1 Kings 20:22

1 Kings 20:22 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the prophet came to the king of Israel, and said unto him, Go, strengthen thyself, and mark, and see what thou doest: for at the return of the year the king of Syria will come up against thee.
• New International Version (NIV)Afterward, the prophet came to the king of Israel and said, “Strengthen your position and see what must be done, because next spring the king of Aram will attack you again.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then the prophet came near to the king of Israel and said to him, "Come, strengthen yourself, and consider well what you have to do, for in the spring the king of Syria will come up against you."
• New King James Version (NKJV)And the prophet came to the king of Israel and said to him, “Go, strengthen yourself; take note, and see what you should do, for in the spring of the year the king of Syria will come up against you.”

Context of 1 Kings 20:22

20Each of the Israelite soldiers killed one of the enemy's soldiers. Then the Syrian soldiers ran away as the Israelites chased them. Ben-Hadad, the king of Syria, rode away on his horse and he escaped. Some of his soldiers who rode on horses went with him. 21Then the king of Israel came out of the city and he attacked the Syrian horses and chariots. He destroyed them and he won the battle against the Syrian army. After the battle, the prophet came to the king of Israel again. He said to him, ‘Now go and make your army strong. Decide what you need to do. Do this, because next spring the king of Syria will attack you again.’ 23At the same time, some of the king of Syria's officers said to him, ‘The gods of the Israelites are gods who live in the hills. That is why the Israelites were too strong for us. But if we fight them on the lower ground, we will surely be stronger than them. 24You should do this: Remove all the other kings. Put your own officers to lead the army instead.

1 Kings 20:22 word by word

וַיִּגַּ֤שׁ הַנָּבִיא֙ אֶל־מֶ֣לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לוֹ֙ לֵ֣ךְ הִתְחַזַּ֔ק וְדַ֥ע וּרְאֵ֖ה אֵ֣ת אֲשֶֽׁר־תַּעֲשֶׂ֑ה כִּ֚י לִתְשׁוּבַ֣ת הַשָּׁנָ֔ה מֶ֥לֶךְ אֲרָ֖ם עֹלֶ֥ה עָלֶֽיךָ׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the prophetנָבִיאnâbîy' · prophetH5030
• cameנָגַשׁnâgash · to approach: approachH5066
• to the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto him, Goיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
• strengthenחָזַקchâzaq · to strengthen: strengthenH2388
• thyself, and markיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• and seeרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: examineH7200
• what thou doestעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• for at the returnתְּשׁוּבָהteshûbâh teshûbâh · turnH8666
• of the yearשָׁנָהshâneh shânâh · yearH8141
• of Syriaאֲרָם'ărâm · SyriaH758
• will come upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927

Cross-references for 1 Kings 20:22

• 1 Kings 20:1Ben-Hadad was the king of Syria. He got all his army together. 32 other kings with their horses and chariots joined with him. He went to attack the city of Samaria. He put his army all around it and then he attacked it.
• 1 Kings 22:31The king of Syria had said to his 32 chariot officers, ‘Only fight the king of Israel. Do not fight against anyone else, whoever they are.’
• Proverbs 21:30There is no wisdom, no knowledge and no advice that can win against the Lord.

Commentaries on 1 Kings 20:22

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 22Go, strengthen thyself … - That is, “collect troops, raise fortifications, obtain allies … take all the measures thou canst to increase thy military strength. Be not rash, but consider well every step … for a great danger is impending.” At the return of the year - i. e., “When the season for military operations again comes round.” The wars of the Oriental monarchs at this time, like those of early Rome, were almost always of the nature of annual…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 22-30Verses 22-30 Those about Benhadad advised him to change his ground. They take it for granted that it was not Israel, but Israel's gods, that beat them; but they speak very ignorantly of Jehovah. They supposed that Israel had many gods, to whom they ascribed limited power within a certain district; thus vain were the Gentiles in their imaginations concerning God. The greatest wisdom in worldly concerns is often united with the most contemptible folly in…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20-22Horses and chariots were important in ancient battles. Ahab's defeat of most of Ben-hadad's forces was crucial to prevent future attacks. However, God's prophet warned that the king of Aram would come back. in the spring: Late spring and early summer were common times for war in the ancient Near East. Armies could rely on good weather and grain from the early harvest.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22-2622-26. the prophet came to the king of Israel, and said--The same prophet who had predicted the victory shortly reappeared, admonishing the king to take every precaution against a renewal of hostilities in the following campaign. at the return of the year--that is, in spring, when, on the cessation of the rainy season, military campaigns (2Sa 11:1), were anciently begun. It happened as the prophet had forewarned. Brooding over their late disastrous…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Kings 20:22

• Israel, Prophecies Concerning
• Prophecy

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Syria
• Ahab
• Mark
• Benhadad
• Damascus
• Israel, Kingdom of
• Time
• War; Warfare

Commentaries on 1 Kings 20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary