1 Kings 20:34
New International Version
“I will return the cities my father took from your father,” Ben-Hadad offered. “You may set up your own market areas in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.” Ahab said, “On the basis of a treaty I will set you free.” So he made a treaty with him, and let him go.

New Living Translation
Ben-hadad told him, “I will give back the towns my father took from your father, and you may establish places of trade in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.” Then Ahab said, “I will release you under these conditions.” So they made a new treaty, and Ben-hadad was set free.

English Standard Version
And Ben-hadad said to him, “The cities that my father took from your father I will restore, and you may establish bazaars for yourself in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.” And Ahab said, “I will let you go on these terms.” So he made a covenant with him and let him go.

Berean Standard Bible
Ben-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 I release you,” Ahab replied. So he made a treaty with him and sent him away.

King James Bible
And Benhadad 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. Then said Ahab, I will send thee away with this covenant. So he made a covenant with him, and sent him away.

New King James Version
So Ben-Hadad said to him, “The cities which my father took from your father I will restore; and you may set up marketplaces for yourself in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.” Then Ahab said, “I will send you away with this treaty.” So he made a treaty with him and sent him away.

New American Standard Bible
And Ben-hadad said to him, “The cities which my father took from your father I will restore, and you can make streets for yourself in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria.” Ahab said, “And I will let you go with this covenant.” So he made a covenant with him and let him go.

NASB 1995
Ben-hadad said to him, “The cities which my father took from your father I will restore, and you shall make streets for yourself in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria.” Ahab said, “And I will let you go with this covenant.” So he made a covenant with him and let him go.

NASB 1977
And Ben-hadad said to him, “The cities which my father took from your father I will restore, and you shall make streets for yourself in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria.” Ahab said, “And I will let you go with this covenant.” So he made a covenant with him and let him go.

Legacy Standard Bible
And Ben-hadad said to him, “The cities which my father took from your father I will return, and you shall make streets for yourself in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria.” Ahab said, “And I will let you go with this covenant.” So he cut a covenant with him and let him go.

Amplified Bible
Ben-hadad [tempting him] said to him, “I will restore the cities which my father took from your father; and you may set up bazaars (shops) of your own in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.” Then, Ahab replied, “I will let you go with this covenant (treaty).” So he made a covenant with him and let him go.

Christian Standard Bible
Then Ben-hadad said to him, “I restore to you the cities that my father took from your father, and you may set up marketplaces for yourself in Damascus, like my father set up in Samaria.” Ahab responded, “On the basis of this treaty, I release you.” So he made a treaty with him and released him.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then Ben-hadad said to him, “I restore to you the cities that my father took from your father, and you may set up marketplaces for yourself in Damascus, like my father set up in Samaria.” Ahab responded, “On the basis of this treaty, I release you.” So he made a treaty with him and released him.

American Standard Version
And 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.

Contemporary English Version
Benhadad said, "I'll give back the towns my father took from your father. And you can have shops in Damascus, just as my father had in Samaria." Ahab replied, "If you do these things, I'll let you go free." Then they signed a peace treaty, and Ahab let Benhadad go.

English Revised Version
And 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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Benhadad told him, "I will give back the towns my father took from your father. You may set up trading centers in Damascus as my father did in Samaria." Ahab said, "If you will put this into a treaty, I will let you go." So Ahab made a treaty with Benhadad and let him go.

Good News Translation
Benhadad said to him, "I will restore to you the towns my father took from your father, and you may set up a commercial center for yourself in Damascus, just as my father did in Samaria." Ahab replied, "On these terms, then, I will set you free." He made a treaty with him and let him go.

International Standard Version
Ben-hadad made this promise to Ahab: "I will restore the cities that my ancestors took from your ancestors. You'll be able to build streets named after yourself in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria." "With this promise I will release you," Ahab replied. So Ahab made a treaty with Ben-hadad and let him go.

Majority Standard Bible
Ben-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 I release you,? Ahab replied. So he made a treaty with him and sent him away.

NET Bible
Ben Hadad said, "I will return the cities my father took from your father. You may set up markets in Damascus, just as my father did in Samaria." Ahab then said, "I want to make a treaty with you before I dismiss you." So he made a treaty with him and then dismissed him.

New Heart English Bible
Ben Hadad said to him, "The cities which my father took from your father I will restore. You shall make streets for yourself in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria." "I," said Ahab, "will let you go with this covenant." So he made a covenant with him, and let him go.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Ben-hadad said to 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. Then said Ahab, I will send thee away with this covenant. So he made a covenant with him, and sent him away.

World English Bible
Ben Hadad said to him, “The cities which my father took from your father I will restore. You shall make streets for yourself in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria.” “I”, said Ahab, “will let you go with this covenant.” So he made a covenant with him and let him go.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And he says to him, “The cities that my father took from your father, I give back, and you make streets for yourself in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria; and I, with a covenant, send you away”; and he makes a covenant with him, and sends him away.

Young's Literal Translation
And he saith unto him, 'The cities that my father took from thy father, I give back, and streets thou dost make for thee in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria;' -- 'and I, with a covenant, send thee away;' and he maketh with him a covenant, and sendeth him away.

Smith's Literal Translation
And he will say to him, The cities which my father took from thy father, I will turn back; and thou shalt set streets for thee in Damascus, according as my father set in Shomeron. And I will send thee away with a covenant. And he will cut out to him a covenant and send him away.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he said to him: The cities which my father took from thy father, I will restore: and do thou make thee streets in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria, and having made a league I will depart from thee. So he made a league with him, and let him go.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And he said to him: “The cities that my father took from your father, I will return. And you may make streets for yourself in Damascus, just as my father made in Samaria. And after we have made a pact, I will withdraw from you.” Therefore, he formed a pact with him, and he released him.

New American Bible
Ben-hadad said to him, “The cities my father took from your father I will restore, and you may set up bazaars for yourself in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.” Ahab replied, “For my part, I will set you free on those terms.” So he made a covenant with him and then set him free.

New Revised Standard Version
Ben-hadad said to him, “I will restore the towns that my father took from your father; and you may establish bazaars for yourself in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.” The king of Israel responded, “I will let you go on those terms.” So he made a treaty with him and let him go.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And Bar-hadad said to him, The cities which my father took from your father, I will restore; and I will make a market place for you in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria. Then Ahab said, I will send you away with a covenant. So he made a covenant with him and sent him away.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And he said to him: “The cities that my father took from your father I shall return to you, and I shall make a Forum for you in Darmsuq as my father did in Samaria, and I shall send you with a covenant.” And he covenanted a covenant with him, and he sent him.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And [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.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he said to him, The cities which my father took from thy father I will restore to thee; and thou shalt make streets for thyself in Damascus, as my father made streets in Samaria; and I will let thee go with a covenant. And he made a covenant with him, and let him go.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Ahab Spares Ben-hadad
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 I release you,” Ahab replied. So he made a treaty with him and sent him away.

Cross References
2 Kings 10:32-33
In those days the LORD began to reduce the size of Israel. Hazael defeated the Israelites throughout their territory / from the Jordan eastward through all the land of Gilead (the region of Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh), and from Aroer by the Arnon Valley through Gilead to Bashan.

2 Kings 13:25
Then Jehoash son of Jehoahaz took back from Ben-hadad son of Hazael the cities that Hazael had taken in battle from his father Jehoahaz. Jehoash defeated Ben-hadad three times, and so recovered the cities of Israel.

2 Kings 8:12
“Why is my lord weeping?” asked Hazael. “Because I know the evil you will do to the Israelites,” Elisha replied. “You will set fire to their fortresses, kill their young men with the sword, dash their little ones to pieces, and rip open their pregnant women.”

2 Kings 14:25
This Jeroboam restored the boundary of Israel from Lebo-hamath to the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word that the LORD, the God of Israel, had spoken through His servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath-hepher.

2 Kings 6:24
Some time later, Ben-hadad king of Aram assembled his entire army and marched up to besiege Samaria.

2 Kings 7:6-7
For the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots, horses, and a great army, so that they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel must have hired the kings of the Hittites and Egyptians to attack us.” / Thus the Arameans had arisen and fled at twilight, abandoning their tents and horses and donkeys. The camp was intact, and they had run for their lives.

2 Kings 9:14-15
Thus Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram. (Now Joram and all Israel had been defending Ramoth-gilead against Hazael king of Aram, / but King Joram had returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds he had suffered at the hands of the Arameans in the battle against Hazael their king.) So Jehu said, “If you commanders wish to make me king, then do not let anyone escape from the city to go and tell it in Jezreel.”

2 Kings 13:3
So the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He delivered them continually into the hands of Hazael king of Aram and his son Ben-hadad.

2 Kings 13:7
Jehoahaz had no army left, except fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and ten thousand foot soldiers, because the king of Aram had destroyed them and made them like the dust at threshing.

2 Kings 14:28
As for the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, along with all his accomplishments and might, and how he waged war and recovered both Damascus and Hamath for Israel from Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

2 Kings 15:29
In the days of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came and captured Ijon, Abel-beth-maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee, including all the land of Naphtali, and he took the people as captives to Assyria.

2 Kings 16:9
So the king of Assyria responded to him, marched up to Damascus, and captured it. He took its people to Kir as captives and put Rezin to death.

2 Kings 17:5-6
Then the king of Assyria invaded the whole land, marched up to Samaria, and besieged it for three years. / In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and carried away the Israelites to Assyria, where he settled them in Halah, in Gozan by the Habor River, and in the cities of the Medes.

2 Kings 18:9-10
In the fourth year of Hezekiah’s reign, which was the seventh year of the reign of Hoshea son of Elah over Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria marched against Samaria and besieged it. / And at the end of three years, the Assyrians captured it. So Samaria was captured in the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel.

2 Kings 19:36-37
So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there. / One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer put him to the sword and escaped to the land of Ararat. And his son Esar-haddon reigned in his place.


Treasury of Scripture

And Ben-hadad said to him, The cities, which my father took from your father, I will restore; and you shall make streets for you in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria. Then said Ahab, I will send you away with this covenant. So he made a covenant with him, and sent him away.

1 Kings 13:21-24,26
And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the LORD, and hast not kept the commandment which the LORD thy God commanded thee, …

1 Samuel 15:22,23
And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams…

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Ahab Ben Ben-Hadad Ben-Ha'dad Cities Covenant Damascus Establish Hadad Restore Samaria Sama'ria Streets Terms
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Ahab Ben Ben-Hadad Ben-Ha'dad Cities Covenant Damascus Establish Hadad Restore Samaria Sama'ria Streets Terms
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














Then Ben-hadad said to him
The name "Ben-hadad" is of Aramaic origin, meaning "son of Hadad," with Hadad being a storm and fertility god worshiped in ancient Syria. This highlights the cultural and religious differences between the Israelites and the Arameans. Historically, Ben-hadad was a king of Aram, and his interactions with Israel were marked by conflict and political maneuvering. This phrase sets the stage for a diplomatic exchange, emphasizing the power dynamics at play.

I will restore the cities
The act of restoring cities indicates a return of previously conquered territories. In the ancient Near Eastern context, cities were not just population centers but also symbols of power and control. The restoration signifies a shift in political power and a gesture of reconciliation. This phrase reflects the importance of land and territory in the biblical narrative, where land is often tied to divine promise and covenant.

that my father took from your father
This phrase acknowledges a history of conflict and conquest between the two nations. It suggests a generational struggle, with the current leaders seeking to address the grievances of the past. The mention of "father" here is significant, as it underscores the hereditary nature of kingship and the ongoing legacy of familial and national disputes.

and you may set up marketplaces for yourself in Damascus
Marketplaces were central to ancient economies, serving as hubs for trade and cultural exchange. Allowing Israel to set up marketplaces in Damascus indicates a significant economic concession and a move towards peaceful coexistence. This phrase highlights the importance of economic ties in fostering diplomatic relations and the potential for prosperity through cooperation.

as my father did in Samaria
This comparison to past arrangements suggests a precedent for such economic agreements. Samaria, the capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, was a significant city, and its mention here underscores the importance of mutual benefit in the treaty. The historical context of Samaria as a center of trade and politics adds depth to this diplomatic gesture.

'By this covenant I release you,' Ahab replied
The word "covenant" is deeply significant in the biblical context, often denoting a solemn agreement with divine or legal implications. Ahab's use of the term suggests a binding and serious commitment. The act of releasing Ben-hadad indicates a move towards peace and the resolution of hostilities, reflecting the biblical theme of reconciliation and forgiveness.

So he made a treaty with him and sent him away
The making of a treaty formalizes the agreement between the two kings, marking a turning point in their relationship. Treaties in the ancient world were often sealed with oaths and rituals, underscoring their importance and solemnity. Sending Ben-hadad away signifies the end of immediate conflict and the hope for a new chapter of peace. This phrase encapsulates the biblical ideal of resolving disputes through dialogue and agreement, rather than continued warfare.

(34) Make streets--properly, squares, or quarters of a city. This concession implies a virtual acknowledgment of supremacy; for the right to have certain quarters for residence, for trade, perhaps even for garrison, in the capital of a king, belongs only to one who has sovereignty over him. Hence it goes beyond the significance of the restoration of the cities--conquered, it would seem, from Omri, unless, indeed, taking "father" in the sense of predecessor, the reference is to the Syrian victories in the days of Baasha. (See 1Kings 15:20.) The narrative seems to convey an idea that the covenant was made hastily, on insufficient security. The great point, however, was that a war, victoriously conducted under prophetic guidance, should not have been concluded without prophetic sanction.

Verse 34. - And Ben-hadad said unto him The cities, which my father took from thy father, I will restore [We can hardly see in these words "the terms of peace which he is willing to offer as the price of his freedom" (Rawlinson), because he was absolutely at Ahab's mercy, and was not in a position to make any stipulations; but they express Ben-hadad's idea of the results which must follow the conquest. His utter defeat would necessitate this reconstruction of their respective territories, etc. We cannot be quite certain that the cities here referred to are those enumerated in 1 Kings 15:20, as taken by Ben-hadad's armies from Baasha. For Baasha was not the father, nor even was he the "ancestor" (as Keil, later edition) of Ahab, but belonged to a different dynasty. At the same time it is quite conceivable that a prince in Ben-hadad's position, in his ignorance or forgetfulness of the history of Israel, might use the word "father" improperly, or even in the sense of "predecessor." We know that אָב had a very extended signification.] Keil and Bahr, however, think that we have a reference to some war in the reign of Omri (cf. 1 Kings 16:27), which is not recorded in Scripture. And the words which follow make this extremely probable, inasmuch as in Baasha's days Samaria had no existence] ? and thou shalt make streets [חצות lit., whatever is without; hence streets, spaces, quarters] for thee in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria. [The commentators are agreed that a permission to establish bazaars or quarters, in which the Hebrews might live and trade, is here conceded]. Then said Ahab [These words are rightly supplied by our translators. The meaning would have been quite clear had the Hebrews been familiar with the use of quotation marks. For lack of these, all the versions ascribe the words to Ben-hadad], I will send thee away with this covenant. So he made a covenant with him and sent him away.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Ben-hadad said
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

to him,
אֵלָ֡יו (’ê·lāw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

“I will restore
אָשִׁ֗יב (’ā·šîḇ)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again

the cities
הֶעָרִ֣ים (he·‘ā·rîm)
Article | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 5892: Excitement

my father
אָבִי֩ (’ā·ḇî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 1: Father

took
לָֽקַח־ (lā·qaḥ-)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3947: To take

from
מֵאֵ֨ת (mê·’êṯ)
Preposition-m | Direct object marker
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

your father;
אָבִ֜יךָ (’ā·ḇî·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 1: Father

you may set up
תָּשִׂ֨ים (tā·śîm)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 7760: Put -- to put, place, set

your own
לְךָ֤ (lə·ḵā)
Preposition | second person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew

marketplaces
וְ֠חוּצוֹת (wə·ḥū·ṣō·wṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 2351: Separate by a, wall, outside, outdoors

in Damascus,
בְדַמֶּ֙שֶׂק֙ (ḇə·ḏam·me·śeq)
Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 1834: Damascus -- a city in Aram (Syria)

as
כַּאֲשֶׁר־ (ka·’ă·šer-)
Preposition-k | Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

my father
אָבִי֙ (’ā·ḇî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 1: Father

[did]
שָׂ֤ם (śām)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7760: Put -- to put, place, set

in Samaria.”
בְּשֹׁ֣מְר֔וֹן (bə·šō·mə·rō·wn)
Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 8111: Samaria -- capital of northern kingdom of Israel

“By this covenant
בַּבְּרִ֣ית (bab·bə·rîṯ)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 1285: A covenant

I
וַאֲנִ֖י (wa·’ă·nî)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589: I

release you,” [Ahab replied].
אֲשַׁלְּחֶ֑ךָּ (’ă·šal·lə·ḥe·kā)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - first person common singular | second person masculine singular
Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out

So he made
וַיִּכְרָת־ (way·yiḵ·rāṯ-)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3772: To cut, to destroy, consume, to covenant

a treaty
בְרִ֖ית (ḇə·rîṯ)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 1285: A covenant

with him
ל֥וֹ (lōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew

and sent him away.
וַֽיְשַׁלְּחֵֽהוּ׃ (way·šal·lə·ḥê·hū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out


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OT History: 1 Kings 20:34 Ben Hadad said to him The cities (1Ki iKi i Ki 1 Kg 1kg)
1 Kings 20:33
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