Bible Strands
1 Kings 15:20
And Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, conquering Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, and the whole land of Naphtali, including the region of Chinnereth.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — King Asa sends silver and gold to Ben-hadad of Aram, requesting a treaty and military action against Baasha king of Israel. Ben-hadad complies by dispatching his army commanders to strike Israelite cities.
The words — The Hebrew verb וַיִּשְׁמַע (va/yishma') literally means "and he listened," describing Ben-hadad’s acceptance of Asa’s proposal. The verb וַיִּשְׁלַח (va/yishlach) translates as "and he sent," marking the immediate military response.
The thread — The conquered cities reappear in 2 Kings 15:29 when Tiglath-pileser captures Ijon and Abel-beth-maacah. Judges 18:29 notes Dan’s renaming from Laish, while Joshua 11:2 references the region of Chinnereth during northern campaigns.
Why it lands — The text records a political maneuver where foreign military force alters Israel’s internal fortification strategy. It requires the reader to track how diplomatic agreements produce immediate territorial consequences.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
So Ben–hadad hearkened unto king Asa, and sent the captains of the hosts which he had against the cities of Israel, and smote Ijon, and Dan, and Abel–beth–maachah, and all Cinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali.
Cross-references
- 2 Kings 15:29 In the days of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came and captured Ijon, Abel-beth-maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee, including all the land of Naphtali, and he took the people as captives to Assyria.
- Judges 18:29 They named it Dan, after their forefather Dan, who was born to Israel—though the city was formerly named Laish.
- Joshua 11:2 to the kings of the north in the mountains, in the Arabah south of Chinnereth, in the foothills, and in Naphoth-dor to the west;
- Joshua 12:3 as well as the Arabah east of the Sea of Chinnereth to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea), eastward through Beth-jeshimoth, and southward below the slopes of Pisgah.
- 2 Samuel 20:14 Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel-beth-maacah and through the entire region of the Berites, who gathered together and followed him.
- 1 Kings 12:29 One calf he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan.
- Genesis 14:14 And when Abram heard that his relative had been captured, he mobilized the 318 trained men born in his household, and they set out in pursuit as far as Dan.