31 His servants said to him, "Behold now , we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings , please let us put sackcloth on our loins and ropes on our heads , and go out to the king of Israel ; perhaps he will save your life ." 32 So they girded sackcloth on their loins and put ropes on their heads , and came to the king of Israel and said , " Your servant Ben-hadad says , 'Please let me live .' " And he said , "Is he still alive ? He is my brother ." 33 Now the men took this as an omen , and quickly catching his word said , "Your brother Ben-hadad ." Then he said , "Go , bring him." Then Ben-hadad came out to him, and he took him up into the chariot . 34 Ben-hadad said to him, " The cities which my father took from your father I will restore , and you shall make streets for yourself in Damascus , as my father made in Samaria ." Ahab said, "And I will let you go with this covenant ." So he made a covenant with him and let him go . 35 Now a certain man of the sons of the prophets said to another by the word of the Lord , "Please strike me." But the man refused to strike him. 36 Then he said to him, "Because e you have not listened to the voice of the Lord , behold , as soon as you have departed from me, a lion will kill you." And as soon as he had departed from him a lion found him and killed him. 37 Then he found another man and said , "Please strike me." And the man struck him, wounding e him. 38 So the prophet departed and waited for the king by the way , and disguised himself with a bandage over his eyes . 39 As the king passed by, he cried to the king and said , "Your servant went out into the midst of the battle ; and behold , a man turned aside and brought a man to me and said , 'Guard this man ; if for any reason he is missing , then your life shall be for his life , or else you shall pay a talent of silver .' 40 "While your servant was busy here and there , he was gone ." And the king of Israel said to him, "So shall your judgment be; you yourself have decided it." 41 Then he hastily took the bandage away from his eyes , and the king of Israel recognized him that he was of the prophets . 42 He said to him, "Thus says the Lord , 'Because you have let go out of your hand the man whom I had devoted to destruction , therefore your life shall go for his life , and your people for his people .' " 43 So the king of Israel went to his house sullen and vexed , and came to Samaria .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 1 Kings 20:31-43
Commentary on 1 Kings 20:31-43
(Read 1 Kings 20:31-43)
This encouragement sinners have to repent and humble themselves before God; Have we not heard, that the God of Israel is a merciful God? Have we not found him so? That is gospel repentance, which flows from an apprehension of the mercy of God, in Christ; there is forgiveness with him. What a change is here! The most haughty in prosperity often are most abject in adversity; an evil spirit will thus affect a man in both these conditions. There are those on whom, like Ahab, success is ill bestowed; they know not how to serve either God or their generation, or even their own true interests with their prosperity: Let favour be showed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness. The prophet designed to reprove Ahab by a parable. If a good prophet were punished for sparing his friend and God's when God said, Smite, of much sorer punishment should a wicked king be thought worthy, who spared his enemy and God's, when God said, Smite. Ahab went to his house, heavy and displeased, not truly penitent, or seeking to undo what he had done amiss; every way out of humour, notwithstanding his victory. Alas! many that hear the glad tidings of Christ, are busy and there till the day of salvation is gone.