1 Raja-raja 19:2

19:2 Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah with this warning, ¹  “May the gods judge me severely ²  if by this time tomorrow I do not take your life as you did theirs!” ³ 

1 Raja-raja 20:31

20:31 His advisers ⁴  said to him, “Look, we have heard that the kings of the Israelite dynasty are kind. ⁵  Allow us to put sackcloth around our waists and ropes on our heads ⁶  and surrender ⁷  to the king of Israel. Maybe he will spare our lives.”

[19:2]  ¹ tn Heb “saying.”

[19:2]  ² tn Heb “So may the gods do to me, and so may they add.”

[19:2]  ³ tn Heb “I do not make your life like the life of one of them.”

[20:31]  ⁴ tn Or “servants.”

[20:31]  ⁵ tn Or “merciful.” The word used here often means “devoted” or “loyal.” Perhaps the idea is that the Israelite kings are willing to make treaties with other kings.

[20:31]  ⁶ sn Sackcloth was worn as a sign of sorrow and repentance. The precise significance of the ropes on the head is uncertain, but it probably was a sign of submission. These actions were comparable to raising a white flag on the battlefield or throwing in the towel in a boxing match.

[20:31]  ⁷ tn Heb “go out.”