Christian Standard Bible
1 Kings 20:1
1Now King Ben-hadad of Aram assembled his entire army. Thirty-two kings, along with horses and chariots, were with him. He marched up, besieged Samaria, and fought against it.
1 Kings 20:1 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And Ben–hadad the king of Syria gathered all his host together: and there were thirty and two kings with him, and horses, and chariots: and he went up and besieged Samaria, and warred against it.
- New International Version (NIV)Now Ben-Hadad king of Aram mustered his entire army. Accompanied by thirty-two kings with their horses and chariots, he went up and besieged Samaria and attacked it.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Ben-hadad the king of Syria gathered all his army together. Thirty-two kings were with him, and horses and chariots. And he went up and closed in on Samaria and fought against it.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Now Ben-Hadad the king of Syria gathered all his forces together; thirty-two kings were with him, with horses and chariots. And he went up and besieged Samaria, and made war against it.
Context of 1 Kings 20:1
Now King Ben-hadad of Aram assembled his entire army. Thirty-two kings, along with horses and chariots, were with him. He marched up, besieged Samaria, and fought against it. 2He sent messengers into the city to King Ahab of Israel and said to him, “This is what Ben-hadad says: 3‘Your silver and your gold are mine! And your best wives and children are mine as well!’”
Read all of 1 Kings 201 Kings 20:1 word by word
וּבֶן־הֲדַ֣ד מֶֽלֶךְ־אֲרָ֗ם קָבַץ֙ אֶת־כָּל־חֵיל֔וֹ וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֨ים וּשְׁנַ֥יִם מֶ֛לֶךְ אִתּ֖וֹ וְס֣וּס וָרָ֑כֶב וַיַּ֗עַל וַיָּ֙צַר֙ עַל־שֹׁ֣מְר֔וֹן וַיִּלָּ֖חֶם בָּֽהּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Ben–hadadבֶּן־הֲדַדben-hădad · Ben-hadadH1130
- the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- of Syriaאֲרָם'ărâm · SyriaH758
- gatheredקָבַץqâbats · to gatherH6908
- all his hostחַ֫יִלchayil · armyH2428
- thirtyשְׁלֹשִׁיםshelôshîym shelôshîym · thirtyH7970
- and twoשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
- with him, and horsesסוּסsûs sûs · horseH5483
- and chariotsרֶ֫כֶבrekeb · chariotH7393
- and he went upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
- and besiegedצוּרtsûr · to confineH6696
- Samariaשֹׁמְרוֹןshômerôn · SamariaH8111
- and warredלָחַםlâcham · to fightH3898
Cross-references for 1 Kings 20:1
- 1 Kings 15:18So Asa withdrew all the silver and gold that remained in the treasuries of the Lord’s temple and the treasuries of the royal palace and gave it to his servants. Then King Asa sent them to Ben-hadad son of Tabrimmon son of Hezion king of Aram who lived in Damascus, saying,
- 2 Kings 8:7Elisha came to Damascus while King Ben-hadad of Aram was sick, and the king was told, “The man of God has come here.”
- 2 Chronicles 16:2So Asa brought out the silver and gold from the treasuries of the Lord’s temple and the royal palace and sent it to Aram’s King Ben-hadad, who lived in Damascus, saying,
- Jeremiah 49:27I will set fire to the wall of Damascus; it will consume Ben-hadad’s citadels.
- Amos 1:4Therefore, I will send fire against Hazael’s palace, and it will consume Ben-hadad’s citadels.
- 1 Kings 20:16They marched out at noon while Ben-hadad and the thirty-two kings who were helping him were getting drunk in their quarters.
- Genesis 14:1In those days King Amraphel of Shinar, King Arioch of Ellasar, King Chedorlaomer of Elam, and King Tidal of Goiim
- Judges 1:7Adoni-bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off used to pick up scraps under my table. God has repaid me for what I have done.” They brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.
- Ezra 7:12Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, an expert in the law of the God of the heavens: Greetings.
- Isaiah 10:8For he says, “Aren’t all my commanders kings?
- Ezekiel 26:7For this is what the Lord God says: “See, I am about to bring King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, king of kings, against Tyre from the north with horses, chariots, cavalry, and a huge assembly of troops.
- Daniel 2:37Your Majesty, you are king of kings. The God of the heavens has given you sovereignty, power, strength, and glory.
- Exodus 14:7he took six hundred of the best chariots and all the rest of the chariots of Egypt, with officers in each one.
- Deuteronomy 20:1“When you go out to war against your enemies and see horses, chariots, and an army larger than yours, do not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, is with you.
- Judges 4:3Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord, because Jabin had nine hundred iron chariots, and he harshly oppressed them twenty years.
- 1 Samuel 13:5The Philistines also gathered to fight against Israel: three thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and troops as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Michmash, east of Beth-aven.
Commentaries on 1 Kings 20:1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Ben-hadad - Several MSS., and some early printed editions, have Ben-hadar, or the son of Hadar, as the Septuagint. He is supposed to be the same whom Asa stirred up against the king of Israel, 1 Kings 15:18; or, as others, his son or grandson. Thirty and two kings - Tributary chieftains of Syria and the adjacent countries. In former times every town and city had its independent chieftain. Both the Septuagint and Josephus place this war after the history…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1Ben-hadad, the king of Syria - Probably the son of the Ben-hadad who assisted Asa against Baasha (1 Kings 15:18 note). Thirty and two kings with him - Not allies, but feudatories 1 Kings 20:24. Damascus had in the reign of this Ben-hadad become the center of an important monarchy, which may not improbably have extended from the Euphrates to the northern border of Israel. The Assyrian inscriptions show that this country was about the period in question…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1Benhadad besieges Samaria. (1-11) Benhadad's defeat. (12-21) The Syrians again defeated. (22-30) Ahab makes peace with Benhadad. (31-43) Verses 1-11 Benhadad sent Ahab a very insolent demand. Ahab sent a very disgraceful submission; sin brings men into such straits, by putting them out of the Divine protection. If God do not rule us, our enemies shall: guilt dispirits men, and makes them cowards. Ahab became desperate. Men will part with their most…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1We do not know if this refers to Ben-hadad I or II. Accompanied by thirty-two kings: Groups of kings often united in the ancient Near East. Shalmaneser III recorded Ben-hadad’s name as Hadad-ezer and noted he was in a twelve-king alliance against him at the Battle of Qarqar in 853 BC.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-121Ki 20:1-12. Ben-hadad Besieges Samaria. 1. Ben-hadad the king of Syria--This monarch was the son of that Ben-hadad who, in the reign of Baasha, made a raid on the northern towns of Galilee (1Ki 15:20). The thirty-two kings that were confederate with him were probably tributary princes. The ancient kings of Syria and Phoenicia ruled only over a single city, and were independent of each other, except when one great city, as Damascus, acquired the…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Kings 20:1
In the dictionaries
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
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