1 Kings 20:23 Commentary, explanation, study verse by verse

“ And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him, Their gods are gods of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we; but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. ”

1 Kings 20:23 - Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Their gods are gods of the hills - The local power and influence of deities was a fixed principle of the ancient polytheism. Each country was considered to have its own gods; and wars were regard...
1 Kings 20:23 - Arno Geneva Study Bible

And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him, Their (k) gods [are] gods of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we; but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be s...
1 Kings 20:23 - Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

Ahab's Victory over Ben-hadad. Chs. 20 and 22 come from another source. Elijah does not appear, the religious interest is less prominent, and Ahab is presented in a far less hostile light. He acts...
1 Kings 20:23 - Clarke's commentary and critical notes on the Bible

And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him, Their gods are gods of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we; but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stron...
1 Kings 20:23 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Their gods are gods of the hills— See Numbers 23:27 and Virgil, En. viii. ver. 698, &c. Bishop Warburton observes, that when Ben-hadad, whose forces consisted of chariots and horsemen, had wa...
1 Kings 20:23 - Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him, Their gods are gods of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we; but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be str...
1 Kings 20:23 - Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

War between Israel and Syria The Syrians besiege Samaria, but a sally being made from the city by the direction of a prophet, they are driven off, and the next year are beaten at Aphek. Ahab, havi...
1 Kings 20:23 - Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

Gods of the hills. — The idea of tutelary gods, whose strength was greatest on their own soil, is naturally common in polytheistic religions, which, by the very multiplication of gods, imply limita...
1 Kings 20:23 - Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

AHAB AND BENHADAD 1 Kings 20:1-30 IN the Septuagint and in Josephus the events narrated in the twentieth chapter of the Book of Kings are placed after the meeting of Elijah with Ahab at the doo...
1 Kings 20:23 - Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

a Prosperous Nation 1 Kings 4:1-7 ; 1 Kings 20:1-43 ; 1 Kings 21:1-29 ; 1 Kings 22:1-53 What a picture is here given of national contentment and prosperity! We can almost hear the gladsome v...
1 Kings 20:23 - G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

Here begins the actual movement in the downfall of Ahab. Ben-hadad, drunken, profligate, despotic, came in the pride of arms against Samaria. By the voices of prophets Jehovah spoke to Ahab, who, act...
1 Kings 20:23 - Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary

(22) В¶ And the prophet came to the king of Israel, and said unto him, Go, strengthen thyself, and mark, and see what thou doest: for at the return of the year the king of Syria will come up against...
1 Kings 20:23 - John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him ,.... His ministers of state, his privy counsellors: their gods are gods of the hills, therefore they were stronger than we ; and beat them in t...
1 Kings 20:23 - John Trapp Complete Commentary

And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him, Their gods [are] gods of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we; but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stron...
1 Kings 20:23 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Their gods are gods of the hills , &c. The heathen, in general, had no notion of the God of the universe, but only worshipped local and tutelary deities; who, they thought, ruled over particular...
1 Kings 20:23 - L. M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

AHAB DEFEATS SYRIA (vs.1-22) God's care for His people Israel is still remarkably displayed in this chapter in spite of the unholy character of Ahab. Ben Hadad, king of Syria, marshaled a tremen...
1 Kings 20:23 - Matthew Henry's Whole Bible Commentary

Ahab's Folly Reproved. B. C. 900. 22 And the prophet came to the king of Israel, and s...
1 Kings 20:23 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

The servants of the king of Syria suppose that their gods were no better than the Syrian gods, (which the idolatry of the Israelites had given them too great cause to imagine,) and that there were...
1 Kings 20:23 - Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

War With Benhadad King Of Aram ( 1 Kings 20:1-43 ). There is no indication at what point in Ahab's reign these events occurred, but a situation is indicated where the power of the Aramaeans had no...
1 Kings 20:23 - Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES .— 1 Kings 20:22 . At the return of the year —לִתְשׁוּבת השָׁנָה. with the beginning of the year—the spring—until which time the winter rains would prevent another...
1 Kings 20:23 - Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

1 Kings 20:3 . Thy gold thy wives are mine. The African princes still send similar messages to one another. Mungo Park mentions one who sent an order to a neighbouring prince to have the houses al...
1 Kings 20:23 - The Biblical Illustrator

Go, strengthen thyself Made strong for life’s battle Israel had Just been at war with Syria, and had come off victorious. Naturally they were feeling very happy and triumphant and were congra...
1 Kings 20:23 - The Complete Pulpit Commentary

EXPOSITION THE INVASIONS OF ISRAEL BY THE SYRIANS AND THEIR RESULTS .—The insertion of this chapter, which contains an account of two invasions of Israel by the hosts of Syria...
1 Kings 20:23 - The Popular Commentary by Paul E. Kretzmann

Benhadad's Second Defeat, Capture, and Release
1 Kings 20:23 - Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

1 Kings 14:23 ; 1 Kings 20:28 ; 1 Samuel 4:8 ; 2 Chronicles 32:13-19 ; 2 Kings 19:12 ; Isaiah 42:8 ; Psalms 121:1 ; Psalms 121:2 ; Psalms 50:21 ; Psalms 50:22
1 Kings 20:23 - Wesley's Explanatory Notes

Said to him — They suppose that their gods were no better than the Syrian gods and that there were many gods who had each his particular charge and jurisdiction; which was the opinion of all heathe...

1 Kings 20:23 - Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible

1 Kings 20:23 - Arno Geneva Study Bible

1 Kings 20:23 - Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

1 Kings 20:23 - Clarke's commentary and critical notes on the Bible

1 Kings 20:23 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

1 Kings 20:23 - Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

1 Kings 20:23 - Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

1 Kings 20:23 - Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

1 Kings 20:23 - Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

1 Kings 20:23 - Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

1 Kings 20:23 - G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

1 Kings 20:23 - Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary

1 Kings 20:23 - John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

1 Kings 20:23 - John Trapp Complete Commentary

1 Kings 20:23 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

1 Kings 20:23 - L. M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

1 Kings 20:23 - Matthew Henry's Whole Bible Commentary

1 Kings 20:23 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

1 Kings 20:23 - Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

1 Kings 20:23 - Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

1 Kings 20:23 - Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

1 Kings 20:23 - The Biblical Illustrator

1 Kings 20:23 - The Complete Pulpit Commentary

1 Kings 20:23 - The Popular Commentary by Paul E. Kretzmann

1 Kings 20:23 - Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

1 Kings 20:23 - Wesley's Explanatory Notes