Tanach
Melachim I 20:1-22 מלכים א כ׳:א׳-כ״ב
Part of: Chapter 20
Reading: Hebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlyHebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlySimple English onlyFaithful translation onlySide by sideRashi
וּבֶן־הֲדַד מֶלֶךְ־אֲרָם קָבַץ אֶת־כׇּל־חֵילוֹ וּשְׁלֹשִׁים וּשְׁנַיִם מֶלֶךְ אִתּוֹ וְסוּס וָרָכֶב וַיַּעַל וַיָּצַר עַל־שֹׁמְרוֹן וַיִּלָּחֶם בָּֽהּ׃
Ben-Hadad, king of Arom, gathered his entire army, and thirty two kings with him, and horses and chariots, and he went up and besieged Shomron, and waged war with it.
Ben-Hadad, king of Arom, gathered his entire army, and thirty two kings with him, and horses and chariots, and he went up and besieged Shomron, and waged war with it.
וַיִּשְׁלַח מַלְאָכִים אֶל־אַחְאָב מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל הָעִֽירָה׃
And he sent messengers to Achov, king of Yisroel, to the city.
And he sent messengers to Achov, king of Yisroel, to the city.
וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ כֹּה אָמַר בֶּן־הֲדַד כַּסְפְּךָ וּֽזְהָבְךָ לִי־הוּא וְנָשֶׁיךָ וּבָנֶיךָ הַטּוֹבִים לִי־הֵֽם׃
And he said to him, “Thus said Ben-Hadad, ‘your silver and your gold are mine; your beautiful wives and children are mine.’”
And he said to him, “Thus said Ben-Hadad, ‘your silver and your gold are mine; your beautiful wives and children are mine.’”
וַיַּעַן מֶֽלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֹּאמֶר כִּדְבָרְךָ אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ לְךָ אֲנִי וְכׇל־אֲשֶׁר־לִֽי׃
And the king of Yisroel answered and said, “As you say, my master, the king, I and all that I possess are yours.”
And the king of Yisroel answered and said, “As you say, my master, the king, I and all that I possess are yours.”
וַיָּשֻׁבוּ הַמַּלְאָכִים וַיֹּאמְרוּ כֹּה־אָמַר בֶּן־הֲדַד לֵאמֹר כִּֽי־שָׁלַחְתִּי אֵלֶיךָ לֵאמֹר כַּסְפְּךָ וּֽזְהָבְךָ וְנָשֶׁיךָ וּבָנֶיךָ לִי תִתֵּֽן׃
The messengers returned, and said, “Thus has said Ben-Hadad, saying, ‘When I sent to you saying, “Your silver and your gold, your wives and your children, you must give [them] to me.”
The messengers returned, and said, “Thus has said Ben-Hadad, saying, ‘When I sent to you saying, “Your silver and your gold, your wives and your children, you must give [them] to me.”
Rashi
כִּי ׀ אִם־כָּעֵת מָחָר אֶשְׁלַח אֶת־עֲבָדַי אֵלֶיךָ וְחִפְּשׂוּ אֶת־בֵּיתְךָ וְאֵת בָּתֵּי עֲבָדֶיךָ וְהָיָה כׇּל־מַחְמַד עֵינֶיךָ יָשִׂימוּ בְיָדָם וְלָקָֽחוּ׃
But tomorrow, at this time, I will send my servants to you, and they will search your house and the houses of your servants; and everything you cherish, they will put in their hands and take.’”
But tomorrow, at this time, I will send my servants to you, and they will search your house and the houses of your servants; and everything you cherish, they will put in their hands and take.’”
Rashi
כל מחמד עיניך ישימו בידם ולקחו. והלא כל הראשונים דברי חמדה הם, אלא מהו מחמד עיניך, חמדה מתוך חמדה, זה ספר תורה, שנאמר בו (תהלים יט יא): הנחמדים מזהב ומפז רב, אמר אחאב בלבו, דבר גדול זה מבקש, אין זה שלי לבדי, של זקני ישראל היא, לפיכך: ויקרא לכל זקני הארץ, (מדרש תנחומא שמות כט, סנהדרין קב ב) אף על פי שהיו עובדין עבודה זרה, היו מכבדין את התורה:
Everything you cherish they will put in their hands and take. Were not the first [things] cherished things? What, then, is the meaning of “[everything] you cherish”? [This means] a treasure within a treasure, referring to the Torah Scroll, about which it is stated, “more desirable than gold, even more than quantities of fine gold.”1Tehillim 19:11. Achov said to himself, “He demands a great thing, but this is not mine alone; it belongs to the elders of Yisroel.”2He therefore could not give away the Torah without consulting the elders. Therefore, he “called all the elders of the land,”3Below v. 7. for even though they worshiped idols, they honored the Torah.4See Maseches Sanhedrin 102b. Despite all his sins, Achov believed in the Torah and refused to give it up. He was ready to go to war if necessary, to defend it. God therefore rewarded him with a reign of 22 years corresponding to the 22 letters of the Alef Beis with which the Torah is written.
וַיִּקְרָא מֶֽלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל לְכׇל־זִקְנֵי הָאָרֶץ וַיֹּאמֶר דְּעוּ־נָא וּרְאוּ כִּי רָעָה זֶה מְבַקֵּשׁ כִּֽי־שָׁלַח אֵלַי לְנָשַׁי וּלְבָנַי וּלְכַסְפִּי וְלִזְהָבִי וְלֹא מָנַעְתִּי מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃
The king of Yisroel called all the elders of the land and said, “Please realize and see that it is evil that this one looks for, for he has sent to me for my wives and children, for my silver and gold, and I have not withheld it from him.”
The king of Yisroel called all the elders of the land and said, “Please realize and see that it is evil that this one looks for, for he has sent to me for my wives and children, for my silver and gold, and I have not withheld it from him.”
וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלָיו כׇּל־הַזְּקֵנִים וְכׇל־הָעָם אַל־תִּשְׁמַע וְלוֹא תֹאבֶֽה׃
And they said to him,—all the elders and all the people,—“Do not listen and do not consent.”
And they said to him,—all the elders and all the people,—“Do not listen and do not consent.”
וַיֹּאמֶר לְמַלְאֲכֵי בֶן־הֲדַד אִמְרוּ לַאדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ כֹּל אֲשֶׁר־שָׁלַחְתָּ אֶל־עַבְדְּךָ בָרִֽאשֹׁנָה אֶעֱשֶׂה וְהַדָּבָר הַזֶּה לֹא אוּכַל לַעֲשׂוֹת וַיֵּֽלְכוּ הַמַּלְאָכִים וַיְשִׁבֻהוּ דָּבָֽר׃
So he said to Ben-Hadad’s messengers, “Say to my master, the king, ‘All that you sent to your servant originally, I will do, but this matter I cannot do.’” The messengers went and related the answer to him.
So he said to Ben-Hadad’s messengers, “Say to my master, the king, ‘All that you sent to your servant originally, I will do, but this matter I cannot do.’” The messengers went and related the answer to him.
וַיִּשְׁלַח אֵלָיו בֶּן־הֲדַד וַיֹּאמֶר כֹּה־יַעֲשׂוּן לִי אֱלֹהִים וְכֹה יוֹסִפוּ אִם־יִשְׂפֹּק עֲפַר שֹׁמְרוֹן לִשְׁעָלִים לְכׇל־הָעָם אֲשֶׁר בְּרַגְלָֽי׃
Ben-Hadad sent to him; and said, “So shall the god do to me and even more so if the dust of Shomron will be sufficient for the soles of the feet of all the people who are with me.”
Ben-Hadad sent to him; and said, “So shall the god do to me and even more so if the dust of Shomron will be sufficient for the soles of the feet of all the people who are with me.”
Rashi
אם ישפוק עפר שומרון לשעלים וגו'. (תרגום:) למיסב בשעולי פרסת רגלי עמא דעמי, עפר שנדבק בפרסת רגלים:
If the dust of Shomron will be sufficient for the soles of the feet, etc. [Targum Yonoson rendered,] “to take with the footsteps of all the people who are with me,” the earth that sticks to the sole of the feet.5Alternatively, שעלים means fistfuls, and Ben-Hadad said, that if each of his soldiers was to take a fistful of the dirt of Shomron, there would not be enough dirt for them, for his army was so large.—Radak
לשעלים. לשון מדרך כף רגל, וכן (במדבר כב כד): במשעול הכרמים ; וכן (ישעיהו מ יב): מי מדד בשעלו מים, שדרך בים סוף, שנאמר (חבקוק ג טו): דרכת בים סוסיך:
For the soles of the feet. An expression of, “treading with the sole of the foot,” and similarly, “in a narrow path [משעול] of the vineyards,”6Bamidbar 22:24. and similarly, “who measured the water with his step [בשעלו],”7Yeshayahu 40:12. for He trod in the Red Sea, as it is stated, “You tramped them in the sea with Your horses.”8Chavakuk 3:15.
אם ישפוק. אם יש די:
Will be sufficient. If there is enough.
וַיַּעַן מֶֽלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֹּאמֶר דַּבְּרוּ אַל־יִתְהַלֵּל חֹגֵר כִּמְפַתֵּֽחַ׃
The king of Yisroel answered and said, “Tell him, ‘He who puts on the sword should not brag like the one who takes it off.’”
The king of Yisroel answered and said, “Tell him, ‘He who puts on the sword should not brag like the one who takes it off.’”
Rashi
דברו אל יתהלל חוגר כמפתח. תרגום: אמרו ליה, לא ישתבח דמיזדרז ונחית בקרבא, כגבר דנצח וסליק מינה. אל יתהלל החוגר חרבו לרדת למלחמה, שאינו יודע אם ינצח אם לאו:
“Tell him, ‘He who puts on the sword shall not brag like the one who takes it off.’” “Say to him, ‘One should not boast, he who arms himself and goes down to war like a man who has been victorious and is coming up from it.’” One should not boast he who puts on his sword to wage to war, for he does not know whether or not he will be victorious.
כמפתח. חגורת חרבו, שעלה כבר מן המלחמה ונצח, כך אין לאדוניכם להתהלל בדבר העתיד:
Like the one who takes it off. His sword binding, [after] he has come up from the war victorious. Similarly, your master should not boast about a future event.
וַיְהִי כִּשְׁמֹעַ אֶת־הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה וְהוּא שֹׁתֶה הוּא וְהַמְּלָכִים בַּסֻּכּוֹת וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל־עֲבָדָיו שִׂימוּ וַיָּשִׂימוּ עַל־הָעִֽיר׃
When he heard this report he and the kings were drinking in the shelters. He said to his servants, “Prepare and they prepared to lay siege to the city.
When he heard this report he and the kings were drinking in the shelters. He said to his servants, “Prepare and they prepared to lay siege to the city.
Rashi
שימו. כלי המצור על העיר:
Prepare. The implements of siege against the city.
וְהִנֵּה ׀ נָבִיא אֶחָד נִגַּשׁ אֶל־אַחְאָב מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֹּאמֶר כֹּה אָמַר יְהֹוָה הֲֽרָאִיתָ אֵת כׇּל־הֶהָמוֹן הַגָּדוֹל הַזֶּה הִנְנִי נֹתְנוֹ בְיָֽדְךָ הַיּוֹם וְיָדַעְתָּ כִּֽי־אֲנִי יְהֹוָֽה׃
Then behold, a certain prophet approached Achov, king of Yisroel, and said, “So said Adonoy. ‘Do you see this entire tremendous multitude? Behold, I am putting them into your hands today, and thus you will know that I am Adonoy.’”
Then behold, a certain prophet approached Achov, king of Yisroel, and said, “So said Adonoy. ‘Do you see this entire tremendous multitude? Behold, I am putting them into your hands today, and thus you will know that I am Adonoy.’”
Rashi
נביא אחד. הוא מיכיהו בן ימלה (סדר עולם):
A certain prophet. That was Michoyhu the son of Yimloh.9See below 22:8.
וַיֹּאמֶר אַחְאָב בְּמִי וַיֹּאמֶר כֹּה־אָמַר יְהֹוָה בְּנַעֲרֵי שָׂרֵי הַמְּדִינוֹת וַיֹּאמֶר מִי־יֶאְסֹר הַמִּלְחָמָה וַיֹּאמֶר אָֽתָּה׃
And Achov said, “Through whom?” And he said, “So has Adonoy said, ‘By the youths of the officers of the provinces.” And he [Achov] said, “Who will lead the battle?” And he said, “You.”
And Achov said, “Through whom?” And he said, “So has Adonoy said, ‘By the youths of the officers of the provinces.” And he [Achov] said, “Who will lead the battle?” And he said, “You.”
Rashi
בנערי שרי המדינות. הם בני התערובות, שהיו כל השרים של שאר האומות נותנים בניהם תחת ידו ערבים שלא ימרדו בו:
By the youths of the officers of the provinces. They are the hostages, for all the governors of the other nations would give their children into his custody [as a guarantee] that they will not rebel against him.10Also, this may have served as a demonstration of loyalty to the king. Alternatively, they were the children of Achov’s high ranking officers who were raised in the royal court.—Radak
מי יאסור המלחמה. יערוך לצוות אותה:
Who will lead the battle? Who will array [the battle], to command it.11Being an idolater, Achov felt that he was unworthy to have a miracle performed through him and therefore he looked for another leader.—Radak
אתה. צא אתה תחלה וכה תמיתנו (ועתה תריעו ספרים אחרים אינו):
You. You go forth first and so you shall kill him. (And now you shall shout: Omitted in some texts)
וַיִּפְקֹד אֶֽת־נַעֲרֵי שָׂרֵי הַמְּדִינוֹת וַיִּהְיוּ מָאתַיִם שְׁנַיִם וּשְׁלֹשִׁים וְאַחֲרֵיהֶם פָּקַד אֶת־כׇּל־הָעָם כׇּל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל שִׁבְעַת אֲלָפִֽים׃
Then he counted the youths of the officers of the provinces, and there were two hundred thirty two. After them he counted all the people, all the Bnei Yisroel, seven thousand.
Then he counted the youths of the officers of the provinces, and there were two hundred thirty two. After them he counted all the people, all the Bnei Yisroel, seven thousand.
Rashi
שבעת אלפים. אומר אני, הם שאמר עליהם (לעיל יט יח): כל הברכים אשר לא כרעו לבעל שבעת אלפים:
Seven thousand. I say that they are the ones about whom it is stated, “All those whose knees did not bend to the Baal,” were seven thousand.12Above 19:18.
וַיֵּצְאוּ בַּֽצׇּהֳרָיִם וּבֶן־הֲדַד שֹׁתֶה שִׁכּוֹר בַּסֻּכּוֹת הוּא וְהַמְּלָכִים שְׁלֹשִֽׁים־וּשְׁנַיִם מֶלֶךְ עֹזֵר אֹתֽוֹ׃
They went out at midday. Ben-Hadad was drinking himself drunk in the shelters, he and the kings, the thirty two kings who supported him.
They went out at midday. Ben-Hadad was drinking himself drunk in the shelters, he and the kings, the thirty two kings who supported him.
Rashi
בסכות. שעשו להם מפני החמה:
In the shelters. That they had made for themselves [as protection] from the sun.
וַיֵּצְאוּ נַעֲרֵי שָׂרֵי הַמְּדִינוֹת בָּרִֽאשֹׁנָה וַיִּשְׁלַח בֶּן־הֲדַד וַיַּגִּידוּ לוֹ לֵאמֹר אֲנָשִׁים יָצְאוּ מִשֹּׁמְרֽוֹן׃
The youths of the officers of the provinces [went out] first. Ben-Hadad sent out [scouts], And they told him, saying, “Men have come out of Shomron.”
The youths of the officers of the provinces [went out] first. Ben-Hadad sent out [scouts], And they told him, saying, “Men have come out of Shomron.”
וַיֹּאמֶר אִם־לְשָׁלוֹם יָצָאוּ תִּפְשׂוּם חַיִּים וְאִם לְמִלְחָמָה יָצָאוּ חַיִּים תִּפְשֽׂוּם׃
He said, “If they have come out for peace, take them alive, and if they have come out to battle, alive shall you take them.”
He said, “If they have come out for peace, take them alive, and if they have come out to battle, alive shall you take them.”
וְאֵלֶּה יָצְאוּ מִן־הָעִיר נַעֲרֵי שָׂרֵי הַמְּדִינוֹת וְהַחַיִל אֲשֶׁר אַחֲרֵיהֶֽם׃
These were the ones that went out of the city, the youths of the officers of the provinces, and the army that followed after them.
These were the ones that went out of the city, the youths of the officers of the provinces, and the army that followed after them.
וַיַּכּוּ אִישׁ אִישׁוֹ וַיָּנֻסֽוּ אֲרָם וַֽיִּרְדְּפֵם יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּמָּלֵט בֶּן־הֲדַד מֶלֶךְ אֲרָם עַל־סוּס וּפָרָשִֽׁים׃
Each [youth] killed his opponent, and Aram fled and Yisroel pursued them. Ben-Hadad, king of Aram escaped on a horse [accompanied] with horsemen.
Each [youth] killed his opponent, and Aram fled and Yisroel pursued them. Ben-Hadad, king of Aram escaped on a horse [accompanied] with horsemen.
וַיֵּצֵא מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיַּךְ אֶת־הַסּוּס וְאֶת־הָרָכֶב וְהִכָּה בַאֲרָם מַכָּה גְדוֹלָֽה׃
And [then] the king of Yisroel went forth and struck the horses and the chariots, and struck [the men of] Aram a great blow.
And [then] the king of Yisroel went forth and struck the horses and the chariots, and struck [the men of] Aram a great blow.
וַיִּגַּשׁ הַנָּבִיא אֶל־מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ לֵךְ הִתְחַזַּק וְדַע וּרְאֵה אֵת אֲשֶׁר־תַּעֲשֶׂה כִּי לִתְשׁוּבַת הַשָּׁנָה מֶלֶךְ אֲרָם עֹלֶה עָלֶֽיךָ׃ {פ}
The prophet approached the king of Yisroel, and said to him, “Go fortify yourself. You shall know and see what you must do, for at the end of the year, the king of Aram will come up against you.”
The prophet approached the king of Yisroel, and said to him, “Go fortify yourself. You shall know and see what you must do, for at the end of the year, the king of Aram will come up against you.”
Rashi
לתשובת השנה. (תרגום:) לזמן סופא דשתא:
At the end of the year. [Targum Yonoson rendered], “at the time of the year’s end.”13Alternatively, in the spring, kings go out to war because there provisions are available in the fields for the troops and their animals. See II Shmuel 11:1 and Rashi there.
כי שלחתי אליך וגו' לי תתן. ידעתי כי תתנם לי, אבל אחרת אני גוזר עליך:
When I have sent to you, etc., you must give [them] to me. I know that you will give them to me, but I am decreeing upon you something else.