Becker Bible Teacher Resources

1 Kings 20:13-30

Ahab defeats the Syrians

13 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 that I [am] the LORD. 14 And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, Thus saith the LORD, [Even] by the young men of the princes of the provinces. Then he said, Who shall order the battle? And he answered, Thou. 15 Then he numbered the young men of the princes of the provinces, and they were two hundred and thirty two: and after them he numbered all the people, [even] all the children of Israel, [being] seven thousand. 16 And they went out at noon. But Benhadad [was] drinking himself drunk in the pavilions, he and the kings, the thirty and two kings that helped him. 17 And the 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. 18 And he said, Whether they be come out for peace, take them alive; or whether they be come out for war, take them alive. 19 So these young men of the princes of the provinces came out of the city, and the army which followed them. 20 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 horsemen. 21 And the king of Israel went out, and smote the horses and chariots, and slew the Syrians with a great slaughter.

 22 ¶ And the prophet came to the king of Israel, and said unto him, Go, strengthen thyself, and mark, and see what thou doest: for at the return of the year the king of Syria will come up against thee. 23 And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him, Their 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. 24 And do this thing, Take the kings away, every man out of his place, and put captains in their rooms: 25 And number thee an army, like the army that thou hast lost, horse for horse, and chariot for chariot: and we will fight against them in the plain, [and] surely we shall be stronger than they. And he hearkened unto their voice, and did so. 26 And it came to pass at the return of the year, that Benhadad numbered the Syrians, and went up to Aphek, to fight against Israel. 27 And the children of Israel were numbered, and were all 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. 28 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 I [am] the LORD. 29 And they pitched one over against the other seven days. And [so] it was, that in the seventh day the battle was joined: and the children of Israel slew of the Syrians an hundred thousand footmen in one day. 30 But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city; and [there] a wall fell upon twenty and seven thousand of the men [that were] left. And Benhadad fled, and came into the city, into an inner chamber.

13      וְהִנֵּ֣ה׀ נָבִ֣יא אֶחָ֗ד נִגַּשׁ֮ אֶל־אַחְאָ֣ב מֶֽלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ וַיֹּ֗אמֶר כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה הְֽרָאִ֔יתָ אֵ֛ת כָּל־הֶהָמ֥וֹן הַגָּד֖וֹל הַזֶּ֑ה הִנְנִ֨י נֹתְנ֤וֹ בְיָֽדְךָ֙ הַיּ֔וֹם וְיָדַעְתָּ֖ כִּֽי־אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה׃
14      וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אַחְאָב֙ בְּמִ֔י וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ כֹּֽה־אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה בְּנַעֲרֵ֖י שָׂרֵ֣י הַמְּדִינ֑וֹת וַיֹּ֛אמֶר מִֽי־יֶאְסֹ֥ר הַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אָֽתָּה׃
15      וַיִּפְקֹ֗ד אֶֽת־נַעֲרֵי֙ שָׂרֵ֣י הַמְּדִינ֔וֹת וַיִּהְי֕וּ מָאתַ֖יִם שְׁנַ֣יִם וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֑ים וְאַחֲרֵיהֶ֗ם פָּקַ֧ד אֶת־כָּל־הָעָ֛ם כָּל־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל שִׁבְעַ֥ת אֲלָפִֽים׃
16      וַיֵּצְא֖וּ בַּֽצָּהֳרָ֑יִם וּבֶן־הֲדַד֩ שֹׁתֶ֨ה שִׁכּ֜וֹר בַּסֻּכּ֗וֹת ה֧וּא וְהַמְּלָכִ֛ים שְׁלֹשִֽׁים־וּשְׁנַ֥יִם מֶ֖לֶךְ עֹזֵ֥ר אֹתֽוֹ׃
17      וַיֵּצְא֗וּ נַעֲרֵ֛י שָׂרֵ֥י הַמְּדִינ֖וֹת בָּרִֽאשֹׁנָ֑ה וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח בֶּן־הֲדַ֗ד וַיַּגִּ֤ידוּ לוֹ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר אֲנָשִׁ֕ים יָצְא֖וּ מִשֹּׁמְרֽוֹן׃
18      וַיֹּ֛אמֶר אִם־לְשָׁל֥וֹם יָצָ֖אוּ תִּפְשׂ֣וּם חַיִּ֑ים וְאִ֧ם לְמִלְחָמָ֛ה יָצָ֖אוּ חַיִּ֥ים תִּפְשֽׂוּם׃
19      וְאֵ֙לֶּה֙ יָצְא֣וּ מִן־הָעִ֔יר נַעֲרֵ֖י שָׂרֵ֣י הַמְּדִינ֑וֹת וְהַחַ֖יִל אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַחֲרֵיהֶֽם׃
20      וַיַּכּוּ֙ אִ֣ישׁ אִישׁ֔וֹ וַיָּנֻ֣סוּ אֲרָ֔ם וַֽיִּרְדְּפֵ֖ם יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיִּמָּלֵ֗ט בֶּן־הֲדַד֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ אֲרָ֔ם עַל־ס֖וּס וּפָרָשִֽׁים׃
21      וַיֵּצֵא֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַיַּ֥ךְ אֶת־הַסּ֖וּס וְאֶת־הָרָ֑כֶב וְהִכָּ֥ה בַאֲרָ֖ם מַכָּ֥ה גְדוֹלָֽה׃
22      וַיִּגַּ֤שׁ הַנָּבִיא֙ אֶל־מֶ֣לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לוֹ֙ לֵ֣ךְ הִתְחַזַּ֔ק וְדַ֥ע וּרְאֵ֖ה אֵ֣ת אֲשֶֽׁר־תַּעֲשֶׂ֑ה כִּ֚י לִתְשׁוּבַ֣ת הַשָּׁנָ֔ה מֶ֥לֶךְ אֲרָ֖ם עֹלֶ֥ה עָלֶֽיךָ׃ ס
23      וְעַבְדֵ֨י מֶֽלֶךְ־אֲרָ֜ם אָמְר֣וּ אֵלָ֗יו אֱלֹהֵ֤י הָרִים֙ אֱלֹ֣הֵיהֶ֔ם עַל־כֵּ֖ן חָזְק֣וּ מִמֶּ֑נּוּ וְאוּלָ֗ם נִלָּחֵ֤ם אִתָּם֙ בַּמִּישׁ֔וֹר אִם־לֹ֥א נֶחֱזַ֖ק מֵהֶֽם׃
24      וְאֶת־הַדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּ֖ה עֲשֵׂ֑ה הָסֵ֤ר הַמְּלָכִים֙ אִ֣ישׁ מִמְּקֹמ֔וֹ וְשִׂ֥ים פַּח֖וֹת תַּחְתֵּיהֶֽם׃
25      וְאַתָּ֣ה תִֽמְנֶה־לְךָ֣׀ חַ֡יִל כַּחַיִל֩ הַנֹּפֵ֨ל מֵאוֹתָ֜ךְ וְס֣וּס כַּסּ֣וּס׀ וְרֶ֣כֶב כָּרֶ֗כֶב וְנִֽלָּחֲמָ֤ה אוֹתָם֙ בַּמִּישׁ֔וֹר אִם־לֹ֥א נֶחֱזַ֖ק מֵהֶ֑ם וַיִּשְׁמַ֥ע לְקֹלָ֖ם וַיַּ֥עַשׂ כֵּֽן׃ פ
26      וַֽיְהִי֙ לִתְשׁוּבַ֣ת הַשָּׁנָ֔ה וַיִּפְקֹ֥ד בֶּן־הֲדַ֖ד אֶת־אֲרָ֑ם וַיַּ֣עַל אֲפֵ֔קָה לַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה עִם־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
27      וּבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל הָתְפָּקְדוּ֙ וְכָלְכְּל֔וּ וַיֵּלְכ֖וּ לִקְרָאתָ֑ם וַיַּחֲנ֨וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל נֶגְדָּ֗ם כִּשְׁנֵי֙ חֲשִׂפֵ֣י עִזִּ֔ים וַאֲרָ֖ם מִלְא֥וּ אֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
28      וַיִּגַּ֞שׁ אִ֣ישׁ הָאֱלֹהִ֗ים וַיֹּאמֶר֮ אֶל־מֶ֣לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ וַיֹּ֜אמֶר כֹּֽה־אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה יַ֠עַן אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָמְר֤וּ אֲרָם֙ אֱלֹהֵ֤י הָרִים֙ יְהוָ֔ה וְלֹֽא־אֱלֹהֵ֥י עֲמָקִ֖ים ה֑וּא וְ֠נָתַתִּי אֶת־כָּל־הֶהָמ֨וֹן הַגָּ֤דוֹל הַזֶּה֙ בְּיָדֶ֔ךָ וִֽידַעְתֶּ֖ם כִּֽי־אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה׃
29      וַֽיַּחֲנ֧וּ אֵ֦לֶּה נֹ֥כַח אֵ֖לֶּה שִׁבְעַ֣ת יָמִ֑ים וַיְהִ֣י׀ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗י וַתִּקְרַב֙ הַמִּלְחָמָ֔ה וַיַּכּ֨וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֧ל אֶת־אֲרָ֛ם מֵאָה־אֶ֥לֶף רַגְלִ֖י בְּי֥וֹם אֶחָֽד׃
30      וַיָּנֻ֨סוּ הַנּוֹתָרִ֥ים׀ אֲפֵקָה֮ אֶל־הָעִיר֒ וַתִּפֹּל֙ הַחוֹמָ֔ה עַל־עֶשְׂרִ֨ים וְשִׁבְעָ֥ה אֶ֛לֶף אִ֖ישׁ הַנּוֹתָרִ֑ים וּבֶן־הֲדַ֣ד נָ֔ס וַיָּבֹ֥א אֶל־הָעִ֖יר חֶ֥דֶר בְּחָֽדֶר׃ ס

The Lexham Hebrew Bible (Logos Bible Software, 2012).