1 Kings 20:14
New International Version
“But who will do this?” asked Ahab. The prophet replied, “This is what the LORD says: ‘The junior officers under the provincial commanders will do it.’” “And who will start the battle?” he asked. The prophet answered, “You will.”

New Living Translation
Ahab asked, “How will he do it?” And the prophet replied, “This is what the LORD says: The troops of the provincial commanders will do it.” “Should we attack first?” Ahab asked. “Yes,” the prophet answered.

English Standard Version
And Ahab said, “By whom?” He said, “Thus says the LORD, By the servants of the governors of the districts.” Then he said, “Who shall begin the battle?” He answered, “You.”

Berean Standard Bible
“By whom?” Ahab asked. And the prophet replied, “This is what the LORD says: ‘By the young officers of the district governors.’ ” “Who will start the battle?” asked Ahab. “You will,” answered the prophet.

King James Bible
And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, Thus saith the LORD, Even by the young men of the princes of the provinces. Then he said, Who shall order the battle? And he answered, Thou.

New King James Version
So Ahab said, “By whom?” And he said, “Thus says the LORD: ‘By the young leaders of the provinces.’ ” Then he said, “Who will set the battle in order?” And he answered, “You.”

New American Standard Bible
But Ahab said, “By whom?” So he said, “The LORD says this: ‘By the young men of the leaders of the provinces.’” Then he said, “Who will begin the battle?” And he said, “You will.

NASB 1995
Ahab said, “By whom?” So he said, “Thus says the LORD, ‘By the young men of the rulers of the provinces.’” Then he said, “Who shall begin the battle?” And he answered, “You.”

NASB 1977
And Ahab said, “By whom?” So he said, “Thus says the LORD, ‘By the young men of the rulers of the provinces.’” Then he said, “Who shall begin the battle?” And he answered, “You.”

Legacy Standard Bible
And Ahab said, “By whom?” So he said, “Thus says Yahweh, ‘By the young men of the rulers of the provinces.’” Then he said, “Who shall begin the battle?” And he said, “You.”

Amplified Bible
Ahab said, “By whom?” And he said, “Thus says the LORD: ‘By the young men [the attendants or bodyguards] of the governors of the districts.’” Then Ahab said, “Who shall begin the battle?” And he answered, “You.”

Christian Standard Bible
Ahab asked, “By whom? ” And the prophet said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘By the young men of the provincial leaders.’ ” Then he asked, “Who is to start the battle? ” He said, “You.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Ahab asked, “By whom?” And the prophet said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘By the young men of the provincial leaders.’” Then he asked, “Who is to start the battle?” He said, “You.”

American Standard Version
And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, Thus saith Jehovah, By the young men of the princes of the provinces. Then he said, Who shall begin the battle? And he answered, Thou.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And Akhab said: “By whom?” And he said to him: “By the young men and by the Princes of the city.” And he said to him: who will first set the battle in array? He said to him: “You.”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Achaab said, Whereby? And he said, Thus saith the Lord, by the young men of the heads of the districts. And Achaab said, Who shall begin the battle? and he said, Thou.

Contemporary English Version
"Who will fight the battle?" Ahab asked. The prophet answered, "The young bodyguards who serve the district officials." "But who will lead them into battle?" Ahab asked. "You will!" the prophet replied.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Achab said: By whom? And he said to him: Thus saith the Lord: By the servants of the princes of the provinces. And he said: Who shall begin to fight? And he said: Thou.

English Revised Version
And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, Thus saith the LORD, By the young men of the princes of the provinces. Then he said, Who shall begin the battle? And he answered, Thou.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Ahab asked, "How [will this be done]?" The prophet answered, "This is what the LORD says: by using the young officers of the district governors." "Who will start the battle?" Ahab asked. "You will," the prophet answered.

Good News Translation
"Who will lead the attack?" Ahab asked. The prophet answered, "The LORD says that the young soldiers under the command of the district governors are to do it." "Who will command the main force?" the king asked. "You," the prophet answered.

International Standard Version
"By whom?" Ahab asked. "This is what the LORD says," the prophet replied. "'By the young men who serve as officials within the provinces.'" "Who is to begin the battle?" Ahab asked. "You," the prophet answered.

JPS Tanakh 1917
And Ahab said: 'By whom?' And he said: 'Thus saith the LORD: By the young men of the princes of the provinces.' Then he said: 'Who shall begin the battle?' And he answered: 'Thou.'

Literal Standard Version
And Ahab says, “By whom?” And he says, “Thus said YHWH: By the young men of the heads of the provinces”; and he says, “Who directs the battle?” And he says, “You.”

Majority Standard Bible
“By whom?” Ahab asked. And the prophet replied, “This is what the LORD says: ‘By the young officers of the district governors.’” “Who will start the battle?” asked Ahab. “You will,” answered the prophet.

New American Bible
But Ahab asked, “Through whom will it be given over?” He answered, “The LORD says, Through the aides of the provincial governors.” Then Ahab asked, “Who is to attack?” He replied, “You are.”

NET Bible
Ahab asked, "By whom will this be accomplished?" He answered, "This is what the LORD says, 'By the servants of the district governors.'" Ahab asked, "Who will launch the attack?" He answered, "You will."

New Revised Standard Version
Ahab said, “By whom?” He said, “Thus says the LORD, By the young men who serve the district governors.” Then he said, “Who shall begin the battle?” He answered, “You.”

New Heart English Bible
Ahab said, "By whom?" He said, "Thus says the LORD, 'By the young men of the governors of the districts.'" Then he said, "Who shall begin the battle?" He answered, "You."

Webster's Bible Translation
And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, Thus saith the LORD, Even by the young men of the princes of the provinces. Then he said, Who shall order the battle? And he answered, Thou.

World English Bible
Ahab said, “By whom?” He said, “Yahweh says, ‘By the young men of the princes of the provinces.’” Then he said, “Who shall begin the battle?” He answered, “You.”

Young's Literal Translation
And Ahab saith, 'By whom?' and he saith, 'Thus said Jehovah, By the young men of the heads of the provinces;' and he saith, 'Who doth direct the battle?' and he saith, 'Thou.'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Ahab Defeats Ben-hadad
13Meanwhile a prophet approached Ahab king of Israel and declared, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Do you see this entire great army? Behold, I will deliver it into your hand this very day, and you will know that I am the LORD.’ ” 14“By whom?” Ahab asked. And the prophet replied, “This is what the LORD says: ‘By the young officers of the district governors.’” “Who will start the battle?” asked Ahab. “You will,” answered the prophet. 15So Ahab assembled the young officers of the district governors, and there were 232 men. And after them, he assembled the rest of the Israelite troops, 7,000 in all.…

Cross References
1 Kings 20:13
Meanwhile a prophet approached Ahab king of Israel and declared, "This is what the LORD says: 'Do you see this entire great army? Behold, I will deliver it into your hand this very day, and you will know that I am the LORD.'"

1 Kings 20:15
So Ahab assembled the young officers of the district governors, and there were 232 men. And after them, he assembled the rest of the Israelite troops, 7,000 in all.


Treasury of Scripture

And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, Thus said the LORD, Even by the young men of the princes of the provinces. Then he said, Who shall order the battle? And he answered, You.

Ben-hadad

1 Kings 20:11,12
And the king of Israel answered and said, Tell him, Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off…

1 Kings 16:7
And also by the hand of the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani came the word of the LORD against Baasha, and against his house, even for all the evil that he did in the sight of the LORD, in provoking him to anger with the work of his hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam; and because he killed him.

Proverbs 23:29-32
Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? …

the thirty

Isaiah 54:15
Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.

Jump to Previous
Ahab Battle Begin Chiefs Commanders Direct Districts Divisions Fighting Governors Heads Officers Order Princes Prophet Provinces Provincial Rulers Servants Started Young
Jump to Next
Ahab Battle Begin Chiefs Commanders Direct Districts Divisions Fighting Governors Heads Officers Order Princes Prophet Provinces Provincial Rulers Servants Started Young
1 Kings 20
1. Ben-Hadad, not content with Ahab's homage, besieges Samaria
13. By the direction of a prophet, the Syrians are slain
22. As the prophet forewarned Ahab, the Syrians come against him in Aphek
28. By the word of the prophet, and God's judgment, the Syrians are smitten again
31. The Syrians submit; Ahab sends Ben-Hadad away with a covenant
35. The prophet, under the parable of a prisoner,
39. making Ahab judge himself, denounces God's judgment against him














(14) Who shall order the battle?--The marginal reading seems right, "Who shall give battle?" "Who shall begin the fray?"

Verse 14. - And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, Thus saith the Lord [Observe the repetition. He is careful to give special prominence to the sacred name, as the only help in trouble (Psalm 20:1, 5, 7, etc.)], Even by the young men [or servants - נַעַר has both meanings, corresponding with παῖς (cf. Genesis 37:2; 2 Kings 5:20; 2 Kings 8:4] of the princes of the provinces. [The local governors (cf. 1 Kings 4:7; 1 Kings 10:15), on the approach of Ben hadad, had apparently fled to the capital. Whether these "young men" were their "pages" (Thenius), or even were "young lads" (Ewald) at all, or, on the contrary, a "select body of strong young men" (Bahr), the bodyguard of the various governors (2 Samuel 18:15) (Von Gerlach), may be doubtful; but when Bahr says that Ahab would not have consented to appoint weak boys to lead the van, at least without remonstrance, he must have forgotten that all the ordinary means at Ahab's disposal were equally insufficient, and that in themselves 200 or 2000 tried veterans would have been just as inadequate a force as 200 pages. The agency by which the victory was won was purposely weak and feeble (per turbam imbellem), in order that the work might be seen to be of God (cf. Judges 7:2; 1 Corinthians 1:27, 29). And this consideration makes against the supposition that the attacking body was composed of tried and skilful warriors.] Then he said, Who shall order [Heb. bind; we speak of "joining battle"] the battle? [The meaning is - not, "who shall command this force," but, "which side shall begin the fray?"] And he answered, Thou [i.e., thy band of young men shall make the attack.]

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“By whom?”
בְּמִ֔י (bə·mî)
Preposition-b | Interrogative
Strong's 4310: Who?, whoever, in oblique construction with prefix, suffix

Ahab
אַחְאָב֙ (’aḥ·’āḇ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 256: Ahab -- 'father's brother', a king of Israel, also a false prophet

asked.
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

And the prophet replied,
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“This is what
כֹּֽה־ (kōh-)
Adverb
Strong's 3541: Like this, thus, here, now

the LORD
יְהוָ֔ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

says:
אָמַ֣ר (’ā·mar)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

‘By the young officers
בְּנַעֲרֵ֖י (bə·na·‘ă·rê)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 5288: A boy, lad, youth, retainer

of the district
הַמְּדִינ֑וֹת (ham·mə·ḏî·nō·wṯ)
Article | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 4082: A judgeship, jurisdiction, a district, a region

governors.’”
שָׂרֵ֣י (śā·rê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 8269: Chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, prince

“Who
מִֽי־ (mî-)
Interrogative
Strong's 4310: Who?, whoever, in oblique construction with prefix, suffix

will start
יֶאְסֹ֥ר (ye’·sōr)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 631: To yoke, hitch, to fasten, to join battle

the battle?”
הַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה (ham·mil·ḥā·māh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4421: A battle, war

asked [Ahab].
וַיֹּ֛אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“You [will],”
אָֽתָּה׃ (’āt·tāh)
Pronoun - second person masculine singular
Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you

answered the prophet.
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say


Links
1 Kings 20:14 NIV
1 Kings 20:14 NLT
1 Kings 20:14 ESV
1 Kings 20:14 NASB
1 Kings 20:14 KJV

1 Kings 20:14 BibleApps.com
1 Kings 20:14 Biblia Paralela
1 Kings 20:14 Chinese Bible
1 Kings 20:14 French Bible
1 Kings 20:14 Catholic Bible

OT History: 1 Kings 20:14 Ahab said By whom? He said Thus (1Ki iKi i Ki 1 Kg 1kg)
1 Kings 20:13
Top of Page
Top of Page