translation_id: net-engnet

label: NET translator note

text: For location see Map2-B1 ; Map4-D3 ; Map5-E2 ; Map6-A4 ; Map7-C1 .


text: Heb “and he went up and besieged Samaria and fought against it.”


text: Heb “to the city.”


text: Heb “all that is desirable to your eyes they will put in their hand and take.”


text: Heb “elders.”


text: Heb “Know and see that this [man] is seeking trouble.”


text: Heb “Do not listen and do not be willing.”


text: Heb “all which you sent to your servant in the beginning I will do, but this thing I am unable to do.”


text: Heb “So may the gods do to me, and so may they add.”


text: Heb “if the dirt of Samaria suffices for the handfuls of all the people who are at my feet.”


text: Heb “When he heard this word.”


text: Heb “in the temporary shelters.” This is probably referring to tents.


text: Heb “this great horde.”


text: The words “will this be accomplished” are supplied in the translation for clarification.


text: Heb “he”; the referent (Ahab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


text: Heb “drinking and drunken.”


text: Heb “if they come in peace, take them alive; if they come for battle, take them alive.”


text: Heb “each struck down his man.”


text: Heb “struck down Aram with a great striking down.”


text: The definite article indicates previous reference, that is, “the prophet mentioned earlier” (see v. 13 ).


text: Heb “strengthen yourself.”


text: Heb “know and see.”


text: Heb “at the turning of the year.”


text: Heb “go up against.”


text: Or “servants.”


text: Heb “And you, you muster an army like the one that fell from you, horse like horse and chariot like chariot.”


text: Heb “he listened to their voice and did so.”


text: Heb “mustered Aram.”


text: Heb “and went up to Aphek for battle with Israel.”


text: 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.


text: Heb “the man of God.”


text: Heb “and the remaining ones fled to Aphek to the city and the wall fell on twenty-seven thousand men, the ones who remained.”


text: Heb “and Ben Hadad fled and went into the city, [into] an inner room in an inner room.”


text: Or “merciful.” The word used here often means “devoted” or “loyal.” Perhaps the idea is that the Israelite kings are willing to make treaties with other kings.


text: Heb “go out.”


text: Heb “he”; the referent (Ben Hadad) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


text: Heb “streets,” but this must refer to streets set up with stalls for merchants to sell their goods. See HALOT 299 s.v. חוּץ .


text: For location see Map2-B1 ; Map4-D3 ; Map5-E2 ; Map6-A4 ; Map7-C1 .


text: Heb “I will send you away with a treaty.” The words “Ahab then said” are supplied in the translation. There is nothing in the Hebrew text to indicate that the speaker has changed from Ben Hadad to Ahab. Some suggest adding “and he said” before “I will send you away.” Others prefer to maintain Ben Hadad as the speaker and change the statement to, “Please send me away with a treaty.”


text: Heb “Now a man from the sons of the prophets said to his companion by the word of the Lord , ‘Wound me.’”


text: Heb “he”; the referent (the prophet) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


text: Heb “and the man wounded him, wounding and bruising.”


text: Heb “middle.”


text: Heb “man” (also a second time later in this verse).


text: Heb “if being missed, he is missed.” The emphatic infinitive absolute before the finite verbal form lends solemnity to the warning.


text: The Hebrew term כִּכָּר ( kikkar , “circle”) refers generally to something that is round. When used of metals it can refer to a disk-shaped weight made of the metal or to a standard unit of weight, generally regarded as a talent. Since the accepted weight for a talent of metal is about 75 pounds, this would have amounted to about 75 pounds of silver.


text: Heb “your life will be in place of his life, or a unit of silver you will pay.”


text: Heb “so [i.e., in accordance with his testimony] is your judgment, you have determined [it].”


text: Heb “Because you sent away the man of my destruction [i.e., that I determined should be destroyed] from [my/your?] hand, your life will be in place of his life, and your people in place of his people.”