Lectionary Calendar
Saturday, May 10th, 2025
the Third Week after Easter
Attention!
For 10¢ a day you can enjoy StudyLight.org ads
free while helping to build churches and support pastors in Uganda.
Click here to learn more!

Read the Bible

THE MESSAGE

1 Kings 20:27

This verse is not available in the MSG!

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Aphek;   Israel, Prophecies Concerning;   Prophecy;   Self-Delusion;   Thompson Chain Reference - Benhadad;   Host;   Righteous-Wicked;   Worldly;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Goat, the;   Self-Delusion;   Syria;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Aphek;   Ben-Hadad;   Samaria;   War;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Ben-hadad;   Syria;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Ezekiel, Theology of;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Judah, Kingdom of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Aphek;   Ben-Hadad;   Kings, 1 and 2;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ben-Hadad;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Benhadad ;   Samaria ;   Smith Bible Dictionary - A'hab;   Jo'ash;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Goat;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Cattle;   Goat;   Kid;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Benhadad;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Aphek, the Battle of;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The Israelites mobilized, gathered supplies, and went to fight them. The Israelites camped in front of them like two little flocks of goats, while the Arameans filled the landscape.
Hebrew Names Version
The children of Yisra'el were mustered, and were provisioned, and went against them: and the children of Yisra'el encamped before them like two little flocks of kids; but the Aram filled the country.
King James Version
And the children of Israel were numbered, and were all present, and went against them: and the children of Israel pitched before them like two little flocks of kids; but the Syrians filled the country.
English Standard Version
And the people of Israel were mustered and were provisioned and went against them. The people of Israel encamped before them like two little flocks of goats, but the Syrians filled the country.
New Century Version
The Israelites also had prepared for war. They marched out to meet the Arameans and camped opposite them. The Israelites looked like two small flocks of goats, but the Arameans covered the area.
New English Translation
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 of goats, but the Syrians filled the land.
Amplified Bible
The sons of Israel were counted and given provisions, and they went to meet them. The Israelites camped before the enemy like two little flocks of goats [with everything against them, except God], and the Arameans filled the country.
New American Standard Bible
And the sons of Israel were mustered and given provisions, and they went to meet them; and the sons of Israel camped opposite them like two little flocks of goats, while the Arameans filled the country.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And the children of Israel were nombred, and were all assembled and went against them, and the children of Israel pitched before them, like two litle flockes of kiddes: but the Aramites filled the countrey.
Legacy Standard Bible
Now the sons of Israel were mustered and were provided for and went to meet them; and the sons of Israel camped before them like two little flocks of goats, but the Arameans filled the land.
Contemporary English Version
The Israelites also prepared to fight. They marched out to meet the Syrians, and the two armies camped across from each other. The Syrians covered the whole area, but the Israelites looked like two little flocks of goats.
Complete Jewish Bible
The army of Isra'el, already mobilized and supplied, went to meet them; but the army of Isra'el, encamped opposite them, looked like two herds of goats; while Aram filled the land.
Darby Translation
And the children of Israel were numbered and victualled, and they went against them; and the children of Israel encamped before them like two little flocks of goats; but the Syrians filled the land.
Easy-to-Read Version
The Israelites also prepared for war and went to fight the army of Aram. They made their camp opposite the camp of Aram. The Aramean soldiers filled the land, but Israel's army looked like two small flocks of goats.
George Lamsa Translation
And the children of Israel were mustered and set in array against them, like two little flocks of goats; but the Arameans filled the country.
Good News Translation
The Israelites were called up and equipped; they marched out and camped in two groups facing the Syrians. The Israelites looked like two small flocks of goats compared to the Syrians, who spread out over the countryside.
Lexham English Bible
The Israelites had been mustered and provisioned, and they went to engage them. The Israelites encamped opposite them as two flocks of goats, but the Arameans filled the land.
Literal Translation
And the sons of Israel were called up, and were supplied. And they went to meet them. And the sons of Israel camped before them, like two flocks of goats. And the Syrians filled the land.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and the childre of Israel mustured, and prouyded them selues with vytailes, and wete to mete them, and pitched their tetes ouer against them, like two litle flockes of goates but the londe was full of the Syrians.
American Standard Version
And the children of Israel were mustered, and were victualled, and went against them: and the children of Israel encamped before them like two little flocks of kids; but the Syrians filled the country.
Bible in Basic English
And the children of Israel got themselves together, and food was made ready and they went against them; the tents of the children of Israel were like two little flocks of goats before them, but all the country was full of the Aramaeans.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the children of Israel were numbred, & with their whole number went they against them, and the children of Israel pitched before them lyke two litle flockes of kiddes: but the Syrians filled the countrey.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the children of Israel were mustered, and were victualled, and went against them; and the children of Israel encamped before them like two little flocks of kids; but the Arameans filled the country.
King James Version (1611)
And the children of Israel were numbred, and were all present, and went against them: and the children of Israel pitched before them, like two little flockes of kids: but the Syrians filled the countrey.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And because of the word, Achaab was pierced with sorrow before the Lord, and he both went weeping, and rent his garment, and girt sackcloth upon his body, and fasted; he put on sackcloth also in the day that he smote Nabuthai the Jezraelite, and went his way.
English Revised Version
And the children of Israel were mustered, and were victualled, and went against them: and the children of Israel encamped before them like two little flocks of kids; but the Syrians filled the country.
Berean Standard Bible
The Israelites also mobilized, gathered supplies, and marched out to meet them. The Israelites camped before them like two small flocks of goats, while the Arameans covered the countryside.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Forsothe the sones of Israel weren noumbrid; and whanne meetis weren takun, thei yeden forth euene ayens, and thei, as twey litle flockis of geet, settiden tentis ayens men of Sirie. Forsothe men of Sirie filliden the erthe.
Young's Literal Translation
and the sons of Israel have been inspected, and supported, and go to meet them, and the sons of Israel encamp before them, like two flocks of goats, and the Aramaeans have filled the land.
Update Bible Version
And the sons of Israel were mustered, and were victualled, and went against them: and the sons of Israel encamped before them like two little flocks of young goats; but the Syrians filled the country.
Webster's Bible Translation
And the children of Israel were numbered, and were all present, and went against them: and the children of Israel encamped before them like two little flocks of kids; but the Syrians filled the country.
World English Bible
The children of Israel were mustered, and were provisioned, and went against them: and the children of Israel encamped before them like two little flocks of kids; but the Syrians filled the country.
New King James Version
And the children of Israel were mustered and given provisions, and they went against them. Now the children of Israel encamped before them like two little flocks of goats, while the Syrians filled the countryside.
New Living Translation
Israel then mustered its army, set up supply lines, and marched out for battle. But the Israelite army looked like two little flocks of goats in comparison to the vast Aramean forces that filled the countryside!
New Life Bible
The people of Israel were called together and given what they needed, and went to meet them. The people of Israel gathered in front of them like two little flocks of goats. But the Syrians filled the country.
New Revised Standard
After the Israelites had been mustered and provisioned, they went out to engage them; the people of Israel encamped opposite them like two little flocks of goats, while the Arameans filled the country.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
and, the sons of Israel, were numbered, and provisioned, and went to meet them, - and the sons of Israel encamped before them like two little flocks of goats, whereas, the Syrians, filled the land.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the children of Israel were mustered, and taking victuals, went out on the other side, and encamped over against them, like two little flocks of goats: but the Syrians filled the land.
Revised Standard Version
And the people of Israel were mustered, and were provisioned, and went against them; the people of Israel encamped before them like two little flocks of goats, but the Syrians filled the country.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
The sons of Israel were mustered and were provisioned and went to meet them; and the sons of Israel camped before them like two little flocks of goats, but the Arameans filled the country.

Contextual Overview

22 Sometime later the prophet came to the king of Israel and said, "On the alert now—build up your army, assess your capabilities, and see what has to be done. Before the year is out, the king of Aram will be back in force." 23Meanwhile the advisors to the king of Aram said, "Their god is a god of the mountains—we don't stand a chance against them there. So let's engage them on the plain where we'll have the advantage. Here's the strategy: Remove each sheik from his place of leadership and replace him with a seasoned officer. Then recruit a fighting force equivalent in size to the army that deserted earlier—horse for horse, chariot for chariot. And we'll fight them on the plain—we're sure to prove stronger than they are." It sounded good to the king; he did what they advised. 26As the new year approached, Ben-Hadad rallied Aram and they went up to Aphek to make war on Israel. The Israelite army prepared to fight and took the field to meet Aram. They moved into battle formation before Aram in two camps, like two flocks of goats. The plain was seething with Arameans. 28 Just then a holy man approached the king of Israel saying, "This is God 's word: Because Aram said, ‘ God is a god of the mountains and not a god of the valleys,' I'll hand over this huge mob of an army to you. Then you'll know that I am God ." 29The two armies were poised in a standoff for seven days. On the seventh day fighting broke out. The Israelites killed 100,000 of the Aramean infantry in one day. The rest of the army ran for their lives back to the city, Aphek, only to have the city wall fall on 27,000 of the survivors. Ben-Hadad escaped into the city and hid in a closet. Then his advisors told him, "Look, we've heard that the kings of Israel play by the rules; let's dress in old gunnysacks, carry a white flag of truce, and present ourselves to the king of Israel on the chance that he'll let you live." So that's what they did. They dressed in old gunnysacks and carried a white flag, and came to the king of Israel saying, "Your servant Ben-Hadad said, ‘Please let me live.'" Ahab said, "You mean to tell me that he's still alive? If he's alive, he's my brother." The men took this as a good sign and concluded that everything was going to be all right: "Ben-Hadad is most certainly your brother!" The king said, "Go and get him." They went and brought him back by chariot. Ahab said, "I am prepared to return the cities that my father took from your father. And you can set up your headquarters in Damascus just as my father did in Samaria; I'll send you home under safe conduct." Then he made a covenant with him and sent him off. A man who was one of the prophets said to a bystander, "Hit me; wound me. Do it for God 's sake—it's his command. Hit me; wound me." But the man wouldn't do it. So he told him, "Because you wouldn't obey God 's orders, as soon as you leave me a lion will attack you." No sooner had the man left his side than a lion met him and attacked. He then found another man and said, "Hit me; wound me." That man did it—hit him hard in the face, drawing blood. Then the prophet went and took a position along the road, with a bandage over his eyes, waiting for the king. It wasn't long before the king happened by. The man cried out to the king, "Your servant was in the thick of the battle when a man showed up and turned over a prisoner to me, saying, ‘Guard this man with your life; if he turns up missing you'll pay dearly.' But I got busy doing one thing after another and the next time I looked he was gone." The king of Israel said, "You've just pronounced your own verdict." At that, the man ripped the bandage off his eyes and the king recognized who he was—one of the prophets! The man said to the king, " God 's word: Because you let a man go who was under sentence by God , it's now your life for his, your people for his." The king of Israel went home in a sulk. He arrived in Samaria in a very bad mood.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

were all present: or, were victualled, Joshua 1:11, Judges 7:8

like two: Deuteronomy 32:30, Judges 6:5, 1 Samuel 13:5-8, 1 Samuel 14:2, 2 Chronicles 32:7, 2 Chronicles 32:8, Ecclesiastes 9:11

Reciprocal: 2 Kings 3:6 - numbered 2 Kings 13:7 - fifty horsemen 1 Chronicles 27:28 - the sycamore trees 2 Chronicles 14:11 - nothing Psalms 33:16 - no king Proverbs 14:28 - General

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the children of Israel were numbered, and were all present,.... The same as before; the two hundred and thirty two young men of the princes of the provinces, and 7000 of the people, not one was missing:

and went against them; out of Samaria, towards Aphek:

and the children of Israel pitched before them like two little flocks of kids: being few and weak, the two hundred and thirty two young men in one body, and the 7000 in another:

but the Syrians filled the country: with their men, their horses, and their chariots.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Were all present - The marginal rendering is adopted by almost all critics.

Like two little flocks of kids - The word translated “little flocks” does not occur elsewhere in Scripture. It seems to mean simply “flocks.” Compare the Septuagint, who render ὡσεί δύο ποίμνια αἰγῶν hōsei duo poimnia aigōn.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile