This verse has three levels of direct quotation: (1) the words of the man of God, who tells (2) what the LORD says, who tells (3) what the Syrians said. In many languages this will require restructuring in order to reduce the number of levels of quotation. A possible model for doing this will be given at the end of the discussion on this verse.

A man of God came near: The Hebrew may also be translated “the man of God…” (so New International Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, La Bible Pléiade, Osty-Trinquet), and the reference may be to the unnamed prophet mentioned in verses 13 and 22. Contemporary English Version also uses the definite article, but translates “The prophet…,” which clearly implies the same person. Parole de Vie goes even further by supplying the word “again” as follows: “The prophet came again to find Ahab” (similarly Bible en français courant).

And said to the king of Israel is literally “and he said to the king of Israel and he said.” But this redundancy is rightly omitted by virtually all modern translations.

Syrians is literally “Aram.” See the comments on verse 20.

Valleys translates a Hebrew noun that refers to areas of low elevation between hills. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh says “lowlands.” A different Hebrew noun, which Revised Standard Version renders “plain” in verses 23 and 25, refers to flat, level stretches of land.

All this great multitude: See the comments on multitude in verse 13. In this context the reference is clearly to “their huge army” (Good News Translation) or “their powerful army” (Parole de Vie).

The pronoun your is singular.

You shall know that I am the LORD repeats the words at the end of verse 13, except that here in the Hebrew text, the pronoun you is plural. In the Septuagint the verb for know is singular in both verses 13 and 28. Good News Translation shows the plural pronoun by saying “you and your people.”

A possible model for the verse as a whole is as follows:

• The prophet approached King Ahab and gave him this message from the LORD: “The Syrians say that I am god of the hills only and not of the flat land. Because of this, I will cause you to conquer their large army and in this way you and all your people will know that I am the LORD.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .