1 Kings 20:32

³⁰ But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city; and there a wall fell upon twenty and seven thousand of the men that were left. And Ben-hadad fled, and came into the city, into an inner chamber.

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.

So they girded sackcloth on their loins, and put ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, Thy servant Ben-hadad saith, I pray thee, let me live. And he said, Is he yet alive? he is my brother.

³³ Now the men did diligently observe whether any thing would come from him, and did hastily catch it: and they said, Thy brother Ben-hadad. Then he said, Go ye, bring him. Then Ben-hadad came forth to him; and he caused him to come up into the chariot.

³⁴ And Ben-hadad 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.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: So with sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their heads, they went to the king of Israel and said, “Your servant Ben-hadad says, ‘Please spare my life.’” And the king answered, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”
KJV: So they girded sackcloth on their loins, and put ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, Thy servant Ben-hadad saith, I pray thee, let me live. And he said, Is he yet alive? he is my brother.
WEB: So they put sackcloth on their bodies and ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, “Your servant Ben Hadad says, ‘Please let me live.’” He said, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”
ASV: So they girded sackcloth on their loins, and [put] ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, Thy servant Ben-hadad saith, I pray thee, let me live. And he said, Is he yet alive? he is my brother.
DARBY: And they girded sackcloth on their loins, and ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, Thy servant Ben-Hadad says, I pray thee, let me live. And he said, Is he yet alive? he is my brother.
BLB: And they wore sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their heads, and they came to the king of Israel and said, “Your servant Ben-hadad says, ‘Please let my soul live.’” And he said, “Is he still alive? He [is] my brother.”

ÅB: Så bandt de sekk om sine lender og rep om sine hoder, og da de kom til Israels konge, sa de: Din tjener Benhadad sier: La meg få leve! Han svarte: Er han enda i live? Han er min bror.
OTB: Så kledde de seg i sekkestrie og tau, og gikk til Israels konge og sa, "Din tjener Ben-Hadad sier: Vær så snill, la meg leve." Ahab svarte, "Er han fortsatt i live? Han er min bror."
B1930: Så bandt de sekk om sine lender og rep om sine hoder, og da de kom til Israels konge, sa de: Din tjener Benhadad sier: La mig få leve! Han svarte: Er han ennu i live? Han er min bror.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

1 Kings 20:3–6
Thy silver and thy gold is mine; thy wives also and thy children, even the goodliest, are mine.
Read in context
Job 40:11–12
Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath: and behold every one that is proud, and abase him.
Read in context
1 Kings 20:31
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.
Read in context
Isaiah 10:12
Wherefore it shall come to pass, that when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks.
Read in context
1 Kings 20:42
And he said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Because thou hast let go out of thy hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore thy life shall go for his life, and thy people for his people.
Read in context
Isaiah 2:11–12
The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.
Read in context
Obadiah 1:3–4
The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground?
Read in context
Daniel 5:20–23
But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him:
Read in context