English Standard Version
1 Kings 20:1
1Ben-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.
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.
- 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.
- New Living Translation (NLT)About that time King Ben-hadad of Aram mobilized his army, supported by the chariots and horses of thirty-two allied kings. They went to besiege Samaria, the capital of Israel, and launched attacks against it.
Context of 1 Kings 20:1
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. 2And he sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel and said to him, "Thus says Ben-hadad: 3'Your silver and your gold are mine; your best wives and children also are mine.'"
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 15:18Then Asa took all the silver and the gold that were left in the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king's house and gave them into the hands of his servants. And King Asa sent them to Ben-hadad the son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, who lived in Damascus, saying,
- 2 Kings 8:7Now Elisha came to Damascus. Ben-hadad the king of Syria was sick. And when it was told him, "The man of God has come here,"
- 2 Chronicles 16:2Then Asa took silver and gold from the treasures of the house of the Lord and the king's house and sent them to Ben-hadad king of Syria, who lived in Damascus, saying,
- Jeremiah 49:27And I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus, and it shall devour the strongholds of Ben-hadad."
- Amos 1:4So I will send a fire upon the house of Hazael, and it shall devour the strongholds of Ben-hadad.
- 1 Kings 20:16And they went out at noon, while Ben-hadad was drinking himself drunk in the booths, he and the thirty-two kings who helped him.
- Genesis 14:1In the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim,
- Judges 1:7And Adoni-bezek said, "Seventy kings with their thumbs and their big toes cut off used to pick up scraps under my table. As I have done, so God has repaid me." And they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.
- Ezra 7:12"Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven. Peace. And now
- Isaiah 10:8for he says: "Are not my commanders all kings?
- Ezekiel 26:7"For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will bring against Tyre from the north Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, king of kings, with horses and chariots, and with horsemen and a host of many soldiers.
- Daniel 2:37You, O king, the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the might, and the glory,
- Exodus 14:7and took six hundred chosen chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them.
- Deuteronomy 20:1"When you go out to war against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and an army larger than your own, you shall not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
- Judges 4:3Then the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help, for he had 900 chariots of iron and he oppressed the people of Israel cruelly for twenty years.
- 1 Samuel 13:5And the Philistines mustered to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen and troops like the sand on the seashore in multitude. They came up and encamped in Michmash, to the 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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries