Becker Bible Teacher Resources

1 Kings 20:1-12

Benhadad besieges Samaria

1 ¶ And Benhadad the king of Syria gathered all his host together: and [there were] thirty and two kings with him, and horses, and chariots: and he went up and besieged Samaria, and warred against it. 2 And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city, and said unto him, Thus saith Benhadad, 3 Thy silver and thy gold [is] mine; thy wives also and thy children, [even] the goodliest, [are] mine. 4 And the king of Israel answered and said, My lord, O king, according to thy saying, I [am] thine, and all that I have. 5 And the messengers came again, and said, Thus speaketh Benhadad, saying, Although I have sent unto thee, saying, Thou shalt deliver me thy silver, and thy gold, and thy wives, and thy children; 6 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. 7 Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said, Mark, I pray you, and see how this [man] seeketh mischief: for he sent unto me for my wives, and for my children, and for my silver, and for my gold; and I denied him not. 8 And all the elders and all the people said unto him, Hearken not [unto him], nor consent. 9 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. 10 And Benhadad sent unto him, and said, The gods do so unto me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me. 11 And the king of Israel answered and said, Tell [him], Let not him that girdeth on [his harness] boast himself as he that putteth it off.

 12 ¶ And it came to pass, when [Benhadad] heard this message, as he [was] drinking, he and the kings in the pavilions, that he said unto his servants, Set [yourselves in array]. And they set [themselves in array] against the city.

1      וּבֶן־הֲדַ֣ד מֶֽלֶךְ־אֲרָ֗ם קָבַץ֙ אֶת־כָּל־חֵיל֔וֹ וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֨ים וּשְׁנַ֥יִם מֶ֛לֶךְ אִתּ֖וֹ וְס֣וּס וָרָ֑כֶב וַיַּ֗עַל וַיָּ֙צַר֙ עַל־שֹׁ֣מְר֔וֹן וַיִּלָּ֖חֶם בָּֽהּ׃
2      וַיִּשְׁלַ֧ח מַלְאָכִ֛ים אֶל־אַחְאָ֥ב מֶֽלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל הָעִֽירָה׃
3      וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֗וֹ כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר בֶּן־הֲדַ֔ד כַּסְפְּךָ֥ וּֽזְהָבְךָ֖ לִֽי־ה֑וּא וְנָשֶׁ֧יךָ וּבָנֶ֛יךָ הַטּוֹבִ֖ים לִי־הֵֽם׃
4      וַיַּ֤עַן מֶֽלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וַיֹּ֔אמֶר כִּדְבָרְךָ֖ אֲדֹנִ֣י הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ לְךָ֥ אֲנִ֖י וְכָל־אֲשֶׁר־לִֽי׃
5      וַיָּשֻׁ֙בוּ֙ הַמַּלְאָכִ֔ים וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ כֹּֽה־אָמַ֥ר בֶּן־הֲדַ֖ד לֵאמֹ֑ר כִּֽי־שָׁלַ֤חְתִּי אֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר כַּסְפְּךָ֧ וּזְהָבְךָ֛ וְנָשֶׁ֧יךָ וּבָנֶ֖יךָ לִ֥י תִתֵּֽן׃
6      כִּ֣י׀ אִם־כָּעֵ֣ת מָחָ֗ר אֶשְׁלַ֤ח אֶת־עֲבָדַי֙ אֵלֶ֔יךָ וְחִפְּשׂוּ֙ אֶת־בֵּ֣יתְךָ֔ וְאֵ֖ת בָּתֵּ֣י עֲבָדֶ֑יךָ וְהָיָה֙ כָּל־מַחְמַ֣ד עֵינֶ֔יךָ יָשִׂ֥ימוּ בְיָדָ֖ם וְלָקָֽחוּ׃
7      וַיִּקְרָ֤א מֶֽלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לְכָל־זִקְנֵ֣י הָאָ֔רֶץ וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ דְּעֽוּ־נָ֣א וּרְא֔וּ כִּ֥י רָעָ֖ה זֶ֣ה מְבַקֵּ֑שׁ כִּֽי־שָׁלַ֨ח אֵלַ֜י לְנָשַׁ֤י וּלְבָנַי֙ וּלְכַסְפִּ֣י וְלִזְהָבִ֔י וְלֹ֥א מָנַ֖עְתִּי מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃
8      וַיֹּאמְר֥וּ אֵלָ֛יו כָּל־הַזְּקֵנִ֖ים וְכָל־הָעָ֑ם אַל־תִּשְׁמַ֖ע וְל֥וֹא תֹאבֶֽה׃
9      וַיֹּ֜אמֶר לְמַלְאֲכֵ֣י בֶן־הֲדַ֗ד אִמְר֞וּ לַֽאדֹנִ֤י הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ כֹּל֩ אֲשֶׁר־שָׁלַ֨חְתָּ אֶל־עַבְדְּךָ֤ בָרִֽאשֹׁנָה֙ אֶעֱשֶׂ֔ה וְהַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֔ה לֹ֥א אוּכַ֖ל לַעֲשׂ֑וֹת וַיֵּֽלְכוּ֙ הַמַּלְאָכִ֔ים וַיְשִׁבֻ֖הוּ דָּבָֽר׃
10      וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח אֵלָיו֙ בֶּן־הֲדַ֔ד וַיֹּ֕אמֶר כֹּֽה־יַעֲשׂ֥וּן לִ֛י אֱלֹהִ֖ים וְכֹ֣ה יוֹסִ֑פוּ אִם־יִשְׂפֹּק֙ עֲפַ֣ר שֹׁמְר֔וֹן לִשְׁעָלִ֕ים לְכָל־הָעָ֖ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר בְּרַגְלָֽי׃
11      וַיַּ֤עַן מֶֽלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר דַּבְּר֔וּ אַל־יִתְהַלֵּ֥ל חֹגֵ֖ר כִּמְפַתֵּֽחַ׃
12      וַיְהִ֗י כִּשְׁמֹ֙עַ֙ אֶת־הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֔ה וְה֥וּא שֹׁתֶ֛ה ה֥וּא וְהַמְּלָכִ֖ים בַּסֻּכּ֑וֹת וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֶל־עֲבָדָיו֙ שִׂ֔ימוּ וַיָּשִׂ֖ימוּ עַל־הָעִֽיר׃

The Lexham Hebrew Bible (Logos Bible Software, 2012).