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Selected Verse: 1 Kings 20:23 - Strong Concordance
Verse |
Translation |
Text |
1Ki 20:23 |
Strong Concordance |
And the servants [05650] of the king [04428] of Syria [0758] said [0559] unto him, Their gods [0430] are gods [0430] of the hills [02022]; therefore they were stronger [02388] than we; but [0199] let us fight [03898] against them in the plain [04334], and surely [03808] we shall be stronger [02388] than they. |
|
King James |
And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him, Their gods are gods of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we; but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
Their gods are gods of the hills - The local power and influence of deities was a fixed principle of the ancient polytheism. Each country was considered to have its own gods; and wars were regarded as being to a great extent struggles between the gods of the nations engaged in them. This is apparent throughout the Assyrian inscriptions. Compare also Kg2 18:33-35; Kg2 19:12. The present passage gives an unusual modification of this view. The suggestion of the Syrian chiefs may have been a mere politic device - they being really anxious, "an military grounds," to encounter their enemy on the plain, where alone their chariots would be of much service. In the plain the Israelites had always fought at a disadvantage, and had proved themselves weaker than on the hills (see Jdg 1:19, Jdg 1:27, Jdg 1:34). |
Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78] |
The Second Victory. - Kg1 20:23, Kg1 20:24. The servants (ministers) of Benhadad persuaded their lord to enter upon a fresh campaign, attributing the defeat they had sustained to two causes, which could be set aside, viz., to the supposed nature of the gods of Israel, and to the position occupied by the vassal-kings in the army. The gods of Israel were mountain gods: when fighting with them upon the mountains, the Syrians had had to fight against and succumb to the power of these gods, whereas on the plain they would conquer, because the power of these gods did not reach so far. This notion concerning the God of Israel the Syrians drew, according to their ethnical religious ideas, from the fact that the sacred places of this God - not only the temple at Jerusalem upon Moriah, but also the altars of the high places - were erected upon mountains; since heathenism really had its mountain deities, i.e., believed in gods who lived upon mountains and protected and conducted all that took place upon them (cf. Dougtaei Analect. ss. i. 178,179; Deyling, Observv. ss. iii. pp. 97ff.; Winer, bibl. R. W. i. p. 154), and in Syrophoenicia even mountains themselves had divine honours paid to them (vid., Movers, Phniz. i. p. 667ff.). The servants of Benhadad were at any rate so far right, that they attributed their defeat to the assistance which God had given to His people Israel; and were only wrong in regarding the God of Israel as a local deity, whose power did not extend beyond the mountains. They also advised their lord (Kg1 20:24) to remove the kings in his army from their position, and appoint governors in their stead (פּחות, see Kg1 10:15). The vassal-kings had most likely not shown the desired self-sacrifice for the cause of their superior in the war. And, lastly (Kg1 20:25), they advised the king to raise his army to its former strength, and then carry on the war in the plain. "Number thyself an army, like the army which has fallen from thee." מאותך, "from with thee," rendered correctly de tuis in the Vulgate, at least so far as the sense is concerned (for the form see Ewald, 264, b.). But these prudently-devised measures were to be of no avail to the Syrians; for they were to learn that the God of Israel was not a limited mountain-god. |
Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
Said to him - They suppose that their gods were no better than the Syrian gods and that there were many gods who had each his particular charge and jurisdiction; which was the opinion of all heathen nations; that some were gods of the woods, other of the rivers, and others of the mountains; and they fancied these to be the latter, because the land of Canaan was a mountainous land, and the great temple of their God at Jerusalem, stood upon an hill, and so did Samaria, where they had received their last blow: it is observable, they do not impute their ill success to their negligence, and drunkenness, and bad conduct, nor to the valour of the Israelites; but to a divine power, which was indeed visible in it. In the plain - Wherein there was not only superstition, but policy; because the Syrians excelled the Israelites in horses, which are most serviceable in plain ground. |
Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
Their gods are gods of the hills - It is very likely that the small Israelitish army availed itself of the heights and uneven ground, that they might fight with greater advantage against the Syrian cavalry, for Ben-hadad came up against Samaria with horses and chariots, Kg1 20:1. These therefore must be soon thrown into confusion when charging in such circumstances; indeed, the chariots must be nearly useless.
Let us fight against them in the plain - There our horses and chariots will all be able to bear on the enemy, and there their gods, whose influence is confined to the hills, will not be able to help them. It was a general belief in the heathen world that each district had its tutelary and protecting deity, who could do nothing out of his own sphere. |
34 And the Amorites [0567] forced [03905] the children [01121] of Dan [01835] into the mountain [02022]: for they would not suffer [05414] them to come down [03381] to the valley [06010]:
27 Neither did Manasseh [04519] drive out [03423] the inhabitants of Bethshean [01052] and her towns [01323], nor Taanach [08590] and her towns [01323], nor the inhabitants [03427] of Dor [01756] and her towns [01323], nor the inhabitants [03427] of Ibleam [02991] and her towns [01323], nor the inhabitants [03427] of Megiddo [04023] and her towns [01323]: but the Canaanites [03669] would [02974] dwell [03427] in that land [0776].
19 And the LORD [03068] was with Judah [03063]; and he drave out [03423] the inhabitants of the mountain [02022]; but could not [03808] drive out [03423] the inhabitants [03427] of the valley [06010], because they had chariots [07393] of iron [01270].
12 Have the gods [0430] of the nations [01471] delivered [05337] them which my fathers [01] have destroyed [07843]; as Gozan [01470], and Haran [02771], and Rezeph [07530], and the children [01121] of Eden [05729] which were in Thelasar [08515]?
33 Hath any [0376] of the gods [0430] of the nations [01471] delivered [05337] at all [05337] his land [0776] out of the hand [03027] of the king [04428] of Assyria [0804]?
34 Where are the gods [0430] of Hamath [02574], and of Arpad [0774]? where are the gods [0430] of Sepharvaim [05617], Hena [02012], and Ivah [05755]? have they delivered [05337] Samaria [08111] out of mine hand [03027]?
35 Who are they among all the gods [0430] of the countries [0776], that have delivered [05337] their country [0776] out of mine hand [03027], that the LORD [03068] should deliver [05337] Jerusalem [03389] out of mine hand [03027]?
25 And number [04487] thee an army [02428], like the army [02428] that thou hast lost [05307], horse [05483] for horse [05483], and chariot [07393] for chariot [07393]: and we will fight [03898] against [0854] them in the plain [04334], and surely we shall be stronger [02388] than they. And he hearkened [08085] unto their voice [06963], and did so [06213].
15 Beside that he had of the merchantmen [0582] [08446], and of the traffick [04536] of the spice merchants [07402], and of all the kings [04428] of Arabia [06153], and of the governors [06346] of the country [0776].
24 And do [06213] this thing [01697], Take [05493] the kings [04428] away, every man [0376] out of his place [04725], and put [07760] captains [06346] in their rooms:
24 And do [06213] this thing [01697], Take [05493] the kings [04428] away, every man [0376] out of his place [04725], and put [07760] captains [06346] in their rooms:
23 And the servants [05650] of the king [04428] of Syria [0758] said [0559] unto him, Their gods [0430] are gods [0430] of the hills [02022]; therefore they were stronger [02388] than we; but [0199] let us fight [03898] against them in the plain [04334], and surely [03808] we shall be stronger [02388] than they.
1 And Benhadad [01130] the king [04428] of Syria [0758] gathered [06908] all his host [02428] together [06908]: and there were thirty [07970] and two [08147] kings [04428] with him, and horses [05483], and chariots [07393]: and he went up [05927] and besieged [06696] Samaria [08111], and warred [03898] against it.