1 Kings 20:26

Contemporary English Version

In the spring, Benhadad got his army together, and they marched to the town of Aphek to attack Israel.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
In the spring, Ben-hadad mobilized the Arameans and went up to Aphek to battle Israel.

Hebrew Names Version
It happened at the return of the year, that Ben-Hadad mustered the Aram, and went up to Afek, to fight against Yisra'el.

King James Version
And it came to pass at the return of the year, that Benhadad numbered the Syrians, and went up to Aphek, to fight against Israel.

English Standard Version
In the spring, Ben-hadad mustered the Syrians and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel.

New Century Version
The next spring Ben-Hadad gathered the army of Aram and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel.

New English Translation
In the spring Ben Hadad mustered the Syrian army and marched to Aphek to fight Israel.

Amplified Bible
At the first of the year [in spring], Ben-hadad assembled and counted the Arameans (Syrians) and went up to Aphek [east of the Sea of Galilee] to fight against Israel.

New American Standard Bible
So at the turn of the year Ben-hadad mustered the Arameans and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And after the yeere was gone about, Ben-hadad nombred the Aramites, and went vp to Aphek to fight against Israel.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now it happened at the turn of the year, that Ben-hadad mustered the Arameans and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel.

Complete Jewish Bible
At the same time the following year, Ben-Hadad mustered the army of Aram and went up to Afek to attack Isra'el.

Darby Translation
And it came to pass, at the return of the year, that Ben-Hadad numbered the Syrians, and went up to Aphek, to fight against Israel.

Easy-to-Read Version
So in the spring, Ben-Hadad gathered the men of Aram and went to Aphek to fight against Israel.

George Lamsa Translation
And it came to pass at the beginning of the year, that Bar-hadad gave orders to the Arameans, and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel.

Good News Translation
The following spring he called up his men and marched with them to the city of Aphek to attack the Israelites.

Lexham English Bible
It happened at the turning of the year that Ben-Hadad mustered Aram and went up to Aphek for the war with Israel.

Literal Translation
And it happened at the turn of the year, Ben-hadad called up the Syrians, and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Now whan the yeare was gone aboute, Benadab appoynted the Sirians, and wente vp towarde Aphek, to fighte agaynst Israel,

American Standard Version
And it came to pass at the return of the year, that Ben-hadad mustered the Syrians, and went up to Aphek, to fight against Israel.

Bible in Basic English
So, a year later, Ben-hadad got the Aramaeans together and went up to Aphek to make war on Israel.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And it fortuned, that after the yere was gone about, Benhadad numbred the Syrians, and went vp to Aphec to fight against Israel.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And it came to pass at the return of the year, that Ben-hadad mustered the Arameans, and went up to Aphek, to fight against Israel.

King James Version (1611)
And it came to passe at the returne of the yeere, that Benhadad numbred the Syrians, and went vp to Aphek, to fight against Israel.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And he did very abominably in following after the abominations, according to all that the Amorite did, whom the Lord utterly destroyed from before the children of Israel.

English Revised Version
And it came to pass at the return of the year, that Ben–hadad mustered the Syrians, and went up to Aphek, to fight against Israel.

Berean Standard Bible
In the spring, Ben-hadad mobilized the Arameans and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor after that the yeer hadde passid, Benadab noumbride men of Sirie, and he stiede in to Affech, to fiyte ayens Israel.

Young's Literal Translation
And it cometh to pass at the turn of the year, that Ben-Hadad inspecteth the Aramaeans, and goeth up to Aphek, to battle with Israel,

Update Bible Version
And it came to pass at the return of the year, that Ben-hadad mustered the Syrians, and went up to Aphek, to fight against Israel.

Webster's Bible Translation
And it came to pass at the return of the year, that Ben-hadad numbered the Syrians, and went up to Aphek, to fight against Israel.

World English Bible
It happened at the return of the year, that Ben-hadad mustered the Syrians, and went up to Aphek, to fight against Israel.

New King James Version
So it was, in the spring of the year, that Ben-Hadad mustered the Syrians and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel.

New Living Translation
The following spring he called up the Aramean army and marched out against Israel, this time at Aphek.

New Life Bible
When the new year came, Benhadad called together the Syrians and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel.

New Revised Standard
In the spring Ben-hadad mustered the Arameans and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And so it came to pass at the return of the year, that Ben-hadad numbered the Syrians, - and came up to Aphek, to fight with Israel;

Douay-Rheims Bible
Wherefore, at the return of the year, Benadad mustered the Syrians, and went up to Aphec, to fight against Israel.

Revised Standard Version
In the spring Ben-ha'dad mustered the Syrians, and went up to Aphek, to fight against Israel.

THE MESSAGE
As the new year approached, Ben-Hadad rallied Aram and they went up to Aphek to make war on Israel. The Israelite army prepared to fight and took the field to meet Aram. They moved into battle formation before Aram in two camps, like two flocks of goats. The plain was seething with Arameans.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
At the turn of the year, Ben-hadad mustered the Arameans and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel.

Contextual Overview

²² Later, the prophet went back and warned Ahab, "Benhadad will attack you again next spring. Build up your troops and make sure you have some good plans." ²³ Meanwhile, Benhadad's officials went to him and explained: Israel's gods are mountain gods. We fought Israel's army in the hills, and that's why they defeated us. But if we fight them on flat land, there's no way we can lose. ²⁴ Here's what you should do. First, get rid of those thirty-two kings and put army commanders in their places. ²⁵ Then get more soldiers, horses, and chariots, so your army will be as strong as it was before. We'll fight Israel's army on flat land and wipe them out. Benhadad agreed and did what they suggested. ²⁶ In the spring, Benhadad got his army together, and they marched to the town of Aphek to attack Israel. ²⁷ The Israelites also prepared to fight. They marched out to meet the Syrians, and the two armies camped across from each other. The Syrians covered the whole area, but the Israelites looked like two little flocks of goats. ²⁸ The prophet went to Ahab and said, "The Syrians think the Lord is a god of the hills and not of the valleys. So he has promised to help you defeat their powerful army. Then you will know that the Lord is in control." ²⁹ For seven days the two armies stayed in their camps, facing each other. Then on the seventh day the fighting broke out, and before sunset the Israelites had killed one hundred thousand Syrian troops. ³⁰ The rest of the Syrian army ran back to Aphek, but the town wall fell and crushed twenty-seven thousand of them. Benhadad also escaped to Aphek and hid in the back room of a house.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Aphek: Supposed to be the Aphek near the river Adonis, between Heliopolis and Biblos, and probably the same place that Paul Lucas mentions in his Voyage to the Levant. It was swallowed up by an earthquake, and formed a lake about nine miles in circumference, in which he says there were several houses still to be seen entire, under the water. 1 Kings 20:30, Joshua 13:4, Joshua 19:30, Judges 1:31, Aphik, 1 Samuel 4:1, 1 Samuel 29:1, 2 Kings 13:17

to fight against Israel: Heb. to the war with Israel

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 11:1 - after the year 1 Kings 20:22 - at the return 1 Chronicles 20:1 - after the year was expired 2 Chronicles 24:23 - at the end

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And it came to pass at the return of the year,.... In the spring, or autumn, as some think, :-

that Benhadad numbered the Syrians; took a muster of his army, to see if he had got the number he had before:

and went up to Aphek, to fight against Israel; not that in Judah, Joshua 15:53, rather that in Asher, Joshua 19:30, but it seems to be that which Adrichomius l places in Issachar, near to the famous camp of Esdraelon, or valley of Jezreel, where it is probable the king of Syria intended to have fought; the battle; and some travellers, as he observes, say m, the ruins of that city are still shown in that great camp or plain, not far from Gilboa, to the east of Mount Carmel, and five miles from Tabor; according to Bunting n, it was fourteen miles from Samaria; but it may be Aphaca near Mount Lebanon, and the river Adonis o, is meant.

l Theatrum Terrae Sanct. p. 35. m Brocard. & Breidenbach. in ib. n Travels, &c. p. 164. o Vid. Sozomen. Hist. l. 2. c. 5.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Aphek - There were several places of this name in Palestine (see the marginal reference). This Aphek has been almost certainly identified with the modern Fik, a large village on the present high road from Damascus to Nablous and Jersalem. The expression “went up to Aphek” is appropriate, for Fik, though in a level country, is at a much higher elevation than Damascus.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 26. Ben-hadad numbered the Syrians, and went up to Aphek — There were several towns of this name; see the notes on Joshua 12:18. It is supposed that the town mentioned here was situated in Libanus, upon the river Adonis, between Heliopolis and Biblos.