1 Kings 20
BSA1 Now Ben-hadad [son of the false god, a Syrian king] king of Aram [also known as Syria] assembled his entire army [all his host, every available force]. Accompanied by thirty-two kings [with their armies, and horses] with their horses [chariot horses, cavalry] and chariots [vehicles, teams of horses], he marched up [went up, ascended], besieged [confined, laid siege to] Samaria [watch mountain, the capital city], and waged war [fought, battled] against it [the city, its people]. word study 2 Then he sent messengers [an ambassador, an envoy] into the city [a place with a wall or a watchman] to Ahab [a king of Israel who lived a long time ago] king [a royal person, ruler] of Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, also referring to his descendants], word study 3 saying, “This is what Ben-hadad [son of the false god Hadad] says: ‘Your silver [money, wealth] and gold [a valuable metal] are mine, and your best [most comely, goodliest] wives [women, female companions] and children [sons, descendants] are mine [belong to me, under my control]!’” word study 4 And the king [ruler, monarch] of Israel replied, “Just as you say [according to your word, as you command], my lord [master, sovereign] the king: I am yours [belong to you, at your disposal], along with all [everything, every possession] that I have [possess, own].” word study 5 The messengers [representatives, ambassadors] came back and said, “This is what Ben-hadad [son of the false god Hadad] says: ‘I have sent [dispatched, commanded] to you to demand [require, claim] your silver [money, wealth], your gold [valuable treasure], your wives [women, female companions], and your children [sons, descendants]. word study 6 But about [at the same time, around] this time tomorrow I will send [dispatch, commission] my servants [attendants, slaves] to search [examine, investigate] your palace [royal residence, kingdom] and the houses [dwellings, estates] of your servants [officials, attendants]. They will seize [take possession of, capture] and carry away [remove, plunder] all that is precious [desirable, pleasing] to you [in your sight, before your eyes].’” word study 7 Then the king [ruler, monarch] of Israel summoned [called, gathered] all the elders [responsible men, leaders] of the land [territory, nation] and said, “Please take note [be aware, understand] and see [perceive, realize] that this man [Ben-Hadad, the adversary] is looking for trouble [seeking mischief, evil], for when he demanded [sent for, requested] my wives [women, female companions], my children [sons, descendants], my silver [wealth, treasure], and my gold [riches, precious metal], I did not deny [withhold, refuse] him [his request, demand].” word study 8 And the elders [old, experienced leaders] and the people [a nation, all the citizens] all said, “Do not [refuse to, never] listen [hear and obey, pay attention] to him or [under no circumstances] consent [agree, be willing, acquiesce] to his terms [requests, demands, proposals].” word study 9 So Ahab answered the messengers [representatives, ambassadors] of Ben-hadad, “Tell my lord [master, ruler] the king, ‘All that you demanded [requested, required] of your servant [subject, follower] the first time [initially, at the beginning] I will do, but this thing [matter, request] I cannot [am not able, have no power to] do.’” So the messengers [emissaries, couriers] departed and relayed [brought back, reported] the message [word, response] to Ben-hadad. word study 10 Then Ben-hadad [the Syrian king, son of the false god Hadad] sent another message to Ahab: “May the gods [Elohim, the supreme rulers] deal with me, and ever so severely [with great punishment], if enough dust [dry earth] remains of Samaria [the watch mountain, capital city] for each of my men to have a handful [the hollow of the hand, a small quantity].” word study 11 And the king [ruler, monarch] of Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, also referring to his descendants] replied, “Tell him: ‘The one [soldier, warrior] putting on [girding, preparing] his armor [harness, equipment] should not boast [be foolish, celebrate] like [as] one taking [loosing, removing] it off [after the battle].’” word study 12 Ben-hadad received this message [while he was drinking, as he heard] while he and the kings [rulers, royal persons] were drinking [feasting, carousing] in their tents [booths, pavilions], and he said [commanded, spoke] to his servants [attendants, slaves], “Take your positions [set yourselves in array, prepare to attack].” So they stationed themselves [set themselves, prepared to attack] against the city [town, urban settlement]. word study 13 Meanwhile [at the same time, simultaneously] a prophet [one who speaks for God] approached [drew near, came up to] Ahab king [royal ruler, monarch] of Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, God’s chosen people] and declared [said, spoke], “This is what the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] says: ‘Do you see [have you looked at, perceived] this entire [whole, complete] great [large, numerous] army [multitude, crowd]? Behold [look, see], I will deliver [give, put] it into your hand [power, control] this very day [today, at this time], and you will know [understand, recognize] that I am [exist as, am the one true] the LORD [Yehovah].’” word study 14 “By whom?” Ahab [the king of Israel] asked. And the prophet replied, “This is what the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] says: ‘By the young officers [servants of the princes, rulers] of the district governors [provinces, regions].’” “Who [what person, which one] will start the battle [war, conflict]?” asked Ahab. “You [as the king, thou] will,” answered the prophet. word study 15 So Ahab assembled [gathered, mustered] the young officers [servants, princes] of the district governors [provincial rulers, leaders], and there were 232 men [youth, two hundred and thirty-two]. And after them [behind, following], he assembled [numbered, reckoned] the rest of the Israelite [children of Israel, God’s people] troops [army, people], 7,000 [seven thousand] in all [everything, the whole]. word study 16 They marched out [at midday, in the middle of the day] at noon while Ben-hadad [son of the false god Hadad] and the 32 [two and thirty] kings allied [helping, assisting] with him were in their tents [booths, pavilions] getting drunk [intoxicated, drunk with wine]. word study 17 And the young [youth, servants] officers of the district [province, region] governors marched out [came out, went forward] first [at the beginning, in the lead]. Now Ben-hadad [son of the false god Hadad] had sent out [dispatched, commissioned] scouts [messengers, spies], who reported to him, “Men [individuals, people] are marching out [coming out, advancing] of Samaria [the capital city, watch mountain].” word study 18 “If they have marched out [come out, gone forth] in peace [shalom, completeness and wellness],” he said, “take them alive [capture them living, seize them without killing]. Even if they have marched out [come out, gone forth] for war [battle, conflict], take them alive [capture them living, seize them without killing].” word study 19 Meanwhile, these [specific, particular] young officers [servants, attendants] of the district governors [princes, rulers] marched out of the city [town, settlement], with the army [force, military strength] behind them [following, in the rear], word study 20 and each one struck down [slew, killed] his opponent [man, enemy]. So the Arameans [Syrians, people of Aram] fled [ran away, escaped], with the Israelites [descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people] in pursuit [chasing, following]. But Ben-hadad [son of the false god Hadad] king of Aram [also known as Syria] escaped [got away safely, was delivered] on horseback [upon a horse, with cavalry] with the cavalry [horsemen, soldiers on horses]. word study 21 Then the king [ruler, monarch] of Israel marched out and attacked [struck, smote] the horses [chariot horses, cavalry] and chariots [vehicles, teams of horses], inflicting [causing, dealing] a great [large, severe] slaughter [defeat, carnage] on the Arameans [Syrians, people of Aram]. word study 22 Afterward, the prophet [a spokesperson for God] approached the king [a royal ruler] of Israel [the descendants of Jacob] and said, “Go and strengthen [be courageous, take courage] your position, and take note [be aware, consider] what you must do, for in the spring [at the turn of the year] the king [the ruler] of Aram [Syria, a neighboring region] will come up [ascend, attack] against you [in battle, with hostile intent].” word study 23 Meanwhile, the servants [or slaves, attendants] of the king of Aram [also known as Syria] said to him, “Their gods [divine beings, Elohim] are gods [deities, supernatural powers] of the hills [mountains, high places]. That is why they prevailed [were stronger, overcame] over us. Instead, we should fight [engage in battle, wage war] them on the plains [lowlands, flat areas] [in the plain, on level ground]; surely then we will prevail [be stronger, triumph]. word study 24 So do this: Dismiss [remove, turn aside] all the kings [royal leaders, rulers] from their positions [places, locations] and replace them with other officers [commanders, governors, captains]. word study 25 And you [as a commander, you personally] must raise an army [muster a force, gather troops] like the one you have lost [that was defeated, which fell in battle]—horse [cavalry, chariot horses] for horse and chariot [vehicle, war carriage] for chariot—so we can fight [engage in battle, wage war] the Israelites [the people of God, Jacob’s descendants] on the plain [in the open field, on level ground], where we will surely [without a doubt, certainly] prevail [be stronger, gain the victory].” And the king [the ruler, the sovereign] approved [listened to, heeded] their plan [counsel, advice] and acted [did, carried out] accordingly [in agreement, as suggested]. word study 26 In the spring [at the return of the year, a year later], Ben-hadad [son of the false god Hadad] mobilized [mustered, numbered, gathered] the Arameans [Syrians, people of Aram] and went up [to ascend, rise] to Aphek [a city, an enclosure] to fight [to battle, make war] against Israel [God’s chosen people, the descendants of Jacob]. word study 27 The Israelites [children of Israel, descendants of Jacob] also mobilized [were mustered], gathered [were victualled, took supplies] supplies, and marched out [went against them] to meet them [to encounter, to confront them]. The Israelites [sons of Israel] camped [pitched, encamped] before them [in their presence, opposite them] like two small [little, young] flocks of goats [kids, female goats], while the Arameans [Syrians, people of Aram] covered [filled, overflowed] the countryside [land, earth, region]. word study 28 Then the man [a prophet, messenger of God] of God approached the king [ruler, monarch] of Israel and said, “This is what the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] says: ‘Because the Arameans [Syrians, people of Aram] think the LORD [God of the hills] is a god of the hills [mountains, high places] and not of the valleys [lowlands, plains], I will deliver all this great [large, numerous] army into your hand [power, control]. Then you will know [understand, recognize] that I am the LORD [the one true God].’” word study 29 For [a period of] seven [complete, sacred] days the armies [host, military forces] camped [pitched their tents, set up camp] opposite [face to face, before] each other, and on the seventh [complete] day the battle [war, conflict] ensued [was joined, began], and the Israelites [sons of Israel, God’s chosen people] struck down [slew, smote] the Arameans [Syrians, people of Aram]—a [large number, multitude of] hundred [many, numerous] thousand [a vast, uncountable] foot soldiers [infantry, men on foot] in [the space of, during] one [single, solitary] day. word study 30 The rest [remaining, who were left] of them fled [ran away quickly, escaped] into the city [town, urban area] of Aphek [a place of enclosure], where the wall [barrier, fortification] fell [collapsed, came down] on twenty-seven thousand [27,000, a large number] of the remaining men [people, individuals]. Ben-hadad [son of the false god Hadad] also fled [ran away, escaped] to the city [town, urban area] and hid [concealed himself, went into hiding] in an inner room [chamber, private quarters, a private room or chamber]. word study 31 Then the servants [attendants, officials] of Ben-hadad said to him, “Look now [behold, see], we have heard [been informed, learned] that the kings [rulers, monarchs] of the house [dynasty, family] of Israel are merciful [kind, compassionate, having Chesed, loving-kindness]. Let us go out [proceed, depart] to the king [ruler, sovereign] of Israel with sackcloth [coarse cloth] around our waists [loins, hips] and ropes [cords] around our heads [as a sign of humility]. Perhaps [it may be, possibly] he will spare [save, preserve] your life [soul, existence].” word study 32 So with [coarse, mourning] sackcloth around their waists [loins, small of the back] and ropes [cords, measured areas] around their heads [the topmost part of the body], they went to the king [royal person, ruler] of Israel [symbolic name of Jacob, descendants] and said, “Your servant [one who serves, slave] Ben-hadad [son of the false god Hadad] says, ‘Please [I pray, politely] spare my life [let me live, have soul].’” And the king answered, “Is he still [yet, continuing] alive [having life, being revived]? He is my brother [male sibling, close relative].” word study 33 Now the men [diligently observing, watching carefully] were looking for a sign of hope [a good omen, a favorable indication], and they quickly grasped at this word [catching the phrase, seizing the opportunity] and replied, “Yes, your brother [relative, close kin] Ben-hadad [son of Hadad, the Syrian king].” “Go [come, approach] and get him!” said the king. Then Ben-hadad [the Syrian king, son of Hadad] came out [emerged, appeared], and Ahab had him come up [ascended, went up] into his chariot [vehicle, means of transportation]. word study 34 Ben-hadad said to him, “I will restore [give back, return] the cities [towns, settlements] my father took [captured, seized] from your father; you may set up [establish, organize] your own marketplaces [streets, trading areas] in Damascus [the capital city of Syria], as my father did [had done, established] in Samaria [the capital city of Israel].” “By this treaty [covenant, agreement] I release [set free, let go] you,” Ahab replied. So he made a treaty [covenant, pact] with him and sent [let go, dismissed] him away. word study 35 Meanwhile, by the word [divine message, command] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], one [a certain, unique] of the sons [descendants, prophets in training] of the prophets [those who speak for God] said to his companion [fellow, neighbor], “Strike [hit, wound] me, please [I pray, if you will]!” But the man [individual, person] refused [said no, rejected] to strike [hit, smite] him. word study 36 Then the prophet said to him, “Because [as a result, since] you have not obeyed [listened to, heeded] the voice [sound, utterance] of the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God], as soon as you depart [leave, go away] from me a lion will kill [slay, strike down] you.” And when he left [walked away, departed], a lion found [came upon, discovered] him and killed [struck down, slew] him. word study 37 Then the prophet [a spokesperson for God] found [discovered, came across] another [different, next] man [a male person, individual] and said [spoke, commanded], “Strike [hit, smite] me, please [I pray thee]!” So the man [the individual, person] struck [hit, smote] him and wounded [hurt, injured] him, word study 38 and the prophet [a spokesperson for God] went and waited [stood watch, expected] on the road [way, path, journey] for the king [royal ruler, monarch], disguising [hiding, concealing] himself with a bandage [ashes, headband, covering] over his eyes [sight, vision, perception]. word study 39 As the king [ruler, sovereign] passed by, he cried out to the king: “Your servant [bondservant, one who serves] had marched out into the middle [midst, center] of the battle [war, conflict], when suddenly a man [individual, person] came over with a captive [prisoner, one taken] and told me, ‘Guard [watch, protect] this man! If he goes missing [is lost, disappears] for any reason, your life [soul, being] will be exchanged [traded, given] for his life, or you will weigh out [pay, give] a talent [unit of weight, large amount] of silver [precious metal, valuable resource]. ’ word study 40 But while your servant [attendant, one who serves] was busy [occupied, engaged in other tasks] here and there, the man disappeared [was gone, vanished].” And the king [ruler, sovereign] of Israel [God’s chosen people] said to him, “So shall your judgment [justice, verdict] be; you have pronounced [decided, determined] it on yourself [your own judgment, your own condemnation].” word study 41 Then the prophet [one who speaks for God] quickly [with haste, in a rush] removed [turned aside, took away] the bandage [ashes, headband] from his eyes [sources of sight, understanding], and the king [ruler, monarch] of Israel [the descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people] recognized [discerned, acknowledged] him as one of the prophets [those who speak for God, messengers of the divine]. word study 42 And the prophet said to the king, “This is what the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] says: ‘Because you have let slip [released, sent away] from your hand [power, authority] the man I had devoted [appointed to destruction, doomed] to destruction, your life [soul, living being] will be exchanged [take the place] for his life, and your people [nation, tribe] for his people.’” word study 43 Sullen [heavy and displeased, bitter] and angry [vexed, stubborn], the king [ruler, royal person] of Israel [the descendants of Jacob] went home [to his house, place] to Samaria [the capital city of the northern kingdom, watch mountain] [sulking and infuriated, depressed/dejected]. word study