Rashi on Tanakh1 Kings 20

When I have sent to you, etc., you must give [them] to me. I know that you will give them to me, but I am decreeing upon you something else.

Everything you cherish they will put in their hands and take. Were not the first [things] cherished things? What, then, is the meaning of “[everything] you cherish”? [This means] a treasure within a treasure, referring to the Torah Scroll, about which it is stated, “more desirable than gold, even more than quantities of fine gold.”¹Tehillim 19:11. Achov said to himself, “He demands a great thing, but this is not mine alone; it belongs to the elders of Yisroel.”²He therefore could not give away the Torah without consulting the elders. Therefore, he “called all the elders of the land,”³Below v. 7. for even though they worshiped idols, they honored the Torah.⁴See Maseches Sanhedrin 102b. Despite all his sins, Achov believed in the Torah and refused to give it up. He was ready to go to war if necessary, to defend it. God therefore rewarded him with a reign of 22 years corresponding to the 22 letters of the Alef Beis with which the Torah is written.

If the dust of Shomron will be sufficient for the soles of the feet, etc. [Targum Yonoson rendered,] “to take with the footsteps of all the people who are with me,” the earth that sticks to the sole of the feet.⁵Alternatively, שעלים means fistfuls, and Ben-Hadad said, that if each of his soldiers was to take a fistful of the dirt of Shomron, there would not be enough dirt for them, for his army was so large.—Radak

For the soles of the feet. An expression of, “treading with the sole of the foot,” and similarly, “in a narrow path [משעול] of the vineyards,”⁶Bamidbar 22:24. and similarly, “who measured the water with his step [בשעלו],”⁷Yeshayahu 40:12. for He trod in the Red Sea, as it is stated, “You tramped them in the sea with Your horses.”⁸Chavakuk 3:15.

Will be sufficient. If there is enough.

“Tell him, ‘He who puts on the sword shall not brag like the one who takes it off.’” “Say to him, ‘One should not boast, he who arms himself and goes down to war like a man who has been victorious and is coming up from it.’” One should not boast he who puts on his sword to wage to war, for he does not know whether or not he will be victorious.

Like the one who takes it off. His sword binding, [after] he has come up from the war victorious. Similarly, your master should not boast about a future event.

Prepare. The implements of siege against the city.

A certain prophet. That was Michoyhu the son of Yimloh.⁹See below 22:8.

By the youths of the officers of the provinces. They are the hostages, for all the governors of the other nations would give their children into his custody [as a guarantee] that they will not rebel against him.¹⁰Also, this may have served as a demonstration of loyalty to the king. Alternatively, they were the children of Achov’s high ranking officers who were raised in the royal court.—Radak

Who will lead the battle? Who will array [the battle], to command it.¹¹Being an idolater, Achov felt that he was unworthy to have a miracle performed through him and therefore he looked for another leader.—Radak

You. You go forth first and so you shall kill him. (And now you shall shout: Omitted in some texts)

Seven thousand. I say that they are the ones about whom it is stated, “All those whose knees did not bend to the Baal,” were seven thousand.¹²Above 19:18.

In the shelters. That they had made for themselves [as protection] from the sun.

At the end of the year. [Targum Yonoson rendered], “at the time of the year’s end.”¹³Alternatively, in the spring, kings go out to war because there provisions are available in the fields for the troops and their animals. See II Shmuel 11:1 and Rashi there.

And replace them with generals. Because they are not of a high [society] family, they will put in an extra effort in order to find favor [in your eyes].

And he will be more powerful than them. I.e., and you will see if we will not overpower them.

And provisioned. They armed themselves with supplies for the war; i.e., with weapons and all necessities of war.

And provisioned. They were provisioned.¹⁴Alternatively, וכלכלו means and they all [=כל] were accounted for and none were missing.—Radak

Like two flocks of goats. [חשפי means] “flocks of goats,”¹⁵I.e., they are small in number in comparison with Arom’s army which “filled the land.”. The two flocks consisted of one group of youths of the officers of the provinces and another group of 7000 men.—Metzudas Dovid but there is no similar word [in Scripture]. However, Menachem classifies [חשפי] as an expression of revelation, as in, “by uncovering [מחשוף] the white,”¹⁶Bereishis 30:37. [and as in,] “bare [חשפי] a leg.”¹⁷Yeshayahu 47:2. An expression of “revelation” can be applied to flocks of goats, as in, “who bared [שגלשו] from Mount Gilad,”¹⁸Shir Hashirim 4:1. [i.e.,] when they come down from the mountain, the mountain is bared.

And he spoke to the king of Yisroel, and he said, etc. Rabbi Yochonon said that every place where it is stated, “And he said....and he said,” must be expounded. The first saying refers to what he said to him, “I will give this entire great multitude into your hand,” the second saying [refers to], “if Ben-Hadad falls into your hands, show him no clemency.” Therefore, when he took pity on him, he said to him, “Because you released the man whom I condemned from your hand, etc.”¹⁹Below v. 42. ²⁰Talmud Yerushalmi Sanhedrin 11:5.

The [men] took it for a [good] omen, and they hurried to confirm it from him. “ינחשו” is an expression of “divining.” They said that since words of peace fell from his mouth,²¹Ben-Hadad’s men originally referred to their master as “your servant,” when they addressed Achov, but once they heard Achov refer to Ben-Hadad as “my brother,” they change and called him “your brother,” too. even unintentionally, it is a good sign, and they hastened to confirm the matter.

To confirm. [ויחלטו is] an expression of “confirmation.” They cut the word from his mouth so that he should not retract. According to the Masorah, the ‘ה’ of “הממנו” leans to both words,²²The preceding word [ויחלטו] and the succeeding word [הממנו]. as though it were written, ויחלטוה ממנו [=and they caught it from him], whether the word emanated from him intentionally.

He [Ben-Hadad] said. Ben-Hadad [said], “The cities that my father took from your father Omri, I will return to you.”

And you may establish markets in Damascus. And you rule in it, although it is the capital of my kingdom.²³And you can collect taxes from the markets in Damascus.—Radak

As my father established in Shomron. Your city, against your will. He was saying all this out of fear. Achov said to him, “And with this treaty I will release you.”

Hit me now. This sign was bad for Achov, for the prophet said to him by the word of the Almighty to kill Ben-Hadad, and he did not kill him.²⁴Achov chose to be gracious to Ben-Hadad even though he had been commanded to destroy Arom. However, dealing mercifully with evildoers is evil in itself because the evildoers will eventually cause others to suffer.—Radak Also, this one to whom the prophet said by the word of God, “Hit me,” and he did not hit him, just as He punished him, He would punish Achov.

By the word of Adonoy. The Holy One Blessed Is He, said that you should hit me.

And wounding him. A wounding blow.

And disguised himself with a kerchief. He changed his hooded cloak so that they would not recognize him. Any change of clothes is an expression of disguise.

With a kerchief. [Targum] Yonoson rendered this במעפרא, “a hooded cloak.”

And behold a man turned aside. From the road toward me.

And brought a man to me. A prisoner of war.

If he shall be missing. If he escapes, an expression [similar to], “and none of us is missing [נפקד],” an expression of lacking.²⁵Bamidbar 31:49.

And disappeared. He ran away.

You have pronounced. Either [your] life or a talent of silver.

The man whom I condemned. איש חרמי means “the man of My war,” an expression of strife. An expression of strife [חרם] can be applied to war, and similarly, “on Edom it will descend and on the nation with whom I war [חרמי].²⁶Yeshayahu 34:5. The Midrash Aggadah [states], “Many traps and nets [חרמים] have I spread for you until he fell into your hand.”²⁷Alternatively, איש חרמי means “the man whom I condemned.”—Radak

Dejected and angry. [Targum Yonoson rendered,] “aggrieved and sad.” His spirit turned [סר] away from him.