1 Kings 20:10

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Kings 20:1-11

Here is, I. The threatening descent which Ben-hadad made upon Ahab's kingdom, and the siege he laid to Samaria, his royal city, 1 Kgs. 20:1. What the ground of the quarrel was we are not told; covetousness and ambition were the principle, which would never want some pretence or other. David in his time had quite subdued the Syrians and made them tributaries to Israel, but Israel's apostasy from God makes them formidable again. Asa had tempted the Syrians to invade Israel once (1 Kgs.... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 20:10

And Benhadad sent unto him, and said ,.... That is, to Ahab: the gods do so unto me, and more also ; bring greater evils upon me than I can think or express: if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me , signifying that he made no doubt of it of reducing it to dust by numbers of men he should bring with him, which would be so many, that if each was to take an handful of dust of the ruins of Samaria, there would not enough for them all; which... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Kings 20:10

If the dust of Samaria shall suffice - This is variously understood. Jonathan translates thus: "If the dust of Shomeron shall be sufficient for the soles of the feet of the people that shall accompany me;" i.e., I shall bring such an army that there will scarcely be room for them to stand in Samaria and its vicinity. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Kings 20:1-11

The Spirit of War. In human histories so much is made of brilliant uniforms, scientific discipline, skilful manoeuvres, exploits, surprises, and successes, that readers are carried away with "the pomp and circumstance" of so-called "glorious war." In the text we have the other side; and we are reminded of the appeal of James: "From whence come wars and fightings among you? Come they not hence, even of your own lusts that war in your members?" ( James 4:1 .) Conspicuous amongst these is— ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Kings 20:1-21

Veiled Mercies . I. AHAB 'S EXTREMITY ( 1 Kings 20:1-11 ). God's goodness to the froward is shown by His bringing them into circumstances where they may prove and know Him. The clouds they "so much dread are big with mercy." 1 . The land is overrun and the capital besieged . The fruit of sin is difficulty and disaster. The land and the life which will not acknowledge God will know at last what it is to be bereft of His protecting care and the ministrations of His goodness.... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Kings 20:1-43

The Purgatory of Nations and Kings. The two invasions of Israel by the armies of Syria, and their defeat by the finger of God, may suggest some lessons as to God's dealings with nations, and with oppressive and tyrannical kings. Two considerations must, however, be borne in mind here. First, that the present age, unlike the Mosaic, is not a dispensation of temporal rewards and punishments. It is true that even now men do receive a rough sort of retribution, according to their... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Kings 20:10

And Ben-hadad sent unto him, and said [These words would be quite superfluous, if the oaths of which we now hear were the "word" of 1 Kings 20:9 ], The gods do so unto me, and more also [see notes on 1 Kings 2:23 ; 1 Kings 19:2 ], if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls [The meaning of שְׁעָלִים pugilli, is fixed by Isaiah 40:12 , and Ezekiel 13:19 ] for all the people that follow me. [Heb. that are in my feet . Same expression 4:16 ; 5:15 ; 1 Samuel... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Kings 20:10

" The gods do so to me ," .etc. How often has the swearer to eat his words. The hero does ; he never talks of what he will do. "Victory is to be achieved, not to be sworn." This vulgar fashion of calling upon God to do oneself some hurt thus appears to be of great antiquity. But it always proceeds from those who have very little belief in God at all. The profane swearer is practically an infidel, so far as the gods he invokes are concerned. An Italian workman was once reproved in a... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 1 Kings 20:10

If the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls ... - In its general sense this phrase is undoubtedly a boast that the number of Ben-hadad’s troops was such as to make resistance vain and foolish. We may parallel it with the saying of the Trachinian at Thermopylae, that the Persian arrows would darken the light of the sun. Probably the exact meaning is, “When your town is reduced to ruins, as it will be if you resist, the entire heap will not suffice to furnish a handful of dust to each... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - 1 Kings 20:9-11

1 Kings 20:9-11. This thing I may not do If I would do it, I cannot; because my people will not suffer it. If the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls, &c. If I do not assault thy city with so potent and numerous an army, as shall turn it all into a heap of dust, and shall be sufficient to carry it all away, though every soldier take but one handful of it. See the like boast, 2 Samuel 17:13. The king of Israel said, Let not him that girdeth, &c. Do not triumph before the... read more

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