1 Kings 20:31-34

1 Kings 20:31-34

[31] And his servants  said  unto him, Behold now, we have heard  that the kings  of the house  of Israel  are merciful  kings:  let us, I pray thee, put  sackcloth  on our loins,  and ropes  upon our heads,  and go out  to the king  of Israel:  peradventure he will save  thy life.  [32] So they girded  sackcloth  on their loins,  and put ropes  on their heads,  and came  to the king  of Israel,  and said,  Thy servant  Benhadad  saith,  I pray thee, let me live.  And he said,  Is he yet alive?  he is my brother.  [33] did diligently observe  whether any thing would come from him, and did hastily  catch  it: and they said,  Thy brother  Benhadad.  Then he said,  Go  ye, bring  him. Then Benhadad  came forth  to him; and he caused him to come up  into the chariot.  [34] And Benhadad said  unto him, The cities,  which my father  took  from thy father,  I will restore;  and thou shalt make  streets  for thee in Damascus,  as my father  made  in Samaria.  Then said Ahab, I will send thee away  with this covenant.  So he made  a covenant  with him, and sent him away. 

What does 1 Kings 20:31-34 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

This section is similar to the one that recorded Saul"s failure to follow Yahweh"s command that also resulted in God cutting him off ( 1 Samuel 13:13-14). The parallels between Saul and Ahab are remarkable throughout this record of Ahab"s reign.
Archaeology has confirmed that other ancient Near Eastern kings were more brutal in war than Israel"s were ( 1 Kings 20:31). Sackcloth and ropes expressed remorse and servitude ( 1 Kings 20:31-32). [1] Ben-Hadad"s envoys called their king Ahab"s "servant" ( 1 Kings 20:32) because that is what Ben-Hadad was willing to become if Ahab would have mercy on him. Ben-Hadad was not Ahab"s blood brother ( 1 Kings 20:32). Ahab was willing to regard him as such rather than as a servant if Ben-Hadad agreed to make a treaty and concessions to him. Ahab"s plan was contrary to God"s Law that called for the deaths of Israel"s enemies ( Deuteronomy 20:10-15). Ahab welcomed Ben-Hadad into his chariot ( 1 Kings 20:33). This was an honor. The Aramean king was quick to make concessions in return for his life ( 1 Kings 20:34). Compare Saul"s refusal to execute Agag. The covenant the two men made involved the return of Israelite cities that Aram had previously taken and trade privileges for Israel with Damascus ( 1 Kings 20:34). Ahab figured that it would be better for him and Israel to make a treaty than to obey God"s Law (cf. Exodus 23:32). Perhaps the reason Ahab was so eager to make this treaty was that the Assyrian Empire was expanding toward Israel from the northeast.
What happened to the man who refused to strike the prophet ( 1 Kings 20:35-36) was exactly what would happen to Ahab and for the same reason, disobedience to the word of the Lord. Compare Samuel"s first sentence against Saul for his disobedience ( 1 Samuel 13). Again a lion was God"s agent of execution (cf. 1 Kings 13:24). The prophet"s parable recalls the one Nathan told David ( 2 Samuel 12:1-7). Ahab condemned himself by what he said. God would kill Ahab for not killing Ben-Hadad ( 1 Kings 22:37). He would also cause Israel, which Ahab headed and represented, to suffer defeat rather than the Arameans ( 1 Kings 20:42; cf. 1 Samuel 15:22-29). Ahab foolishly chose to follow his own plan instead of obeying the Lord. Obedience probably would have terminated the conflict with the Aramean army.