1 Kings 20:8

Study note

Setting — The elders and common people of Israel address King Ahab immediately after he reports Ben-hadad’s demands for his wives, children, and treasury. They speak collectively to advise the monarch on how to respond to the Syrian king’s latest message.

The words — The Hebrew phrase אַל תִּשְׁמַע (al tishma) literally means “do not listen,” functioning as a negative imperative paired with the refusal to consent. The nouns הַזְּקֵנִים (ha-zekenim) and הָעָם (ha-am) identify the combined body of civic leaders and citizens issuing the directive.

The thread — This verse records a unified refusal to submit to foreign demands, advancing the narrative conflict between Israel’s leadership and external powers. The motif of corporate counsel resisting royal capitulation appears in later historical and post-exilic accounts where the community collectively rejects unauthorized political or religious concessions.

Why it lands — The passage requires the reader to observe how collective resistance can halt a leader’s compliance with coercive external requests. It leaves the outcome to the subsequent royal reply and the unfolding consequences of that refusal.

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.