Bible Strands
1 Kings 20:35
Meanwhile, by the word of the LORD, one of the sons of the prophets said to his companion, “Strike me, please!” But the man refused to strike him.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — One of the sons of the prophets speaks to his companion immediately after King Ahab releases Ben-hadad from his treaty.
The words — בִּדְבַר (bi/d.Var) = at the word of, and אֶל־רֵעֵהוּ (el-re'ehu) = to his companion, frame the prophet’s directive to his companion.
The thread — The motif of prophetic sons acting under divine instruction appears in 1 Kings 13:17, 2 Kings 2:15, and 2 Kings 4:1.
Why it lands — It demands recognition that obedience to divine instruction requires immediate action, not negotiated compromise.
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
And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said unto his neighbour in the word of the Lord, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man refused to smite him.
Cross-references
- 1 Kings 13:17 For I have been told by the word of the LORD: ‘You must not eat bread or drink water there or return by the way you came.’”
- 2 Kings 2:15 When the sons of the prophets who were watching him from Jericho saw what had happened, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” And they went to meet him and bowed down to the ground before him.
- 2 Kings 4:1 Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant, my husband, is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD. And now his creditor is coming to take my two children as his slaves!”
- 1 Samuel 10:12 Then a man who lived there replied, “And who is their father?” So the saying became a proverb: “Is Saul also among the prophets?”
- 1 Kings 13:1 Suddenly, as Jeroboam was standing beside the altar to burn incense, there came a man of God from Judah to Bethel by the word of the LORD.
- 1 Kings 20:37 Then the prophet found another man and said, “Strike me, please!” So the man struck him and wounded him,
- 2 Kings 2:3 Then the sons of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and said, “Do you know that the LORD will take your master away from you today?” “Yes, I know,” he replied. “Do not speak of it.”
- 2 Kings 4:38 When Elisha returned to Gilgal, there was a famine in the land. As the sons of the prophets were sitting at his feet, he said to his attendant, “Put on the large pot and boil some stew for the sons of the prophets.”
- Isaiah 8:18 Here am I, and the children the LORD has given me as signs and symbols in Israel from the LORD of Hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion.
- Isaiah 20:2 the LORD had already spoken through Isaiah son of Amoz, saying, “Go, remove the sackcloth from your waist and the sandals from your feet.” And Isaiah did so, walking around naked and barefoot.