The Meaning of 1 Kings 22:3 Explained

1 Kings 22:3

KJV: And the king of Israel said unto his servants, Know ye that Ramoth in Gilead is ours, and we be still, and take it not out of the hand of the king of Syria?

YLT: and the king of Israel saith unto his servants, 'Have ye not known that ours is Ramoth-Gilead? and we are keeping silent from taking it out of the hand of the king of Aram!'

Darby: And the king of Israel said to his servants, Do ye know that Ramoth in Gilead is ours, and we keep quiet without taking it out of the hand of the king of Syria?

ASV: And the king of Israel said unto his servants, Know ye that Ramoth-gilead is ours, and we are still, and take it not out of the hand of the king of Syria?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the king  of Israel  said  unto his servants,  Know  ye that Ramoth  in Gilead  [is] ours, and we [be] still,  [and] take  it not out of the hand  of the king  of Syria? 

What does 1 Kings 22:3 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Kings 22:1-12 - Entering Into A New Partnership
It seems strange that so good a man as the king of Judah should have entered into such an alliance. It began with the marriage of Jehoram, son of Jehoshaphat, and Athaliah, Ahab's daughter; but it was a terrible descent from the high standing of a servant of Jehovah for Jehoshaphat to say to a practically heathen king: "I am as thou art, my people as thy people, and my horses as thy horses." Partnerships like this, either in marriage or in business, are not only absolutely forbidden, but they are disastrous, in their ultimate outworking. "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers," 2 Corinthians 6:14.
Micaiah stands out in splendid contrast. His was the proud honor of being hated by Ahab, as was John the Baptist by Herod. But the prophet in his dungeon, with the bread and water of affliction, was a happier man by far than the king, though clad in royal robes and held in high respect. Is it not clear that Ahab, in his heart of hearts, feared this man of God? We shall see that he put off his royal robes and dressed in a common uniform, that he might evade the death that Micaiah predicted as his fate. Of course it did not avail. God cannot be evaded in that way. His purpose is irresistible.
1 Kings 22:1-53 - A Prosperous Nation
What a picture is here given of national contentment and prosperity! We can almost hear the gladsome voice of the myriad-peopled land, teeming with young life and laden with golden harvests. It was the summer of their national existence. The sacred scribe enumerates first the high officials of the court, then the daily provision of the king, his studies, and his fame. Abundant proof was yielded by all these circumstances to the manner in which God kept the pledges which had been made to David, his father.
Here is Solomon "in all his glory," but as we turn from him to the lowly Carpenter of Nazareth, who had nowhere to lay His head; who found His friends among the poor; and who ultimately laid down His life a ransom for many, we realize that, even apart from His divine nature, His was the nobler ideal and the richer existence. "A greater than Solomon is here." Who can measure His empire or resources? What tongue can recount His wisdom? Happy and safe are they that sit at His table, hear His words, and are joint-heirs with Him in His Kingdom! Romans 8:17. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Kings 22

1  Ahab, seduced by false prophets, by Michaiah's word, is slain at Ramoth Gilead
37  The dogs lick up his blood, and Ahaziah succeeds him
41  Jehoshaphat's good reign
45  His acts
46  Jehoram succeeds him
51  Ahaziah's evil reign

What do the individual words in 1 Kings 22:3 mean?

And said the king of Israel to his servants do you know that ours Ramoth in Gilead [is] in Gilead but we hesitate to take it out of the hand of the king of Syria
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר מֶֽלֶךְ־ יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אֶל־ עֲבָדָ֔יו הַיְדַעְתֶּ֕ם כִּֽי־ לָ֖נוּ רָמֹ֣ת גִּלְעָ֑ד וַאֲנַ֣חְנוּ מַחְשִׁ֔ים מִקַּ֣חַת אֹתָ֔הּ מִיַּ֖ד מֶ֥לֶךְ ؟ אֲרָֽם

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
מֶֽלֶךְ־  the  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
עֲבָדָ֔יו  his  servants 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
הַיְדַעְתֶּ֕ם  do  you  know 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
כִּֽי־  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
לָ֖נוּ  ours 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
רָמֹ֣ת  Ramoth  in  Gilead  [is] 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: רָמֹות גִּלְעָד  
Sense: an Israelite who had a foreign wife in the time of Ezra.
גִּלְעָ֑ד  in  Gilead 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: גִּלְעָד  
Sense: a mountainous region bounded on the west by the Jordan, on the north by Bashan, on the east by the Arabian plateau, and on the south by Moab and Ammon; sometimes called ‘Mount Gilead’ or the ‘land of Gilead’ or just ‘Gilead’.
וַאֲנַ֣חְנוּ  but  we 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, first person common plural
Root: אֲנַחְנוּ  
Sense: we (first pers.
מַחְשִׁ֔ים  hesitate 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine plural
Root: חָשָׁה  
Sense: to be silent, quiet, still, inactive.
מִקַּ֣חַת  to  take 
Parse: Preposition-m, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
מִיַּ֖ד  out  of  the  hand 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
מֶ֥לֶךְ  of  the  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
؟ אֲרָֽם  of  Syria 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֲרָם 
Sense: Aram or Syria the nation.