1 Kings 22:31

Now the king of Aram had ordered his thirty-two chariot commanders, “Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel.”

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The king of Aram issues a direct military order to his thirty-two chariot commanders during the ongoing battle, restricting engagement solely to the Israelite monarch.

The words — צִוָּה (tzi.Vah) means “he had commanded,” and שָׂרֵי (sa.Rei) identifies the “commanders” of the chariotry who receive this specific restriction.

The thread — This directive appears in 1 Kings 22:31 and runs parallel to the account in 2 Chronicles 18:30, while the exclusion of all but one ruler mirrors the tactical focus in the surrounding narrative.

Why it lands — The text demands recognition that human orders operate within constrained boundaries, requiring the reader to observe how specific commands intersect with prophetic words without adding moral commentary.

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

King James Version

But the king of Syria commanded his thirty and two captains that had rule over his chariots, saying, Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the king of Israel.

Cross-references

1 Kings 20:24 So do this: Dismiss all the kings from their positions and replace them with other officers.
2 Chronicles 18:30 Now the king of Aram had ordered his chariot commanders, “Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel.”
Jeremiah 16:6 “Both great and small will die in this land. They will not be buried or mourned, nor will anyone cut himself or shave his head for them.
Genesis 19:11 And they struck the men at the entrance, young and old, with blindness, so that they wearied themselves trying to find the door.
1 Samuel 30:2 They had taken captive the women and all who were there, both young and old. They had not killed anyone, but had carried them off as they went on their way.
1 Kings 20:1 Now Ben-hadad king of Aram assembled his entire army. Accompanied by thirty-two kings with their horses and chariots, he marched up, besieged Samaria, and waged war against it.
1 Kings 20:16 They marched out at noon while Ben-hadad and the 32 kings allied with him were in their tents getting drunk.
1 Kings 20:33 Now the men were looking for a sign of hope, and they quickly grasped at this word and replied, “Yes, your brother Ben-hadad.” “Go and get him!” said the king. Then Ben-hadad came out, and Ahab had him come up into his chariot.