20:13 Now a prophet visited King Ahab of Israel and said, “This is what the Lord says, ‘Do you see this huge army? 1 Look, I am going to hand it over to you this very day. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’” 20:14 Ahab asked, “By whom will this be accomplished?” 2 He answered, “This is what the Lord says, ‘By the servants of the district governors.’” Ahab 3 asked, “Who will launch the attack?” He answered, “You will.”
20:15 So Ahab 4 assembled the 232 servants of the district governors. After that he assembled all the Israelite army, numbering 7,000. 5 20:16 They marched out at noon, while Ben Hadad and the thirty-two kings allied with him were drinking heavily 6 in their quarters. 7 20:17 The servants of the district governors led the march. When Ben Hadad sent messengers, they reported back to him, “Men are marching out of Samaria.” 8 20:18 He ordered, “Whether they come in peace or to do battle, take them alive.” 9 20:19 They marched out of the city with the servants of the district governors in the lead and the army behind them. 20:20 Each one struck down an enemy soldier; 10 the Syrians fled and Israel chased them. King Ben Hadad of Syria escaped on horseback with some horsemen. 20:21 Then the king of Israel marched out and struck down the horses and chariots; he thoroughly defeated 11 Syria.
20:29 The armies were deployed opposite each other for seven days. On the seventh day the battle began, and the Israelites killed 100,000 Syrian foot soldiers in one day. 20:30 The remaining 27,000 ran to Aphek and went into the city, but the wall fell on them. 14 Now Ben Hadad ran into the city and hid in an inner room. 15
1 tn Heb “this great horde.”
2 tn The words “will this be accomplished” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
3 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Ahab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
4 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Ahab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
5 tn Heb “after them he assembled all the people, all the sons of Israel, seven thousand.”
6 tn Heb “drinking and drunken.”
7 tn Heb “in the temporary shelters.” This is probably referring to tents.
8 map For location see Map2-B1; Map4-D3; Map5-E2; Map6-A4; Map7-C1.
9 tn Heb “if they come in peace, take them alive; if they come for battle, take them alive.”
10 tn Heb “each struck down his man.”
11 tn Heb “struck down Aram with a great striking down.”
12 tn Heb “the man of God.”
13 tn Heb “I will place all this great horde in your hand.”
14 tn Heb “and the remaining ones fled to Aphek to the city and the wall fell on twenty-seven thousand men, the ones who remained.”
15 tn Heb “and Ben Hadad fled and went into the city, [into] an inner room in an inner room.”