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30 But the rest ran to the city of Aphek, and the [city] wall fell on 27,000 of the men who were left. Ben-hadad escaped and came into the city, going into an inner chamber [to hide].

31 But his servants said to him, “We have heard that the kings of the house (royal line) of Israel are merciful kings. Please let us put sackcloth around our [a]loins and ropes on our necks [as symbols of submission], and go out to the king of Israel; perhaps he will spare your life.” 32 So they put sackcloth around their loins and ropes on their necks, and came to the king of Israel and said, “Your servant Ben-hadad says, ‘Please let me live.’” And Ahab asked, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 20:31 I.e. the midsection of the body between the lower ribs and the hips.

30 The rest of them escaped to the city of Aphek,(A) where the wall collapsed(B) on twenty-seven thousand of them. And Ben-Hadad fled to the city and hid(C) in an inner room.

31 His officials said to him, “Look, we have heard that the kings of Israel are merciful.(D) Let us go to the king of Israel with sackcloth(E) around our waists and ropes around our heads. Perhaps he will spare your life.”

32 Wearing sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their heads, they went to the king of Israel and said, “Your servant Ben-Hadad says: ‘Please let me live.’”

The king answered, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”

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