¹map For location see Map2-B1; Map4-D3; Map5-E2; Map6-A4; Map7-C1.
²tn Heb “and he went up and besieged Samaria and fought against it.”
³tn Heb “to the city.”
⁴tn Heb “all that is desirable to your eyes they will put in their hand and take.”
⁵tn Heb “elders.”
⁶tn Heb “Know and see that this [man] is seeking trouble.”
⁷tn Heb “Do not listen and do not be willing.”
⁸tn Heb “all which you sent to your servant in the beginning I will do, but this thing I am unable to do.”
⁹tn Heb “So may the gods do to me, and so may they add.”
¹⁰tn Heb “if the dirt of Samaria suffices for the handfuls of all the people who are at my feet.”
¹¹sn The point of the saying is that someone who is still preparing for a battle should not boast as if he has already won the battle. A modern parallel would be, “Don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched.”
¹²tn Heb “When he heard this word.”
¹³tn Heb “in the temporary shelters.” This is probably referring to tents.
¹⁴tn Heb “this great horde.”
¹⁵tn The words “will this be accomplished” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
¹⁶tn Heb “he”; the referent (Ahab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
¹⁷tn Heb “he”; the referent (Ahab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
¹⁸tn Heb “after them he assembled all the people, all the sons of Israel, seven thousand.”
¹⁹tn Heb “drinking and drunken.”
²⁰tn Heb “in the temporary shelters.” This is probably referring to tents.
²¹map For location see Map2-B1; Map4-D3; Map5-E2; Map6-A4; Map7-C1.
²²tn Heb “if they come in peace, take them alive; if they come for battle, take them alive.”
²³tn Heb “each struck down his man.”
²⁴tn Heb “struck down Aram with a great striking down.”
²⁵tn The definite article indicates previous reference, that is, “the prophet mentioned earlier” (see v. 13).
²⁶tn Heb “strengthen yourself.”
²⁷tn Heb “know and see.”
²⁸tn Heb “at the turning of the year.”
²⁹tn Heb “go up against.”
³⁰tn Or “servants.”
³¹tn Heb “And you, you muster an army like the one that fell from you, horse like horse and chariot like chariot.”
³²tn Heb “he listened to their voice and did so.”
³³tn Heb “at the turning of the year.”
³⁴tn Heb “mustered Aram.”
³⁵tn Heb “and went up to Aphek for battle with Israel.”
³⁶tn The noun translated “small flocks” occurs only here. The common interpretation derives the word from the verbal root [cj, “to strip off; to make bare.” In this case the noun refers to something “stripped off” or “made bare.” HALOT 359 s.v. II [cj derives the noun from a proposed homonymic verbal root (which occurs only in Ps 29:9) meaning “cause a premature birth.” In this case the derived noun could refer to goats that are undersized because they are born prematurely.
³⁷tn Heb “the man of God.”
³⁸tn Heb “I will place all this great horde in your hand.”
³⁹tn Heb “and the remaining ones fled to Aphek to the city and the wall fell on twenty-seven thousand men, the ones who remained.”
⁴⁰tn Heb “and Ben Hadad fled and went into the city, [into] an inner room in an inner room.”
⁴¹tn Or “servants.”
⁴²tn Or “merciful.” The word used here often means “devoted” or “loyal.” Perhaps the idea is that the Israelite kings are willing to make treaties with other kings.
⁴³sn Sackcloth was worn as a sign of sorrow and repentance. The precise significance of the ropes on the head is uncertain, but it probably was a sign of submission. These actions were comparable to raising a white flag on the battlefield or throwing in the towel in a boxing match.
⁴⁴tn Heb “go out.”
⁴⁵sn Your servant. By referring to Ben Hadad as Ahab’s servant, they are suggesting that Ahab make him a subject in a vassal treaty arrangement.
⁴⁶tn Heb “he”; the referent (Ahab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
⁴⁷sn He is my brother. Ahab’s response indicates that he wants to make a parity treaty and treat Ben Hadad as an equal partner.
⁴⁸tn Heb “he”; the referent (Ahab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
⁴⁹tn Heb “he”; the referent (Ben Hadad) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
⁵⁰tn Heb “streets,” but this must refer to streets set up with stalls for merchants to sell their goods. See HALOT 299 s.v. JWj.
⁵¹map For location see Map2-B1; Map4-D3; Map5-E2; Map6-A4; Map7-C1.
⁵²tn Heb “I will send you away with a treaty.” The words “Ahab then said” are supplied in the translation. There is nothing in the Hebrew text to indicate that the speaker has changed from Ben Hadad to Ahab. Some suggest adding “and he said” before “I will send you away.” Others prefer to maintain Ben Hadad as the speaker and change the statement to, “Please send me away with a treaty.”
⁵³tn Heb “Now a man from the sons of the prophets said to his companion by the word of the Lord, ‘Wound me.’”
⁵⁴tn Heb “he”; the referent (the prophet) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
⁵⁵tn Heb “and the man wounded him, wounding and bruising.”
⁵⁶tn Heb “middle.”
⁵⁷tn Heb “man” (also a second time later in this verse).
⁵⁸tn Heb “if being missed, he is missed.” The emphatic infinitive absolute before the finite verbal form lends solemnity to the warning.
⁵⁹sn Unit. The Hebrew term rK*K! (kikkar, “circle”) refers generally to something that is round. When used of metals it can refer to a disk-shaped weight made of the metal or to a standard unit of weight.
⁶⁰tn Heb “your life will be in place of his life, or a unit of silver you will pay.”
⁶¹tn Heb “so [i.e., in accordance with his testimony] is your judgment, you have determined [it].”
⁶²tn Heb “he”; the referent (the prophet) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
⁶³tn Heb “he”; the referent (the prophet) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
⁶⁴tn Heb “Because you sent away the man of my destruction [i.e., that I determined should be destroyed] from [my/your?] hand, your life will be in place of his life, and your people in place of his people.”
⁶⁵map For location see Map2-B1; Map4-D3; Map5-E2; Map6-A4; Map7-C1.