1 Kings 20:15
in 1 Kings 20So Ahab assembled the young officers of the district governors, and there were 232 men. And after them, he assembled the rest of the Israelite troops, 7,000 in all.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then he mustered the young men of the princes of the provinces, and they were two hundred and thirty-two: and after them he mustered all the people, even all the children of Israel, being seven thousand.
KJV
Then he numbered the young men of the princes of the provinces, and they were two hundred and thirty two: and after them he numbered all the people, even all the children of Israel, being seven thousand.
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This verse in 1 Kings 20
Commentary
6 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Seven thousand - Considering how populous Palestine was in the time of the earlier Israelite kings (see 2Ch 13:3; 2Ch 14:8; 2Ch 17:14-18), the smallness of this number is somewhat surprising. If the reading be sound, we must suppose, first, that Ben-hadad’s attack was very sudden, and that Ahab had no time to collect forces from distant parts of the country; and secondly, that during the long siege the garrison of Samaria had been greatly reduced, until it now did not exceed 7,000 men fit for service.
This site's exposition
Who shall order the battle
on 1 Kings 20:14-15
God names the instrument before naming the victory, young men of the princes of the provinces, two hundred and thirty two of them, with seven thousand more behind. Ahab himself, not a general, is told he must order the battle, so the outcome cannot be credited to royal strategy. Matthew Henry notes the seven thousand match the number of those in 19:18 who had not bowed to Baal, though he is careful to say they are likely not the same men.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
It is observable that it is the same number with theirs that he not bowed the knee to Baal ( ch. xix. 18 ), though, it is likely, not the same men. The issue was accordingly.
Then he numbered the young men of the princes of the provinces, and they were two hundred and thirty two,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
This glorious victory, won so easily, and with such a paltry force opposed to overwhelming numbers, was granted that Ahab and his people might know (1Ki 20:13) that God is the Lord. But we do not read of this acknowledgment being made, or of any sacrifices being offered in token of their national gratitude.
Two hundred and thirty-two - These were probably the king’s life or body guards; not all the militia, but two hundred and thirty of them who constituted the royal guard in Samaria. They were therefore the king’s own regiment, and he is commanded by the prophet to put himself at their head. Seven thousand - How low must the state of Israel have been at this time! These Jarchi thinks were the seven thousand who had not bowed the knee to Baal.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
Seven thousand. I say that they are the ones about whom it is stated, “All those whose knees did not bend to the Baal,” were seven thousand. 12 Above:18.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
By the youths of the officers of the provinces. They are the hostages, for all the governors of the other nations would give their children into his custody [as a guarantee] that they will not rebel against him.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
19 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּפְקֹ֗ד | vaiyifkod | and he mustered | H6485 → | 303 times |
| אֶֽת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| נַעֲרֵי֙ | naarei | [the] young men of | H5288 → | 239 times |
| שָׂרֵ֣י | sarei | [the] officials of | H8269 → | 421 times |
| הַמְּדִינ֔וֹת | hamedinot | the provinces | H4082 → | 53 times |
| וַיִּהְי֕וּ | vaiyihyu | and they were | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| מָאתַ֖יִם | matayim | two hundred | H3967 → | 581 times |
| שְׁנַ֣יִם | shenayim | two | H8147 → | 768 times |
| וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֑ים | usheloshim | and thirty | H7970 → | 172 times |
| וְאַחֲרֵיהֶ֗ם | veachareihem | and after them | H310 → | 715 times |
| פָּקַ֧ד | pakad | he mustered | H6485 → | 303 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הָעָ֛ם | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| בְּנֵ֥י | benei | [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| שִׁבְעַ֥ת | shivat | [were] seven | H7651 → | 394 times |
| אֲלָפִֽים׃ | ʾalafim | thousand<s> | H505 → | 505 times |
וַיִּפְקֹ֗דand he mustered
vaiyifkodH6485 →303 times
אֶֽת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
נַעֲרֵי֙[the] young men of
naareiH5288 →239 times
שָׂרֵ֣י[the] officials of
sareiH8269 →421 times
הַמְּדִינ֔וֹתthe provinces
hamedinotH4082 →53 times
וַיִּהְי֕וּand they were
vaiyihyuH1961 →3559 times
מָאתַ֖יִםtwo hundred
matayimH3967 →581 times
שְׁנַ֣יִםtwo
shenayimH8147 →768 times
וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֑יםand thirty
usheloshimH7970 →172 times
וְאַחֲרֵיהֶ֗םand after them
veachareihemH310 →715 times
פָּקַ֧דhe mustered
pakadH6485 →303 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הָעָ֛םthe people
haamH5971 →1873 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
בְּנֵ֥י[the] people of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
שִׁבְעַ֥ת[were] seven
shivatH7651 →394 times
אֲלָפִֽים׃thousand<s>
ʾalafimH505 →505 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Kings 19:18Nevertheless, I have reserved seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”
it leads to
- Romans 11:4–5
And what was the divine reply to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”
- Isaiah 1:9
Unless the LORD of Hosts had left us a few survivors, we would have become like Sodom, we would have resembled Gomorrah.
- Isaiah 10:20–22
On that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no longer depend on him who struck them, but they will truly rely on the LORD, the Holy…
- Hosea 13:2
Now they sin more and more and make for themselves cast images, idols skillfully made from their silver, all of them the work of craftsmen. People say of them, “They offer human sacrifice and…
- Romans 11:4–5
Through
1 Samuel 14:6Jonathan said to the young man bearing his armor, “Come, let us cross over to the outpost of these uncircumcised men. Perhaps the LORD will work on our behalf. Nothing can hinder the LORD…
it leads to
- Matthew 19:26
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
- Romans 8:31
What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
- Zechariah 4:6
So he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of Hosts.
- Matthew 19:26
Through
Judges 7:7Then the LORD said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men who lapped the water I will save you and deliver the Midianites into your hand. But all the others are to go home.”
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 14:6
Jonathan said to the young man bearing his armor, “Come, let us cross over to the outpost of these uncircumcised men. Perhaps the LORD will work on our behalf. Nothing can hinder the LORD…
- 1 Samuel 14:6
About 1 Kings
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.