1 Raja-raja 20:25

20:25 Muster an army like the one you lost, with the same number of horses and chariots. ¹  Then we will fight them in the plains; we will certainly overpower them.” He approved their plan and did as they advised. ² 

1 Raja-raja 20:31-33

20:31 His advisers ³  said to him, “Look, we have heard that the kings of the Israelite dynasty are kind. ⁴  Allow us to put sackcloth around our waists and ropes on our heads ⁵  and surrender ⁶  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 ⁷  Ben Hadad says, ‘Please let me live!’” Ahab ⁸  replied, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.” ⁹  20:33 The men took this as a good omen and quickly accepted his offer, saying, “Ben Hadad is your brother.” Ahab ¹⁰  then said, “Go, get him.” So Ben Hadad came out to him, and Ahab pulled him up into his chariot.

1 Raja-raja 22:4-6

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.” ¹¹  22:5 Then Jehoshaphat added, ¹²  “First seek an oracle from the Lord.” ¹³  22:6 So the king of Israel assembled about four hundred prophets and asked them, “Should I attack Ramoth Gilead or not?” ¹⁴  They said, “Attack! The sovereign one ¹⁵  will hand it over to the king.”

[20:25]  ¹ tn Heb “And you, you muster an army like the one that fell from you, horse like horse and chariot like chariot.”

[20:25]  ² tn Heb “he listened to their voice and did so.”

[20:31]  ³ tn Or “servants.”

[20:31]  ⁴ 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]  ⁵ 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.

[20:31]  ⁶ tn Heb “go out.”

[20:32]  ⁷ 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]  ⁸ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Ahab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[20:32]  ⁹ 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]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Ahab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:4]  ¹¹ tn Heb “Like me, like you; like my people, like your people; like my horses; like your horses.”

[22:5]  ¹² tn Heb “and Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel.”

[22:5]  ¹³ tn Heb “the word of the Lord.” Jehoshaphat is requesting a prophetic oracle revealing the Lord’s will in the matter and their prospects for success. For examples of such oracles, see 2 Sam 5:19, 23-24.

[22:6]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “Should I go against Ramoth Gilead for war or should I refrain?”

[22:6]  ¹⁵ tn Though Jehoshaphat requested an oracle from “the Lord” (יְהוָה, Yahweh), they stop short of actually using this name and substitute the title אֲדֹנָי (’adonai, “lord; master”). This ambiguity may explain in part Jehoshaphat’s hesitancy and caution (vv. 7-8). He seems to doubt that the four hundred are genuine prophets of the Lord.