Bible Strands
1 Kings 20:39
As the king passed by, he cried out to the king: “Your servant had marched out into the middle of the battle, when suddenly a man came over with a captive and told me, ‘Guard this man! If he goes missing for any reason, your life will be exchanged for his life, or you will weigh out a talent of silver.’
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — A disguised prophet confronts the king of Israel as he passes by on the road. The prophet declares that he was ordered to guard a captive and warned that failure would cost him his life or require a talent of silver.
The words — צָעַק (tza.'Ak) = he cried out and עֹבֵר ('o.Ver) = passing by. These terms mark the sudden, public nature of the prophet’s intervention against the king’s movement.
The thread — The life-for-life ransom principle appears in Exodus 21:30. The pattern of a public proclamation to authority echoes Judges 9:7. The narrative of a king facing sudden accountability continues in 2 Kings 10:24.
Why it lands — The text records the king pronouncing his own judgment based on his prior commands. It requires the reader to acknowledge that authority carries binding accountability and that one cannot evade the consequences of one’s own words.
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 as the king passed by, he cried unto the king: and he said, Thy servant went out into the midst of the battle; and, behold, a man turned aside, and brought a man unto me, and said, Keep this man: if by any means he be missing, then shall thy life be for his life, or else thou shalt pay a talent of silver.
Cross-references
- 2 Kings 10:24 And they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had stationed eighty men outside and warned them, “If anyone allows one of the men I am delivering into your hands to escape, he will forfeit his life for theirs.”
- Exodus 21:30 If payment is demanded of him instead, he may redeem his life by paying the full amount demanded of him.
- Judges 9:7 When this was reported to Jotham, he climbed to the top of Mount Gerizim, raised his voice, and cried out: “Listen to me, O leaders of Shechem, and may God listen to you.
- 2 Samuel 12:1 Then the LORD sent Nathan to David, and when he arrived, he said, “There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor.
- 2 Samuel 14:5 “What troubles you?” the king asked her. “Indeed,” she said, “I am a widow, for my husband is dead.
- 1 Kings 20:42 And the prophet said to the king, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Because you have let slip from your hand the man I had devoted to destruction, your life will be exchanged for his life, and your people for his people.’”
- Job 36:18 Be careful that no one lures you with riches; do not let a large bribe lead you astray.
- Proverbs 6:35 He will not be appeased by any ransom, or persuaded by lavish gifts.
- Proverbs 13:8 Riches may ransom a man’s life, but a poor man hears no threat.
- Mark 12:1 Then Jesus began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a wine vat, and built a watchtower. Then he rented it out to some tenants and went away on a journey.