1 Kings 20:11

1 Kings 20:11 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the king of Israel answered and said, Tell him, Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off.
• New International Version (NIV)The king of Israel answered, “Tell him: ‘One who puts on his armor should not boast like one who takes it off.’ ”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And the king of Israel answered, "Tell him, 'Let not him who straps on his armor boast himself as he who takes it off.'"
• New King James Version (NKJV)So the king of Israel answered and said, “Tell him, ‘Let not the one who puts on his armor boast like the one who takes it off.’ ”

Context of 1 Kings 20:11

9So he said to the messengers of Ben-hadad, “Tell my lord the king, ‘Everything that you sent as a demand to your servant at the first, I will do; but this thing I cannot do.’” Then the messengers departed, and brought him word again. 10Ben-hadad sent word to him and said, “May the gods do so to me and more so, if the dust of Samaria will be enough for handfuls for all the people who follow me.” Then the king of Israel replied, “Tell him, ‘He who straps on his weapons had better not boast like one who takes them off.’” 12And when Ben-hadad heard this message, while he was drinking with the kings in the temporary shelters, he said to his servants, “Take your positions.” So they took their positions against the city. 13Now behold, a prophet approached Ahab king of Israel, and said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Have you seen all this great multitude? Behold, I am going to hand them over to you today, and you shall know that I am the Lord.’”

1 Kings 20:11 word by word

וַיַּ֤עַן מֶֽלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר דַּבְּר֔וּ אַל־יִתְהַלֵּ֥ל חֹגֵ֖ר כִּמְפַתֵּֽחַ׃Read the interlinear

• Then the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• repliedעָנָה‛ânâh · to answerH6030
• repliedאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Tellדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
• He who strapsחָגַרchâgar · to girdH2296
• had better not boastהָלַלhâlal · to boast: boastH1984
• like one who takesפָּתַחpâthach · to openH6605

Cross-references for 1 Kings 20:11

• 2 Kings 6:8Now the king of Aram was making war against Israel; and he consulted with his servants, saying, “In such and such a place shall be my camp.”
• 2 Kings 7:1Then Elisha said, “Listen to the word of the Lord; this is what the Lord says: ‘About this time tomorrow a measure of fine flour will be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.’”
• 2 Kings 13:23But the Lord was gracious to them and had compassion on them and turned to them because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and He was unwilling to eliminate them or cast them away from His presence until now.
• Isaiah 7:1Now it came about in the days of Ahaz, the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Aram and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not conquer it.
• Ezekiel 20:14But I acted for the sake of My name, so that it would not be defiled before the eyes of the nations, before whose eyes I had brought them out.
• 1 Kings 20:28Then a man of God approached and spoke to the king of Israel, and said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Since the Arameans have said, “The Lord is a god of mountains, but He is not a god of valleys,” therefore I will hand over to you all this great multitude, and you shall know that I am the Lord.’”
• 1 Kings 18:37Answer me, Lord, answer me, so that this people may know that You, Lord, are God, and that You have turned their heart back.”
• Exodus 14:18Then the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord, when I am honored through Pharaoh, through his chariots, and through his horsemen.”
• Exodus 16:12“I have heard the grumblings of the sons of Israel; speak to them, saying, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread; and you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’”
• Psalms 83:18So that they will know that You alone, whose name is the Lord, Are the Most High over all the earth.
• Isaiah 37:20But now Lord, our God, save us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, Lord, are God.”
• Ezekiel 6:7The slain will fall among you, and you will know that I am the Lord.
• Joel 3:17Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, Dwelling on Zion, My holy mountain. So Jerusalem will be holy, And strangers will no longer pass through it.

Commentaries on 1 Kings 20:11

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 11Let not him that girdeth on - This was no doubt a proverbial mode of expression. Jonathan translates, "Tell him, Let not him who girds himself and goes down to the battle, boast as he who has conquered and returned from it.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 11Ahab‘s reply has the air of a proverb, with which Orientals always love to answer a foe.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 20:11

• Confidence
• False Confidence
• Pride
• Proverbs
• Sarcasm

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Ahab
• Armour
• Mark
• Proverb
• Samaria
• Benhadad
• Games
• Israel, Kingdom of
• Samaria, City 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