Overview
The Bible addresses ambassadors across 12 verses, drawn from the Old Testament. These passages cluster most in 1 Kings, 2 Kings and Isaiah. Closely related themes include Samaria, Ancient, Syria, Kings and Sieges. Figures whose stories touch this theme include Hezekiah, Ahab, Jehu and Ahaz.
Key Bible verses about ambassadors
Old Testament
1 Kings
And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city, and said unto him, Thus saith Benhadad,
Thy silver and thy gold is mine; thy wives also and thy children, even the goodliest, are mine.
And the king of Israel answered and said, My lord, O king, according to thy saying, I am thine, and all that I have.
And the messengers came again, and said, Thus speaketh Benhadad, saying, Although I have sent unto thee, saying, Thou shalt deliver me thy silver, and thy gold, and thy wives, and thy children;
Yet I will send my servants unto thee to morrow about this time, and they shall search thine house, and the houses of thy servants; and it shall be, that whatsoever is pleasant in thine eyes, they shall put it in their hand, and take it away. pleasant: Heb. desirable
2 Kings
Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us look one another in the face.
So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, saying, I am thy servant and thy son: come up, and save me out of the hand of the king of Syria, and out of the hand of the king of Israel, which rise up against me.
At that time Berodachbaladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present unto Hezekiah: for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick. Berodachbaladan: or, Merodachbaladan
Isaiah
At that time Merodachbaladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah: for he had heard that he had been sick, and was recovered.
And Hezekiah was glad of them, and shewed them the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armour, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah shewed them not. precious things: or, spicery armour: or, jewels: Heb. vessels, or, instruments
People in the Bible and ambassadors
Biblical figures whose stories intersect with this theme.
In the Bible dictionary
Studying ambassadors for yourself
- Begin with Joshua 9:4, then read the passages below in canonical order.
- Compare how 1 Kings, 2 Kings and Isaiah each treat the theme.
- Consider the lives of Hezekiah, Ahab and Jehu and how their stories intersect with it.
- Widen the study to related themes: Samaria, Ancient, Syria, Kings and Sieges.
Frequently asked questions
What does the Bible say about ambassadors?
The Bible addresses ambassadors across 12 verses, drawn from the Old Testament. These passages cluster most in 1 Kings, 2 Kings and Isaiah. Closely related themes include Samaria, Ancient, Syria, Kings and Sieges. Figures whose stories touch this theme include Hezekiah, Ahab, Jehu and Ahaz.
How many Bible verses are about ambassadors?
The Bible references ambassadors in 12 verses (King James Version).
Where does the Bible first mention ambassadors?
In canonical order, the first of these passages is Joshua 9:4: “They did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles, old, and rent, and bound up;”
Which people in the Bible are associated with ambassadors?
Hezekiah, Ahab, Jehu and Ahaz.
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