Christian Standard Bible
1 Kings 20:10
10Then Ben-hadad sent messengers to him and said, “May the gods punish me and do so severely if Samaria’s dust amounts to a handful for each of the people who follow me.”
1 Kings 20:10 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And Ben–hadad sent unto him, and said, The gods do so unto me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me.
- New International Version (NIV)Then Ben-Hadad sent another message to Ahab: “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if enough dust remains in Samaria to give each of my men a handful.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)Ben-hadad sent to him and said, "The gods do so to me and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people who follow me."
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then Ben-Hadad sent to him and said, “The gods do so to me, and more also, if enough dust is left of Samaria for a handful for each of the people who follow me.”
Context of 1 Kings 20:10
8All the elders and all the people said to him, “Don’t listen or agree.” 9So he said to Ben-hadad’s messengers, “Say to my lord the king, ‘Everything you demanded of your servant the first time, I will do, but this thing I cannot do.’” So the messengers left and took word back to him. Then Ben-hadad sent messengers to him and said, “May the gods punish me and do so severely if Samaria’s dust amounts to a handful for each of the people who follow me.” 11The king of Israel answered, “Say this: ‘Don’t let the one who puts on his armor boast like the one who takes it off.’” 12When Ben-hadad heard this response, while he and the kings were drinking in their quarters, he said to his servants, “Take your positions.” So they took their positions against the city.
Read all of 1 Kings 201 Kings 20:10 word by word
וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח אֵלָיו֙ בֶּן־הֲדַ֔ד וַיֹּ֕אמֶר כֹּֽה־יַעֲשׂ֥וּן לִ֛י אֱלֹהִ֖ים וְכֹ֣ה יוֹסִ֑פוּ אִם־יִשְׂפֹּק֙ עֲפַ֣ר שֹׁמְר֔וֹן לִשְׁעָלִ֕ים לְכָל־הָעָ֖ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר בְּרַגְלָֽי׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Ben–hadadבֶּן־הֲדַדben-hădad · Ben-hadadH1130
- sentשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
- unto him, and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- The godsאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- do soעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- unto me, and more alsoיָסַףyâsaph · to addH3254
- if the dustעָפָר‛âphâr · dustH6083
- of Samariaשֹׁמְרוֹןshômerôn · SamariaH8111
- shall sufficeשָׂפַקsâphaq ώâphaq · to sufficeH5606
- for handfulsשֹׁ֫עַלshô‛al · handfulH8168
- for all the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- that followרֶ֫גֶלregel · footH7272
Cross-references for 1 Kings 20:10
- 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.
- 1 Kings 16:9His servant Zimri, commander of half his chariots, conspired against him while Elah was in Tirzah getting drunk in the house of Arza, who was in charge of the household at Tirzah.
- 1 Samuel 25:36Then Abigail went to Nabal, and there he was in his house, holding a feast fit for a king. Nabal’s heart was cheerful, and he was very drunk, so she didn’t say anything to him until morning light.
- 2 Samuel 13:28Now Absalom commanded his young men, “Watch Amnon until he is in a good mood from the wine. When I order you to strike Amnon, then kill him. Don’t be afraid. Am I not the one who has commanded you? Be strong and valiant!”
- Proverbs 31:4It is not for kings, Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine or for rulers to desire beer.
- Daniel 5:2Under the influence of the wine, Belshazzar gave orders to bring in the gold and silver vessels that his predecessor Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, wives, and concubines could drink from them.
- Luke 21:34“Be on your guard, so that your minds are not dulled from carousing, drunkenness, and worries of life, or that day will come on you unexpectedly
- Ephesians 5:18And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit:
- Jeremiah 43:10and tell them, ‘This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: I will send for my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and I will place his throne on these stones that I have embedded, and he will pitch his pavilion over them.
Commentaries on 1 Kings 20:10
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 10If the dust of Samaria shall suffice - This is variously understood. Jonathan translates thus: "If the dust of Shomeron shall be sufficient for the soles of the feet of the people that shall accompany me;" i.e., I shall bring such an army that there will scarcely be room for them to stand in Samaria and its vicinity.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 10If the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls - In its general sense this phrase is undoubtedly a boast that the number of Ben-hadad‘s troops was such as to make resistance vain and foolish. We may parallel it with the saying of the Trachinian at Thermopylae, that the Persian arrows would darken the light of the sun. Probably the exact meaning is, “When your town is reduced to ruins, as it will be if you resist, the entire heap will not suffice to…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 10-11Ben-hadad’s third group gave an ultimatum: Surrender or die. His harsh threat to plunder Samaria was reinforced with a curse. This was a form of psychological warfare common in the ancient Near East (see 2 Kings 18:19–35). Ahab’s third response to Ben-hadad included wise sayings. The conflict's outcome was still uncertain.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2-122-12. Thus said Ben-hadad, Thy silver and thy gold is mine--To this message sent him during the siege, Ahab returned a tame and submissive answer, probably thinking it meant no more than an exaction of tribute. But the demand was repeated with greater insolence; and yet, from the abject character of Ahab, there is reason to believe he would have yielded to this arrogant claim also, had not the voice of his subjects been raised against it. Ben-hadad's…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Kings 20:10
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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