New American Standard Bible 1995

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1 Kings

20

:

27

The sons of Israel were mustered and were provisioned and went to meet them; and the sons of Israel camped before them like two little flocks of goats, but the Arameans filled the country.

Lexicon

Verse part Definition: Part of speech: Strong's: Hebrew: Transliteration:
The sons son Noun H1121 וּבְנֵ֣י u·ve·nei
of Israel "God strives," another name of Jacob and his desc. Noun H3478 יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל yis·ra·'el
Analysis:
Read more about: Israel
were mustered to attend to, visit, muster, appoint Verb H6485 הָתְפָּקְדוּ֙ ha·te·pa·ke·du
and were provisioned to comprehend, contain Verb H3557 וְכָלְכְּל֔וּ ve·cha·le·ke·lu,
and went to go, come, walk Verb H1980 וַיֵּלְכ֖וּ vai·ye·le·chu
to meet to encounter, befall H7122    
them; and the sons son Noun H1121 בְנֵֽי־ ve·nei-
of Israel "God strives," another name of Jacob and his desc. Noun H3478 יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל yis·ra·'el
Analysis:
Read more about: Israel
camped to decline, bend down, encamp Verb H2583 וַיַּחֲנ֨וּ vai·ya·cha·nu
before in front of, in sight of, opposite to sub H5048 נֶגְדָּ֗ם neg·dam
them like two two (a card. number) Noun H8147 כִּשְׁנֵי֙ kish·nei
Analysis:

Two: Two divergent opinions

The classic example for the number "two" is found in Matthew chapter 26. There, Yeshua says to His disciples,

"You know that after two days comes the Passover, and the Son of Man will be given over for crucifixion."  Matthew 26:2

The phrase "after two days" is somewhat meaningless because after two days can mean three or more days. The period is unspecified. The reason for such ambiguous language is because the purpose of the number two in this passage is not solely numerical. This means that the text is not intending to provide the reader with some definite information concerning a time period. Rather, the purpose of the number two in this context is one of the numerological meanings of the number two.  Often the number two relates to two divergent opinions. In the aforementioned verse, the author wants to inform the reader that there are two very different understandings for this coming Passover. Yeshua wants to emphasize that He is going up to Jerusalem in order to die as the true Passover sacrifice. Even though Yeshua states this emphatically, the disciples did not receive this. In fact, the disciples did not perceive at all what was going to take place during Passover in regard to Yeshua. In other words, Yeshua and the disciples have two divergent opinions concerning the Passover.

This same principle is also found in the Hebrew Bible (Old Covenant). In the book of Amos one reads,

"Can two walk together without them having agreed" Amos 3:3

The word which was translated into English with the phrase "them having agreed" is נועדו. The root of this word is יעד, which relates to a specific destination. The word which precedes this word is בלתי and in this context the word implies a change to the condition. In other words, had there not been a change in the condition, then the two could not walk together, i.e. they could not have arrived at the common destination.

The concept of divergent or different is also seen in the book of Genesis. In speaking about the sun and moon one reads, "And God made two great lights…" (Genesis 1:16). Obviously the sun and moon are very different, as one is a source of light, while the latter just reflects light. Also in the book of Genesis, one encounters the account of the flood. Here Noah is commanded to bring onto the ark two sorts of each type of animal. In this passage, the two relates to two different (or divergent) kinds of the same sort, i.e. male and female. 

Likewise, two angels came to Sodom, demonstrating that the people of Sodom had a very different way of living from that of the Law of God. Once again, the reader should not assume that every occurrence of the number two in the Bible demands this interpretation. However, one will find in a great majority of Biblical passages, the reader will be assisted in arriving at the proper interpretation, when he considers this divergent quality for the number two. 

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little flocks little flock Noun H2835 חֲשִׂפֵ֣י cha·si·fei
of goats, female goat Noun H5795 עִזִּ֔ים iz·zim,
but the Arameans Syria and its inhab., also the names of a son of Shem, a grandson of Nahor, and an Isr. Noun H758 וַאֲרָ֖ם va·'a·ram
filled to be full, to fill Verb H4390 מִלְא֥וּ mil·'u
the country. earth, land Noun H776 הָאָֽרֶץ׃ ha·'a·retz.

Locations

Israel

ISRAEL, KINGDOM OF" I. THE FIRST PERIOD1. The Two Kingdoms2. The Ist Dynasty3. The IInd Dynasty4. Civil WarII. PERIOD OF THE SYRIAN WARS1. The IIIrd Dynasty2. World-Politics3. Battle of Karkar4. Loss of Territory5. Reform of Religion6. Revolution7. The IVth Dynasty8. Renewed Prosperity9. AnarchyIII. DECLINE AND FALL1. Loss of Independence2. Decline3. Extinct... View Details

Parallel Verses

Removed text
Added text
New American Standard Bible 1995 The sons of Israel were mustered and were provisioned and went to meet them; and the sons of Israel camped before them like two little flocks of goats, but the Arameans filled the country.
King James Bible The sons And the children of Israel were mustered numbered, and were provisioned all present, and went to meet them; against them: and the sons children of Israel camped pitched before them like two little flocks of goats, kids; but the Arameans Syrians filled the country.
Hebrew Greek English The sons of Israel were mustered and were provisioned and went to meet them; and the sons of Israel camped before them like two little flocks of goats, but the Arameans filled the country.