TRV
Translation
King James Version
Then said he unto him, Because thou hast not obeyed the voice of the LORD, behold, as soon as thou art departed from me, a lion shall slay thee. And as soon as he was departed from him, a lion found him, and slew him.
KJV (with Strong's)
Complete Jewish Bible
Then he said to him, "Because you didn't listen to the voice of ADONAI, the moment you leave me, a lion will kill you." No sooner had he left him than a lion found him and killed him.
Berean Standard Bible
Then the prophet said to him, “Because you have not obeyed the voice of the LORD, as soon as you depart from me a lion will kill you.” And when he left, a lion found him and killed him.
American Standard Version
Then said he unto him, Because thou hast not obeyed the voice of Jehovah, behold, as soon as thou art departed from me, a lion shall slay thee. And as soon as he was departed from him, a lion found him, and slew him.
World English Bible Messianic
Then he said to him, “Because you have not obeyed the voice of the LORD, behold, as soon as you are departed from me, a lion shall kill you.” As soon as he was departed from him, a lion found him, and killed him.
Geneva Bible (1599)
Then sayd he vnto him, Because thou hast not obeyed the voyce of the Lord, beholde, as soone as thou art departed from me, a lyon shall slay thee. So when he was departed from him, a lyon found him and slew him.
Young's Literal Translation
and he saith to him, `Because that thou hast not hearkened to the voice of Jehovah, lo, thou art going from me, and the lion hath smitten thee;' and he goeth from him, and the lion findeth him, and smiteth him.
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In the KJVVerse 9,445 of 31,102
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Commentary on 1 Kings 20 verses 31–43
31 ¶ And his servants said unto him, Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings: let us, I pray thee, put sackcloth on our loins, and ropes upon our heads, and go out to the king of Israel: peradventure he will save thy life.
32 So they girded sackcloth on their loins, and put ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, Thy servant Benhadad saith, I pray thee, let me live. And he said, Is he yet alive? he is my brother.
33 Now the men did diligently observe whether any thing would come from him, and did hastily catch it: and they said, Thy brother Benhadad. Then he said, Go ye, bring him. Then Benhadad came forth to him; and he caused him to come up into the chariot.
34 And Benhadad said unto him, The cities, which my father took from thy father, I will restore; and thou shalt make streets for thee in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria. Then said Ahab, I will send thee away with this covenant. So he made a covenant with him, and sent him away.
35 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.
36 Then said he unto him, Because thou hast not obeyed the voice of the LORD, behold, as soon as thou art departed from me, a lion shall slay thee. And as soon as he was departed from him, a lion found him, and slew him.
37 Then he found another man, and said, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man smote him, so that in smiting he wounded him.
38 So the prophet departed, and waited for the king by the way, and disguised himself with ashes upon his face.
39 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.
40 And as thy servant was busy here and there, he was gone. And the king of Israel said unto him, So shall thy judgment be; thyself hast decided it.
41 And he hasted, and took the ashes away from his face; and the king of Israel discerned him that he was of the prophets.
42 And he said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Because thou hast let go out of thy hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore thy life shall go for his life, and thy people for his people.
43 And the king of Israel went to his house heavy and displeased, and came to Samaria.
Here is an account of what followed upon the victory which Israel obtained over the Syrians.
I. Ben-hadad's tame and mean submission. Even in his inner chamber he feared, and would, if he could, flee further, though none pursued. His servants, seeing him and themselves reduced to the last extremity, advised that they should surrender at discretion, and make themselves prisoners and petitioners to Ahab for their lives, Kg1 20:31. The servants will put their lives in their hands, and venture first, and their master will act according as they speed. Their inducement to take this course is the great reputation the kings of Israel had for clemency above any of their neighbours: "We have heard that they are merciful kings, not oppressive to their subjects that are under their power" (as governments then went, that of Israel was one of the most easy and gentle), "and therefore not cruel to their enemies when they lie at their mercy." Perhaps they had this notion of the kings of Israel because they had heard that the God of Israel proclaimed his name gracious and merciful, and they concluded their kings would make their God their pattern. It was an honour to the kings of Israel to be thus represented, as indeed every Israelite is then dressed as becomes him when he puts on bowels of mercies. "They are merciful kings, therefore we may hope to find mercy upon our submission." This encouragement poor sinners have to repent and humble themselves before God. "Have we not heard that the God of Israel is a merciful God? Have we not found him so? Let us therefore rend our hearts and return to him." Joe 2:13. That is evangelical repentance which flows from an apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ; there is forgiveness with him. Two things Ben-hadad's servants undertake to represent to Ahab: - 1. Their master a penitent; for they girded sackcloth on their loins, as mourners, and put ropes on their heads, as condemned criminals going to execution, pretending to be sorry that they had invaded his country and disturbed his repose, and owning that they deserved to be hanged for it. Here they are ready to do penance for it, and throw themselves at the feet of him whom they had injured. Many pretend to repent of their wrong-doing, when it does not succeed, who, if they had prospered in it, would have justified it and gloried in it. 2. Their master a beggar, a beggar for his life: Thy servant Ben-hadad saith, "I pray thee, let me live, Kg1 20:32. Though I live a perpetual exile from my own country, and captive in this, yet, upon any terms, let me live." What a great change is here, (1.) In his condition! How has he fallen from the height of power and prosperity to the depths of disgrace and distress, and all the miseries of poverty and slavery! See the uncertainty of human affairs; such turns are they subject to that the spoke which was uppermost may soon come to be undermost. (2.) In his temper - in the beginning of the chapter hectoring, swearing, and threatening, and none more high in his demands, but here crouching and whining and none more low in his requests! How meanly does he beg hi life at the hand of him upon whom he had there been trampling! The most haughty in prosperity are commonly most abject in adversity: an even spirit will be the same in both conditions. See how God glorified himself when he looks upon proud men and abases them, and hides them in the dust together, Job 40:11-13.
II. Ahab's foolish acceptance of his submission, and the league he suddenly made with him upon it. He was proud to be thus courted by him whom he had feared, and enquired for him with great tenderness: Is he yet alive? He is my brother, brother-king, though not brother-Israelite: and Ahab valued himself more upon his royalty than on his religion, and others accordingly. "Is he thy brother, Ahab? Did he use thee like a brother when he sent thee that barbarous message? Kg1 20:5, Kg1 20:6. Would he have called thee brother if he had been the conqueror? Would he now have called himself thy servant if he had not been reduced to the utmost strait? Canst thou suffer thyself to be thus imposed upon by a forced and counterfeit submission?" This word brother they caught at (Kg1 20:33), and were thereby encouraged to go and fetch him to the king. He that calls him brother will let him live. Let poor penitents hear God, in his word, calling them children (Jer 31:20), catch at it, echo to it, and call him Father. Ben-hadad, upon his submission, shall not only be honourably conveyed (he took him up into the chariot), but treated with as an ally (Kg1 20:34): he made a covenant with him, not consulting God's prophets, or the elders of the land, or himself, concerning what was fit to be insisted on, but, as if Ben-hadad had been conqueror, he shall make his own terms. He might now have demanded some of Ben-hadad's cities, when all of them lay at the mercy of his victorious army; but was content with the restitution of his own. He might now have demanded the stores, and treasures, and magazines of Damascus, to augment the wealth and strength of his own kingdom, but was content with a poor liberty, at his own expense, to build streets there, a point of honour and no advantage, or no more than what the kings of Syria had had in Samaria, though they had never had so much power as he had now to support the demand of it. With this covenant he sent him away, without so much as reproving him for his blasphemous reflections upon the God of Israel, for whose honour Ahab had no concern. Note, There are those on whom success is ill bestowed; they know not how to serve God, or their generation, or even their own true interests, with their prosperity. Let favour be shown to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness.
III. The reproof given to Ahab for his clemency to Ben-hadad and his covenant with him. It was given him by a prophet, in the name of the Lord, the Jews say by Micaiah, and not unlikely, for Ahab complains of him (Kg1 22:8) that he used to prophesy evil concerning him. This prophet designed to reprove Ahab by a parable, that he might oblige him to condemn himself, as Nathan and the woman of Tekoa did David. To make his parable the more plausible, he finds it necessary to put himself into the posture of a wounded soldier. 1. With some difficulty he gets himself wounded, for he would not wound himself with his own hands. He commanded one of his brother prophets, his neighbour, or companion (for so the word signifies), to smite him, and this in God's name (Kg1 20:35), but finds him not so willing to give the blow as he is to receive it; he refused to smite him: others, he thought, were forward enough to smite prophets, they need not smite one another. We cannot but think it was from a good principle he declined it. "If it must be done, let another do it, not I; I cannot find it in my heart to strike my friend." Good men can much more easily receive a wrongful blow than give one; yet because he disobeyed an express command of God (which was so much the worse if he was himself a prophet), like that other disobedient prophet (Kg1 13:24), he was presently slain by a lion, Kg1 20:36. This was intended, not only to show, in general, how provoking disobedience is (Col 3:6), but to intimate to Ahab (who no doubt was told the story) that if a good prophet were thus punished for sparing his friend and God's, when God said, Smite, of much sorer punishment should a wicked king be thought worthy, who spared his enemy and God's, when God said, Smite. Shall mortal man pretend to be more just than God, more pure or more compassionate than his Maker? We must be merciful as he is merciful, and not otherwise. The next he met with made no difficulty of smiting him (Volenti non fit injuria - He that asks for an injury is not wronged by it) and did it so that he wounded him, Kg1 20:37. He fetched blood with the blow, probably in his face. 2. Wounded as he was, and disguised with ashes that he might not be known to be a prophet, he made his application to the king in a story wherein he charged himself with such a crime as the king was now guilty of in sparing Ben-hadad, and waited for the king's judgment upon it. The case in short is this - A prisoner taken in the battle was committed to his custody by a man (we may suppose one that had authority over him as his superior officer) with this charge, If he be missing, thy life shall be for his life, Kg1 20:39. The prisoner has made his escape through his carelessness. Can the chancery in the king's breast relieve him against his captain, who demands his life in lieu of the prisoner's? "By no means," says the king, "thou shouldst either not have undertaken the trust or been more careful and faithful to it; there is no remedy (Currat lex - Let the law take its course), thou hast forfeited thy bond, and execution must go out upon it: So shall thy doom be, thou thyself hast decided it." Now the prophet has what he would have, puts off his disguise, and is known by Ahab himself to be a prophet (Kg1 20:41) and plainly tells him, "Thou art the man. Is it my doom? No, it is thine; thou thyself hast decided it. Out of thy own mouth art thou judged. God, thy superior and commander-in-chief, delivered into thy hands one plainly marked for destruction both by his own pride and God's providence, and thou hast not carelessly lost him, but wittingly and willingly dismissed him, and so hast been false to thy trust, and lost the end of thy victory; expect therefore no other than that thy life shall go for his life, which thou hast spared" (and so it did, Kg1 22:35), "and thy people for his people, whom likewise thou hast spared," and so they did afterwards, Kg2 10:32, Kg2 10:33. When their other sins brought them low, this came into the account. There is a time when keeping back the sword from blood is doing the work of the Lord deceitfully, Jer 48:10. Foolish pity spoils the city. 3. We are told how Ahab resented this reproof. He went to his house heavy and displeased (Kg1 20:43), not truly penitent, or seeking to undo what he had done amiss, but enraged at the prophet, exasperated against God (as if he had been too severe in the sentence passed upon him), and yet vexed at himself, every way out of humour, notwithstanding his victory. He who by his providence had mortified the pride of one king, by his word cast a damp upon the triumphs of another. Be wise therefore, O you kings! and be instructed to serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling, Psa 2:10, Psa 2:11.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 31–43. Public domain.
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John ChrysostomAD 407
DISCOURSE AGAINST JUDAIZING CHRISTIANS 4.2.1-2
Ahab once captured a king of Syria and, contrary to God’s decree, saved his life. He had the Syrian king enjoy a seat by his side and sent him off with great honor. About that time a prophet came to his companion and said to him, “In the word of the Lord, strike me.” But his companion was not willing to strike him. And the prophet said to him, “Because you would not listen to the word of the Lord, behold, you will depart from me, and a lion will strike you.” And he departed from him, and the lion found him and struck him. Then the prophet found another man and said, “Strike me.” And the man did strike him and wounded him, and the prophet bandaged up his own face.What greater paradox than this could there be? The man who struck the prophet was saved; the one who spared the prophet was punished. Why? That you may learn that when God commands, you must not question too much the nature of the action; you have only to obey. So that the first man might not spare him out of reverence, the prophet did not simply say “strike me” but said “strike me, in the word of God.” That is, God commands it; seek no further. It is the King who ordains it; reverence the rank of him who commands and with all eagerness heed his word. But the man lacked the courage to strike him and, on this account, he paid the ultimate penalty. But by the punishment he subsequently suffered, he encourages us to yield and obey God’s every command.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
1 Kings 20:36 vividly portrays the immediate and severe divine judgment meted out to a prophet who directly disobeys a command from the LORD, delivered through a fellow prophet. This stark incident serves as a profound demonstration of God's absolute sovereignty, the non-negotiable imperative of obedience to His revealed will, even when commands appear unusual or difficult, and sets a crucial precedent for the impending judgment upon King Ahab for his own similar act of disobedience.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: This verse is intricately woven into the broader narrative of 1 Kings 20, which primarily details King Ahab's military engagements with Ben-hadad, the king of Syria, and the significant role of divine intervention in these conflicts. Preceding this specific incident, God had miraculously granted Ahab two decisive victories over Ben-hadad, despite Israel's numerical inferiority, demonstrating His power and desire for Ahab to acknowledge Him. Following these victories, a prophet of the LORD, acting under explicit divine instruction, sought to convey a crucial message to Ahab. To prepare for this, the prophet first tested the obedience of a fellow "son of the prophets" by commanding him to strike him. This seemingly bizarre request was not arbitrary but a divinely ordained test designed to create a visual object lesson for the king. The refusal of the second prophet to obey this explicit divine instruction, despite its unusual nature and its transmission through a human agent, immediately triggers the pronouncement of judgment found in 1 Kings 20:36. This swift and severe consequence for disobedience serves as a powerful thematic parallel and direct foreshadowing of Ahab's own profound disobedience in 1 Kings 20:42, where he spares Ben-hadad against God's explicit command, thereby incurring divine wrath and sealing his own tragic fate.
Historical & Cultural Context: The historical backdrop of this passage is ancient Israel during the tumultuous reign of King Ahab (c. 874-853 BC), a period deeply marked by spiritual apostasy. Under the influence of his Phoenician wife, Jezebel, the worship of Baal and Asherah had become rampant, challenging the exclusive worship of Yahweh. Prophets of the LORD, though often marginalized, persecuted, or even killed, still functioned as God's direct spokespersons, delivering His messages to the monarchy and the populace. The term "sons of the prophets" refers to a recognized guild or community of prophets, likely disciples or apprentices, who lived and served together, indicating a structured prophetic ministry. Lions were indigenous to the geographical region of ancient Israel and were a well-known threat, frequently appearing in biblical narratives as instruments of divine judgment, symbols of power, or agents of destruction. While the act of striking another person, especially a fellow prophet, might have been culturally sensitive or personally uncomfortable, the narrative explicitly emphasizes that the command originated from "the voice of the LORD," thereby elevating it beyond mere human social norms or personal preferences and imbuing it with divine authority.
Key Themes: The central and most prominent theme permeating 1 Kings 20 and particularly highlighted by this incident is the absolute necessity of unreserved obedience to God's explicit commands. The narrative unequivocally underscores that God's word, whether conveyed directly or through His chosen human instruments, carries supreme authority and demands immediate, unquestioning compliance, regardless of the perceived difficulty or strangeness of the command. Another critical theme is the immediacy and certainty of divine judgment for disobedience. The swift execution of the prophecy by the lion highlights that God takes His commands with utmost seriousness and that the consequences for rebellion are real, severe, and often unavoidable. Furthermore, the incident powerfully reveals God's sovereignty over all creation, demonstrating His ability to employ any means, even wild animals, to accomplish His purposes and enforce His will. Finally, it profoundly touches upon the integrity and inherent authority of the prophetic word, emphasizing that a divine message, once delivered, must be heeded without equivocation, irrespective of the human messenger. This sets the crucial theological stage for understanding the profound gravity of King Ahab's later, more significant transgression in 1 Kings 20:42.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The passage employs several potent literary devices to convey its profound message with maximum impact. Foreshadowing is a prominent element, as the immediate and severe judgment on the disobedient prophet directly anticipates and underscores the gravity of King Ahab's later, greater act of disobedience in sparing Ben-hadad, which ultimately leads to Ahab's own tragic demise. The narrative also skillfully utilizes irony, as a prophet, who is by definition a messenger of God's word and one called to embody obedience, paradoxically becomes the direct recipient of God's judgment for failing to obey that very word. The symbolism of the lion is highly significant; often depicted in the Bible as a powerful and fearsome creature, and frequently as an agent of divine judgment or wrath, here it acts as a direct, undeniable, and divinely appointed instrument of God's justice, powerfully demonstrating His absolute sovereignty over the natural world to enforce His commands. Finally, the stark parallelism between the pronouncement of judgment ("as soon as thou art departed... a lion shall slay thee") and its immediate, literal fulfillment ("And as soon as he was departed... a lion found him, and slew him") creates an overwhelming sense of inevitability and underscores the absolute certainty and faithfulness of God's word.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
This incident profoundly illustrates the foundational biblical principle that unreserved obedience to God's revealed will is paramount, and that deliberate disobedience carries serious, often immediate, consequences. It highlights God's absolute authority as the sovereign Lord and His unwavering expectation that His commands, even when delivered through human instruments or appearing counter-intuitive to human reason, are to be obeyed without question, rationalization, or delay. The severity of the judgment on a prophet, a consecrated servant of God, underscores that no one, regardless of their spiritual calling or position, is exempt from divine accountability. God's holiness demands a response of humble and immediate submission from all His creatures. This serves as a sober and timeless reminder that God's word is not to be trifled with, and His character is one of both boundless grace and unyielding righteous judgment.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The account of the disobedient prophet in 1 Kings 20:36 stands as a powerful and deeply sobering call to radical, unwavering obedience in the life of every believer. It compels us to undertake a rigorous examination of our own hearts: do we selectively obey God's commands only when they are convenient, comfortable, align with our personal preferences, or make logical sense to our finite minds? Or do we cultivate a spirit of profound submission to His word even when it demands significant personal sacrifice, defies our immediate understanding, or goes directly against our natural inclinations and desires? This passage serves as a stark reminder that God's authority is absolute and supreme, and His commands are not mere suggestions but divine imperatives that demand immediate and complete compliance. While believers living under the New Covenant may not face immediate physical death for every act of disobedience, the spiritual consequences of rebellion are nonetheless profound, leading to a diminished walk with God, a forfeiture of spiritual blessings, a fracturing of our intimate relationship with Him, and a hindrance to the Spirit's work in our lives. True, living faith is demonstrated not merely by intellectual assent or emotional belief, but by active, trusting, and immediate obedience to the "voice of the LORD" in all areas of life.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why was the judgment so severe for what seems like a minor disobedience, especially for a prophet?
Answer: The severity of the judgment underscores the absolute authority of "the voice of the LORD" and the non-negotiable nature of obedience, particularly for those who are called to represent Him and communicate His will. From God's perspective, the prophet's disobedience was not a "minor" infraction, but a direct and deliberate rejection of His explicit command. It demonstrated a profound lack of trust and submission to God's wisdom and sovereign purpose, even when the command seemed unusual or personally inconvenient. Furthermore, as a prophet, he was held to a higher standard of accountability, as he was entrusted with delivering God's very word to others. His public failure to obey set a dangerous precedent, undermined the authority of the divine message, and could have led others astray. This incident also served as a stark and immediate warning to King Ahab, who would soon face judgment for his own more significant act of disobedience in 1 Kings 20:42, demonstrating God's consistent standard of justice.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
While the immediate context of 1 Kings 20:36 highlights the grave consequences of disobedience under the Old Covenant, it ultimately serves as a profound backdrop against which the perfect, unwavering obedience of Jesus Christ shines forth. Unlike the disobedient prophet, who failed to heed the "voice of the LORD," Jesus consistently and perfectly demonstrated absolute submission to His Father's will, even to the ultimate point of death on a cross. Philippians 2:8 powerfully declares that He "humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." Where humanity, from Adam in the garden to this unnamed prophet, repeatedly failed in obedience, Christ triumphantly succeeded, becoming the ultimate obedient Son. His perfect, sinless obedience not only fully satisfied the righteous demands of God's holy law but also provides the sole basis for our salvation. Through faith in Him, believers are graciously clothed in His righteousness and perfect obedience, allowing us to stand before a holy God forgiven and accepted, not on the basis of our own flawed and inconsistent obedience, but solely on the infinite merits of Christ's flawless submission. The severe judgment for disobedience, so vividly displayed in this Old Testament account, was fully and completely borne by Christ on the cross, allowing those who believe in Him to receive grace, new life, and the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit to walk in a new and Spirit-enabled obedience (Romans 6:4). He is the one who truly and perfectly "obeyed the voice of the LORD" in every respect, thereby securing our eternal hope and demonstrating the path of true discipleship (Hebrews 5:8-9).