1 Kings 20:20
New International Version
and each one struck down his opponent. At that, the Arameans fled, with the Israelites in pursuit. But Ben-Hadad king of Aram escaped on horseback with some of his horsemen.

New Living Translation
Each Israelite soldier killed his Aramean opponent, and suddenly the entire Aramean army panicked and fled. The Israelites chased them, but King Ben-hadad and a few of his charioteers escaped on horses.

English Standard Version
And each struck down his man. The Syrians fled, and Israel pursued them, but Ben-hadad king of Syria escaped on a horse with horsemen.

Berean Standard Bible
and each one struck down his opponent. So the Arameans fled, with the Israelites in pursuit. But Ben-hadad king of Aram escaped on horseback with the cavalry.

King James Bible
And they slew every one his man: and the Syrians fled; and Israel pursued them: and Benhadad the king of Syria escaped on an horse with the horsemen.

New King James Version
And each one killed his man; so the Syrians fled, and Israel pursued them; and Ben-Hadad the king of Syria escaped on a horse with the cavalry.

New American Standard Bible
And they killed, each one, his man; and the Arameans fled and Israel pursued them, and Ben-hadad the king of Aram escaped on a horse with horsemen.

NASB 1995
They killed each his man; and the Arameans fled and Israel pursued them, and Ben-hadad king of Aram escaped on a horse with horsemen.

NASB 1977
And they killed each his man; and the Arameans fled, and Israel pursued them, and Ben-hadad king of Aram escaped on a horse with horsemen.

Legacy Standard Bible
And they each struck his man; and the Arameans fled and Israel pursued them, and Ben-hadad king of Aram escaped on a horse with horsemen.

Amplified Bible
And each one killed his man; and the Arameans (Syrians) fled and Israel pursued them. Ben-hadad king of Aram escaped on a horse with horsemen.

Christian Standard Bible
and each one struck down his opponent. So the Arameans fled and Israel pursued them, but King Ben-hadad of Aram escaped on a horse with the cavalry.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
and each one struck down his opponent. So the Arameans fled and Israel pursued them, but Ben-hadad king of Aram escaped on a horse with the cavalry.

American Standard Version
And they slew every one his man; and the Syrians fled, and Israel pursued them: and Ben-hadad the king of Syria escaped on a horse with horsemen.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And they killed every man his man, and Edom fled, and Israel pursued them, and Hadad King of Edom escaped with chariots and horsemen.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
smote each one the man next to him; and each one a second time smote the man next to him: and Syria fled, and Israel pursued them; and the son of Ader, even the king of Syria, escapes on the horse of a horseman.

Contemporary English Version
and each of them attacked and killed an enemy soldier. The rest of the Syrian army turned and ran, and the Israelites went after them. Benhadad and some others escaped on horses,

Douay-Rheims Bible
And every one slew the man that came against him: and the Syrians fled, and Israel pursued after them. And Benadad king of Syria fled away on horseback with his horsemen.

English Revised Version
And they slew every one his man; and the Syrians fled, and Israel pursued them: and Ben-hadad the king of Syria escaped on an horse with horsemen.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Each officer killed his opponent. The Arameans fled, and Israel pursued them. King Benhadad of Aram escaped on a horse with the cavalry.

Good News Translation
and each one killed the man he fought. The Syrians fled, with the Israelites in hot pursuit, but Benhadad escaped on horseback, accompanied by some of the cavalry.

International Standard Version
Each man struck down his opponent, and the Arameans ran away with Israel in pursuit. King Ben-hadad of Aram escaped on horseback with the help of his cavalry.

JPS Tanakh 1917
And they slew every one his man; and the Arameans fled, and Israel pursued them; and Ben-hadad the king of Aram escaped on a horse with horsemen.

Literal Standard Version
and each strikes his man, and Aram flees, and Israel pursues them, and Ben-Hadad king of Aram escapes on a horse—and the horsemen;

Majority Standard Bible
and each one struck down his opponent. So the Arameans fled, with the Israelites in pursuit. But Ben-hadad king of Aram escaped on horseback with the cavalry.

New American Bible
each of them struck down his man. The Arameans fled with Israel pursuing them, while Ben-hadad, king of Aram, escaped on a chariot horse.

NET Bible
Each one struck down an enemy soldier; the Syrians fled and Israel chased them. King Ben Hadad of Syria escaped on horseback with some horsemen.

New Revised Standard Version
Each killed his man; the Arameans fled and Israel pursued them, but King Ben-hadad of Aram escaped on a horse with the cavalry.

New Heart English Bible
They each killed his man. The Arameans fled, and Israel pursued them. Ben Hadad the king of Aram escaped on a horse with horsemen.

Webster's Bible Translation
And they slew every one his man: and the Syrians fled; and Israel pursued them: and Ben-hadad the king of Syria escaped on a horse with the horsemen.

World English Bible
They each killed his man. The Syrians fled, and Israel pursued them. Ben Hadad the king of Syria escaped on a horse with horsemen.

Young's Literal Translation
and smite each his man, and Aram fleeth, and Israel pursueth them, and Ben-Hadad king of Aram escapeth on a horse, and the horsemen;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Ahab Defeats Ben-hadad
19Meanwhile, these young officers of the district governors marched out of the city, with the army behind them, 20and each one struck down his opponent. So the Arameans fled, with the Israelites in pursuit. But Ben-hadad king of Aram escaped on horseback with the cavalry. 21Then the king of Israel marched out and attacked the horses and chariots, inflicting a great slaughter on the Arameans.…

Cross References
1 Kings 15:18
So Asa withdrew all the silver and gold that remained in the treasuries of the house of the LORD and the royal palace. He entrusted it to his servants and sent them with this message to Ben-hadad son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus:

1 Kings 20:19
Meanwhile, these young officers of the district governors marched out of the city, with the army behind them,

1 Kings 20:21
Then the king of Israel marched out and attacked the horses and chariots, inflicting a great slaughter on the Arameans.

Jeremiah 41:15
But Ishmael son of Nethaniah and eight of his men escaped from Johanan and went to the Ammonites.


Treasury of Scripture

And they slew every one his man: and the Syrians fled; and Israel pursued them: and Benhadad the king of Syria escaped on an horse with the horsemen.

the prophet

1 Kings 20:13,38
And, behold, there came a prophet unto Ahab king of Israel, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou seen all this great multitude? behold, I will deliver it into thine hand this day; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD…

1 Kings 19:10
And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.

1 Kings 22:8
And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may inquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.

strengthen

2 Chronicles 25:8,11
But if thou wilt go, do it, be strong for the battle: God shall make thee fall before the enemy: for God hath power to help, and to cast down…

Psalm 27:14
Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

Proverbs 18:10
The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.

at the return

1 Kings 20:26
And it came to pass at the return of the year, that Benhadad numbered the Syrians, and went up to Aphek, to fight against Israel.

2 Samuel 11:1
And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.

1 Chronicles 20:1
And it came to pass, that after the year was expired, at the time that kings go out to battle, Joab led forth the power of the army, and wasted the country of the children of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried at Jerusalem. And Joab smote Rabbah, and destroyed it.

Jump to Previous
Aram Aramaeans Arameans Ben Benhadad Ben-Hadad Ben-Ha'dad Death Escaped Fled Fleeth Flight Hadad Horse Horseback Horsemen Israel Israelites Killed Opponent Pursued Pursueth Pursuit Safely Slew Smite Struck Syria Syrians
Jump to Next
Aram Aramaeans Arameans Ben Benhadad Ben-Hadad Ben-Ha'dad Death Escaped Fled Fleeth Flight Hadad Horse Horseback Horsemen Israel Israelites Killed Opponent Pursued Pursueth Pursuit Safely Slew Smite Struck Syria Syrians
1 Kings 20
1. Ben-Hadad, not content with Ahab's homage, besieges Samaria
13. By the direction of a prophet, the Syrians are slain
22. As the prophet forewarned Ahab, the Syrians come against him in Aphek
28. By the word of the prophet, and God's judgment, the Syrians are smitten again
31. The Syrians submit; Ahab sends Ben-Hadad away with a covenant
35. The prophet, under the parable of a prisoner,
39. making Ahab judge himself, denounces God's judgment against him














(20) And they slew . . .--The attack of this handful of men, supported by a sally of the whole garrison, is not unlike the slaughter of the Philistine garrison and host in the days of Saul (1 Samuel 14), or the still earlier rout of the army of Midian by the night attack of Gideon (Judges 7:16-23). Probably, as in these cases, the Israelites may have risen from various lurking-places to join in the pursuit and slaughter. It does not necessarily follow that the event was miraculous. Such dispersions of vast Oriental armies are not uncommon in history. The lesson is that drawn with noble simplicity by Jonathan: "There is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few" (1Samuel 14:6).

Verse 20. - And they slew every one his man [The LXX., which differs here considerably from the Hebrew, inserts at this point καὶ ἐδευτέρωσεν ἕκαστος τὸν παρ αὐτοῦ. Ewald thinks the Hebrew text ought to be made to correspond, and would read ׃ך׃ך וַיּשְׁנוּ אישׁ אישׁו, each repeatedly killed his man, as in 1 Samuel 14:16]: and the Syrians fled [When a few had fallen, utter panic seized the rest. The separate kings, with their divided interests, thought only of their own safety. It was a sauve qui pout. "The hasty and disordered flight of a vast Oriental army before an enemy contemptible in numbers is no uncommon occurrence. Above 1,000,000 of Persians fled before 47,000 Greeks at Arbela" (Rawlinson). The very size of such hosts, especially where the command is divided and where the generals are drunk or incapable, contributes to their defeat]; and Israel pursued them: and Ben-hadad the king of Syria escaped on an horse [Thenius suggests that this was a chariot horse, the first that presented] with the horsemen. [Heb. and horsemen; sc., escaped with him Keil). He had an escort in some of his fugitive cavalry.]

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
and each
אִ֣ישׁ (’îš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

one struck down
וַיַּכּוּ֙ (way·yak·kū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5221: To strike

his opponent.
אִישׁ֔וֹ (’î·šōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

So the Arameans
אֲרָ֔ם (’ă·rām)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 758: Aram -- Syria

fled,
וַיָּנֻ֣סוּ (way·yā·nu·sū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5127: To flit, vanish away

with the Israelites
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

in pursuit.
וַֽיִּרְדְּפֵ֖ם (way·yir·də·p̄êm)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine plural
Strong's 7291: To pursue, chase, persecute

But Ben-hadad
הֲדַד֙ (hă·ḏaḏ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1130: Ben-hadad -- 'son of Hadad', the name of several Aramean (Syrian) kings

king
מֶ֣לֶךְ (me·leḵ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4428: A king

of Aram
אֲרָ֔ם (’ă·rām)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 758: Aram -- Syria

escaped
וַיִּמָּלֵ֗ט (way·yim·mā·lêṭ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 4422: To be smooth, to escape, to release, rescue, to bring forth young, emit sparks

on
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

horseback
ס֖וּס (sūs)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5483: A swallow, swift (type of bird)

with the cavalry.
וּפָרָשִֽׁים׃ (ū·p̄ā·rā·šîm)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 6571: A steed, a driver, cavalry


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OT History: 1 Kings 20:20 They killed everyone his man (1Ki iKi i Ki 1 Kg 1kg)
1 Kings 20:19
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