1 Kings 20:27

1 Kings 20:27 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the children of Israel were numbered, and were all present, and went against them: and the children of Israel pitched before them like two little flocks of kids; but the Syrians filled the country.
• New International Version (NIV)When the Israelites were also mustered and given provisions, they marched out to meet them. The Israelites camped opposite them like two small flocks of goats, while the Arameans covered the countryside.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And the people of Israel were mustered and were provisioned and went against them. The people of Israel encamped before them like two little flocks of goats, but the Syrians filled the country.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And the children of Israel were mustered and given provisions, and they went against them. Now the children of Israel encamped before them like two little flocks of goats, while the Syrians filled the countryside.

Context of 1 Kings 20:27

25And you must raise an army like the one you have lost—horse for horse and chariot for chariot—so we can fight the Israelites on the plain, where we will surely prevail.” And the king approved their plan and acted accordingly. 26In the spring, Ben-hadad mobilized the Arameans and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel. The Israelites also mobilized, gathered supplies, and marched out to meet them. The Israelites camped before them like two small flocks of goats, while the Arameans covered the countryside. 28Then the man of God approached the king of Israel and said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Because the Arameans have said that the LORD is a god of the hills and not of the valleys, I will deliver all this great army into your hand. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’” 29For seven days the armies camped opposite each other, and on the seventh day the battle ensued, and the Israelites struck down the Arameans—a hundred thousand foot soldiers in one day.

1 Kings 20:27 word by word

וּבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל הָתְפָּקְדוּ֙ וְכָלְכְּל֔וּ וַיֵּלְכ֖וּ לִקְרָאתָ֑ם וַיַּחֲנ֨וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל נֶגְדָּ֗ם כִּשְׁנֵי֙ חֲשִׂפֵ֣י עִזִּ֔ים וַאֲרָ֖ם מִלְא֥וּ אֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ׃Read the interlinear

• The Israelitesבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
• The Israelitesיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• also mobilizedפָּקַדpâqad · to reckon: listH6485
• gathered suppliesכּוּלkûl · to sustainH3557
• and marched outהָלַךְhâlak · to go: wentH1980
• to meet themקָרָאqârâ' · to encounter: towardH7122
• campedחָנָהchânâh · to campH2583
• before themנֶ֫גֶדneged · beforeH5048
• like twoשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
• small flocksחָשִׂףchâώiph · little flockH2835
• of goatsעֵז‛êz · goatH5795
• while the Arameansאֲרָם'ărâm · SyriaH758
• coveredמָלֵאmâlê' mâlâ' · to fillH4390
• ·אֵת'êth · [Obj.]H853
• the countrysideאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776

Cross-references for 1 Kings 20:27

• Joshua 6:15Then on the seventh day, they got up at dawn and marched around the city seven times in the same manner. That was the only day they circled the city seven times.
• 1 Samuel 17:16For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening to take his stand.
• Psalms 10:16The LORD is King forever and ever; the nations perish from His land.
• 2 Samuel 10:18But the Arameans fled before Israel, and David killed seven hundred charioteers and forty thousand foot soldiers. He also struck down Shobach the commander of their army, who died there.
• 2 Chronicles 13:17Then Abijah and his people struck them with a mighty blow, and 500,000 chosen men of Israel fell slain.
• 2 Chronicles 20:23The Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, devoting them to destruction. And when they had finished off the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.
• 2 Chronicles 28:6For in one day Pekah son of Remaliah killed 120,000 valiant men in Judah. This happened because they had forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers.
• Isaiah 37:36Then the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 men in the camp of the Assyrians. When the people got up the next morning, there were all the dead bodies!

Commentaries on 1 Kings 20:27

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 27Were all present - The marginal rendering is adopted by almost all critics. Like two little flocks of kids - The word translated “little flocks” does not occur elsewhere in Scripture. It seems to mean simply “flocks.” Compare the Septuagint, who render ̔́ ́ ́ ̓͂ hōsei duo poimnia aigōn f0.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 22-30Verses 22-30 Those about Benhadad advised him to change his ground. They take it for granted that it was not Israel, but Israel's gods, that beat them; but they speak very ignorantly of Jehovah. They supposed that Israel had many gods, to whom they ascribed limited power within a certain district; thus vain were the Gentiles in their imaginations concerning God. The greatest wisdom in worldly concerns is often united with the most contemptible folly in…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 27-30Even though the Arameans had more soldiers, Israel won a great victory with God's help. Everyone learned that "nothing is impossible with God" (Luke 1:37; see Matthew 19:26; Mark 10:27). When God supports you, the enemy will retreat (Psalm 56:9) and suffer heavy losses (Deuteronomy 32:30–31; 2 Kings 19:32–36). Israel could face their enemies without fear (Psalms 3:6; 27:1–3). God's promise to Israel through the prophet showed that this battle was for both…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 27-3127-31. like two little flocks of kids--Goats are never seen in large flocks, or scattered, like sheep; and hence the two small but compact divisions of the Israelite force are compared to goats, not sheep. Humanly speaking, that little handful of men would have been overpowered by numbers. But a prophet was sent to the small Israelite army to announce the victory, in order to convince the Syrians that the God of Israel was omnipotent everywhere, in the…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Kings 20:27

• Aphek
• Israel, Prophecies Concerning
• Prophecy
• Self-Delusion

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Children of Israel
• Ahab
• Mark
• Benhadad
• Cattle
• Goat
• Israel, Kingdom of
• Joash

Commentaries on 1 Kings 20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary