1 Kings 20 · Verse 11

1 Kings 20:11

And the king of Israel answered and said, Tell him, Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off.
1 Kings 20:11, King James Version

1 Kings 20:11 in other translations

BSBAnd the king of Israel replied, “Tell him: ‘The one putting on his armor should not boast like one taking it off.’”
WEBThe king of Israel answered, “Tell him, ‘Don’t let him who puts on his armor brag like he who takes it off.’”
ASVAnd the king of Israel answered and said, Tell him, Let not him that girdeth on his armor boast himself as he that putteth it off.
YLTAnd the king of Israel answereth and saith, ‘Speak ye: let not him who is girding on boast himself as him who is loosing his armour.'
DARBYAnd the king of Israel answered and said, Tell him, Let not him that girdeth on boast himself as he that putteth off!
BBEAnd the king of Israel said in answer, Say to him, The time for loud talk is not when a man is putting on his arms, but when he is taking them off.
WebsterAnd the king of Israel answered and said, Tell him, Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off.

What does 1 Kings 20:11 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Kings 20:2-12

2-12. Thus said Ben-hadad, Thy silver and thy gold is mine--To this message sent him during the siege, Ahab returned a tame and submissive answer, probably thinking it meant no more than an exaction of tribute. But the demand was repeated with greater insolence; and yet, from the abject character of Ahab, there is reason to believe he would have yielded to this arrogant claim also, had not the voice of his subjects…

Read the full comment on 1 Kings 20:2-12 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 11 Let not him that girdeth on - This was no doubt a proverbial mode of expression. Jonathan translates, "Tell him, Let not him who girds himself and goes down to the battle, boast as he who has conquered and returned from it.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Kings 20:1-11

Benhadad sent Ahab a very insolent demand. Ahab sent a very disgraceful submission; sin brings men into such straits, by putting them out of the Divine protection. If God do not rule us, our enemies shall: guilt dispirits men, and makes them cowards. Ahab became desperate. Men will part with their most pleasant things, those they most love, to save their lives; yet they lose their souls rather than part with any…

Read the full comment on 1 Kings 20:1-11 →

1 Kings 20:11 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיַּ֤עַןvai.Ya.'anand he answeredH6030
מֶֽלֶךְ\־Me.lekh-[the] king ofH4428
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙Yis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
דַּבְּר֔וּda.be.RuspeakH1696
אַל\־'al-may notH408
יִתְהַלֵּ֥לyit.ha.Lelhe boastH1984
חֹגֵ֖רcho.Ger[one who] girds onH2296
כִּמְפַתֵּֽחַ\׃kim.fa.Te.achlike [one who] loosensH6605

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 Kings 20:11

  • Proverbs 27:1

    Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.

  • Ecclesiastes 9:11

    I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

  • Isaiah 10:15-16

    Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood. Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire.

  • 1 Samuel 17:44-47

    And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field. Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hands.

  • Matthew 26:75

    And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.

  • Matthew 26:33-35

    Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended. Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.

  • 1 Samuel 14:12-13

    And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armourbearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will shew you a thing. And Jonathan said unto his armourbearer, Come up after me: for the Lord hath delivered them into the hand of Israel. And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armourbearer after him: and they fell before Jonathan; and his armourbearer slew after him.

  • 1 Samuel 14:6

    And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the Lord will work for us: for there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Let not him, etc.This was no doubt a proverbial mode of expression. Jonathan renders it: "Let not him who girds himself, and goes down to battle, boast as one who has conquered and returned from it."
1Sa 14:6,12,13; 17:44-47; Pr 27:1; Ec 9:11; Isa 10:15,16
Mt 26:33-35,75
harness.The word harness is an obsolete word for armour, derived from the French {harnois;} see Ex 13:18.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 1 Kings 20:10

    And Ben–hadad sent unto him, and said, The gods do so unto me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me.

  • 1 Kings 20:11

    And the king of Israel answered and said, Tell him, Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off.

  • 1 Kings 20:12

    And it came to pass, when Ben–hadad heard this message, as he was drinking, he and the kings in the pavilions, that he said unto his servants, Set yourselves in array. And they set themselves in array against the city.

Read all of 1 Kings 20

1 Kings 20:11 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y el rey de Israel respondió, y dijo: Decidle, que no se alabe el que se ciñe, como el que ya se desciñe.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et le roi d’Israël répondit et dit: Dites-lui: Que celui qui se ceint ne se vante pas comme celui qui délie sa ceinture.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und der König von Israel antwortete und sprach: Saget ihm: Es rühme sich nicht der sich Gürtende wie der den Gürtel Lösende!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Et respondens rex Israël, ait: Dicite ei: Ne glorietur, accinctus æque ut discinctus.