What Does 1 Kings 22:27 Mean in the King James?
And say, Thus saith the king, Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I come in peace.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The king calls his own return “peace” while making pressure another person’s daily bread and water.
THE MEANING
One person is confined and kept under pressure while the ruler expects to return in wholeness. That pressure marks even the bread and water meant to sustain the prisoner. The ruler’s peace does not include him.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
This undoes the belief that a leader’s promise of a peaceful return means peace reaches everyone under that leader’s power.
THE ROOT
לַחַץ
laḥaṣ
GROWS FROM
ל־ח־ץ
l-ḥ-ṣ
To press, squeeze, or oppress.
“affliction” in this verse is laḥaṣ. The word applied to both bread and water carries the sense of pressure or oppression. Even what sustains the confined person is made part of that pressure.
ALSO GROWS
lāḥaṣ: To exert pressure or oppress.
לָחַץ
This verb shows the action beneath the affliction named in the verse.
lōḥēṣ: A person who applies pressure or oppression.
לֹחֵץ
The same root names both the pressure and the one who imposes it.
בְּשָׁלוֹם
be-shālōm
GROWS FROM
ש־ל־ם
sh-l-m
Wholeness, completeness, or being intact.
The word translated “peace” is shalom, carrying the sense of wholeness or intactness. The king anticipates returning intact while the person under his order endures unrelieved pressure.
ALSO GROWS
šālēm: Whole or complete.
שָׁלֵם
It names the intact condition the king expects for his own return.
šillēm: To repay or recompense.
שִׁלֵּם
This branch gives the root an active edge: wholeness can involve making good what is owed.
THE PATTERN
A claim of peace can coexist with open wounds or conceal harm already moving toward others.
The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.THE THREAD
And Micaiah said, If thou return at all in peace, the LORD hath not spoken by me. And he said, Hearken, O people, every one of you.The same word, shalom, becomes the test of whether Micaiah’s words are true. The king’s expected peace is no longer an assumption; it is the very claim put to the test.
Read the SDV Bible.
Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.
The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.
Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us