1 Kings 20:23

20:23 Now the advisers ¹  of the king of Syria said to him: “Their God is a god of the mountains. That’s why they overpowered us. But if we fight them in the plains, we will certainly overpower them.

1 Kings 20:31

20:31 His advisers ²  said to him, “Look, we have heard that the kings of the Israelite dynasty are kind. ³  Allow us to put sackcloth around our waists and ropes on our heads ⁴  and surrender ⁵  to the king of Israel. Maybe he will spare our lives.”

¹ tn Or “servants.”

² tn Or “servants.”

³ tn Or “merciful.” The word used here often means “devoted” or “loyal.” Perhaps the idea is that the Israelite kings are willing to make treaties with other kings.

⁴ sn Sackcloth was worn as a sign of sorrow and repentance. The precise significance of the ropes on the head is uncertain, but it probably was a sign of submission. These actions were comparable to raising a white flag on the battlefield or throwing in the towel in a boxing match.

⁵ tn Heb “go out.”