1 Raja-raja 1:2

1:2 His servants advised ¹  him, “A young virgin must be found for our master, the king, ²  to take care of the king’s needs ³  and serve as his nurse. She can also sleep with you ⁴  and keep our master, the king, warm.” ⁵ 

1 Raja-raja 1:33-35

1:33 and he ⁶  told them, “Take your master’s ⁷  servants with you, put my son Solomon on my mule, and lead him down to Gihon. ⁸  1:34 There Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet will anoint ⁹  him king over Israel; then blow the trumpet and declare, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ 1:35 Then follow him up as he comes and sits on my throne. He will be king in my place; I have decreed ¹⁰  that he will be ruler over Israel and Judah.”

1 Raja-raja 1:41

1:41 Now Adonijah and all his guests heard the commotion just as they had finished eating. ¹¹  When Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he asked, “Why is there such a noisy commotion in the city?” ¹² 

1 Raja-raja 1:52

1:52 Solomon said, “If he is a loyal subject, ¹³  not a hair of his head will be harmed, but if he is found to be a traitor, ¹⁴  he will die.”

1 Raja-raja 2:24

2:24 Now, as certainly as the Lord lives (he who made me secure, allowed me to sit on my father David’s throne, and established a dynasty ¹⁵  for me as he promised), Adonijah will be executed today!”

1 Raja-raja 2:29

2:29 When King Solomon heard ¹⁶  that Joab had run to the tent of the Lord and was right there beside the altar, he ordered Benaiah son of Jehoiada, ¹⁷  “Go, strike him down.”

1 Raja-raja 2:33

2:33 May Joab and his descendants be perpetually guilty of their shed blood, but may the Lord give perpetual peace to David, his descendants, his family, ¹⁸  and his dynasty.” ¹⁹ 

1 Raja-raja 2:36

2:36 Next the king summoned ²⁰  Shimei and told him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem ²¹  and live there – but you may not leave there to go anywhere! ²² 

1 Raja-raja 2:40

2:40 So Shimei got up, saddled his donkey, and went to Achish at Gath to find his servants; Shimei went and brought back his servants from Gath.

1 Raja-raja 5:4

5:4 But now the Lord my God has made me secure on all fronts; there is no adversary or dangerous threat.

1 Raja-raja 6:3

6:3 The porch in front of the main hall of the temple was 30 feet ²³  long, corresponding to the width of the temple. It was 15 feet ²⁴  wide, extending out from the front of the temple.

1 Raja-raja 7:17

7:17 The latticework on the tops of the pillars was adorned with ornamental wreaths and chains; the top of each pillar had seven groupings of ornaments. ²⁵ 

1 Raja-raja 7:21

7:21 He set up the pillars on the porch in front of the main hall. He erected one pillar on the right ²⁶  side and called it Jakin; ²⁷  he erected the other pillar on the left ²⁸  side and called it Boaz. ²⁹ 

1 Raja-raja 7:23

7:23 He also made the large bronze basin called “The Sea.” ³⁰  It measured 15 feet ³¹  from rim to rim, was circular in shape, and stood seven-and-a-half feet ³²  high. Its circumference was 45 feet. ³³ 

1 Raja-raja 7:29

7:29 On these frames and joints were ornamental lions, bulls, and cherubs. Under the lions and bulls were decorative wreaths. ³⁴ 

1 Raja-raja 7:38

7:38 He also made ten bronze basins, each of which could hold about 240 gallons. ³⁵  Each basin was six feet in diameter; ³⁶  there was one basin for each stand.

1 Raja-raja 7:49

7:49 the pure gold lampstands at the entrance to the inner sanctuary (five on the right and five on the left), the gold flower-shaped ornaments, lamps, and tongs,

1 Raja-raja 8:27

8:27 “God does not really live on the earth! ³⁷  Look, if the sky and the highest heaven cannot contain you, how much less this temple I have built!

1 Raja-raja 8:30-31

8:30 Respond to the request of your servant and your people Israel for this place. ³⁸  Hear from inside your heavenly dwelling place ³⁹  and respond favorably. ⁴⁰ 

8:31 “When someone is accused of sinning against his neighbor and the latter pronounces a curse on the alleged offender before your altar in this temple, be willing to forgive the accused if the accusation is false. ⁴¹ 

1 Raja-raja 9:6

9:6 “But if you or your sons ever turn away from me, fail to obey the regulations and rules I instructed you to keep, ⁴²  and decide to serve and worship other gods, ⁴³ 

1 Raja-raja 9:15

9:15 Here are the details concerning the work crews ⁴⁴  King Solomon conscripted ⁴⁵  to build the Lord’s temple, his palace, the terrace, the wall of Jerusalem, ⁴⁶  and the cities of ⁴⁷  Hazor, ⁴⁸  Megiddo, ⁴⁹  and Gezer.

1 Raja-raja 10:19-20

10:19 There were six steps leading up to the throne, and the back of it was rounded on top. The throne had two armrests with a statue of a lion standing on each side. ⁵⁰  10:20 There were twelve statues of lions on the six steps, one lion at each end of each step. There was nothing like it in any other kingdom. ⁵¹ 

1 Raja-raja 10:25

10:25 Year after year visitors brought their gifts, which included items of silver, items of gold, clothes, perfume, spices, horses, and mules. ⁵² 

1 Raja-raja 11:7

11:7 Furthermore, ⁵³  on the hill east of Jerusalem ⁵⁴  Solomon built a high place ⁵⁵  for the detestable Moabite god Chemosh ⁵⁶  and for the detestable Ammonite god Milcom. ⁵⁷ 

1 Raja-raja 11:18

11:18 They went from Midian to Paran; they took some men from Paran and went to Egypt. Pharaoh, king of Egypt, supplied him with a house and food and even assigned him some land. ⁵⁸ 

1 Raja-raja 11:20

11:20 Tahpenes’ sister gave birth to his son, ⁵⁹  named Genubath. Tahpenes raised ⁶⁰  him in Pharaoh’s palace; Genubath grew up in Pharaoh’s palace among Pharaoh’s sons.

1 Raja-raja 13:9

13:9 For the Lord gave me strict orders, ⁶¹  ‘Do not eat or drink ⁶²  there and do not go home the way you came.’”

1 Raja-raja 13:32

13:32 for the prophecy he announced with the Lord’s authority ⁶³  against the altar in Bethel ⁶⁴  and against all the temples on the high places in the cities of the north ⁶⁵  will certainly be fulfilled.”

1 Raja-raja 14:24

14:24 There were also male cultic prostitutes ⁶⁶  in the land. They committed the same horrible sins as the nations ⁶⁷  that the Lord had driven out from before the Israelites.

1 Raja-raja 15:13

15:13 He also removed Maacah his grandmother ⁶⁸  from her position as queen because she had made a loathsome Asherah pole. Asa cut down her Asherah pole and burned it in the Kidron Valley.

1 Raja-raja 15:20

15:20 Ben Hadad accepted King Asa’s offer and ordered his army commanders to attack the cities of Israel. ⁶⁹  They conquered ⁷⁰  Ijon, Dan, Abel Beth Maacah, and all the territory of Naphtali, including the region of Kinnereth. ⁷¹ 

1 Raja-raja 15:27

15:27 Baasha son of Ahijah, from the tribe of Issachar, conspired against Nadab ⁷²  and assassinated him in Gibbethon, which was in Philistine territory. This happened while Nadab and all the Israelite army were besieging Gibbethon.

1 Raja-raja 16:9

16:9 His servant Zimri, a commander of half of his chariot force, conspired against him. While Elah was drinking heavily ⁷³  at the house of Arza, who supervised the palace in Tirzah,

1 Raja-raja 16:11

16:11 When he became king and occupied the throne, he killed Baasha’s entire family. He did not spare any male belonging to him; he killed his relatives and his friends. ⁷⁴ 

1 Raja-raja 16:33

16:33 Ahab also made an Asherah pole; he ⁷⁵  did more to anger the Lord God of Israel than all the kings of Israel who were before him.

1 Raja-raja 17:15

17:15 She went and did as Elijah told her; there was always enough food for Elijah and for her and her family. ⁷⁶ 

1 Raja-raja 18:18

18:18 Elijah ⁷⁷  replied, “I have not brought disaster ⁷⁸  on Israel. But you and your father’s dynasty have, by abandoning the Lord’s commandments and following the Baals.

1 Raja-raja 18:33

18:33 He arranged the wood, cut up the bull, and placed it on the wood.

1 Raja-raja 19:18

19:18 I still have left in Israel seven thousand followers who have not bowed their knees to Baal or kissed the images of him.” ⁷⁹ 

1 Raja-raja 20:6

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.” ⁸⁰ 

1 Raja-raja 20:15

20:15 So Ahab ⁸¹  assembled the 232 servants of the district governors. After that he assembled all the Israelite army, numbering 7,000. ⁸² 

1 Raja-raja 21:21

21:21 The Lord says, ⁸³  ‘Look, I am ready to bring disaster ⁸⁴  on you. I will destroy you ⁸⁵  and cut off every last male belonging to Ahab in Israel, including even the weak and incapacitated. ⁸⁶ 

1 Raja-raja 22:3

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.” ⁸⁷ 

1 Raja-raja 22:30

22:30 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and then enter ⁸⁸  into the battle; but you wear your royal robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and then entered into the battle.

1 Raja-raja 22:32

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.

1 Raja-raja 22:39

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. ⁸⁹ 

1 Raja-raja 22:52

22:52 He did evil in the sight of ⁹⁰  the Lord and followed in the footsteps ⁹¹  of his father and mother; like Jeroboam son of Nebat, he encouraged Israel to sin. ⁹² 

[1:2]  ¹ tn Heb “said to.”

[1:2]  ² tn Heb “let them seek for my master, the king, a young girl, a virgin.” The third person plural subject of the verb is indefinite (see GKC 460 §144.f). The appositional expression, “a young girl, a virgin,” is idiomatic; the second term specifically defines the more general first term (see IBHS 230 §12.3b).

[1:2]  ³ tn Heb “and she will stand before the king.” The Hebrew phrase “stand before” can mean “to attend; to serve” (BDB 764 s.v. עָמַד).

[1:2]  ⁴ tn Heb “and she will lie down in your bosom.” The expression might imply sexual intimacy (see 2 Sam 12:3 [where the lamb symbolizes Bathsheba] and Mic 7:5), though v. 4b indicates that David did not actually have sex with the young woman.

[1:2]  ⁵ tn Heb “and my master, the king, will be warm.”

[1:33]  ⁶ tn Heb “the king.”

[1:33]  ⁷ tn The plural form is used in the Hebrew text to indicate honor and authority.

[1:33]  ⁸ tn Heb “mount Solomon my son on the mule that belongs to me and take him down to Gihon.”

[1:34]  ⁹ tn Or “designate” (i.e., by anointing with oil).

[1:35]  ¹⁰ tn Or “commanded.”

[1:41]  ¹¹ tn Heb “And Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard, now they had finished eating.”

[1:41]  ¹² tn Heb “Why is the city’s sound noisy?”

[1:52]  ¹³ tn Heb “if he is a man of strength [or ability].” In this context, where Adonijah calls himself a “servant,” implying allegiance to the new king, the phrase אִישׁ חַיִל (’ish khayil) probably carries the sense of “a worthy man,” that is, “loyal” (see HALOT 311 s.v. חַיִל).

[1:52]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “but if evil is found in him.”

[2:24]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “house.”

[2:29]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “and it was related to King Solomon.”

[2:29]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “so Solomon sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada, saying.”

[2:33]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “house.”

[2:33]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “his throne.”

[2:36]  ²⁰ tn Heb “sent and summoned.”

[2:36]  ²¹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[2:36]  ²² tn Heb “and you may not go out from there here or there.”

[6:3]  ²³ tn Heb “twenty cubits.”

[6:3]  ²⁴ tn Heb “ten cubits.”

[7:17]  ²⁵ tn Heb “there were seven for the first capital, and seven for the second capital.”

[7:21]  ²⁶ tn Or “south.”

[7:21]  ²⁷ sn The name Jakin appears to be a verbal form and probably means, “he establishes.”

[7:21]  ²⁸ tn Or “north.”

[7:21]  ²⁹ sn The meaning of the name Boaz is uncertain. For various proposals, see BDB 126-27 s.v. בעז. One attractive option is to revocalize the name as בְּעֹז (be’oz, “in strength”) and to understand it as completing the verbal form on the first pillar. Taking the words together and reading from right to left, one can translate the sentence, “he establishes [it] in strength.”

[7:23]  ³⁰ tn Heb “He made the sea, cast.”

[7:23]  sn This large basin that was mounted on twelve bronze bulls and contained water for the priests to bathe themselves (2 Chr 4:6; cf. Exod 30:17-21).

[7:23]  ³¹ tn Heb “ten cubits.”

[7:23]  ³² tn Heb “five cubits.”

[7:23]  ³³ tn Heb “and a measuring line went around it thirty cubits all around.”

[7:29]  ³⁴ tn The precise meaning of these final words is uncertain. A possible literal translation would be, “wreaths, the work of descent.”

[7:38]  ³⁵ tn Heb “forty baths” (a bath was a liquid measure roughly equivalent to six gallons).

[7:38]  ³⁶ tn Heb “four cubits, each basin.” It is unclear which dimension is being measured.

[8:27]  ³⁷ tn Heb “Indeed, can God really live on the earth?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course not,” the force of which the translation above seeks to reflect.

[8:30]  ³⁸ tn Heb “listen to the request of your servant and your people Israel which they are praying concerning this place.”

[8:30]  ³⁹ tn Heb “and you, hear inside your dwelling place, inside heaven.” The precise nuance of the preposition אֶל (’el), used here with the verb “hear,” is unclear. One expects the preposition “from,” which appears in the parallel text in 2 Chr 6:21. The nuance “inside; among” is attested for אֶל (see Gen 23:19; 1 Sam 10:22; Jer 4:3), but in each case a verb of motion is employed with the preposition, unlike 1 Kgs 8:30. The translation above (“from inside”) is based on the demands of the immediate context rather than attested usage elsewhere.

[8:30]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “hear and forgive.”

[8:31]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “and forgive the man who sins against his neighbor when one takes up against him a curse to curse him and the curse comes before your altar in this house.” In the Hebrew text the words “and forgive” conclude v. 30, but the accusative sign at the beginning of v. 31 suggests the verb actually goes with what follows in v. 31. The parallel text in 2 Chr 6:22 begins with “and if,” rather than the accusative sign. In this case “forgive” must be taken with what precedes, and v. 31 must be taken as the protasis (“if” clause) of a conditional sentence, with v. 32 being the apodosis (“then” clause) that completes the sentence.

[8:31]  sn Be willing to forgive the accused if the accusation is false. At first it appears that Solomon is asking God to forgive the guilty party. But in v. 32 Solomon asks the Lord to discern who is guilty and innocent, so v. 31 must refer to a situation where an accusation has been made, but not yet proven. The very periphrastic translation reflects this interpretation.

[9:6]  ⁴² tn Heb “which I placed before you.”

[9:6]  ⁴³ tn Heb “and walk and serve other gods and bow down to them.”

[9:15]  ⁴⁴ sn The work crews. This Hebrew word מַס (mas) refers to a group of laborers conscripted for royal or public service.

[9:15]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “raised up.”

[9:15]  ⁴⁶ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[9:15]  ⁴⁷ tn The words “the cities of” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[9:15]  ⁴⁸ map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 D3; Map3 A2; Map4 C1.

[9:15]  ⁴⁹ map For location see Map1 D4; Map2 C1; Map4 C2; Map5 F2; Map7 B1.

[10:19]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “[There were] armrests on each side of the place of the seat, and two lions standing beside the armrests.”

[10:20]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “nothing like it had been made for all the kingdoms.”

[10:25]  ⁵² tn Heb “and they were bringing each one his gift, items of silver…and mules, the matter of a year in a year.”

[11:7]  ⁵³ tn Heb “then.”

[11:7]  ⁵⁴ sn The hill east of Jerusalem refers to the Mount of Olives.

[11:7]  map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[11:7]  ⁵⁵ sn A high place. The “high places” were places of worship that were naturally or artificially elevated (see 1 Kgs 3:2).

[11:7]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “Chemosh, the detestable thing of Moab.”

[11:7]  ⁵⁷ tc The MT reads “Molech,” but Milcom must be intended (see vv. 5, 33).

[11:18]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “and they arose from Midian and went to Paran and they took men with them from Paran and went to Egypt to Pharaoh king of Egypt and he gave to him a house and food and he said to him, and a land he gave to him.” Something seems to be accidentally omitted after “and he said to him.”

[11:20]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “bore him Genubath his son.”

[11:20]  ⁶⁰ tc The Hebrew text reads וַתִּגְמְלֵהוּ (vattigmÿlehu, “weaned him”) but a slight alteration of the consonantal text yields וַתִּגְדְלֵהוּ (vattigdÿlehu, “raised him”), which seems to make better sense.

[13:9]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “for this he commanded me by the word of the Lord, saying.”

[13:9]  ⁶² tn Heb “eat food and drink water.”

[13:32]  ⁶³ tn Heb “for the word which he cried out by the word of the Lord”

[13:32]  ⁶⁴ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[13:32]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “Samaria.” The name of Israel’s capital city here stands for the northern kingdom as a whole. Actually Samaria was not built and named until several years after this (see 1 Kgs 16:24), so it is likely that the author of Kings, writing at a later time, is here adapting the old prophet’s original statement.

[14:24]  ⁶⁶ tc The Old Greek translation has “a conspiracy” rather than “male cultic prostitutes.”

[14:24]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “they did according to all the abominable acts of the nations.”

[15:13]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “mother,” but Hebrew often uses the terms “father” and “mother” for grandparents and more remote ancestors.

[15:20]  ⁶⁹ 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.”

[15:20]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “he struck down.”

[15:20]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “and all Kinnereth together with all the land of Naphtali.”

[15:27]  ⁷² tn Heb “against him”; the referent (Nadab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:9]  ⁷³ tn Heb “while he was drinking and drunken.”

[16:11]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “and he did not spare any belonging to him who urinate against a wall, [including] his kinsmen redeemers and his friends.”

[16:33]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “Ahab”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[17:15]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “and she ate, she and he and her house [for] days.”

[18:18]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elijah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:18]  ⁷⁸ tn Or “trouble.”

[19:18]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “I have kept in Israel seven thousand, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and all the mouths that have not kissed him.”

[20:6]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “all that is desirable to your eyes they will put in their hand and take.”

[20:15]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Ahab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[20:15]  ⁸² tn Heb “after them he assembled all the people, all the sons of Israel, seven thousand.”

[21:21]  ⁸³ tn The introductory formula “the Lord says” is omitted in the Hebrew text, but supplied in the translation for clarification.

[21:21]  ⁸⁴ 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]  ⁸⁵ 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]  ⁸⁶ 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.

[22:3]  ⁸⁷ 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!”

[22:30]  ⁸⁸ 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.

[22:39]  ⁸⁹ 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?”

[22:52]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “in the eyes of.”

[22:52]  ⁹¹ tn Or “way.”

[22:52]  ⁹² tn Heb “and walked in the way of his father and in the way of his mother and in the way of Jeroboam son of Nebat who made Israel sin.”