1 Kings 4 · Verse 20

1 Kings 4:20

Judah and Israel were many, as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking, and making merry.
1 Kings 4:20, King James Version

1 Kings 4:20 in other translations

BSBThe people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore, and they were eating and drinking and rejoicing.
WEBJudah and Israel were numerous as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking and making merry.
ASVJudah and Israel were many as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking and making merry.
YLTJudah and Israel are many, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude, eating and drinking and rejoicing.
DARBYJudah and Israel were many, as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking and making merry.
BBEJudah and Israel were as great in number as the sand by the seaside, and they took their food and drink with joy in their hearts.
WebsterJudah and Israel were many, as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking, and making merry.

What does 1 Kings 4:20 mean?

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 20 Eating and drinking, and making merry - They were very comfortable, very rich, very merry, and very corrupt. And this full feeding and dissipation led to a total corruption of manners.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Kings 4:20-28
Never did the crown of Israel shine so bright, as when Solomon wore it. He had peace on all sides. Herein, his kingdom was a type of the Messiah's; for to Him it is promised that he shall have the heathen for his inheritance, and that princes shall worship him. The spiritual peace, and joy, and holy security, of all the faithful subjects of the Lord Jesus, were typified by that of Israel. The kingdom of God is not, as Solomon's was, meat and drink, but, what is infinitely better, righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. The vast number of his attendants, and the great resort to him, are shown by the provision daily made. Herein Christ far outdoes Solomon, that he feeds all his subjects, not with the bread that perishes, but with that which endures to eternal life.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

1 Kings 4:20 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.

יְהוּדָ֤הye.hu.DahJudahH3063
וְיִשְׂרָאֵל֙ve.Yis.ra.'Eland IsraelH3478
רַבִּ֔יםra.Bim[were] numerousH7227
כַּח֥וֹלka.Chollike the sandH2344
אֲשֶׁר\־'a.Sher-whichH834
עַל\־'al-[is] atH5921
הַיָּ֖םhai.Yamthe seaH3220
לָרֹ֑בla.Rofor multitudeH7230
אֹכְלִ֥ים'o.khe.Lim[they were] eatingH398
וְשֹׁתִ֖יםve.sho.Timand [were] drinkingH8354
וּשְׂמֵחִֽים\׃u.se.me.Chimand [were] joyfulH8056

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

Cross references for 1 Kings 4:20

  • 1 Kings 3:8

    And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.

  • Genesis 22:17

    That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;

  • Genesis 32:12

    And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.

  • 1 Chronicles 12:39

    And there they were with David three days, eating and drinking: for their brethren had prepared for them.

  • Genesis 15:5

    And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.

  • 1 Samuel 30:16

    And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad upon all the earth, eating and drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.

  • Isaiah 22:13

    And behold joy and gladness, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine: let us eat and drink; for to morrow we shall die.

  • Job 1:18

    While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house:

  • Ecclesiastes 2:24

    There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.

  • Genesis 13:16

    And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.

  • Zechariah 9:15

    The Lord of hosts shall defend them; and they shall devour, and subdue with sling stones; and they shall drink, and make a noise as through wine; and they shall be filled like bowls, and as the corners of the altar.

  • Zechariah 3:10

    In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
as the sand.
3:8; Ge 13:16; 15:5; 22:17; Pr 14:28
eating.
1Sa 30:16; 1Ch 12:39; Job 1:18; Ps 72:3-7; Ec 2:24; Isa 22:13
Mic 4:4; Zec 3:10; 9:15; Ac 2:46

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

Context

  • 1 Kings 4:19

    Geber the son of Uri was in the country of Gilead, in the country of Sihon king of the Amorites, and of Og king of Bashan; and he was the only officer which was in the land.

  • 1 Kings 4:20

    Judah and Israel were many, as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking, and making merry.

  • 1 Kings 4:21

    And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt: they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life.

Read all of 1 Kings 4

1 Kings 4:20 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Judá é Israel eran muchos, como la arena que está junto á la mar en multitud, comiendo y bebiendo y alegrándose.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Juda et Israël étaient nombreux, comme le sable qui est près de la mer, en multitude, – mangeant et buvant, et se réjouissant.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Juda und Israel waren zahlreich, wie der Sand, der am Meere ist, an Menge; sie aßen und tranken und waren fröhlich.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Juda et Israël innumerabiles, sicut arena maris in multitudine: comedentes, et bibentes, atque lætantes.