1 Kings 20:10

1 Kings 20:10 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Ben–hadad sent unto him, and said, The gods do so unto me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me.
• New International Version (NIV)Then Ben-Hadad sent another message to Ahab: “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if enough dust remains in Samaria to give each of my men a handful.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Ben-hadad sent to him and said, "The gods do so to me and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people who follow me."
• New Living Translation (NLT)Then Ben-hadad sent this message to Ahab: “May the gods strike me and even kill me if there remains enough dust from Samaria to provide even a handful for each of my soldiers.”

Context of 1 Kings 20:10

8And all the elders and all the people said to him, “Do not listen or consent.” 9Therefore he said to the messengers of Ben-Hadad, “Tell my lord the king, ‘All that you sent for to your servant the first time I will do, but this thing I cannot do.’ ” And the messengers departed and brought back word to him. Then Ben-Hadad sent to him and said, “The gods do so to me, and more also, if enough dust is left of Samaria for a handful for each of the people who follow me.” 11So 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.’ ” 12And it happened when Ben-Hadad heard this message, as he and the kings were drinking at the command post, that he said to his servants, “Get ready.” And they got ready to attack the city.

1 Kings 20:10 word by word

וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח אֵלָיו֙ בֶּן־הֲדַ֔ד וַיֹּ֕אמֶר כֹּֽה־יַעֲשׂ֥וּן לִ֛י אֱלֹהִ֖ים וְכֹ֣ה יוֹסִ֑פוּ אִם־יִשְׂפֹּק֙ עֲפַ֣ר שֹׁמְר֔וֹן לִשְׁעָלִ֕ים לְכָל־הָעָ֖ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר בְּרַגְלָֽי׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Ben–hadadבֶּן־הֲדַדben-hădad · Ben-hadadH1130
• sentשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
• unto him, and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• The godsאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• do soעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• unto me, and more alsoיָסַףyâsaph · to addH3254
• if the dustעָפָר‛âphâr · dustH6083
• of Samariaשֹׁמְרוֹןshômerôn · SamariaH8111
• shall sufficeשָׂפַקsâphaq ώâphaq · to sufficeH5606
• for handfulsשֹׁ֫עַלshô‛al · handfulH8168
• for all the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• that followרֶ֫גֶלregel · footH7272

People and places in 1 Kings 20:10

• Ben-hadad
• Samaria

Cross-references for 1 Kings 20:10

• 1 Kings 20:16So they went out at noon. Meanwhile Ben-Hadad and the thirty-two kings helping him were getting drunk at the command post.
• 1 Kings 16:9Now his servant Zimri, commander of half his chariots, conspired against him as he was in Tirzah drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, steward of his house in Tirzah.
• 1 Samuel 25:36Now Abigail went to Nabal, and there he was, holding a feast in his house, like the feast of a king. And Nabal’s heart was merry within him, for he was very drunk; therefore she told him nothing, little or much, until morning light.
• 2 Samuel 13:28Now Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, “Watch now, when Amnon’s heart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon!’ then kill him. Do not be afraid. Have I not commanded you? Be courageous and valiant.”
• Proverbs 31:4It is not for kings, O Lemuel, It is not for kings to drink wine, Nor for princes intoxicating drink;
• Daniel 5:2While he tasted the wine, Belshazzar gave the command to bring the gold and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple which had been in Jerusalem, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them.
• Luke 21:34“But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.
• Ephesians 5:18And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,
• Jeremiah 43:10and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Behold, I will send and bring Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant, and will set his throne above these stones that I have hidden. And he will spread his royal pavilion over them.

Commentaries on 1 Kings 20:10

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 10If the dust of Samaria shall suffice - This is variously understood. Jonathan translates thus: "If the dust of Shomeron shall be sufficient for the soles of the feet of the people that shall accompany me;" i.e., I shall bring such an army that there will scarcely be room for them to stand in Samaria and its vicinity.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 10If the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls … - In its general sense this phrase is undoubtedly a boast that the number of Ben-hadad‘s troops was such as to make resistance vain and foolish. We may parallel it with the saying of the Trachinian at Thermopylae, that the Persian arrows would darken the light of the sun. Probably the exact meaning is, “When your town is reduced to ruins, as it will be if you resist, the entire heap will not suffice to…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 20:10

• Boasting
• Presumption

In the dictionaries

• Samaria
• Ahab
• Mark
• Benhadad
• Handful
• Hollow
• 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