1 Kings 20:12

Contextual Overview

¹² And when he heard that tidings, as he was with the Kings drinking in the pauilions, he sayd vnto his seruants, Bring forth your engines, and they set them against the citie. ¹² It happened, when [Ben-Hadad] heard this message, as he was drinking, he and the kings, in the pavilions, that he said to his servants, Set [yourselves in array]. They set [themselves in array] against the city. ¹² King Ben-Hadad was drinking in his tent with the other rulers when the messengers came back and gave him the message from King Ahab. King Ben-Hadad commanded his men to prepare to attack the city, so the men moved into their places for the battle. ¹² When Ben-hadad heard this message as he was drinking with the kings in the booths, he said to his men, "Take your positions." And they took their positions against the city. ¹²When Ben-hadad heard this message, as he and the kings were drinking in the temporary shelters, he said to his servants, "Station yourselves." So they stationed themselves against the city [of Samaria].¹² And it came to pass, when Ben-hadad heard this message, as he was drinking, he and the kings, in the pavilions, that he said unto his servants, Set yourselves in array. And they set themselves in array against the city. ¹² Now when this answer was given to Ben-hadad, he was drinking with the kings in the tents, and he said to his men, Take up your positions. So they put themselves in position for attacking the town. ¹² Meanwhile, Benhadad and the other kings had been drinking in their tents. But when Ahab's reply came, he ordered his soldiers to prepare to attack Samaria, and they all got ready. ¹² It happened that Ben-Hadad received this message when he was drinking, he and his kings, in the field-barracks. He ordered his servants: "Take up your battle positions!" So they got ready to attack the city. ¹² And it came to pass, when [Ben-hadad] heard this message, as he was drinking, he and the kings, in the booths, that he said unto his servants: 'Set yourselves in array.' And they set themselves in array against the city.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

message: Heb. word

drinking: 1 Kings 20:16, 1 Kings 16:9, 1 Samuel 25:36, 2 Samuel 13:28, Proverbs 31:4, Proverbs 31:5, Daniel 5:2, Daniel 5:30, Luke 21:34, Ephesians 5:18

pavilions: or, tents, That persons of regal dignity regaled themselves in this manner, we may learn from Dr. Chandler, who, when he went to visit the Aga of Suki, after his return from hawking, found him vexed and tired; and "a couch was prepared from him beneath a shed made against a cottage, and covered with green boughs to keep off the sun. He entered as we were standing by, and fell down on it to sleep, without taking any notice of us." Jeremiah 43:10

Set yourselves in array, And they set: etc. or, Place the engines, And they placed engines

Reciprocal: Judges 16:25 - their hearts 1 Chronicles 19:19 - the servants

Cross-References

Genesis 11:29
So Abram and Nahor tooke them wiues. The name of Abrams wife was Sarai, & the name of Nahors wife Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah.

Genesis 11:29
And Abram and Nahor took wives for themselves; the name of Abrams wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahors wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah and Iscah.

Genesis 11:29
Avram and Nachor took wives. The name of Avram's wife was Sarai, and the name of Nachor's wife, Milkah, the daughter of Haran who was also the father of Yiskah.

Genesis 11:29
Abram and Nahor both married. Abram's wife was named Sarai. Nahor's wife was named Milcah. Milcah was the daughter of Haran. Haran was the father of Milcah and Iscah.

Genesis 11:29
And Abram and Nahor took wives. The name of Abram's wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran the father of Milcah and Iscah.

Genesis 11:29
And Abram and Nahor took them wives: the name of Abram's wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah.

Genesis 11:29
And Abram and Nahor took wives for themselves: the name of Abram's wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife was Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah and Iscah.

Genesis 11:29
Abram married Sarai, but she was not able to have any children. And Nahor married Milcah, who was the daughter of Haran and the sister of Iscah.

Genesis 11:29
(Maftir) Then Avram and Nachor took wives for themselves. The name of Avram's wife was Sarai, and the name of Nachor's wife was Milkah the daughter of Haran. He was the father of Milkah and of Yiskah.

Genesis 11:29
And Abram and Nahor took wives: the name of Abram's wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, a daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah and the father of Iscah.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And it came to pass, when Benhadad heard this message (as he was drinking, he and the kings in the pavilions),.... Though it was at noon, or before, 1 Kings 20:16, which shows that he and they were addicted to intemperance:

that he said unto his servants; some of the principal officers of his army:

set yourselves in array; prepare for battle, betake yourselves to your arms, invest the city at once, and place the engines against it to batter it down:

and they set themselves in array against the city; besieged it in form, at least prepared for it; for it seems after all that it was not properly done.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Pavilions - “Booths” (Genesis 33:17 margin; Leviticus 23:42; Jonah 4:5). The term seems to be properly applied to a stationary “booth” or “hut,” as distinguished from a moveable “tent.” On military expeditions, and especially in the case of a siege, such “huts” were naturally constructed to shelter the king and his chief officers.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Kings 20:12. In the pavilions — This word comes from papilio, a butterfly, because tents, when pitched or spread out, resembled such animals; partly because of the mode of their expansion, and partly because of the manner in which they were painted.

Set yourselves in array. — The original word, שימו simu, which we translate by this long periphrasis, is probably a military term for Begin the attack, Invest the city, Every man to his post, or some such like expression.