1 Kings 20:21

1 Kings 20:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the king of Israel went out, and smote the horses and chariots, and slew the Syrians with a great slaughter.
• New International Version (NIV)The king of Israel advanced and overpowered the horses and chariots and inflicted heavy losses on the Arameans.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And the king of Israel went out and struck the horses and chariots, and struck the Syrians with a great blow.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then the king of Israel went out and attacked the horses and chariots, and killed the Syrians with a great slaughter.

Context of 1 Kings 20:21

19They marched out of the city with the servants of the district governors in the lead and the army behind them. 20Each one struck down an enemy soldier; the Syrians fled and Israel chased them. King Ben Hadad of Syria escaped on horseback with some horsemen. Then the king of Israel marched out and struck down the horses and chariots; he thoroughly defeated Syria. 22The prophet visited the king of Israel and instructed him, “Go, fortify your defenses. Determine what you must do, for in the spring the king of Syria will attack you.” 23Now the advisers of the king of Syria said to him: “Their God is a god of the mountains. That’s why they overpowered us. But if we fight them in the plains, we will certainly overpower them.

1 Kings 20:21 word by word

וַיֵּצֵא֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַיַּ֥ךְ אֶת־הַסּ֖וּס וְאֶת־הָרָ֑כֶב וְהִכָּ֥ה בַאֲרָ֖ם מַכָּ֥ה גְדוֹלָֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• went outיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
• and smoteנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
• the horsesסוּסsûs sûs · horseH5483
• and chariotsרֶ֫כֶבrekeb · chariotH7393
• the Syriansאֲרָם'ărâm · SyriaH758
• with a greatגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
• slaughterמַכָּהmakkâh makkeh · woundH4347

Cross-references for 1 Kings 20:21

• 1 Kings 20:28The prophet visited the king of Israel and said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Because the Syrians said, “The Lord is a god of the mountains and not a god of the valleys,” I will hand over to you this entire huge army. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”
• 1 Kings 14:23They even built for themselves high places, sacred pillars, and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree.
• 1 Samuel 4:8Too bad for us! Who can deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all sorts of plagues in the desert!
• 2 Kings 19:12Were the nations whom my ancestors destroyed – the nations of Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden in Telassar – rescued by their gods?
• 2 Chronicles 32:13Are you not aware of what I and my predecessors have done to all the nations of the surrounding lands? Have the gods of the surrounding lands actually been able to rescue their lands from my power?
• Psalms 50:21When you did these things, I was silent, so you thought I was exactly like you. But now I will condemn you and state my case against you!
• Psalms 121:1I look up toward the hills. From where does my help come?
• Isaiah 42:8I am the Lord! That is my name! I will not share my glory with anyone else, or the praise due me with idols.

Commentaries on 1 Kings 20:21

• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-21Verses 12-21 The proud Syrians were beaten, and the despised Israelites were conquerors. The orders of the proud, drunken king disordered his troops, and prevented them from attacking the Israelites. Those that are most secure, are commonly least courageous. Ahab slew the Syrians with a great slaughter. God often makes one wicked man a scourge to another.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20-22Horses and chariots were important in ancient battles. Ahab's defeat of most of Ben-hadad's forces was crucial to prevent future attacks. However, God's prophet warned that the king of Aram would come back. in the spring: Late spring and early summer were common times for war in the ancient Near East. Armies could rely on good weather and grain from the early harvest.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 13-2113-21. behold, there came a prophet unto Ahab--Though the king and people of Israel had highly offended Him, God had not utterly cast them off. He still cherished designs of mercy towards them, and here, though unasked, gave them a signal proof of His interest in them, by a prophet's animating announcement that the Lord would that day deliver the mighty hosts of the enemy into his hand by means of a small, feeble, inadequate band. Conformably to the…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Kings 20:21

• Israel, Prophecies Concerning
• Prophecy

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Ahab
• Mark
• Samaria
• Benhadad
• 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