The Meaning of 1 Kings 20:6 Explained

1 Kings 20:6

KJV: Yet I will send my servants unto thee to morrow about this time, and they shall search thine house, and the houses of thy servants; and it shall be, that whatsoever is pleasant in thine eyes, they shall put it in their hand, and take it away.

YLT: for if, at this time to-morrow, I send my servants unto thee then they have searched thy house, and the houses of thy servants, and it hath been, every desirable thing of thine eyes they place in their hand, and have taken away.'

Darby: but to-morrow about this time I will send my servants to thee, and they shall search thy house, and the houses of thy servants; and it shall be, that whatsoever is pleasant in thy sight, they shall put in their hand and take away.

ASV: but I will send my servants unto thee to-morrow about this time, and they shall search thy house, and the houses of thy servants; and it shall be, that whatsoever is pleasant in thine eyes, they shall put it in their hand, and take it away.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Yet I will send  my servants  unto thee to morrow  about this time,  and they shall search  thine house,  and the houses  of thy servants;  and it shall be,  [that] whatsoever is pleasant  in thine eyes,  they shall put  [it] in their hand,  and take [it] away. 

What does 1 Kings 20:6 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 20:6 mean?

But about this time tomorrow I will send - my servants to you and they shall search your house and the houses of your servants and it shall be [that] whatever is pleasant in your eyes they will put [it] in their hands and take [it]
כִּ֣י ׀ אִם־ כָּעֵ֣ת מָחָ֗ר אֶשְׁלַ֤ח אֶת־ עֲבָדַי֙ אֵלֶ֔יךָ וְחִפְּשׂוּ֙ בֵּ֣יתְךָ֔ וְאֵ֖ת בָּתֵּ֣י עֲבָדֶ֑יךָ וְהָיָה֙ כָּל־ מַחְמַ֣ד עֵינֶ֔יךָ יָשִׂ֥ימוּ בְיָדָ֖ם וְלָקָֽחוּ

אִם־  about 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: אִם  
Sense: if.
כָּעֵ֣ת  this  time 
Parse: Preposition-k, Article, Noun, common singular
Root: עֵת  
Sense: time.
מָחָ֗ר  tomorrow 
Parse: Adverb
Root: מָחָר  
Sense: tomorrow, in time to come, in the future.
אֶשְׁלַ֤ח  I  will  send 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
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.
עֲבָדַי֙  my  servants 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
אֵלֶ֔יךָ  to  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
וְחִפְּשׂוּ֙  and  they  shall  search 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: חָפַשׂ  
Sense: to search, search for, to search out, disguise oneself.
בֵּ֣יתְךָ֔  your  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
בָּתֵּ֣י  the  houses 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
עֲבָדֶ֑יךָ  of  your  servants 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
וְהָיָה֙  and  it  shall  be 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
כָּל־  [that]  whatever 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
מַחְמַ֣ד  is  pleasant 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מַחְמָד  
Sense: desire, desirable thing, pleasant thing.
עֵינֶ֔יךָ  in  your  eyes 
Parse: Noun, cdc, second person masculine singular
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
יָשִׂ֥ימוּ  they  will  put  [it] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
בְיָדָ֖ם  in  their  hands 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
וְלָקָֽחוּ  and  take  [it] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.