1 Raja-raja 20:23-28

20:23 Now the advisers ¹  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. ²  Then we will fight them in the plains; we will certainly overpower them.” He approved their plan and did as they advised. ³ 

20:26 In the spring ⁴  Ben Hadad mustered the Syrian army ⁵  and marched to Aphek to fight Israel. ⁶  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 ⁷  of goats, but the Syrians filled the land. 20:28 The prophet ⁸  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. ⁹  Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”

[20:23]  ¹ tn Or “servants.”

[20:25]  ² tn Heb “And you, you muster an army like the one that fell from you, horse like horse and chariot like chariot.”

[20:25]  ³ tn Heb “he listened to their voice and did so.”

[20:26]  ⁴ tn Heb “at the turning of the year.”

[20:26]  ⁵ tn Heb “mustered Aram.”

[20:26]  ⁶ tn Heb “and went up to Aphek for battle with Israel.”

[20:27]  ⁷ 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]  ⁸ tn Heb “the man of God.”

[20:28]  ⁹ tn Heb “I will place all this great horde in your hand.”