The Meaning of 1 Kings 20:1 Explained

1 Kings 20:1

KJV: And Benhadad the king of Syria gathered all his host together: and there were thirty and two kings with him, and horses, and chariots: and he went up and besieged Samaria, and warred against it.

YLT: And Ben-Hadad king of Aram hath gathered all his force, and thirty and two kings are with him, and horse and chariot, and he goeth up and layeth siege against Samaria, and fighteth with it,

Darby: And Ben-Hadad king of Syria assembled all his host; and there were thirty-two kings with him, and horses and chariots; and he went up and besieged Samaria, and fought against it.

ASV: And Ben-hadad the king of Syria gathered all his host together; and there were thirty and two kings with him, and horses and chariots: and he went up and besieged Samaria, and fought against it.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Benhadad  the king  of Syria  gathered  all his host  together:  and [there were] thirty  and two  kings  with him, and horses,  and chariots:  and he went up  and besieged  Samaria,  and warred  against it. 

What does 1 Kings 20:1 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Kings 20:1-15 - Boasting Before The Battle
Ben-hadad's insolent demand indicated how low Israel had sunk. The worship of Jezebel's gods had wrought moral degeneracy. Let us never forget this lesson. When national religion fades and our churches are deserted; when the Bible loses place in education, and family prayer fades out of the home, dry-rot and decay eat away the strength of the national heart.
Ahab's answer was better than might have been expected from such a man, but it would have amounted to little beyond a stalwart boast if there had not been other influences at work on the behalf of the chosen race. It may be that at this crisis, ceaseless prayer was being offered in the schools of the prophets. Elijah, certainly, was not silent, but on mountain heights or by the Cherith brook, was no doubt pouring out his mighty soul. The advent of this prophet, 1 Kings 20:13, unasked, was a harbinger of good. Notice how God's loving-kindness follows us into a far country. See Ezekiel 36:32. He does not forget, but woos us back. His tools of help, however, are not what we should expect, but ever the weakest and least likely, that no flesh should glory, 1 Corinthians 1:27.
1 Kings 20:1-43 - A Prosperous Nation
What a picture is here given of national contentment and prosperity! We can almost hear the gladsome voice of the myriad-peopled land, teeming with young life and laden with golden harvests. It was the summer of their national existence. The sacred scribe enumerates first the high officials of the court, then the daily provision of the king, his studies, and his fame. Abundant proof was yielded by all these circumstances to the manner in which God kept the pledges which had been made to David, his father.
Here is Solomon "in all his glory," but as we turn from him to the lowly Carpenter of Nazareth, who had nowhere to lay His head; who found His friends among the poor; and who ultimately laid down His life a ransom for many, we realize that, even apart from His divine nature, His was the nobler ideal and the richer existence. "A greater than Solomon is here." Who can measure His empire or resources? What tongue can recount His wisdom? Happy and safe are they that sit at His table, hear His words, and are joint-heirs with Him in His Kingdom! Romans 8:17. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Kings 20

1  Ben-Hadad, not content with Ahab's homage, besieges Samaria
13  By the direction of a prophet, the Syrians are slain
22  As the prophet forewarned Ahab, the Syrians come against him in Aphek
28  By the word of the prophet, and God's judgment, the Syrians are smitten again
31  The Syrians submit; Ahab sends Ben-Hadad away with a covenant
35  The prophet, under the parable of a prisoner,
39  making Ahab judge himself, denounces God's judgment against him

What do the individual words in 1 Kings 20:1 mean?

Now Ben-hadad the king of Syria gathered together - all his forces and thirty and two kings [were] with him and [with] horses and chariots And he went up and besieged on Samaria and made war against it
וּבֶן־ הֲדַ֣ד מֶֽלֶךְ־ אֲרָ֗ם קָבַץ֙ אֶת־ כָּל־ חֵיל֔וֹ וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֨ים וּשְׁנַ֥יִם מֶ֛לֶךְ אִתּ֖וֹ וְס֣וּס וָרָ֑כֶב וַיַּ֗עַל וַיָּ֙צַר֙ עַל־ שֹׁ֣מְר֔וֹן וַיִּלָּ֖חֶם בָּֽהּ

וּבֶן־  Now 
Parse:
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
הֲדַ֣ד  Ben-hadad 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: בֶּן־הֲדַד  
Sense: the king of Syria, contemporary with Asa of Judah.
מֶֽלֶךְ־  the  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
אֲרָ֗ם  of  Syria 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֲרָם 
Sense: Aram or Syria the nation.
קָבַץ֙  gathered  together 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָבַץ  
Sense: to gather, assemble.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
חֵיל֔וֹ  his  forces 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: חֵיל  
Sense: rampart, fortress, wall.
וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֨ים  and  thirty 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Number, common plural
Root: שְׁלֹשִׁים  
Sense: thirty, thirtieth.
וּשְׁנַ֥יִם  and  two 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Number, md
Root: שְׁנַיִם  
Sense: two.
מֶ֛לֶךְ  kings  [were] 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
אִתּ֖וֹ  with  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֵת 
Sense: with, near, together with.
וְס֣וּס  and  [with]  horses 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: סוּס 
Sense: swallow, swift.
וָרָ֑כֶב  and  chariots 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: רֶכֶב  
Sense: a team, chariot, chariotry, mill-stone, riders.
וַיַּ֗עַל  And  he  went  up 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
וַיָּ֙צַר֙  and  besieged 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: צוּר 
Sense: to bind, besiege, confine, cramp.
שֹׁ֣מְר֔וֹן  Samaria 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: שֹׁמְרֹון  
Sense: the region of northern Palestine associated with the northern kingdom of the 0 tribes of Israel which split from the kingdom after the death of Solomon during the reign of his son Rehoboam and were ruled by Jeroboam.
וַיִּלָּ֖חֶם  and  made  war 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: לָחַם 
Sense: to fight, do battle, make war.
בָּֽהּ  against  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular