1 Kings 20:21

Then the king of Israel marched out and attacked the horses and chariots, inflicting a great slaughter on the Arameans.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — The narrator describes the king of Israel marching out to pursue the fleeing Aramean forces immediately after their rout. This action occurs during the battle's aftermath, just before a prophet instructs him to fortify his position for a spring counteroffense.

The words — The Hebrew verb וַ/יַּ֥ךְ (va/i.Yakh) translates literally as "and he struck down," applied directly to הַ/סּ֖וּס (ha./Sus) "the horses" and הָ/רָ֑כֶב (ha./Ra.khev) "the chariotry." These terms specify the exact military assets targeted during the pursuit.

The thread — This sequence of mobilizing troops to chase a routed enemy runs through Judges 3:28, Judges 7:23, and 1 Samuel 14:20. Each account follows the same narrative structure: a commander leads forces outward to capitalize on the enemy's collapse.

Why it lands — The text records the king's physical strike on enemy equipment as the direct mechanism of the slaughter described. A reader must observe that the narrative treats the pursuit as the necessary completion of the rout, not as a separate tactical decision.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וַיֵּצֵא֙va/i.ye.Tze'and/ he went out מֶ֣לֶךְMe.lekh[the] king of יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לYis.ra.'ElIsrael וַיַּ֥ךְva/i.Yakhand/ he struck down אֶת־'et-<obj.>הַסּ֖וּסha./Susthe/ horse[s]וְאֶת־ve./'Etand/ <obj.>הָרָ֑כֶבha./Ra.khevthe/ chariotry וְהִכָּ֥הve./hi.Kahand/ he struck down בַאֲרָ֖םva./'a.Ramamong/ Aram מַכָּ֥הma.Kaha slaughter גְדוֹלָֽה׃ge.do.Lahgreat

King James Version

And the king of Israel went out, and smote the horses and chariots, and slew the Syrians with a great slaughter.

Cross-references

Judges 3:28 “Follow me,” he told them, “for the LORD has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand.” So they followed him down and seized the fords of the Jordan leading to Moab, and they did not allow anyone to cross over.
Judges 7:23 Then the men of Israel were called out from Naphtali, Asher, and all Manasseh, and they pursued the Midianites.
1 Samuel 14:20 Then Saul and all his troops assembled and marched to the battle, and they found the Philistines in total confusion, with each man wielding the sword against his neighbor.
1 Samuel 17:52 Then the men of Israel and Judah charged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines to the entrance of Gath and to the gates of Ekron. And the bodies of the Philistines were strewn along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron.
2 Kings 3:18 This is a simple matter in the sight of the LORD, and He will also deliver the Moabites into your hand.
2 Kings 3:24 But when the Moabites came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and attacked them, and they fled before them. So the Israelites invaded their land and struck down the Moabites.