And Benhadad the king of Syria gathered all his host together: and
[there were] thirty and two (a) kings with him, and horses, and
chariots: and he went up and besieged Samaria, and warred against it.
(a) That is, governors and rulers of provinces.... [ Continue Reading ]
And the king of Israel answered and said, My lord, O king, according
to thy saying, (b) I [am] thine, and all that I have.
(b) I am content to obey and pay tribute.... [ Continue Reading ]
(c) 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.
(c) He would not accept his answer unless he o... [ Continue Reading ]
And all the elders and all the people said unto him, Hearken (d) not
[unto him], nor consent.
(d) They thought it their duty to risk their lives, rather than grant
that thing which was not lawful, only to satisfy the lust of a tyrant.... [ Continue Reading ]
And Benhadad sent unto him, and said, The gods do so unto me, and more
also, if the (e) dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all
the people that follow me.
(e) Much less will there be found any prey that is worth anything,
when they are so many.... [ Continue Reading ]
And the king of Israel answered and said, Tell [him], Let not him that
girdeth on [his harness] boast himself as he that (f) putteth it off.
(f) Do not boast before the victory is won.... [ Continue Reading ]
And, behold, there came a prophet unto Ahab king of Israel, saying,
Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou seen all this great multitude? behold,
I will deliver it into thine hand this day; and thou shalt know (g)
that I [am] the LORD.
(g) Before God went about with signs and miracles to pull Ahab from
his... [ Continue Reading ]
And the (h) young men of the princes of the provinces went out first;
and Benhadad sent out, and they told him, saying, There are men come
out of Samaria.
(h) That is, young men trained in the service of princes.... [ Continue Reading ]
And they slew every one his man: and the Syrians fled; and Israel
pursued them: and Benhadad the king of Syria escaped on an horse with
the (i) horsemen.
(i) They who were appointed for the preservation of his person.... [ Continue Reading ]
And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him, Their (k) gods
[are] gods of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we; but let
us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger
than they.
(k) Thus the wicked blaspheme God in their fury, who nonetheless he
does not perm... [ Continue Reading ]
And the children of Israel were numbered, and were all (l) present,
and went against them: and the children of Israel pitched before them
like two little flocks of kids; but the Syrians filled the country.
(l) All those who were in the battle of the previous years, (1 Kings
20:15).... [ Continue Reading ]
And there came a man of God, and spake unto the king of Israel, and
said, Thus saith the LORD, Because the Syrians have said, The LORD
[is] God of the hills, but he [is] not God of the valleys, therefore
will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shall
know that (m) I [am] the L... [ Continue Reading ]
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 (n) loins, and ropes upon our heads, and go
out to the king of Israel: peradventure he will save thy life.
(n) In sign of submission and th... [ Continue Reading ]
Now the men did diligently observe whether [any thing would come] from
him, and did hastily catch [it]: and they said, Thy brother (o)
Benhadad. Then he said, Go ye, bring him. Then Benhadad came forth to
him; and he caused him to come up into the chariot.
(o) He is alive.... [ Continue Reading ]
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
(p) 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.
(p) You... [ Continue Reading ]
And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said unto his neighbour
in the word of the LORD, (q) Smite me, I pray thee. And the man
refused to smite him.
(q) By this external sign he would more likely touch the king's heart.... [ Continue Reading ]
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 (r)
slay thee. And as soon as he was departed from him, a lion found him,
and slew him.
(r) Because you have transgressed the commandment of the Lord.... [ Continue Reading ]
And as the king passed by, he cried unto the king: and he said, (s)
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 tal... [ Continue Reading ]