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.
And he said to him, 'This is what the LORD says: Because you have released from your hand a man whom I had marked for complete destruction, your life will be taken in place of his life, and your people will suffer in place of his people.'
God is declaring judgment on King Ahab because he spared the life of an enemy king whom God had commanded to be destroyed.
📚 Historical Context
In the biblical narrative of 1 Kings, King Ahab of Israel was engaged in a war against the Arameans, where God had delivered a victory and commanded the destruction of their king, Ben-Hadad, as a matter of divine judgment. However, Ahab chose to spare Ben-Hadad and make a treaty with him, disregarding God's explicit instructions through a prophet. This act of rebellion set the stage for the prophet's declaration of consequences, highlighting the seriousness of defying God's will in ancient Israel's history.
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