1 Raja-raja 16:28-33
Konteks16:28 Omri passed away 1 and was buried in Samaria. His son Ahab replaced him as king. 2
16:29 In the thirty-eighth year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Omri’s son Ahab became king over Israel. Ahab son of Omri ruled over Israel for twenty-two years in Samaria. 3 16:30 Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the sight of 4 the Lord than all who were before him. 16:31 As if following in the sinful footsteps of Jeroboam son of Nebat were not bad enough, he married Jezebel the daughter of King Ethbaal of the Sidonians. Then he worshiped and bowed to Baal. 5 16:32 He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal he had built in Samaria. 16:33 Ahab also made an Asherah pole; he 6 did more to anger the Lord God of Israel than all the kings of Israel who were before him.
1 Raja-raja 18:1--19:1
Konteks18:1 Some time later, in the third year of the famine, the Lord told Elijah, 7 “Go, make an appearance before Ahab, so I may send rain on the surface of the ground.” 18:2 So Elijah went to make an appearance before Ahab.
Now the famine was severe in Samaria. 8 18:3 So Ahab summoned Obadiah, who supervised the palace. (Now Obadiah was a very loyal follower of the Lord. 9 18:4 When Jezebel was killing 10 the Lord’s prophets, Obadiah took one hundred prophets and hid them in two caves in two groups of fifty. He also brought them food and water.) 18:5 Ahab told Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the springs and valleys. Maybe we can find some grazing areas 11 so we can keep the horses and mules alive and not have to kill 12 some of the animals.” 18:6 They divided up the land between them; Ahab went 13 one way and Obadiah went the other.
18:7 As Obadiah was traveling along, Elijah met him. 14 When he recognized him, he fell facedown to the ground and said, “Is it really you, my master, Elijah?” 18:8 He replied, “Yes, 15 go and say to your master, ‘Elijah is back.’” 16 18:9 Obadiah 17 said, “What sin have I committed that you are ready to hand your servant over to Ahab for execution? 18 18:10 As certainly as the Lord your God lives, my master has sent to every nation and kingdom in an effort to find you. When they say, ‘He’s not here,’ he makes them 19 swear an oath that they could not find you. 18:11 Now you say, ‘Go and say to your master, “Elijah is back.”’ 20 18:12 But when I leave you, the Lord’s spirit will carry you away so I can’t find you. 21 If I go tell Ahab I’ve seen you, he won’t be able to find you and he will kill me. 22 That would not be fair, 23 because your servant has been a loyal follower of 24 the Lord from my youth. 18:13 Certainly my master is aware of what I did 25 when Jezebel was killing the Lord’s prophets. I hid one hundred of the Lord’s prophets in two caves in two groups of fifty and I brought them food and water. 18:14 Now you say, ‘Go and say to your master, “Elijah is back,”’ 26 but he will kill me.” 18:15 But Elijah said, “As certainly as the Lord who rules over all 27 lives (whom I serve), 28 I will make an appearance before him today.”
18:16 When Obadiah went and informed Ahab, the king went to meet Elijah. 29 18:17 When Ahab saw Elijah, he 30 said to him, “Is it really you, the one who brings disaster 31 on Israel?” 18:18 Elijah 32 replied, “I have not brought disaster 33 on Israel. But you and your father’s dynasty have, by abandoning the Lord’s commandments and following the Baals. 18:19 Now send out messengers 34 and assemble all Israel before me at Mount Carmel, as well as the 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah whom Jezebel supports. 35
18:20 Ahab sent messengers to all the Israelites and had the prophets assemble at Mount Carmel. 18:21 Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long are you going to be paralyzed by indecision? 36 If the Lord is the true God, 37 then follow him, but if Baal is, follow him!” But the people did not say a word. 18:22 Elijah said to them: 38 “I am the only prophet of the Lord who is left, but there are 450 prophets of Baal. 18:23 Let them bring us two bulls. Let them choose one of the bulls for themselves, cut it up into pieces, and place it on the wood. But they must not set it on fire. I will do the same to the other bull and place it on the wood. But I will not set it on fire. 18:24 Then you 39 will invoke the name of your god, and I will invoke the name of the Lord. The god who responds with fire will demonstrate that he is the true God.” 40 All the people responded, “This will be a fair test.” 41
18:25 Elijah told the prophets of Baal, “Choose one of the bulls for yourselves and go first, for you are the majority. Invoke the name of your god, but do not light a fire.” 42 18:26 So they took a bull, as he had suggested, 43 and prepared it. They invoked the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “Baal, answer us.” But there was no sound and no answer. They jumped 44 around on the altar they had made. 45 18:27 At noon Elijah mocked them, “Yell louder! After all, he is a god; he may be deep in thought, or perhaps he stepped out for a moment or has taken a trip. Perhaps he is sleeping and needs to be awakened.” 46 18:28 So they yelled louder and, in accordance with their prescribed ritual, 47 mutilated themselves with swords and spears until their bodies were covered with blood. 48 18:29 Throughout the afternoon they were in an ecstatic frenzy, 49 but there was no sound, no answer, and no response. 50
18:30 Elijah then told all the people, “Approach me.” So all the people approached him. He repaired the altar of the Lord that had been torn down. 51 18:31 Then Elijah took twelve stones, corresponding to the number of tribes that descended from Jacob, to whom the Lord had said, “Israel will be your new 52 name.” 53 18:32 With the stones he constructed an altar for the Lord. 54 Around the altar he made a trench large enough to contain two seahs 55 of seed. 18:33 He arranged the wood, cut up the bull, and placed it on the wood. 18:34 Then he said, “Fill four water jars and pour the water on the offering and the wood.” When they had done so, 56 he said, “Do it again.” So they did it again. Then he said, “Do it a third time.” So they did it a third time. 18:35 The water flowed down all sides of the altar and filled the trench. 18:36 When it was time for the evening offering, 57 Elijah the prophet approached the altar 58 and prayed: “O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, prove 59 today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. 18:37 Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, O Lord, are the true God 60 and that you are winning back their allegiance.” 61 18:38 Then fire from the Lord fell from the sky. 62 It consumed the offering, the wood, the stones, and the dirt, and licked up the water in the trench. 18:39 When all the people saw this, they threw themselves down with their faces to the ground and said, “The Lord is the true God! 63 The Lord is the true God!” 18:40 Elijah told them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Don’t let even one of them escape!” So they seized them, and Elijah led them down to the Kishon Valley and executed 64 them there.
18:41 Then Elijah told Ahab, “Go on up and eat and drink, for the sound of a heavy rainstorm can be heard.” 65 18:42 So Ahab went on up to eat and drink, while Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel. He bent down toward the ground and put his face between his knees. 18:43 He told his servant, “Go on up and look in the direction of the sea.” So he went on up, looked, and reported, “There is nothing.” 66 Seven times Elijah sent him to look. 67 18:44 The seventh time the servant 68 said, “Look, a small cloud, the size of the palm of a man’s hand, is rising up from the sea.” Elijah 69 then said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Hitch up the chariots and go down, so that the rain won’t overtake you.’” 70 18:45 Meanwhile the sky was covered with dark clouds, the wind blew, and there was a heavy rainstorm. Ahab rode toward 71 Jezreel. 18:46 Now the Lord energized Elijah with power; 72 he tucked his robe into his belt 73 and ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.
19:1 Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, including a detailed account of how he killed all the prophets with the sword.
1 Raja-raja 20:2--22:40
Konteks20:2 He sent messengers to King Ahab of Israel, who was in the city. 74 20:3 He said to him, “This is what Ben Hadad says, ‘Your silver and your gold are mine, as well as the best of your wives and sons.’” 20:4 The king of Israel replied, “It is just as you say, my master, O king. I and all I own belong to you.”
20:5 The messengers came again and said, “This is what Ben Hadad says, ‘I sent this message to you, “You must give me your silver, gold, wives, and sons.” 20:6 But now at this time tomorrow I will send my servants to you and they will search through your palace and your servants’ houses. They will carry away all your valuables.” 75 20:7 The king of Israel summoned all the leaders 76 of the land and said, “Notice how this man is looking for trouble. 77 Indeed, he demanded my wives, sons, silver, and gold, and I did not resist him.” 20:8 All the leaders and people said to him, “Do not give in or agree to his demands.” 78 20:9 So he said to the messengers of Ben Hadad, “Say this to my master, the king, ‘I will give you everything you demanded at first from your servant, but I am unable to agree to this latest demand.’” 79 So the messengers went back and gave their report.
20:10 Ben Hadad sent another message to him, “May the gods judge me severely 80 if there is enough dirt left in Samaria for my soldiers to scoop up in their hands.” 81 20:11 The king of Israel replied, “Tell him the one who puts on his battle gear should not boast like one who is taking it off.” 82 20:12 When Ben Hadad received this reply, 83 he and the other kings were drinking in their quarters. 84 He ordered his servants, “Get ready to attack!” So they got ready to attack the city.
20:13 Now a prophet visited King Ahab of Israel and said, “This is what the Lord says, ‘Do you see this huge army? 85 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?” 86 He answered, “This is what the Lord says, ‘By the servants of the district governors.’” Ahab 87 asked, “Who will launch the attack?” He answered, “You will.”
20:15 So Ahab 88 assembled the 232 servants of the district governors. After that he assembled all the Israelite army, numbering 7,000. 89 20:16 They marched out at noon, while Ben Hadad and the thirty-two kings allied with him were drinking heavily 90 in their quarters. 91 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.” 92 20:18 He ordered, “Whether they come in peace or to do battle, take them alive.” 93 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; 94 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 95 Syria.
20:22 The prophet 96 visited the king of Israel and instructed him, “Go, fortify your defenses. 97 Determine 98 what you must do, for in the spring 99 the king of Syria will attack 100 you.” 20:23 Now the advisers 101 of the king of Syria said to him: “Their God is a god of the mountains. That’s why they overpowered us. But if we fight them in the plains, we will certainly overpower them. 20:24 So do this: Dismiss the kings from their command, and replace them with military commanders. 20:25 Muster an army like the one you lost, with the same number of horses and chariots. 102 Then we will fight them in the plains; we will certainly overpower them.” He approved their plan and did as they advised. 103
20:26 In the spring 104 Ben Hadad mustered the Syrian army 105 and marched to Aphek to fight Israel. 106 20:27 When the Israelites had mustered and had received their supplies, they marched out to face them in battle. When the Israelites deployed opposite them, they were like two small flocks 107 of goats, but the Syrians filled the land. 20:28 The prophet 108 visited the king of Israel and said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Because the Syrians said, “The Lord is a god of the mountains and not a god of the valleys,” I will hand over to you this entire huge army. 109 Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”
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. 110 Now Ben Hadad ran into the city and hid in an inner room. 111 20:31 His advisers 112 said to him, “Look, we have heard that the kings of the Israelite dynasty are kind. 113 Allow us to put sackcloth around our waists and ropes on our heads 114 and surrender 115 to the king of Israel. Maybe he will spare our lives.” 20:32 So they put sackcloth around their waists and ropes on their heads and went to the king of Israel. They said, “Your servant 116 Ben Hadad says, ‘Please let me live!’” Ahab 117 replied, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.” 118 20:33 The men took this as a good omen and quickly accepted his offer, saying, “Ben Hadad is your brother.” Ahab 119 then said, “Go, get him.” So Ben Hadad came out to him, and Ahab pulled him up into his chariot. 20:34 Ben Hadad 120 said, “I will return the cities my father took from your father. You may set up markets 121 in Damascus, just as my father did in Samaria.” 122 Ahab then said, “I want to make a treaty with you before I dismiss you.” 123 So he made a treaty with him and then dismissed him.
20:35 One of the members of the prophetic guild, speaking with divine authority, ordered his companion, “Wound me!” 124 But the man refused to wound him. 20:36 So the prophet 125 said to him, “Because you have disobeyed the Lord, as soon as you leave me a lion will kill you.” When he left him, a lion attacked and killed him. 20:37 He found another man and said, “Wound me!” So the man wounded him severely. 126 20:38 The prophet then went and stood by the road, waiting for the king. He also disguised himself by putting a bandage down over his eyes. 20:39 When the king passed by, he called out to the king, “Your servant went out into the heat 127 of the battle, and then a man turned aside and brought me a prisoner. 128 He told me, ‘Guard this prisoner. If he ends up missing for any reason, 129 you will pay with your life or with a talent 130 of silver.’ 131 20:40 Well, it just so happened that while your servant was doing this and that, he disappeared.” The king of Israel said to him, “Your punishment is already determined by your own testimony.” 132 20:41 The prophet 133 quickly removed the bandage from his eyes and the king of Israel recognized he was one of the prophets. 20:42 The prophet 134 then said to him, “This is what the Lord says, ‘Because you released a man I had determined should die, you will pay with your life and your people will suffer instead of his people.’” 135 20:43 The king of Israel went home to Samaria 136 bitter and angry.
21:1 After this the following episode took place. 137 Naboth the Jezreelite owned a vineyard in Jezreel adjacent to the palace of King Ahab of Samaria. 138 21:2 Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard so I can make a vegetable garden out of it, for it is adjacent to my palace. I will give you an even better vineyard in its place, or if you prefer, 139 I will pay you silver for it.” 140 21:3 But Naboth replied to Ahab, “The Lord forbid that I should sell you my ancestral inheritance.” 141
21:4 So Ahab went into his palace, bitter and angry that Naboth the Jezreelite had said, 142 “I will not sell to you my ancestral inheritance.” 143 He lay down on his bed, pouted, 144 and would not eat. 21:5 Then his wife Jezebel came in and said to him, “Why do you have a bitter attitude and refuse to eat?” 21:6 He answered her, “While I was talking to Naboth the Jezreelite, I said to him, ‘Sell me your vineyard for silver, or if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard in its place.’ But he said, ‘I will not sell you my vineyard.’” 145 21:7 His wife Jezebel said to him, “You are the king of Israel! 146 Get up, eat some food, and have a good time. 147 I will get the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite for you.”
21:8 She wrote out orders, 148 signed Ahab’s name to them, 149 and sealed them with his seal. She then sent the orders 150 to the leaders 151 and to the nobles who lived in Naboth’s city. 152 21:9 This is what she wrote: 153 “Observe a time of fasting and seat Naboth in front of the people. 21:10 Also seat two villains opposite him and have them testify, ‘You cursed God and the king.’ Then take him out and stone him to death.”
21:11 The men of the 154 city, the leaders 155 and the nobles who lived there, 156 followed the written orders Jezebel had sent them. 157 21:12 They observed a time of fasting and put Naboth in front of the people. 21:13 The two villains arrived and sat opposite him. Then the villains testified against Naboth right before the people, saying, “Naboth cursed God and the king.” So they dragged him 158 outside the city and stoned him to death. 159 21:14 Then they reported to Jezebel, “Naboth has been stoned to death.” 160
21:15 When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she 161 said to Ahab, “Get up, take possession of the vineyard Naboth the Jezreelite refused to sell you for silver, for Naboth is no longer alive; he’s dead.” 21:16 When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, 162 he got up and went down to take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.
21:17 The Lord told Elijah the Tishbite: 163 21:18 “Get up, go down and meet King Ahab of Israel who lives in Samaria. He is at the vineyard of Naboth; he has gone down there to take possession of it. 21:19 Say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: “Haven’t you committed murder and taken possession of the property of the deceased?”’ Then say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: “In the spot where dogs licked up Naboth’s blood they will also lick up your blood – yes, yours!”’”
21:20 When Elijah arrived, Ahab said to him, 164 “So, you have found me, my enemy!” Elijah 165 replied, “I have found you, because you are committed 166 to doing evil in the sight of 167 the Lord. 21:21 The Lord says, 168 ‘Look, I am ready to bring disaster 169 on you. I will destroy you 170 and cut off every last male belonging to Ahab in Israel, including even the weak and incapacitated. 171 21:22 I will make your dynasty 172 like those of Jeroboam son of Nebat and Baasha son of Ahijah because you angered me and made Israel sin.’ 173 21:23 The Lord says this about Jezebel, ‘Dogs will devour Jezebel by the outer wall 174 of Jezreel.’ 21:24 As for Ahab’s family, dogs will eat the ones 175 who die in the city, and the birds of the sky will eat the ones who die in the country.” 21:25 (There had never been anyone like Ahab, who was firmly committed 176 to doing evil in the sight of 177 the Lord, urged on by his wife Jezebel. 178 21:26 He was so wicked he worshiped the disgusting idols, 179 just like the Amorites 180 whom the Lord had driven out from before the Israelites.)
21:27 When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and fasted. He slept in sackcloth and walked around dejected. 21:28 The Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, 181 21:29 “Have you noticed how Ahab shows remorse 182 before me? Because he shows remorse before me, I will not bring disaster on his dynasty during his lifetime, but during the reign of his son.” 183
22:1 There was no war between Syria and Israel for three years. 184 22:2 In the third year King Jehoshaphat of Judah came down to visit 185 the king of Israel. 22:3 The king of Israel said to his servants, “Surely you recognize that Ramoth Gilead belongs to us, though we are hesitant to reclaim it from the king of Syria.” 186 22:4 Then he said to Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to attack Ramoth Gilead?” Jehoshaphat replied to the king of Israel, “I will support you; my army and horses are at your disposal.” 187 22:5 Then Jehoshaphat added, 188 “First seek an oracle from the Lord.” 189 22:6 So the king of Israel assembled about four hundred prophets and asked them, “Should I attack Ramoth Gilead or not?” 190 They said, “Attack! The sovereign one 191 will hand it over to the king.” 22:7 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not a prophet of the Lord still here, that we may ask him?” 22:8 The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man through whom we can seek the Lord’s will. 192 But I despise 193 him because he does not prophesy prosperity for me, but disaster. His name is Micaiah son of Imlah. 194 Jehoshaphat said, “The king should not say such things.” 22:9 The king of Israel summoned an official and said, “Quickly bring Micaiah son of Imlah.”
22:10 Now the king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah were sitting on their respective thrones, 195 dressed in their robes, at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria. 196 All the prophets were prophesying before them. 22:11 Zedekiah son of Kenaanah made iron horns and said, “This is what the Lord says, ‘With these you will gore Syria until they are destroyed.’” 22:12 All the prophets were prophesying the same, saying, “Attack Ramoth Gilead! You will succeed; the Lord will hand it over to the king.” 22:13 Now the messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, “Look, the prophets are in complete agreement that the king will succeed. 197 Your words must agree with theirs; you must predict success.” 198 22:14 But Micaiah said, “As certainly as the Lord lives, I will say what the Lord tells me to say.”
22:15 When he came before the king, the king asked him, “Micaiah, should we attack Ramoth Gilead or not?” He answered him, “Attack! You will succeed; the Lord will hand it over to the king.” 199 22:16 The king said to him, “How many times must I make you solemnly promise in 200 the name of the Lord to tell me only the truth?” 22:17 Micaiah 201 said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains like sheep that have no shepherd. Then the Lord said, ‘They have no master. They should go home in peace.’” 22:18 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you he does not prophesy prosperity for me, but disaster?” 22:19 Micaiah 202 said, “That being the case, hear the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, with all the heavenly assembly standing on his right and on his left. 22:20 The Lord said, ‘Who will deceive Ahab, so he will attack Ramoth Gilead and die 203 there?’ One said this and another that. 22:21 Then a spirit 204 stepped forward and stood before the Lord. He said, ‘I will deceive him.’ The Lord asked him, ‘How?’ 22:22 He replied, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ The Lord 205 said, ‘Deceive and overpower him. 206 Go out and do as you have proposed.’ 22:23 So now, look, the Lord has placed a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours; but the Lord has decreed disaster for you.” 22:24 Zedekiah son of Kenaanah approached, hit Micaiah on the jaw, and said, “Which way did the Lord’s spirit go when he went from me to speak to you?” 22:25 Micaiah replied, “Look, you will see in the day when you go into an inner room to hide.” 22:26 Then the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the city official and Joash the king’s son. 22:27 Say, ‘This is what the king says, “Put this man in prison. Give him only a little bread and water 207 until I safely return.”’” 208 22:28 Micaiah said, “If you really do safely return, then the Lord has not spoken through me.” Then he added, “Take note, 209 all you people.”
22:29 The king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah attacked Ramoth Gilead. 22:30 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and then enter 210 into the battle; but you wear your royal robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and then entered into the battle. 22:31 Now the king of Syria had ordered his thirty-two chariot commanders, “Do not fight common soldiers or high-ranking officers; 211 fight only the king of Israel.” 22:32 When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “He must be the king of Israel.” So they turned and attacked him, but Jehoshaphat cried out. 22:33 When the chariot commanders realized he was not the king of Israel, they turned away from him. 22:34 Now an archer shot an arrow at random, 212 and it struck the king of Israel between the plates of his armor. The king 213 ordered his charioteer, “Turn around and take me from the battle line, 214 because I’m wounded.” 22:35 While the battle raged throughout the day, the king stood propped up in his chariot opposite the Syrians. He died in the evening; the blood from the wound ran down into the bottom of the chariot. 22:36 As the sun was setting, a cry went through the camp, “Each one should return to his city and to his homeland.” 22:37 So the king died and was taken to Samaria, where they buried him. 215 22:38 They washed off the chariot at the pool of Samaria (this was where the prostitutes bathed); 216 dogs licked his blood, just as the Lord had said would happen. 217
22:39 The rest of the events of Ahab’s reign, including a record of his accomplishments and how he built a luxurious palace and various cities, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel. 218 22:40 Ahab passed away. 219 His son Ahaziah replaced him as king.
[16:28] 1 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”
[16:28] 2 tc The Old Greek has eight additional verses here. Cf. 1 Kgs 22:41-44.
[16:29] 3 map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.
[16:30] 4 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
[16:31] 5 tn Heb “and he went and served Baal and bowed down to him.”
[16:31] sn The Canaanites worshiped Baal as a storm and fertility god.
[16:33] 6 tn Heb “Ahab”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[18:1] 7 tn Heb “the word of the
[18:2] 8 map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.
[18:3] 9 tn Heb “now Obadiah greatly feared the
[18:4] 10 tn Heb “cutting off.”
[18:5] 12 tn Heb “to cut off.”
[18:6] 13 tn The Hebrew text has “alone” here and again in reference to Obadiah toward the end of the verse.
[18:7] 14 tn Heb “look, Elijah [came] to meet him.”
[18:8] 16 tn Heb “Look, Elijah”; or “Elijah is here.”
[18:9] 17 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Obadiah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:9] 18 tn Heb “to kill me.”
[18:10] 19 tn Heb “he makes the kingdom or the nation swear an oath.”
[18:11] 20 tn Heb “Look, Elijah”; or “Elijah is here.”
[18:12] 21 tn Heb “to [a place] which I do not know.”
[18:12] 22 tn Heb “and I will go to inform Ahab and he will not find you and he will kill me.”
[18:12] 23 tn The words “that would not be fair” are added to clarify the logic of Obadiah’s argument.
[18:12] 24 tn Heb “has feared the
[18:13] 25 tn Heb “Has it not been told to my master what I did…?” The rhetorical question expects an answer, “Of course it has!”
[18:14] 26 tn Heb “Look, Elijah”; or “Elijah is here.”
[18:15] 27 tn Traditionally, “the
[18:15] 28 tn Heb “(before whom I stand).”
[18:16] 29 tn Heb “Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah.”
[18:18] 32 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elijah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:19] 34 tn The word “messengers” is supplied in the translation both here and in v. 20 for clarification.
[18:19] 35 tn Heb “who eat at the table of Jezebel.”
[18:21] 36 tn Heb “How long are you going to limp around on two crutches?” (see HALOT 762 s.v. סְעִפִּים). In context this idiomatic expression refers to indecision rather than physical disability.
[18:22] 38 tn Heb “to the people.”
[18:24] 39 tn Elijah now directly addresses the prophets.
[18:24] 41 tn Heb “The matter [i.e., proposal] is good [i.e., acceptable].”
[18:25] 42 tc The last sentence of v. 25 is absent in the Syriac Peshitta.
[18:26] 43 tn Heb “and they took the bull which he allowed them.”
[18:26] 44 tn Heb “limped” (the same verb is used in v. 21).
[18:26] 45 tc The MT has “which he made,” but some medieval Hebrew
[18:27] 46 sn Elijah’s sarcastic proposals would have been especially offensive and irritating to Baal’s prophets, for they believed Baal was imprisoned in the underworld as death’s captive during this time of drought. Elijah’s apparent ignorance of their theology is probably designed for dramatic effect; indeed the suggestion that Baal is away on a trip or deep in sleep comes precariously close to the truth as viewed by the prophets.
[18:28] 47 tn Or “as was their custom.”
[18:28] 48 tn Heb “until blood poured out on them.”
[18:28] sn mutilated…covered with blood. This self-mutilation was a mourning rite designed to facilitate Baal’s return from the underworld.
[18:29] 49 tn Heb “when noon passed they prophesied until the offering up of the offering.”
[18:29] 50 tc The Old Greek translation and Syriac Peshitta include the following words here: “When it was time to offer the sacrifice, Elijah the Tishbite spoke to the prophets of the abominations: ‘Stand aside for the time being, and I will offer my burnt offering.’ So they stood aside and departed.”
[18:29] sn In 2 Kgs 4:31 the words “there was no sound and there was no response” are used to describe a dead boy. Similar words are used here to describe the god Baal as dead and therefore unresponsive.
[18:30] 51 sn Torn down. The condition of the altar symbolizes the spiritual state of the people.
[18:31] 52 tn The word “new” is implied but not actually present in the Hebrew text.
[18:31] 53 sn Israel will be your new name. See Gen 32:28; 35:10.
[18:32] 54 tn Heb “and he built the stones into an altar in the name of the
[18:32] 55 tn A seah was a dry measure equivalent to about seven quarts.
[18:34] 56 tn The words “when they had done so” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[18:36] 57 tn Heb “at the offering up of the offering.”
[18:36] 58 tn The words “the altar” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[18:36] 59 tn Heb “let it be known.”
[18:37] 61 tn Heb “that you are turning their heart[s] back.”
[18:38] 62 tn The words “from the sky” are added for stylistic reasons.
[18:39] 63 tn Heb “the God” (the phrase occurs twice in this verse).
[18:40] 64 tn Or “slaughtered.”
[18:41] 65 tn Heb “for [there is] the sound of the roar of the rain.”
[18:43] 66 sn So he went on up, looked, and reported, “There is nothing.” Several times in this chapter those addressed by Elijah obey his orders. In vv. 20 and 42 Ahab does as instructed, in vv. 26 and 28 the prophets follow Elijah’s advice, and in vv. 30, 34, 40 and 43 the people and servants do as they are told. By juxtaposing Elijah’s commands with accounts of those commands being obeyed, the narrator emphasizes the authority of the
[18:43] 67 tn Heb “He said, ‘Return,’ seven times.”
[18:44] 68 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the servant) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:44] 69 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elijah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:44] 70 tn Heb “so that the rain won’t restrain you.”
[18:45] 71 tn Heb “rode and went to.”
[18:46] 72 tn Heb “and the hand of the
[18:46] 73 tn Heb “and girded up his loins.” The idea is that of gathering up the robes and tucking them into the sash or belt so that they do not get in the way of the legs when running (or working or fighting).
[20:2] 74 tn Heb “to the city.”
[20:6] 75 tn Heb “all that is desirable to your eyes they will put in their hand and take.”
[20:7] 77 tn Heb “Know and see that this [man] is seeking trouble.”
[20:8] 78 tn Heb “Do not listen and do not be willing.”
[20:9] 79 tn Heb “all which you sent to your servant in the beginning I will do, but this thing I am unable to do.”
[20:10] 80 tn Heb “So may the gods do to me, and so may they add.”
[20:10] 81 tn Heb “if the dirt of Samaria suffices for the handfuls of all the people who are at my feet.”
[20:11] 82 sn 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.”
[20:12] 83 tn Heb “When he heard this word.”
[20:12] 84 tn Heb “in the temporary shelters.” This is probably referring to tents.
[20:13] 85 tn Heb “this great horde.”
[20:14] 86 tn The words “will this be accomplished” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[20:14] 87 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Ahab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[20:15] 88 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Ahab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[20:15] 89 tn Heb “after them he assembled all the people, all the sons of Israel, seven thousand.”
[20:16] 90 tn Heb “drinking and drunken.”
[20:16] 91 tn Heb “in the temporary shelters.” This is probably referring to tents.
[20:17] 92 map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.
[20:18] 93 tn Heb “if they come in peace, take them alive; if they come for battle, take them alive.”
[20:20] 94 tn Heb “each struck down his man.”
[20:21] 95 tn Heb “struck down Aram with a great striking down.”
[20:22] 96 tn The definite article indicates previous reference, that is, “the prophet mentioned earlier” (see v. 13).
[20:22] 97 tn Heb “strengthen yourself.”
[20:22] 98 tn Heb “know and see.”
[20:22] 99 tn Heb “at the turning of the year.”
[20:22] 100 tn Heb “go up against.”
[20:25] 102 tn Heb “And you, you muster an army like the one that fell from you, horse like horse and chariot like chariot.”
[20:25] 103 tn Heb “he listened to their voice and did so.”
[20:26] 104 tn Heb “at the turning of the year.”
[20:26] 105 tn Heb “mustered Aram.”
[20:26] 106 tn Heb “and went up to Aphek for battle with Israel.”
[20:27] 107 tn The noun translated “small flocks” occurs only here. The common interpretation derives the word from the verbal root חשׂף, “to strip off; to make bare.” In this case the noun refers to something “stripped off” or “made bare.” HALOT 359 s.v. II חשׂף 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.
[20:28] 108 tn Heb “the man of God.”
[20:28] 109 tn Heb “I will place all this great horde in your hand.”
[20:30] 110 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.”
[20:30] 111 tn Heb “and Ben Hadad fled and went into the city, [into] an inner room in an inner room.”
[20:31] 113 tn 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.
[20:31] 114 sn 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.
[20:32] 116 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.
[20:32] 117 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Ahab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[20:32] 118 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.
[20:33] 119 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Ahab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[20:34] 120 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Ben Hadad) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[20:34] 121 tn Heb “streets,” but this must refer to streets set up with stalls for merchants to sell their goods. See HALOT 299 s.v. חוּץ.
[20:34] 122 map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.
[20:34] 123 tn 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.”
[20:35] 124 tn Heb “Now a man from the sons of the prophets said to his companion by the word of the
[20:36] 125 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the prophet) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[20:37] 126 tn Heb “and the man wounded him, wounding and bruising.”
[20:39] 128 tn Heb “man” (also a second time later in this verse).
[20:39] 129 tn Heb “if being missed, he is missed.” The emphatic infinitive absolute before the finite verbal form lends solemnity to the warning.
[20:39] 130 tn The Hebrew term כִּכָּר (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, generally regarded as a talent. Since the accepted weight for a talent of metal is about 75 pounds, this would have amounted to about 75 pounds of silver.
[20:39] 131 tn Heb “your life will be in place of his life, or a unit of silver you will pay.”
[20:40] 132 tn Heb “so [i.e., in accordance with his testimony] is your judgment, you have determined [it].”
[20:41] 133 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the prophet) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[20:42] 134 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the prophet) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[20:42] 135 tn 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.”
[20:43] 136 map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.
[21:1] 137 tn Heb “after these things.” The words “the following episode took place” are added for stylistic reasons.
[21:1] 138 sn King Ahab of Samaria. Samaria, as the capital of the northern kingdom, here stands for the nation of Israel.
[21:1] map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.
[21:2] 139 tn Heb “if it is good in your eyes.”
[21:2] 140 tc The Old Greek translation includes the following words: “And it will be mine as a garden of herbs.”
[21:3] 141 tn Heb “Far be it from me, by the
[21:4] 142 tn Heb “on account of the word that Naboth the Jezreelite spoke to him.”
[21:4] 143 tn Heb “I will not give to you the inheritance of my fathers.”
[21:4] 144 tn Heb “turned away his face.”
[21:6] 145 tn Heb “While I was talking…, I said…, he said….” Ahab’s explanation is one lengthy sentence in the Hebrew text, which is divided in the English translation for stylistic reasons.
[21:7] 146 tn Heb “You, now, you are exercising kingship over Israel.”
[21:7] 147 tn Heb “so your heart [i.e., disposition] might be well.”
[21:8] 149 tn Heb “in the name of Ahab.”
[21:8] 152 tn Heb “to the nobles who were in his city, the ones who lived with Naboth.”
[21:9] 153 tn Heb “she wrote on the scrolls, saying.”
[21:11] 156 tn Heb “and the nobles who were living in his city.”
[21:11] 157 tn Heb “did as Jezebel sent to them, just as was written in the scrolls which she sent to them.”
[21:13] 159 tn Heb “and they stoned him with stones and he died.”
[21:14] 160 tn Heb “Naboth was stoned and he died.” So also in v. 15.
[21:15] 161 tn Heb “Jezebel”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“she”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[21:16] 162 tc The Old Greek translation includes the following words here: “he tore his garments and put on sackcloth. After these things.”
[21:17] 163 tn Heb “the word of the
[21:20] 164 tn Heb “and Ahab said to Elijah.” The narrative is elliptical and streamlined. The words “when Elijah arrived” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[21:20] 165 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elijah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[21:20] 166 tn Heb “you have sold yourself.”
[21:20] 167 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
[21:21] 168 tn The introductory formula “the
[21:21] 169 sn Disaster. There is a wordplay in the Hebrew text. The word translated “disaster” (רָעָה, ra’ah) is similar to the word translated “evil” (v. 20, הָרַע, hara’). Ahab’s sins would receive an appropriate punishment.
[21:21] 170 tn Heb “I will burn after you.” Some take the verb בָּעַר (ba’ar) to mean here “sweep away.” See the discussion of this verb in the notes at 14:10 and 16:3.
[21:21] 171 tn Heb “and I will cut off from Ahab those who urinate against a wall, [including both those who are] restrained and let free [or “abandoned”] in Israel.” The precise meaning of the idiomatic phrase עָצוּר וְעָזוּב (’atsur vÿ’azuv, translated here “weak and incapacitated”) is uncertain. For various options see HALOT 871 s.v. עצר and M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 107. The two terms are usually taken as polar opposites (“slaves and freemen” or “minors and adults”), but Cogan and Tadmor, on the basis of contextual considerations (note the usage with אֶפֶס (’efes), “nothing but”) in Deut 32:36 and 2 Kgs 14:26, argue convincingly that the terms are synonyms, meaning “restrained and abandoned,” and refer to incapable or incapacitated individuals.
[21:22] 173 tn Heb “because of the provocation by which you angered [me], and you caused Israel to sin.”
[21:23] 174 tc A few Hebrew
[21:24] 175 tn “Dogs will eat the ones who belonging to Ahab who die in the city.”
[21:25] 176 tn Heb “who sold himself.”
[21:25] 177 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
[21:25] 178 tn Heb “like Ahab…whom his wife Jezebel incited.”
[21:26] 179 tn The Hebrew word used here, גִלּוּלִים (gillulim) is always used as a disdainful reference to idols. It is generally thought to have originally referred to “dung pellets” (cf. KBL 183 s.v. גִלּוּלִים). It is only one of several terms used in this way, such as אֱלִילִים (’elilim, “worthless things”) and הֲבָלִים (havalim, “vanities” or “empty winds”).
[21:26] 180 tn Heb “He acted very abominably by walking after the disgusting idols, according to all which the Amorites had done.”
[21:28] 181 tn Heb “the word of the
[21:29] 182 tn Or “humbles himself.” The expression occurs a second time later in this verse.
[21:29] 183 tn Heb “I will not bring the disaster during his days, [but] in the days of his son I will bring the disaster on his house.”
[22:1] 184 tn Heb “and they lived three years without war between Aram and Israel.”
[22:2] 185 tn The word “visit” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[22:3] 186 tn Heb “Do you know that Ramoth Gilead belongs to us, and we hesitate to take it from the hand of the king of Aram?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course, you must know!”
[22:4] 187 tn Heb “Like me, like you; like my people, like your people; like my horses; like your horses.”
[22:5] 188 tn Heb “and Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel.”
[22:5] 189 tn Heb “the word of the
[22:6] 190 tn Heb “Should I go against Ramoth Gilead for war or should I refrain?”
[22:6] 191 tn Though Jehoshaphat requested an oracle from “the
[22:8] 192 tn Heb “to seek the
[22:8] 194 tn The words “his name is” are supplied for stylistic reasons.
[22:10] 195 tn Heb “were sitting, a man on his throne.”
[22:10] 196 map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.
[22:13] 197 tn Heb “the words of the prophets are [with] one mouth good for the king.”
[22:13] 198 tn Heb “let your words be like the word of each of them and speak good.”
[22:15] 199 sn “Attack! You will succeed; the
[22:16] 200 tn Or “swear an oath by.”
[22:17] 201 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Micaiah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[22:19] 202 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Micaiah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[22:20] 203 tn Heb “and fall.”
[22:21] 204 tn Heb “the spirit.” The significance of the article prefixed to רוּחַ (ruakh) is uncertain, but it could contain a clue as to this spirit’s identity, especially when interpreted in light of v. 24. It is certainly possible, and probably even likely, that the article is used in a generic or dramatic sense and should be translated, “a spirit.” In the latter case it would show that this spirit was vivid and definite in the mind of Micaiah the storyteller. However, if one insists that the article indicates a well-known or universally known spirit, the following context provides a likely referent. Verse 24 tells how Zedekiah slapped Micaiah in the face and then asked sarcastically, “Which way did the spirit from the
[22:22] 205 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the
[22:22] 206 tn The Hebrew text has two imperfects connected by וְגַם (vÿgam). These verbs could be translated as specific futures, “you will deceive and also you will prevail,” in which case the
[22:27] 207 tn Heb “the bread of affliction and the water of affliction.”
[22:27] 208 tn Heb “come in peace.” So also in v. 28.
[22:30] 210 tn The Hebrew verbal forms could be imperatives (“Disguise yourself and enter”), but this would make no sense in light of the immediately following context. The forms are better interpreted as infinitives absolute functioning as cohortatives. See IBHS 594 §35.5.2a. Some prefer to emend the forms to imperfects.
[22:31] 211 tn Heb “small or great.”
[22:34] 212 tn Heb “now a man drew a bow in his innocence” (i.e., with no specific target in mind, or at least without realizing his target was the king of Israel).
[22:34] 213 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[22:37] 215 tn Heb “and the king died and he came to Samaria, and they buried the king in Samaria.”
[22:38] 216 tn Heb “now the prostitutes bathed.”
[22:38] 217 tn Heb “according to the word of the
[22:39] 218 tn Heb “As for the rest of the acts of Ahab and all that he did, and the house of ivory which he built and all the cities which he built, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Israel?”
