Skip to content
1 Kings / Ben‑hadad Besieges Samaria; Israel's Defiant Response
Navigation
A A
Adonijah Attempts to Seize the Throne Solomon Anointed King David's Charge to Solomon and Death Solomon Consolidates His Power Solomon's Request for Wisdom Solomon's Wise Judgment Solomon's Officials and Administrative Order The Wealth and Prosperity of Israel Solomon's Wisdom and Fame Alliances and Preparations for the Temple Solomon Builds the Temple Solomon's Palace and Structural Works Temple Furnishings and the Work of Hiram The Ark Brought into the Temple Solomon's Prayer of Dedication The Dedication Celebrated with Sacrifice God's Promise and Warning to Solomon Solomon's Building Projects and Trade The Queen of Sheba Visits Solomon The Wealth and Splendor of Solomon's Reign Solomon's Foreign Wives and Apostasy Adversaries Raised Against Solomon Jeroboam's Call and the Promise of Division Summary of Solomon's Reign and Death Rehoboam's Folly and the Kingdom Divides Jeroboam Establishes Golden Calves Prophetic Rebuke at Bethel and Deception Ahijah's Prophecy Against Jeroboam Rehoboam's Unfaithfulness and Shishak's Invasion Abijam's Short Reign in Judah Asa's Reforms and Early Reign Nadab's Reign and Baasha's Conspiracy Baasha's Reign and Jehu's Prophecy Elah Assassinated and Zimri's Usurpation Zimri's Suicide and Omri's Rise to Power Omri Establishes Samaria as Capital Ahab and Jezebel Introduce Baal Worship Elijah Announces the Drought and Is Fed by Ravens Elijah in Zarephath: Provision and Resurrection Elijah Confronts Ahab and Prepares for Confrontation Elijah on Mount Carmel and the Fall of Baal's Prophets Elijah Flees to Horeb and Is Renewed God's Response to Elijah and New Commissions The Call of Elisha Ben‑hadad Besieges Samaria; Israel's Defiant Response Israel's Victories Over Aram and Ahab's Mercy A Prophet Enacts Judgment on the King Naboth's Vineyard: Ahab and Jezebel's Crime and Punishment Ahab and Jehoshaphat Seek Counsel; Micaiah's True Prophecy Ahab Dies at Ramoth‑Gilead Jehoshaphat's Reign in Judah Ahaziah Succeeds Ahab and Does Evil

Ben‑hadad Besieges Samaria; Israel's Defiant Response

1 Kings 20:1-12

20
Chapter 20
1 And Ben-hadad king of Aram gathered all his army and thirty-two kings with him and horses and chariots, and he went up and laid siege against Shimron and fought against her. 2 He sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city. 3 He said to him, "This is what Ben-hadad says: 'Your silver and your gold are mine; and your wives and your sons, the good ones, are mine.'" 4 The king of Israel answered and said, "According to your word, my lord the king: I am yours, and all that I have." 5 The messengers returned and said, "Thus says Ben-hadad: 'I sent to you, saying, "You shall give me your silver and your gold and your wives and your children." ' " 6 For if at this time tomorrow I send my servant to you and they search your house and the houses of your servants and they put in their hand and take all the desire of your eyes. 7 The king of Israel called all the elders of the land and said, "Know now and see that this man is doing evil, for he sent to me for my wives and my sons and my silver and my gold, and I did not refuse him." 8 All the elders and all the people said to him, "Do not listen or consent." 9 And he said to the angels of Ben-hadad, "Say to my lord the king, 'All that you sent to your servant the first time I will do, but this word I am not able to do.'" And the angels went, and he caused him to return word. 10 And Ben-hadad sent to him and said, "Thus may the gods do to me and thus may they add if the dust of Shimron suffices for handfuls for all the people who are at my feet." 11 The king of Israel answered and said, "Speak to him: 'Let not the one who girds himself boast like the one who opens.'" 12 When he heard this word while he was drinking—he and the kings in the Succoth booths—he said to his servants, "Set yourselves!" And they set themselves against the city.