Discovery Box1 Kings 15:20 
Context15:20 Ben Hadad accepted King Asa’s offer and ordered his army commanders to attack the cities of Israel. 1 They conquered 2 Ijon, Dan, Abel Beth Maacah, and all the territory of Naphtali, including the region of Kinnereth. 3
1 Kings 20:1
Context20:1 Now King Ben Hadad of Syria assembled all his army, along with thirty-two other kings with their horses and chariots. He marched against Samaria 4 and besieged and attacked it. 5
1 Kings 20:10
Context20:10 Ben Hadad sent another message to him, “May the gods judge me severely 6 if there is enough dirt left in Samaria for my soldiers to scoop up in their hands.” 7
1 Kings 20:12
Context20:12 When Ben Hadad received this reply, 8 he and the other kings were drinking in their quarters. 9 He ordered his servants, “Get ready to attack!” So they got ready to attack the city.
1 Kings 20:30
Context20:30 The remaining 27,000 ran to Aphek and went into the city, but the wall fell on them. 10 Now Ben Hadad ran into the city and hid in an inner room. 11
1 Kings 20:32
Context20:32 So they put sackcloth around their waists and ropes on their heads and went to the king of Israel. They said, “Your servant 12 Ben Hadad says, ‘Please let me live!’” Ahab 13 replied, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.” 14
1 tn Heb “and Ben Hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of the armies which belonged to him against the cities of Israel.”
2 tn Heb “he struck down.”
3 tn Heb “and all Kinnereth together with all the land of Naphtali.”
4 map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.
5 tn Heb “and he went up and besieged Samaria and fought against it.”
6 tn Heb “So may the gods do to me, and so may they add.”
7 tn Heb “if the dirt of Samaria suffices for the handfuls of all the people who are at my feet.”
8 tn Heb “When he heard this word.”
9 tn Heb “in the temporary shelters.” This is probably referring to tents.
10 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.”
11 tn Heb “and Ben Hadad fled and went into the city, [into] an inner room in an inner room.”
12 sn 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.
13 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Ahab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
14 sn He is my brother. Ahab’s response indicates that he wants to make a parity treaty and treat Ben Hadad as an equal partner.
