1 Kings 20:9

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

Wherefore he said unto the messengers of Ben-hadad, Tell my lord the king, All that thou didst send for to thy servant at the first I will do; but this thing I may not do. And the messengers departed, and brought him word again.

Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַיֹּ֜אמֶר לְמַלְאֲכֵ֣י בֶן־הֲדַ֗ד אִמְר֞וּ לַֽאדֹנִ֤י הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ כֹּל֩ אֲשֶׁר־שָׁלַ֨חְתָּ אֶל־עַבְדְּךָ֤ בָרִֽאשֹׁנָה֙ אֶעֱשֶׂ֔ה וְהַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֔ה לֹ֥א אוּכַ֖ל לַעֲשׂ֑וֹת וַיֵּֽלְכוּ֙ הַמַּלְאָכִ֔ים וַיְשִׁבֻ֖הוּ דָּבָֽר

Transliteration

And yōʾmer to-malʾăkê Ben-Hadad, "ʾImrû to-ʾădōnî the-melek, All that-šālaḥtā to-ʿabdəkā in-the-rīʾšōnāh ʾeʿĕśeh, but-the-dābār the-this not ʾûkal to-do." And yēlkû the-malʾākîm and yəšibuhû dābār

Grammar Details

*yōʾmer*: verb, qal imperfect consecutive, 3rd person masculine singular - 'said'
*malʾăkê*: noun, masculine, plural construct - 'messengers of'
*Ben-Hadad*: proper noun, masculine - 'son of Hadad'
*ʾImrû*: verb, qal imperative, 2nd person masculine plural - 'say'
*ʾădōnî*: noun, masculine, singular with 1st person singular suffix - 'my lord'
*melek*: noun, masculine, singular with definite article - 'the king'
*šālaḥtā*: verb, qal perfect, 2nd person masculine singular - 'you sent'
*ʿabdəkā*: noun, masculine, singular with 2nd person masculine singular suffix - 'your servant'
*rīʾšōnāh*: adjective, feminine, singular with definite article - 'the first (time)'
*ʾeʿĕśeh*: verb, qal imperfect, 1st person singular - 'I will do'
*dābār*: noun, masculine, singular - 'word/message'
*ʾûkal*: verb, qal imperfect, 1st person singular - 'I am able'
*yēlkû*: verb, qal imperfect consecutive, 3rd person masculine plural - 'went'
*malʾākîm*: noun, masculine, plural with definite article - 'the messengers'
*yəšibuhû*: verb, hiphil imperfect consecutive, 3rd person masculine plural with 3rd person masculine singular suffix - 'they brought back to him'

Word Meanings

*rīʾšōnāh*: first (time)/beginning/initially
*dābār*: word/matter/thing/message
*ʾûkal*: I am able/I can/I have power

ℹ️

About this Translation

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

Formal EquivalenceSource: American Standard VersionBest for: Word studies and original-language research

🎯 Translation Approach

A highly literal, word-for-word translation (ASV, 1901) augmented with Strong's numbering to connect English words to underlying Hebrew and Greek terms for study.

Word-for-word

5/5

Readability

2/5

💎 Distinctive Features

Integrated Strong's numbering: Links English terms to underlying Hebrew and Greek words for deeper lexical study.
Formal equivalence: Prioritizes close alignment with source-language forms and structures.
Divine name rendering: Frequently renders the Tetragrammaton as Jehovah in the Old Testament, following ASV tradition.
Study-focused formatting: Optimized for reference and research rather than casual reading.

✅ Strengths

High fidelity to original languages
Includes Strong's numbers for precise word study
Consistent lexical choices aid exegesis
Stable, longstanding scholarly text

⚠️ Considerations

Archaic language reduces readability
Older textual basis compared to some modern translations
Strong's numbers are a concordance index, not full lexical definitions

👥 Who is this for?

Ideal for

Pastors and teachers
Seminary students
Serious Bible students
Readers conducting word studies
Those referencing Hebrew/Greek tools

Consider alternatives for

Casual readers
Children and early teens
ESL learners seeking simple English
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Additional Resources

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

1 Kgs 20:4-8
5 verses
81%
4And the king of Israel answered and said, It is according to thy saying, my lord, O king; I am thine, and all that I have.
5And the messengers came again, and said, Thus speaketh Ben-hadad, saying, I sent indeed unto thee, saying, Thou shalt deliver me thy silver, and thy gold, and thy wives, and thy children;
6but I will send my servants unto thee to-morrow about this time, and they shall search thy house, and the houses of thy servants; and it shall be, that whatsoever is pleasant in thine eyes, they shall put it in their hand, and take it away.
7Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said, Mark, I pray you, and see how this man seeketh mischief: for he sent unto me for my wives, and for my children, and for my silver, and for my gold; and I denied him not.
8And all the elders and all the people said unto him, Hearken thou not, neither consent.
1 Kgs 20:1-2
2 verses
81%
1And Ben-hadad the king of Syria gathered all his host together; and there were thirty and two kings with him, and horses and chariots: and he went up and besieged Samaria, and fought against it.
2And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel, into the city, and said unto him, Thus saith Ben-hadad,
1 Kgs 20:10-13
4 verses
79%
10And Ben-hadad sent unto him, and said, The gods do so unto me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me.
11And the king of Israel answered and said, Tell him, Let not him that girdeth on [his armor] boast himself as he that putteth it off.
12And it came to pass, when [Ben-hadad] heard this message, as he was drinking, he and the kings, in the pavilions, that he said unto his servants, Set [yourselves in array]. And they set [themselves in array] against the city.
13And, behold, a prophet came near unto Ahab king of Israel, and said, Thus saith Jehovah, Hast thou seen all this great multitude? behold, I will deliver it into thy hand this day; and thou shalt know that I am Jehovah.
1 Kgs 20:31-35
5 verses
77%
31And his servants said unto him, Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings: let us, we pray thee, put sackcloth on our loins, and ropes upon our heads, and go out to the king of Israel: peradventure he will save thy life.
32So they girded sackcloth on their loins, and [put] ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, Thy servant Ben-hadad saith, I pray thee, let me live. And he said, Is he yet alive? he is my brother.
33Now the men observed diligently, and hasted to catch whether it were his mind; and they said, Thy brother Ben-hadad. Then he said, Go ye, bring him. Then Ben-hadad came forth to him; and he caused him to come up into the chariot.
34And [Ben-hadad] said unto him, The cities which my father took from thy father I will restore; and thou shalt make streets for thee in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria. And I, [said Ahab], will let thee go with this covenant. So he made a covenant with him, and let him go.
35And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said unto his fellow by the word of Jehovah, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man refused to smite him.
1 Kgs 20:17
75%
17And the young men of the princes of the provinces went out first; and Ben-hadad sent out, and they told him, saying, There are men come out from Samaria.
2 Kgs 6:11-12
2 verses
74%
11And the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not show me which of us is for the king of Israel?
12And one of his servants said, Nay, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber.
2 Kgs 1:5-6
2 verses
73%
5And the messengers returned unto him, and he said unto them, Why is it that ye are returned?
6And they said unto him, There came up a man to meet us, and said unto us, Go, turn again unto the king that sent you, and say unto him, Thus saith Jehovah, Is it because there is no God in Israel, that thou sendest to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? therefore thou shalt not come down from the bed whither thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.
1 Kgs 20:25
73%
25and number thee an army, like the army that thou hast lost, horse for horse, and chariot for chariot; and we will fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. And he hearkened unto their voice, and did so.
2 Kgs 8:9
72%
9So Hazael went to meet him, and took a present with him, even of every good thing of Damascus, forty camels' burden, and came and stood before him, and said, Thy son Benhadad king of Syria hath sent me to thee, saying, Shall I recover of this sickness?
1 Kgs 20:39-40
2 verses
72%
39And as the king passed by, he cried unto the king; and he said, Thy servant went out into the midst of the battle; and, behold, a man turned aside, and brought a man unto me, and said, Keep this man: if by any means he be missing, then shall thy life be for his life, or else thou shalt pay a talent of silver.
40And as thy servant was busy here and there, he was gone. And the king of Israel said unto him, So shall thy judgment be; thyself hast decided it.
2 Chr 18:17
72%
17And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?
2 Kgs 8:14
72%
14Then he departed from Elisha, and came to his master; who said to him, What said Elisha to thee? And he answered, He told me that thou wouldest surely recover.
1 Kgs 18:9
72%
9And he said, Wherein have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me?
1 Kgs 19:20
72%
20And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again; for what have I done to thee?
2 Chr 18:30
72%
30Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of his chariots, saying, Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the king of Israel.
2 Kgs 5:4
71%
4And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maiden that is of the land of Israel.
2 Kgs 22:18
71%
18But unto the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of Jehovah, thus shall ye say to him, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel: As touching the words which thou hast heard,
2 Kgs 9:18
71%
18So there went one on horseback to meet him, and said, Thus saith the king, Is it peace? And Jehu said, What hast thou to do with peace? turn thee behind me. And the watchman told, saying, The messenger came to them, but he cometh not back.
1 Kgs 19:15
71%
15And Jehovah said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, thou shalt anoint Hazael to be king over Syria;
2 Chr 34:26
71%
26But unto the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of Jehovah, thus shall ye say to him, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel: As touching the words which thou hast heard,
2 Kgs 2:18
71%
18And they came back to him, while he tarried at Jericho; and he said unto them, Did I not say unto you, Go not?
1 Kgs 22:18
71%
18And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?
2 Kgs 5:13
71%
13And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?
1 Kgs 13:8-9
2 verses
71%
8And the man of God said unto the king, If thou wilt give me half thy house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place;
9for so was it charged me by the word of Jehovah, saying, Thou shalt eat no bread, nor drink water, neither return by the way that thou camest.
2 Kgs 9:12
71%
12And they said, It is false; tell us now. And he said, Thus and thus spake he to me, saying, Thus saith Jehovah, I have anointed thee king over Israel.
1 Kgs 20:22
71%
22And the prophet came near to the king of Israel, and said unto him, Go, strengthen thyself, and mark, and see what thou doest; for at the return of the year the king of Syria will come up against thee.
2 Kgs 10:5
71%
5And he that was over the household, and he that was over the city, the elders also, and they that brought up [the children], sent to Jehu, saying, We are thy servants, and will do all that thou shalt bid us; we will not make any man king: do thou that which is good in thine eyes.
2 Kgs 3:13
70%
13And Elisha said unto the king of Israel, What have I to do with thee? get thee to the prophets of thy father, and to the prophets of thy mother. And the king of Israel said unto him, Nay; for Jehovah hath called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.
2 Kgs 5:18
70%
18In this thing Jehovah pardon thy servant: when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, when I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, Jehovah pardon thy servant in this thing.
2 Kgs 6:22
70%
22And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.
2 Kgs 8:7
70%
7And Elisha came to Damascus; and Benhadad the king of Syria was sick; and it was told him, saying, The man of God is come hither.
2 Kgs 6:9
70%
9And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians are coming down.
2 Kgs 5:20
70%
20But Gehazi the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared this Naaman the Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: as Jehovah liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him.
2 Chr 16:2
70%
2Then Asa brought out silver and gold out of the treasures of the house of Jehovah and of the king's house, and sent to Ben-hadad king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying,