1 Kings 20:25

1 Kings 20:25 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And number thee an army, like the army that thou hast lost, horse for horse, and chariot for chariot: and we will fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. And he hearkened unto their voice, and did so.
• New International Version (NIV)You must also raise an army like the one you lost—horse for horse and chariot for chariot—so we can fight Israel on the plains. Then surely we will be stronger than they.” He agreed with them and acted accordingly.
• English Standard Version (ESV)and muster an army like the army that you have lost, horse for horse, and chariot for chariot. Then we will fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they." And he listened to their voice and did so.
• New King James Version (NKJV)and you shall muster an army like the army that you have lost, horse for horse and chariot for chariot. Then we will fight against them in the plain; surely we will be stronger than they.” And he listened to their voice and did so.

Context of 1 Kings 20:25

23At the same time, some of the king of Syria's officers said to him, ‘The gods of the Israelites are gods who live in the hills. That is why the Israelites were too strong for us. But if we fight them on the lower ground, we will surely be stronger than them. 24You should do this: Remove all the other kings. Put your own officers to lead the army instead. Bring together enough men to make an army as big as the one that lost the battle. There must be the same number of horses and chariots. Then we will fight the Israelites on the low ground. If we do that, we will surely be stronger than them.’ Ben-Hadad agreed with them. He did what they had suggested. 26The next spring, King Ben-Hadad brought together the men for his army. The Syrian army marched to Aphek to fight against the Israelites. 27King Ahab brought together the Israelite army and he gave them food and weapons. Then they marched out to fight against the Syrian army. The Israelite soldiers stood there in two groups. They looked like two small groups of goats! The Syrian soldiers were so many that they covered all the land around.

1 Kings 20:25 word by word

וְאַתָּ֣ה תִֽמְנֶה־לְךָ֣׀ חַ֡יִל כַּחַיִל֩ הַנֹּפֵ֨ל מֵאוֹתָ֜ךְ וְס֣וּס כַּסּ֣וּס׀ וְרֶ֣כֶב כָּרֶ֗כֶב וְנִֽלָּחֲמָ֤ה אוֹתָם֙ בַּמִּישׁ֔וֹר אִם־לֹ֥א נֶחֱזַ֖ק מֵהֶ֑ם וַיִּשְׁמַ֥ע לְקֹלָ֖ם וַיַּ֥עַשׂ כֵּֽן׃ פRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And numberמָנָהmânâh · to countH4487
• thee an armyחַ֫יִלchayil · armyH2428
• that thou hast lostנָפַלnâphal · to fall: fallH5307
• horseסוּסsûs sûs · horseH5483
• and chariotרֶ֫כֶבrekeb · chariotH7393
• and we will fightלָחַםlâcham · to fightH3898
• againstאֵת'êth · withH854
• them in the plainמִישׁוֹרmîyshôr mîyshôr · plainH4334
• surely we shall be strongerחָזַקchâzaq · to strengthen: strengthenH2388
• than they. And he hearkenedשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
• unto their voiceקוֹלqôl qôl · voiceH6963
• and did soעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213

Cross-references for 1 Kings 20:25

• Joshua 1:11‘Go through all the places where the people live. Tell them to get food ready for a journey. In three days, you will cross the Jordan River. You will begin to take the land for yourselves. This is the land that the Lord your God is ready to give to you.’
• Judges 7:8Gideon kept the 300 men with him. He took the food and trumpets from the other men and he gave it to the 300 men. Then Gideon sent the other men home. The camp of the Midianite army was in the valley below the Israelites.
• Deuteronomy 32:30One man can chase away 1,000 of my people! Two men can chase away 10,000 of them! How can that happen? God, their strong Rock, has left them. The Lord has given their enemies power over them.
• Judges 6:5The groups of enemies came with their animals. They put up their tents all across the land. They came like a cloud of locusts. They were too many to count as they arrived on their camels. They took everything that grew on the land.
• 1 Samuel 13:5The Philistines' army came together to fight against the Israelites. The Philistines had 3,000 chariots. They had 6,000 soldiers who rode on horses. Their whole army had more soldiers than the sand on the shore of the sea! The Philistine army went to make their camp at Michmash, which was east of Beth Aven.
• 1 Samuel 14:2Saul was staying near Gibeah. He sat under a big fruit tree at Migron. There were about 600 soldiers with him.
• 2 Chronicles 32:7‘Be strong and brave. Do not be afraid of the king of Assyria and his large army. Do not worry! We have much greater power than he has.
• Ecclesiastes 9:11I have seen another thing that happens here on the earth. The runner who runs fastest does not always win the race. The strongest soldiers do not always win the battle. Very wise people do not always have food to eat. Very clever people do not always become rich. People who have learned many things are not always successful. Yes, anything may happen to anyone at any time.

Commentaries on 1 Kings 20:25

• 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. 24-25Ben-hadad's commanders believed they could easily defeat Israel on the plains with their skilled leaders and superior troops and equipment.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22-2622-26. the prophet came to the king of Israel, and said--The same prophet who had predicted the victory shortly reappeared, admonishing the king to take every precaution against a renewal of hostilities in the following campaign. at the return of the year--that is, in spring, when, on the cessation of the rainy season, military campaigns (2Sa 11:1), were anciently begun. It happened as the prophet had forewarned. Brooding over their late disastrous…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Kings 20:25

• Chariot
• Israel, Prophecies Concerning
• Prophecy

In the dictionaries

• Ahab
• Mark
• Benhadad
• Israel, Kingdom of

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