1 Kings 4:20

1 Kings 4:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Judah and Israel were many, as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking, and making merry.
• New International Version (NIV)The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore; they ate, they drank and they were happy.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Judah and Israel were as many as the sand by the sea. They ate and drank and were happy.
• New Living Translation (NLT)The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They were very contented, with plenty to eat and drink.

Context of 1 Kings 4:20

18Shimei the son of Elah, in Benjamin; 19Geber the son of Uri, in the land of Gilead, in the country of Sihon king of the Amorites, and of Og king of Bashan. He was the only governor who was in the land. Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking and rejoicing. 21So Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. They brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life. 22Now Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty kors of fine flour, sixty kors of meal,

1 Kings 4:20 word by word

יְהוּדָ֤ה וְיִשְׂרָאֵל֙ רַבִּ֔ים כַּח֥וֹל אֲשֶׁר־עַל־הַיָּ֖ם לָרֹ֑ב אֹכְלִ֥ים וְשֹׁתִ֖ים וּשְׂמֵחִֽים׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Judahיְהוּדָהyehûdâh · JudahH3063
• and Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• manyרַבrab · manyH7227
• as the sandחוֹלchôl · sandH2344
• by the seaיָםyâm · seaH3220
• in multitudeרֹבrôb · abundanceH7230
• eatingאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
• and drinkingשָׁתָהshâthâh · to drinkH8354
• and making merryשָׂמֵחַώâmêach · gladH8056

People and places in 1 Kings 4:20

• Israel
• Judah

Cross-references for 1 Kings 4:20

• 1 Kings 3:8And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted.
• Genesis 13:16And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered.
• Genesis 15:5Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”
• Genesis 22:17blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies.
• Proverbs 14:28In a multitude of people is a king’s honor, But in the lack of people is the downfall of a prince.
• 1 Samuel 30:16And when he had brought him down, there they were, spread out over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoil which they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah.
• 1 Chronicles 12:39And they were there with David three days, eating and drinking, for their brethren had prepared for them.
• Job 1:18While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house,
• Psalms 72:3The mountains will bring peace to the people, And the little hills, by righteousness.
• Ecclesiastes 2:24Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God.
• Isaiah 22:13But instead, joy and gladness, Slaying oxen and killing sheep, Eating meat and drinking wine: “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”
• Micah 4:4But everyone shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree, And no one shall make them afraid; For the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken.
• Zechariah 3:10In that day,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘Everyone will invite his neighbor Under his vine and under his fig tree.’ ”
• Zechariah 9:15The Lord of hosts will defend them; They shall devour and subdue with slingstones. They shall drink and roar as if with wine; They shall be filled with blood like basins, Like the corners of the altar.
• Acts 2:46So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart,

Commentaries on 1 Kings 4:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20Eating and drinking, and making merry - They were very comfortable, very rich, very merry, and very corrupt. And this full feeding and dissipation led to a total corruption of manners.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20There is some doubt about the proper arrangement of the remainder of this chapter. The best alteration, if we alter the Hebrew order at all, would be to place 1 Kings 4:20-21 after 1 Kings 4:25. Many … - See 1 Kings 3:8 note; and compare Psalm 127:1-5, which is traditionally ascribed to Solomon, and which celebrates the populousness and security of Israel in his day.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 20-28Verses 20-28 Never did the crown of Israel shine so bright, as when Solomon wore it. He had peace on all sides. Herein, his kingdom was a type of the Messiah's; for to Him it is promised that he shall have the heathen for his inheritance, and that princes shall worship him. The spiritual peace, and joy, and holy security, of all the faithful subjects of the Lord Jesus, were typified by that of Israel. The kingdom of God is not, as Solomon's was, meat and…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20-21God promised Abraham land (Genesis 15:18–21; 17:8; 22:17). This promise came true with Solomon's blessing. The lands that David and Solomon (2 Chronicles 8:3) conquered stayed loyal to Solomon. They sent him tribute money and served him throughout his long reign.Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Kings 4:20

• Rulers
• Solomon
• Tax

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Judah
• the sea, the Great Sea, the western sea
• Region
• Solomon
• Abishag
• Deer
• Genealogy
• Horse
• Kings, Books of

Commentaries on 1 Kings 4

• 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
• EGW Writings