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.

1 KINGS 22:31KJV
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1 Kings 22:31 (KJV)

What does 1 Kings 22:31 mean?

1 Kings 22:31 describes how the king of Syria ordered his thirty-two chariot commanders not to fight with anyone except the king of Israel. The king’s command was to ignore all other soldiers, whether important or unimportant, and focus only on targeting Israel’s king.

This verse takes place during a battle between Israel and Syria. The king of Syria, wanting to end the conflict quickly, gives a direct order to his top military leaders to concentrate their efforts on killing or capturing the king of Israel, rather than engaging with the rest of the army. This shows a strategic attempt to change the outcome of the battle by removing the leader.

The Hebrew behind 1 Kings 22:31

  • "king" (מֶלֶךְ, melekh): This word appears twice, referring both to the king of Syria giving the command and the king of Israel as the target. The focus on the "king" highlights the importance of leadership in ancient warfare.
  • "captains" (שַׂר, sar): This term means commanders or officers, indicating that the order was given to high-ranking leaders, not ordinary soldiers, showing the seriousness and strategic level of the command.
  • "chariots" (רֶכֶב, rekhev): Chariots were elite military units, so the king is deploying his most powerful forces for this specific mission.
  • "small" (קָטֹן, qaton) and "great" (גָּדוֹל, gadol): These words mean people of lesser or greater importance, emphasizing that the command was to ignore everyone except the king of Israel.

Why 1 Kings 22:31 matters

  • This verse clarifies that the Syrian king’s strategy was not to win by overwhelming force but by targeting the leadership, which could quickly end the battle if successful.
  • The focus on the king of Israel alone explains later events in the chapter, where the king tries to disguise himself, showing he was aware of the danger.
  • Understanding the specific command helps explain the actions and motivations of both armies during the battle, making the story’s outcome more understandable.

Where else these words appear

“small” Hebrew H6996 · used in 100 verses

  • Genesis 1:16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.
  • 1 Samuel 15:17 And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel?
  • 2 Chronicles 34:30 And the king went up into the house of the LORD, and all the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests, and the Levites, and all the people, great and small: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of the LORD.

“chariots” Hebrew H7393 · used in 104 verses

  • Genesis 50:9 And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen: and it was a very great company.
  • 1 Kings 10:26 And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he bestowed in the cities for chariots, and with the king at Jerusalem.
  • 2 Chronicles 12:3 With twelve hundred chariots, and threescore thousand horsemen: and the people were without number that came with him out of Egypt; the Lubims, the Sukkiims, and the Ethiopians.

“Syria” Hebrew H758 · used in 117 verses

  • Genesis 10:22 The children of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram.
  • 2 Kings 5:1 Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the LORD had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper.
  • 1 Chronicles 2:23 And he took Geshur, and Aram, with the towns of Jair, from them, with Kenath, and the towns thereof, even threescore cities. All these belonged to the sons of Machir the father of Gilead.