New English Translation
1 Kings 20:29
29The armies were deployed opposite each other for seven days. On the seventh day the battle began, and the Israelites killed 100,000 Syrian foot soldiers in one day.
1 Kings 20:29 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And they pitched one over against the other seven days. And so it was, that in the seventh day the battle was joined: and the children of Israel slew of the Syrians an hundred thousand footmen in one day.
- New International Version (NIV)For seven days they camped opposite each other, and on the seventh day the battle was joined. The Israelites inflicted a hundred thousand casualties on the Aramean foot soldiers in one day.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And they encamped opposite one another seven days. Then on the seventh day the battle was joined. And the people of Israel struck down of the Syrians 100,000 foot soldiers in one day.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And they encamped opposite each other for seven days. So it was that on the seventh day the battle was joined; and the children of Israel killed one hundred thousand foot soldiers of the Syrians in one day.
Context of 1 Kings 20:29
27When the Israelites had mustered and had received their supplies, they marched out to face them in battle. When the Israelites deployed opposite them, they were like two small flocks of goats, but the Syrians filled the land. 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.’” The armies were deployed opposite each other for seven days. On the seventh day the battle began, and the Israelites killed 100,000 Syrian foot soldiers in one day. 30The remaining 27,000 ran to Aphek and went into the city, but the wall fell on them. Now Ben Hadad ran into the city and hid in an inner room. 31His advisers said to him, “Look, we have heard that the kings of the Israelite dynasty are kind. Allow us to put sackcloth around our waists and ropes on our heads and surrender to the king of Israel. Maybe he will spare our lives.”
Read all of 1 Kings 201 Kings 20:29 word by word
וַֽיַּחֲנ֧וּ אֵ֦לֶּה נֹ֥כַח אֵ֖לֶּה שִׁבְעַ֣ת יָמִ֑ים וַיְהִ֣י׀ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗י וַתִּקְרַב֙ הַמִּלְחָמָ֔ה וַיַּכּ֨וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֧ל אֶת־אֲרָ֛ם מֵאָה־אֶ֥לֶף רַגְלִ֖י בְּי֥וֹם אֶחָֽד׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And they pitchedחָנָהchânâh · to campH2583
- oneאֵ֫לֶּה'êlleh · theseH428
- over againstנֹ֫כַחnôkach · beforeH5227
- sevenשֶׁ֫בַעsheba‛ shib‛âh · sevenH7651
- daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- it was, that in the seventhשְׁבִיעִיshebîy‛îy shebi‛îy · seventhH7637
- the battleמִלְחָמָהmilchâmâh · battleH4421
- was joinedקָרַבqârab · to present: comeH7126
- and the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- slewנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
- of the Syriansאֲרָם'ărâm · SyriaH758
- an hundredמֵאָהmê'âh mê'yâh · hundredH3967
- thousandאֶ֫לֶף'eleph · thousandH505
- footmenרַגְלִיraglîy · on footH7273
- in oneאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
Cross-references for 1 Kings 20:29
- 1 Kings 20:23Now 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.
- 2 Kings 5:13His servants approached and said to him, “O master, if the prophet had told you to do some difficult task, you would have been willing to do it. It seems you should be happy that he simply said, “Wash and you will be healed.”
- Proverbs 20:28Loyal love and truth preserve a king, and his throne is upheld by loyal love.
- Isaiah 16:5Then a trustworthy king will be established; he will rule in a reliable manner, this one from David’s family. He will be sure to make just decisions and will be experienced in executing justice.
- Ephesians 1:7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace
- 1 Kings 21:27When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and fasted. He slept in sackcloth and walked around dejected.
- Genesis 37:34Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourned for his son many days.
- 2 Samuel 3:31David instructed Joab and all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothes! Put on sackcloth! Lament before Abner!” Now King David followed behind the funeral bier.
- 2 Samuel 14:2So Joab sent to Tekoa and brought from there a wise woman. He told her, “Pretend to be in mourning and put on garments for mourning. Don’t anoint yourself with oil. Instead, act like a woman who has been mourning for the dead for some time.
- 2 Kings 19:1When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and went to the Lord’s temple.
- Esther 4:1Now when Mordecai became aware of all that had been done, he tore his garments and put on sackcloth and ashes. He went out into the city, crying out in a loud and bitter voice.
- Isaiah 22:12At that time the sovereign master, the Lord who commands armies, called for weeping and mourning, for shaved heads and sackcloth.
- Isaiah 37:1When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and went to the Lord’s temple.
- Jonah 3:5The people of Nineveh believed in God, and they declared a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them.
- Revelation 11:3And I will grant my two witnesses authority to prophesy for 1,260 days, dressed in sackcloth.
- 2 Kings 7:4If we go into the city, we’ll die of starvation, and if we stay here we’ll die! So come on, let’s defect to the Syrian camp! If they spare us, we’ll live; if they kill us – well, we were going to die anyway.”
Commentaries on 1 Kings 20:29
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 29Slew a hundred thousand footmen in one day - This number is enormous; but the MSS. and versions give no various reading.Read the comment
- 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. 27-30Even though the Arameans had more soldiers, Israel won a great victory with God's help. Everyone learned that "nothing is impossible with God" (Luke 1:37; see Matthew 19:26; Mark 10:27). When God supports you, the enemy will retreat (Psalm 56:9) and suffer heavy losses (Deuteronomy 32:30–31; 2 Kings 19:32–36). Israel could face their enemies without fear (Psalms 3:6; 27:1–3). God's promise to Israel through the prophet showed that this battle was for both…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 27-3127-31. like two little flocks of kids--Goats are never seen in large flocks, or scattered, like sheep; and hence the two small but compact divisions of the Israelite force are compared to goats, not sheep. Humanly speaking, that little handful of men would have been overpowered by numbers. But a prophet was sent to the small Israelite army to announce the victory, in order to convince the Syrians that the God of Israel was omnipotent everywhere, in the…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Kings 20:29
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
New English Translation — © 1996-2016 Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C.
Commentaries