1 Kings 20:23

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

Meanwhile, the servants of the king of Aram said to him, 'Their gods are gods of the hills; that is why they were stronger than us. But if we fight them on the plains, surely we will be stronger than they are.'

Additional Resources

Other Translations

  • King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

    And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him, Their gods are gods of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we; but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they.

  • KJV1611 – Modern English

    And the servants of the king of Syria said to him, Their gods are gods of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we; but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they.

  • King James Version 1611 (Original)

    And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him, Their gods are gods of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we; but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they.

  • American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

    And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him, Their god is a god of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we: but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they.

  • King James Version with Strong's Numbers

    And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him, Their gods are gods of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we; but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they.

  • Coverdale Bible (1535)

    For the kynge of ye Syrians seruauntes sayde vnto him: Their goddes are goddes of the mountaynes, therfore haue they gotten the victory. But let vs fyghte with them on the playne, and thou shalt se that we shal ouercome them.

  • Geneva Bible (1560)

    Then the seruants of the King of Aram said vnto him, Their gods are gods of the moutaines, and therefore they ouercame vs: but let vs fight against them in the playne, and doubtlesse we shal ouercome them.

  • Bishops' Bible (1568)

    And the seruauntes of the king of Syria sayde vnto him: The gods of the hilles are their gods, and therefore they had the better of vs: but let vs fight against them in the playne, and for what ye will we shall haue the better of them.

  • Authorized King James Version (1611)

    And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him, Their gods [are] gods of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we; but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they.

  • Webster's Bible (1833)

    The servants of the king of Syria said to him, Their god is a god of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we: but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they.

  • Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

    And the servants of the king of Aram said unto him, `Gods of hills `are' their gods, therefore they were stronger than we; and yet, we fight with them in the plain -- are we not stronger than they?

  • American Standard Version (1901)

    And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him, Their god is a god of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we: but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they.

  • American Standard Version (1901)

    And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him, Their god is a god of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we: but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they.

  • Bible in Basic English (1941)

    Then the king of Aram's servants said to him, Their god is a god of the hills; that is why they were stronger than we: but if we make an attack on them in the lowlands, we will certainly be stronger than they.

  • World English Bible (2000)

    The servants of the king of Syria said to him, "Their god is a god of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we. But let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they.

  • NET Bible® (New English Translation)

    Now the advisers of the king of Syria said to him:“Their God is a god of the mountains. That’s why they overpowered us. But if we fight them in the plains, we will certainly overpower them.

Referenced Verses

  • 1 Kgs 14:23 : 23 They also built for themselves high places, sacred stones, and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every spreading tree.
  • 1 Kgs 20:28 : 28 Then a man of God approached the king of Israel and said, "This is what the LORD says: Because the Arameans think that the LORD is a god of the hills and not a god of the valleys, I will deliver this vast army into your hands, and you will know that I am the LORD."
  • 2 Kgs 19:12 : 12 Did the gods of the nations that my fathers destroyed rescue them—nations such as Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the sons of Eden who were in Telassar?
  • 2 Chr 32:13-19 : 13 Do you not know what I and my ancestors have done to the peoples of the other lands? Were the gods of the nations of those lands able to deliver their land from my hand? 14 Who among all the gods of these nations that my ancestors utterly destroyed was able to deliver his people from my hand, that your God will be able to deliver you from my hand? 15 Now do not let Hezekiah deceive you or mislead you in this way, and do not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to deliver his people from my hand or the hand of my ancestors. How much less will your God save you from my hand? 16 His servants continued to speak against the LORD God and against His servant Hezekiah. 17 Sennacherib also wrote letters to ridicule the LORD, the God of Israel, and to say against Him, "Just as the gods of the nations of other lands did not deliver their people from my hand, so the God of Hezekiah will not deliver His people from my hand." 18 They called out loudly in Hebrew to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to frighten and terrify them in order to capture the city. 19 They spoke about the God of Jerusalem as they did about the gods of the peoples of the earth—products of human hands.
  • Ps 50:21-22 : 21 These things you have done, and I kept silent; you thought I was like you. But I will rebuke you and lay the case before your eyes. 22 Consider this, you who forget God, lest I tear you apart, and there be none to deliver.
  • Ps 121:1-2 : 1 A Song of Ascents. I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? 2 My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
  • Isa 42:8 : 8 I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols.
  • Rom 1:21-23 : 21 For although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or give thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools. 23 And they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, animals, and creeping things.
  • 1 Sam 4:8 : 8 Woe to us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with every kind of plague in the wilderness.

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 20:24-31
    8 verses
    80%

    24They advised, 'Do this: Remove all the kings from their posts and replace them with governors.

    25You must assemble an army like the one you lost, with horses and chariots like the ones before. Then we will fight them on the plains, and surely we will be stronger than they are." Ben-Hadad listened to their advice and did as they instructed.

    26At the turn of the year, Ben-Hadad mustered the Arameans and went to Aphek to fight against Israel.

    27The Israelites were also mustered and supplied with provisions. They went out to meet the Arameans and camped opposite them, appearing like two small flocks of goats, while the Arameans covered the countryside.

    28Then a man of God approached the king of Israel and said, "This is what the LORD says: Because the Arameans think that the LORD is a god of the hills and not a god of the valleys, I will deliver this vast army into your hands, and you will know that I am the LORD."

    29For seven days, the two armies camped opposite each other. On the seventh day, the battle began, and the Israelites struck down 100,000 Aramean foot soldiers in one day.

    30The rest of the Arameans fled to the city of Aphek, where a wall collapsed on 27,000 of them. Meanwhile, Ben-Hadad fled to the city and hid in an inner room.

    31His servants said to him, "We have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful. Let us put sackcloth around our waists and ropes on our heads and go to the king of Israel; perhaps he will spare your life."

  • 1 Kgs 20:21-22
    2 verses
    78%

    21The king of Israel went out and struck down the horses and chariots, and he inflicted a great defeat on the Arameans.

    22Afterward, the prophet came to the king of Israel and said, 'Strengthen your position and see what you must do, because next spring the king of Aram will come up against you again.'

  • 2 Chr 18:30
    77%

    30Now the king of Aram had commanded his chariot commanders, 'Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel.'

  • 2 Kgs 6:8-9
    2 verses
    76%

    8Now the king of Aram was waging war against Israel. After consulting with his servants, he said, "I will camp in such-and-such a place."

    9But the man of God sent word to the king of Israel: "Be careful not to pass this place, because the Arameans are going down there."

  • 1 Kgs 20:1-2
    2 verses
    75%

    1Ben-Hadad, the king of Aram, gathered his entire army along with thirty-two kings, horses, and chariots. He marched up, laid siege to Samaria, and attacked it.

    2He sent messengers to Ahab, king of Israel, in the city,

  • 2 Kgs 7:5-6
    2 verses
    75%

    5At twilight, they got up and went to the camp of the Arameans. When they reached the edge of the camp, they found no one there.

    6For the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots, horses, and a great army, so they said to one another, "Look, the king of Israel has hired the Hittite and Egyptian kings to attack us!"

  • 1 Kgs 22:31-32
    2 verses
    74%

    31Now the king of Aram had commanded the thirty-two chariot commanders, 'Do not fight with anyone, whether small or great, except the king of Israel alone.'

    32When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they thought, 'Surely this is the king of Israel.' So they turned to attack him. But Jehoshaphat cried out for help.

  • 2 Kgs 6:11
    74%

    11The king of Aram became very upset about this. He called his servants and said to them, "Will you not tell me who among us is on the side of the king of Israel?"

  • 2 Sam 10:19
    74%

    19When all the kings who were vassals of Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and became subject to them. So the Arameans were afraid to help the Ammonites anymore.

  • 2 Kgs 7:12
    73%

    12The king got up in the night and said to his servants, "I will tell you what the Arameans have done to us. They know we are hungry, so they have gone out of the camp to hide in the countryside, thinking, 'When they come out of the city, we will capture them alive and take the city.'"

  • 1 Kgs 20:9-13
    5 verses
    73%

    9So he replied to Ben-Hadad's messengers, 'Tell my lord the king: I will do what you originally demanded of me, but this I cannot do.' The messengers left and reported back to Ben-Hadad.

    10Then Ben-Hadad sent another message: 'May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if the dust of Samaria will suffice for even a handful for each of the people who follow me.'

    11The king of Israel replied, 'Tell him: One who arms himself for battle should not boast as if he is already victorious.'

    12When Ben-Hadad heard this reply while he and the kings were drinking in their tents, he commanded his officials, 'Prepare to attack,' and they prepared to attack the city.

    13Meanwhile, a prophet approached Ahab, king of Israel, and said, 'This is what the LORD says: Do you see this vast army? I will give it into your hand today, and you will know that I am the LORD.'

  • 1 Kgs 22:3
    73%

    3The king of Israel said to his servants, 'Don’t you know that Ramoth Gilead belongs to us, yet we remain idle without taking it back from the king of Aram?'

  • 2 Chr 32:7-8
    2 verses
    72%

    7"Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him.

    8With him is only an arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles." The people regained confidence from the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

  • 2 Sam 10:15
    71%

    15When the Arameans saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they gathered themselves together.

  • 1 Chr 19:19
    71%

    19When the servants of Hadadezer saw that they were defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and became his subjects. After this, the Arameans were no longer willing to help the Ammonites.

  • 1 Chr 19:12-14
    3 verses
    71%

    12Joab said, 'If the Arameans are too strong for me, you will come to my rescue, and if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will help you.'

    13Be strong, and let us show courage for the sake of our people and the cities of our God. And may the LORD do what is good in His sight.

    14Joab and the troops who were with him advanced against the Arameans to fight, and they fled before him.

  • 2 Kgs 6:15-16
    2 verses
    71%

    15When the servant of the man of God got up early the next morning and went out, he saw an army with horses and chariots surrounding the city. He said, "Oh no, my master! What shall we do?"

    16Elisha replied, "Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them."

  • 2 Chr 24:24
    71%

    24Though the Aramean army had come with only a small force of men, the Lord delivered into their hands a very large army because Judah had forsaken the Lord, the God of their ancestors. So they executed judgment against Joash.

  • 2 Chr 25:7-8
    2 verses
    70%

    7But a man of God came to him and said, 'O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for the LORD is not with Israel—not with any of the people of Ephraim.'

    8Even if you go and fight courageously in battle, God will overthrow you before the enemy, for God has the power to help or to overthrow.

  • 2 Chr 20:15
    70%

    15He said: 'Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the LORD says: Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.'

  • 2 Chr 16:7
    70%

    7At that time, Hanani the seer came to King Asa of Judah and said to him, 'Because you relied on the king of Aram and not on the LORD your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand.'

  • 1 Kgs 20:19
    70%

    19The young men of the provincial leaders marched out of the city, followed by the army.

  • 1 Chr 19:16-17
    2 verses
    70%

    16When the Arameans saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they sent messengers to bring out additional Aramean forces from beyond the Euphrates River, with Shophach, the commander of Hadadezer's army, leading them.

    17When David was informed, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan, and advanced against them to set up his battle lines. David arranged his forces to face the Arameans, and they fought against him.

  • 2 Chr 28:23
    70%

    23He sacrificed to the gods of Damascus, who had defeated him, for he said, 'Because the gods of the kings of Aram help them, I will sacrifice to them so they may help me.' But they were the downfall of him and all of Israel.

  • 1 Kgs 20:6
    70%

    6'About this time tomorrow, I will send my officials to search your palace and the houses of your officials. They will take whatever you value and carry it off.'

  • 1 Kgs 22:6
    70%

    6Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets, about four hundred men, and asked them, 'Should I go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or not?' They said, 'Go up, and the Lord will give it into the king’s hands.'

  • 2 Chr 20:12
    69%

    12Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.

  • 1 Kgs 20:17
    69%

    17The young men of the provincial leaders went out first, and Ben-Hadad sent scouts who reported to him, 'Men have come out from Samaria.'