Verse Meaning1 KingsSome background helps
1 Kings 20:1: Meaning Explained
And Benhadad the king of Syria gathered all his host together: and there were thirty and two kings with him, and...
1 Kings 20:1
“Now Ben-Hadad king of Aram rallied his entire army. Accompanied by thirty-two kings, he marched up and besieged Samaria and attacked it.”
What Does This Verse Mean?
The king of Aram (a neighboring country) attacks Israel's city of Samaria with a huge army.
What’s Happening Here
Israel faces a military threat from a powerful neighboring kingdom.
Key Words
besiegedsurrounded a city to try to force it to surrender
Samariathe capital city of the northern kingdom of Israel
Why It Matters
This verse reminds us that people and nations still face sudden, overwhelming threats today, encouraging us to consider how we respond to crises with faith and wisdom.
Did You Know?
The 'thirty-two kings' were likely local rulers or chieftains from city-states under Aram's control, not all independent monarchs, showing Ben-Hadad's political power.
Word Study
H1130
And Benhadadהֲדַ֣ד
H4428
kingsמֶ֛לֶךְ
H758
of Syriaאֲרָ֗ם
H6908
gatheredקָבַץ֙
H2428
all his hostחֵיל֔וֹ
H7970
and there were thirtyוּשְׁלֹשִׁ֨ים
H8147
and twoוּשְׁנַ֥יִם
H5483
with him and horsesוְס֣וּס
H7393
and chariotsוָרָ֑כֶב
H5927
and he went upוַיַּ֗עַל
H6696
and besiegedוַיָּ֙צַר֙
H8111
Samariaשֹׁ֣מְר֔וֹן
H3898
and warredוַיִּלָּ֖חֶם
Cross References
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Read 1 Kings 20:1 in the Bible reader, or explore the full chapter summary.