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 King James Version (NKJV)Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking and rejoicing.

Context of 1 Kings 4:20

18Shimei son of Ela, in Benjamin; 19Geber son of Uri, in the land of Gilead, the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and of Og king of Bashan; and one who was the officer in the land. Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand by the sea in abundance, eating and drinking and rejoicing.

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

Cross-references for 1 Kings 4:20

• 1 Kings 3:8Your servant is amid Your people, whom You have chosen—a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted.
• Genesis 13:16I will make your seed like the dust of the earth so that if one could count the dust of the earth, then your seed could also be counted.
• Genesis 15:5He took him outside and said, “Look up now, at the sky, and count the stars—if you are able to count them.” Then He said to him, “So shall your seed be.”
• Genesis 22:17I will richly bless you and bountifully multiply your seed like the stars of heaven, and like the sand that is on the seashore, and your seed will possess the gate of his enemies.
• Proverbs 14:28A large population is a king’s glory, but lack of subjects is a prince’s ruin.
• 1 Samuel 30:16So he led him down, and behold, they were scattered over all the area, eating, drinking and feasting because of all the great spoil that they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah.
• 1 Chronicles 12:39All these fighting men, prepared for the battle line, came to Hebron with a whole heart to make David king over all Israel. All the rest of Israel were also of one heart to make David king.
• Job 1:18While this one was still speaking another came in and said, “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine at their oldest brother’s house
• Psalms 72:3Let the mountains bring shalom to the people, and the hills righteousness.
• Ecclesiastes 2:24There is nothing better for people than to eat and drink, and to find enjoyment in their labor. This too, I perceived, is from the hand of God.
• Isaiah 22:13But instead, there is joy and gladness, slaughtering cattle and killing sheep, meat and drinking wine! “Let’s eat and drink, for tomorrow we will die!”
• Micah 4:4But each man will sit under his vine and under his fig tree, with no one causing terror, for the mouth of Adonai-Tzva’ot has spoken.
• Zechariah 3:10In that day,” declares Adonai-Tzva’ot, “every man will invite his neighbor to sit under the vine and under the fig tree.’”
• Zechariah 9:15Adonai-Tzva’ot will defend them. They will consume and conquer with sling stones. They will drink and roar as with wine and be filled like a bowl, like the corners of the altar.
• Acts 2:46Day by day they continued with one mind, spending time at the Temple and breaking bread from house to house. They were sharing meals with gladness and sincerity 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