The king of Israel said to his servants: Instead of repeating the king of Israel, Good News Translation refers to him by name. Servants in this context refers to the king’s “officials” (Good News Translation). See the comments on 1 Kgs 1.2.

Do you know that Ramoth-gilead belongs to us…?: Ahab’s question is rhetorical and may be translated as a statement (so Good News Translation for the first part of the question). Ramoth-gilead (see the comments on 1 Kgs 4.13) had belonged to the Israelites, but this verse makes it clear that the Syrians had at some time captured the city of Ramoth. Perhaps the Syrians had captured Ramoth during the wars mentioned in chapter 20.

The sense of the Hebrew clause translated we keep quiet is better expressed in English as “we are doing nothing” (New Revised Standard Version, New International Version, New American Bible) or “we do nothing” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Revised English Bible). That is, it is not a matter of simply not making noise, but of remaining inactive or refraining from trying to recover the city.

The first person plural pronouns us and we are to be understood as inclusive since King Ahab is speaking to his own officials.

Do not take it out of the hand of the king of Syria: Out of the hand of may be translated “out of the control of.” The idea is that Ahab wanted “to retake it from the king of Aram” (New International Version) or “to wrest it away from the king of Aram” (New Jerusalem Bible). The Hebrew does not mention the king of Syria by name. The reference is probably to Benhadad II, but see the discussion on 1 Kgs 20.1. For the translation of “Aram” as Syria, see the comments at 1 Kgs 10.29.

Care must be taken in translating Ahab’s words. At the time he was speaking to his officials, Ramoth did not, in fact, belong to the Israelites. The sense is that Ramoth used to belong to Israel, and Ahab thought that it still should belong to them. Compare International Children’s Bible: “Remember that the king of Aram took Ramoth in Gilead from us? Why have we done nothing to get it back?”

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 .