1 Kings

1 Kings 20:32–34

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.”

³³Now the men were looking for a sign of hope, and they quickly grasped at this word and replied, “Yes, your brother Ben-hadad.”

“Go and get him!” said the king.

Then Ben-hadad came out, and Ahab had him come up into his chariot.

³⁴Ben-hadad said to him, “I will restore the cities my father took from your father; you may set up your own marketplaces in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.”

“By this treaty^d I release you,” Ahab replied. So he made a treaty with him and sent him away.

Footnotes

d 20:34 Forms of the Hebrew berit are translated in most passages as covenant; twice in this verse.

Read all of 1 Kings 20

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 20:32

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

1 Kings 20:33

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Now the men	וְהָאֲנָשִׁים֩	wə·hā·’ă·nā·šîm	Conjunctive waw, Article; Noun - masculine plural	H582 man, mankind
were looking for a sign of hope	יְנַחֲשׁ֨וּ	yə·na·ḥă·šū	Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H5172 hiss, whisper, prognosticate
and they quickly	וַֽיְמַהֲר֜וּ	way·ma·hă·rū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H4116 hasten
grasped	וַיַּחְלְט֣וּ	way·yaḥ·lə·ṭū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H2480 snatch at
and replied	וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙	way·yō·mə·rū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H559 utter, say
Yes	אָחִ֣יךָ	’ā·ḥî·ḵā	Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H251 brother
your brother	אָחִ֣יךָ	’ā·ḥî·ḵā	Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H251 brother
Ben-hadad	הֲדַ֔ד	hă·ḏaḏ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1130 Ben-Hadad
Go	בֹּ֣אוּ	bō·’ū	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural	H935 come in, come, go in, go
and get him	קָחֻ֑הוּ	qā·ḥu·hū	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural; third person masculine singular	H3947 take
said	וַיֹּ֖אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
Then Ben-hadad	הֲדַ֔ד	hă·ḏaḏ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1130 Ben-Hadad
came out	וַיֵּצֵ֤א	way·yê·ṣê	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3318 go or come out
and Ahab had him come up	וַֽיַּעֲלֵ֖הוּ	way·ya·‘ă·lê·hū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular; third person masculine singular	H5927 go up, ascend, climb
into	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
his chariot	הַמֶּרְכָּבָֽה׃	ham·mer·kā·ḇāh	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H4818 chariot

1 Kings 20:34

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Ben-hadad said	וַיֹּ֣אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
to him	אֵלָ֡יו	’ê·lāw	Preposition; third person masculine singular	H413 motion to
I will restore	אָשִׁ֗יב	’ā·šîḇ	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular	H7725 turn back, return
the cities	הֶעָרִ֣ים	he·‘ā·rîm	Article; Noun - feminine plural	H5892 excitement
my father	אָבִי֩	’ā·ḇî	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H1 father
took	לָֽקַח־	lā·qaḥ-	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H3947 take
from	מֵאֵ֨ת	mê·’êṯ	Preposition-m; Direct object marker	H854 with
your father	אָבִ֜יךָ	’ā·ḇî·ḵā	Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H1 father
you may set up	תָּשִׂ֨ים	tā·śîm	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H7760 put, place, set
your own	לְךָ֤	lə·ḵā	Preposition; second person masculine singular
marketplaces	וְ֠חוּצוֹת	wə·ḥū·ṣō·wṯ	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine plural	H2351 the outside
in Damascus	בְדַמֶּ֙שֶׂק֙	ḇə·ḏam·me·śeq	Preposition-b; Noun - proper - feminine singular	H1834 Damascus
as	כַּאֲשֶׁר־	ka·’ă·šer-	Preposition-k; Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
my father	אָבִי֙	’ā·ḇî	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H1 father
in Samaria	בְּשֹׁ֣מְר֔וֹן	bə·šō·mə·rō·wn	Preposition-b; Noun - proper - feminine singular	H8111 Shomeron
By this treaty	בַּבְּרִ֣ית	bab·bə·rîṯ	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - feminine singular	H1285 covenant
I	וַאֲנִ֖י	wa·’ă·nî	Conjunctive waw; Pronoun - first person common singular	H589 I
release you	אֲשַׁלְּחֶ֑ךָּ	’ă·šal·lə·ḥe·kā	Verb - Piel - Imperfect - first person common singular; second person masculine singular	H7971 send
So he made	וַיִּכְרָת־	way·yiḵ·rāṯ-	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3772 cut off, cut down
a treaty	בְרִ֖ית	ḇə·rîṯ	Noun - feminine singular	H1285 covenant
with him	ל֥וֹ	lōw	Preposition; third person masculine singular
and sent him away	וַֽיְשַׁלְּחֵֽהוּ׃ס	way·šal·lə·ḥê·hū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular; third person masculine singular	H7971 send

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

1 Kings 20:32 1 Kings 20:3–6

1 Kings 20:34 1 Kings 15:20 · Isaiah 26:10 · 1 Kings 20:42

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.