1 Kings 20 24

1 Kings 20:24 kjv

And do this thing, Take the kings away, every man out of his place, and put captains in their rooms:

1 Kings 20:24 nkjv

So do this thing: Dismiss the kings, each from his position, and put captains in their places;

1 Kings 20:24 niv

Do this: Remove all the kings from their commands and replace them with other officers.

1 Kings 20:24 esv

And do this: remove the kings, each from his post, and put commanders in their places,

1 Kings 20:24 nlt

Only this time replace the kings with field commanders!

1 Kings 20 verses

1 Kings 20 24 Meaning

First Kings 20:24 presents advice given to Ben-Hadad, king of Syria, by his servants following his initial defeat by Israel. This verse suggests a change in military strategy: replacing the current leaders, who are referred to as "kings," with "governors." The underlying premise of this counsel, based on the preceding verse (1 Kgs 20:23), is the mistaken belief that the God of Israel is merely a regional deity, a "god of the hills," who could be overcome by changing leadership and fighting in a different terrain like the plain. The verse thus highlights human attempt to control outcomes through worldly wisdom and organizational change, fundamentally misjudging the power and nature of the one true God.

1 Kings 20 24 Context

First Kings Chapter 20 describes two consecutive conflicts between King Ahab of Israel and King Ben-Hadad of Syria. In the initial encounter, detailed in verses 1-21, Ben-Hadad, with a massive coalition, besieges Samaria and demands heavy tribute. God, through a prophet, assures Ahab of victory to demonstrate that He is the LORD. Against overwhelming odds, Israel achieves a decisive victory. This astonishing defeat leads to the conversation recorded in verses 23-25. Ben-Hadad's servants propose a new strategy, arguing that Israel's God is limited to hills, and if they fight in the plain with new leadership, they would succeed. Verse 24 is their concrete counsel to remove existing "kings" and replace them with "governors." This shows their misinterpretation of divine intervention, seeing it through the lens of pagan territorial deities and human organizational failures rather than the omnipotence of the one true God. The subsequent events (vv. 26-34) then demonstrate God's continued superiority by granting Israel victory on the plain, further refuting the Syrians' limited view of God.

1 Kings 20 24 Word analysis

• And do this thing: (וַעֲשֵׂה אֶת־הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה, va'aseh et-hadavar hazzeh)

  • "And do": Indicates a direct command, following the previous counsel. It emphasizes an immediate and decisive action based on their analysis.
  • "this thing": Refers to the specific military and administrative reform they are about to outline. This phrase points to a calculated human strategy, attempting to find a tactical solution to a divinely orchestrated problem.

• Remove the kings, (הָסֵר הַמְּלָכִים, haser hamme'lakhim)

  • "Remove": (הָסֵר, haser) The verb suggests a decisive act of taking away or putting aside. It implies a perceived flaw in the current leadership that needs radical correction. It's a pragmatic military and political move.
  • "the kings": (הַמְּלָכִים, hamme'lakhim) This term here likely refers not to sovereign monarchs of independent nations but to Ben-Hadad's thirty-two sub-kings or regional commanders/governors who accompanied him (1 Kgs 20:1). In ancient Near Eastern context, tributary rulers or high-ranking military commanders sometimes held kingly titles within their own smaller domains. The advice reflects their perception that the fault lay with the quality or approach of these particular leaders, not with the superiority of Israel's God. This also indirectly serves as a subtle polemic: human leaders are temporary and fallible, contrasting with the immutable, all-powerful God of Israel.

• each from his place, (אִישׁ מִמְּקוֹמוֹ, ish mimmeqomo)

  • "each from his place": (אִישׁ מִמְּקוֹמוֹ, ish mimmeqomo) Emphasizes a complete overhaul, targeting every individual commander. "Place" refers to their specific post, strategic command, or position within the army's structure. This highlights the systemic change Ben-Hadad's servants believed was necessary to reverse their defeat. It underscores a belief in a purely logistical or managerial problem, not a spiritual or theological one.

• and put governors in their places. (וְשִׂים פַּחוֹת תַּחְתֵּיהֶם, v'sim pakkot takhtehem)

  • "and put": (וְשִׂים, v'sim) The counter-action to "remove"; to establish, appoint, or set up. It signifies the proactive replacement of leadership.
  • "governors": (פַּחוֹת, pakhoth) These were high-ranking civil or military officials, often viceroys or satraps appointed by a king to govern a province or region. The word is of Assyrian or Babylonian origin, reflecting the common administrative structure in the wider ancient Near East. The shift from "kings" to "governors" might imply appointing more direct, accountable, or tactically flexible commanders, rather than possibly independent-minded "kings" who had their own local allegiances. This reflects a strategic decision to centralize military command or bring in new blood with different tactics, believing this would neutralize the perceived advantage of Israel's "gods of the hills."
  • "in their places": (תַּחְתֵּיהֶם, takhtehem) Indicates direct substitution, filling the same roles or positions with new personnel.

Words-group Analysis:

• "Remove the kings, each from his place, and put governors in their places." This phrase outlines a comprehensive plan of personnel change and organizational restructuring. It reflects a purely human and carnal assessment of defeat. The Syrians did not attribute their loss to the God of Israel's power, but to inadequate leadership and possibly unsuitable battle terrain (implied from 1 Kgs 20:23). This serves as a significant contrast, highlighting that while humans rely on strategic overhaul and personal competencies, God's power transcends such earthly limitations and works through whomever He chooses. The whole passage sets up a divine test to show that God is God of all terrains and not confined by human assumptions or capabilities.

1 Kings 20 24 Bonus section

The advice given by Ben-Hadad's servants, as seen in 1 Kings 20:23-24, is deeply rooted in the ancient Near Eastern belief in "territorial deities." Many pagan cultures believed gods had specific domains, often tied to geographical features like mountains, rivers, or particular lands. If one won a battle on the hills, it was attributed to the "gods of the hills." This misconception fueled their strategic recommendation, believing they could outmaneuver YHWH by fighting on a plain with new leadership. The entire narrative, therefore, serves as a direct and dramatic theological challenge to this pagan worldview, demonstrating that YHWH, the God of Israel, is the one true sovereign God over all creation, transcending any geographical or human limitation. He is not dependent on hills, plains, or human generals, but His power is absolute everywhere.

1 Kings 20 24 Commentary

First Kings 20:24 showcases the limitations of human perception and strategic thinking when confronted with divine intervention. The Syrian counselors, steeped in a polytheistic worldview, fundamentally misinterpret the reason for their recent military defeat. They assume Israel's God is a localized, territorial deity, effective only on the hills, and that their own loss was due to the ineptitude of their commanders. Their solution is entirely worldly: a comprehensive shake-up of their military leadership, replacing titled "kings" (their regional commanders) with new "governors." This re-organization, they believe, combined with a change of battleground to the plain (implied from the preceding verse), will tip the scales in their favor.

This advice, however shrewd by human standards, completely bypasses the true omnipotence and omnipresence of the God of Israel. It sets up a powerful theological polemic. By focusing on earthly elements—leaders, terrain, military strategy—the Syrians unwittingly provide the perfect opportunity for the Lord to demonstrate that He is not merely "God of the hills" but God of all the earth, governing all circumstances, irrespective of human arrangements or physical locations. The narrative that follows vindicates this truth, as God grants Israel another victory on the plain, showing that His power is boundless and not dictated by pagan concepts of limited deities or human organizational prowess. It underscores the futility of human wisdom against divine will.