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26 In the spring[a] Ben Hadad mustered the Syrian army[b] and marched to Aphek to fight Israel.[c] 27 When the Israelites had mustered and received their supplies, they marched out to face them in battle. When the Israelites deployed opposite them, they were like two small flocks[d] of goats, but the Syrians filled the land. 28 The prophet[e] visited the king of Israel and said, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Because the Syrians said, “The Lord is a god of the mountains and not a god of the valleys,” I will deliver this entire huge army into to your control. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 20:26 tn Heb “at the turning of the year.”
  2. 1 Kings 20:26 tn Heb “mustered Aram.”
  3. 1 Kings 20:26 tn Heb “and went up to Aphek for battle with Israel.”
  4. 1 Kings 20:27 tn The noun translated “small flocks” occurs only here. The common interpretation derives the word from the verbal root חשׂף, “to strip off; to make bare.” In this case the noun refers to something “stripped off” or “made bare.” HALOT 359 s.v. II חשׂף derives the noun from a proposed homonymic verbal root (which occurs only in Ps 29:9) meaning “cause a premature birth.” In this case the derived noun could refer to goats that are undersized because they are born prematurely.
  5. 1 Kings 20:28 tn Heb “the man of God.”