1 Kings
1 Kings 20:31–32
31Then the servants of Ben-hadad said to him, “Look now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful. Let us go out to the king of Israel with sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads. Perhaps he will spare your life.”
32So with sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their heads, they went to the king of Israel and said, “Your servant Ben-hadad says, ‘Please spare my life.’”
And the king answered, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”
Word by word
Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.
1 Kings 20:31
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Then the servants of | עֲבָדָיו֒ | ‘ă·ḇā·ḏāw | Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine singular | H5650 slave, servant |
| said | וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ | way·yō·mə·rū | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural | H559 utter, say |
| to him | אֵלָיו֮ | ’ê·lāw | Preposition; third person masculine singular | H413 motion to |
| Look | הִנֵּֽה־ | hin·nêh- | Interjection | H2009 lo! behold! |
| now | נָ֣א | nā | Interjection | H4994 I (we) pray, now |
| we have heard | שָׁמַ֔עְנוּ | šā·ma‘·nū | Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural | H8085 hear |
| that | כִּ֗י | kî | Conjunction | H3588 burning, branding |
| the kings | מַלְכֵי֙ | mal·ḵê | Noun - masculine plural construct | H4428 king |
| of the house | בֵּ֣ית | bêṯ | Noun - masculine singular construct | H1004 house |
| of Israel | יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | yiś·rā·’êl | Noun - proper - masculine singular | H3478 Israel |
| are merciful | חֶ֖סֶד | ḥe·seḏ | Noun - masculine singular | H2617 goodness, kindness |
| Let us go out | וְנֵצֵא֙ | wə·nê·ṣê | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common plural | H3318 go or come out |
| to | אֶל־ | ’el- | Preposition | H413 motion to |
| the king | מֶ֣לֶךְ | me·leḵ | Noun - masculine singular construct | H4428 king |
| of Israel | יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | yiś·rā·’êl | Noun - proper - masculine singular | H3478 Israel |
| sackcloth | שַׂקִּ֨ים | śaq·qîm | Noun - masculine plural | H8242 sack, sackcloth |
| around our waists | בְּמָתְנֵ֜ינוּ | bə·mā·ṯə·nê·nū | Preposition-b; Noun - masculine dual construct; first person common plural | H4975 waist, loins |
| and ropes | וַחֲבָלִ֣ים | wa·ḥă·ḇā·lîm | Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine plural | H2256 cord, territory, band |
| around our heads | בְּרֹאשֵׁ֗נוּ | bə·rō·šê·nū | Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common plural | H7218 head |
| Perhaps | אוּלַ֖י | ’ū·lay | Adverb | H194 peradventure, perhaps |
| he will spare | יְחַיֶּ֥ה | yə·ḥay·yeh | Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | H2421 live |
| your life | נַפְשֶֽׁךָ׃ | nap̄·še·ḵā | Noun - feminine singular construct; second person masculine singular | H5315 soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion |
1 Kings 20:32
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| So | וַיַּחְגְּרוּ֩ | way·yaḥ·gə·rū | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural | H2296 gird, gird on, gird oneself |
| sackcloth | שַׂקִּ֨ים | śaq·qîm | Noun - masculine plural | H8242 sack, sackcloth |
| around their waists | בְּמָתְנֵיהֶ֜ם | bə·mā·ṯə·nê·hem | Preposition-b; Noun - masculine dual construct; third person masculine plural | H4975 waist, loins |
| and ropes | וַחֲבָלִ֣ים | wa·ḥă·ḇā·lîm | Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine plural | H2256 cord, territory, band |
| around their heads | בְּרָאשֵׁיהֶ֗ם | bə·rā·šê·hem | Preposition-b; Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine plural | H7218 head |
| they went | וַיָּבֹ֙אוּ֙ | way·yā·ḇō·’ū | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural | H935 come in, come, go in, go |
| to | אֶל־ | ’el- | Preposition | H413 motion to |
| the king | מֶ֣לֶךְ | me·leḵ | Noun - masculine singular construct | H4428 king |
| of Israel | יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | yiś·rā·’êl | Noun - proper - masculine singular | H3478 Israel |
| and said | וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ | way·yō·mə·rū | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural | H559 utter, say |
| Your servant | עַבְדְּךָ֧ | ‘aḇ·də·ḵā | Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular | H5650 slave, servant |
| Ben-hadad | הֲדַ֛ד | hă·ḏaḏ | Noun - proper - masculine singular | H1130 Ben-Hadad |
| says | אָמַ֖ר | ’ā·mar | Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular | H559 utter, say |
| Please | נָ֣א | nā | Interjection | H4994 I (we) pray, now |
| spare | תְּחִֽי־ | tə·ḥî- | Verb - Qal - Imperfect Jussive - third person feminine singular | H2421 live |
| my life | נַפְשִׁ֑י | nap̄·šî | Noun - feminine singular construct; first person common singular | H5315 soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion |
| And | וַיֹּ֛אמֶר | way·yō·mer | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | H559 utter, say |
| Is he still | הַעוֹדֶ֥נּוּ | ha·‘ō·w·ḏen·nū | Adverb; third person masculine singular | H5750 a going round, continuance |
| alive | חַ֖י | ḥay | Adjective - masculine singular | H2416 alive, living |
| He | הֽוּא׃ | hū | Pronoun - third person masculine singular | H1931 he, she |
| is my brother | אָחִ֥י | ’ā·ḥî | Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular | H251 brother |
Cross-references
Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.
1 Kings 20:31 Genesis 37:34 · 2 Samuel 3:31 · 1 Kings 20:23
1 Kings 20:32 1 Kings 20:3–6
Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.
Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.