root: אָדֹון Sense: firm, strong, lord, master.
הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙	the king
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular Root: מֶלֶךְ Sense: king.
אֲשֶׁר־	that
Parse: Pronoun, relative Root: אֲשֶׁר Sense: (relative part.).
שָׁלַ֨חְתָּ	you sent for
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular Root: שָׁלַח Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
עַבְדְּךָ֤	your servant
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular Root: עֶבֶד Sense: slave, servant.
בָרִֽאשֹׁנָה֙	the first time
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Adjective, feminine singular Root: רִאשֹׁון Sense: first, primary, former.
אֶעֱשֶׂ֔ה	I will do
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular Root: עָשָׂה Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
וְהַדָּבָ֣ר	but thing
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine singular Root: דָּבָר Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
הַזֶּ֔ה	this
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular Root: זֶה Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
אוּכַ֖ל	I cannot
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular Root: יָכֹל Sense: to prevail, overcome, endure, have power, be able.
וַיֵּֽלְכוּ֙	And departed
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural Root: הָלַךְ Sense: to go, walk, come.
הַמַּלְאָכִ֔ים	the messengers
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural Root: מַלְאָךְ Sense: messenger, representative.
וַיְשִׁבֻ֖הוּ	and brought back to him
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural, third person masculine singular Root: שׁוּב Sense: to return, turn back.
דָּבָֽר	word
Parse: Noun, masculine singular Root: דָּבָר Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.

What are the major concepts related to 1 Kings 20:9?

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