The Meaning of 1 Kings 11:24 Explained

1 Kings 11:24

KJV: And he gathered men unto him, and became captain over a band, when David slew them of Zobah: and they went to Damascus, and dwelt therein, and reigned in Damascus.

YLT: and gathereth unto himself men, and is head of a troop in David's slaying them, and they go to Damascus, and dwell in it, and reign in Damascus;

Darby: And he collected men to him, and became captain of a band, when David slew them of Zobah; and they went to Damascus, and dwelt there, and reigned in Damascus.

ASV: And he gathered men unto him, and became captain over a troop, when David slew them of Zobah : and they went to Damascus, and dwelt therein, and reigned in Damascus.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And he gathered  men  unto him, and became captain  over a band,  when David  slew  them [of Zobah]: and they went  to Damascus,  and dwelt  therein, and reigned  in Damascus. 

What does 1 Kings 11:24 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Kings 11:14-25 - Adversaries Of The Recreant King
Two of the instruments of Solomon's chastisement are enumerated in this paragraph.
First, Hadad, the Edomite, 1 Kings 11:14-22. Notice the importance of a little child. All the male representatives of the royal family of Edom had perished; but in this child, the line was preserved and perpetuated, to be, through long years, a formidable menace to Israel. Never neglect a little child. You never know what good or ill may be hidden in a tiny bud-an Ingersoll or a Garfield, a Paine or a Wilberforce. Mark in this man Hadad the trace of those strange impulses which determine destiny. He could not assign the reason that led him to leave Egypt, but he knew he must go, 1 Kings 11:22. Thus migratory birds feel the call of southern lands.
Second, Rezon, also, hated Israel, 1 Kings 11:23-25. It is an awful thing when such hatred arises between two peoples. We as Christians must use all our power to arrest and allay it. Only love and good-will can guarantee a lasting peace. It was by these two human "rods" that God chastened Solomon. Let us live in such conformity to His will that he may not need to chasten us as individuals or as a nation. "Our God is a consuming fire!"
1 Kings 11:1-43 - Breaking Three Commandments
From a worldly point of view Naboth might have done a good stroke of business by selling his estate to. Ahab. A royal price and assured favor might have been his-but he had a conscience! Above the persuasive tones of the monarch's offer sounded the voice of God: "The land shall not be sold for ever, for the land is mine." See Leviticus 25:23; Numbers 36:7; Ezekiel 46:18.
Ahab knew perfectly well that Jezebel could not give him the property of another except by foul means, but he took pains not to inquire. Though the direct orders for Naboth's death did not come from him, yet, by his silence, he was an accomplice and an accessory; and divine justice penetrates all such specious excuses. God holds us responsible for wrongs which we do not arrest, though we have the power. The crime was blacker because of the pretext of religion, as suggested by a fast. See also 2 Kings 9:26. The blood of murdered innocence cries to God, and his requital, though delayed, is inevitable. See Revelation 6:9-10. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Kings 11

1  Solomon's wives and concubines
4  In his old age they draw him to idolatry
9  God threatens him,
14  Solomon's adversaries were Hadad, who was entertained in Egypt
23  Rezon, who reigned in Damascus
26  And Jeroboam, to whom Ahijah prophesied
41  Solomon's acts, reign, and death Rehoboam succeeds him

What do the individual words in 1 Kings 11:24 mean?

So he gathered to him men and became captain over a band [of raiders] when killed David those [of Zobah] and they went to Damascus and dwelt there and reigned in Damascus
וַיִּקְבֹּ֤ץ עָלָיו֙ אֲנָשִׁ֔ים וַיְהִ֣י שַׂר־ גְּד֔וּד בַּהֲרֹ֥ג דָּוִ֖ד אֹתָ֑ם וַיֵּלְכ֤וּ דַמֶּ֙שֶׂק֙ וַיֵּ֣שְׁבוּ בָ֔הּ וַֽיִּמְלְכ֖וּ בְּדַמָּֽשֶׂק

וַיִּקְבֹּ֤ץ  So  he  gathered 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָבַץ  
Sense: to gather, assemble.
עָלָיו֙  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
אֲנָשִׁ֔ים  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
וַיְהִ֣י  and  became 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
שַׂר־  captain  over 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: סָרַר 
Sense: prince, ruler, leader, chief, chieftain, official, captain.
גְּד֔וּד  a  band  [of  raiders] 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: גְּדוּד  
Sense: a band, troop, marauding band.
בַּהֲרֹ֥ג  when  killed 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: הָרַג  
Sense: to kill, slay, murder, destroy, murderer, slayer, out of hand.
דָּוִ֖ד  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
אֹתָ֑ם  those  [of  Zobah] 
Parse: Direct object marker, third person masculine plural
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
וַיֵּלְכ֤וּ  and  they  went 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
דַמֶּ֙שֶׂק֙  to  Damascus 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: דּוּמֶּשֶׂק 
Sense: an ancient trading city, capital of Syria, located in the plain east of Hermon, 30 (205 km) miles northeast of Jerusalem.
וַיֵּ֣שְׁבוּ  and  dwelt 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
וַֽיִּמְלְכ֖וּ  and  reigned 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: מָלַךְ 
Sense: to be or become king or queen, reign.
בְּדַמָּֽשֶׂק  in  Damascus 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: דּוּמֶּשֶׂק 
Sense: an ancient trading city, capital of Syria, located in the plain east of Hermon, 30 (205 km) miles northeast of Jerusalem.