The Meaning of 1 Kings 20:10 Explained

1 Kings 20:10

KJV: And Benhadad 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.

YLT: And Ben-Hadad sendeth unto him, and saith, 'Thus do the gods to me, and thus do they add, if the dust of Samaria suffice for handfuls for all the people who are at my feet.'

Darby: And Ben-Hadad sent to him and said, The gods do so to me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me!

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Benhadad  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. 

What does 1 Kings 20:10 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Kings 20:1-15 - Boasting Before The Battle
Ben-hadad's insolent demand indicated how low Israel had sunk. The worship of Jezebel's gods had wrought moral degeneracy. Let us never forget this lesson. When national religion fades and our churches are deserted; when the Bible loses place in education, and family prayer fades out of the home, dry-rot and decay eat away the strength of the national heart.
Ahab's answer was better than might have been expected from such a man, but it would have amounted to little beyond a stalwart boast if there had not been other influences at work on the behalf of the chosen race. It may be that at this crisis, ceaseless prayer was being offered in the schools of the prophets. Elijah, certainly, was not silent, but on mountain heights or by the Cherith brook, was no doubt pouring out his mighty soul. The advent of this prophet, 1 Kings 20:13, unasked, was a harbinger of good. Notice how God's loving-kindness follows us into a far country. See Ezekiel 36:32. He does not forget, but woos us back. His tools of help, however, are not what we should expect, but ever the weakest and least likely, that no flesh should glory, 1 Corinthians 1:27.
1 Kings 20:1-43 - A Prosperous Nation
What a picture is here given of national contentment and prosperity! We can almost hear the gladsome voice of the myriad-peopled land, teeming with young life and laden with golden harvests. It was the summer of their national existence. The sacred scribe enumerates first the high officials of the court, then the daily provision of the king, his studies, and his fame. Abundant proof was yielded by all these circumstances to the manner in which God kept the pledges which had been made to David, his father.
Here is Solomon "in all his glory," but as we turn from him to the lowly Carpenter of Nazareth, who had nowhere to lay His head; who found His friends among the poor; and who ultimately laid down His life a ransom for many, we realize that, even apart from His divine nature, His was the nobler ideal and the richer existence. "A greater than Solomon is here." Who can measure His empire or resources? What tongue can recount His wisdom? Happy and safe are they that sit at His table, hear His words, and are joint-heirs with Him in His Kingdom! Romans 8:17. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Kings 20

1  Ben-Hadad, not content with Ahab's homage, besieges Samaria
13  By the direction of a prophet, the Syrians are slain
22  As the prophet forewarned Ahab, the Syrians come against him in Aphek
28  By the word of the prophet, and God's judgment, the Syrians are smitten again
31  The Syrians submit; Ahab sends Ben-Hadad away with a covenant
35  The prophet, under the parable of a prisoner,
39  making Ahab judge himself, denounces God's judgment against him

What do the individual words in 1 Kings 20:10 mean?

And sent to him in Ben-hadad and said so do to me the gods and also more if is left [enough] dust of Samaria for a handful for each of the people who follow me
וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח אֵלָיו֙ בֶּן־ הֲדַ֔ד וַיֹּ֕אמֶר כֹּֽה־ יַעֲשׂ֥וּן לִ֛י אֱלֹהִ֖ים וְכֹ֣ה יוֹסִ֑פוּ אִם־ יִשְׂפֹּק֙ עֲפַ֣ר שֹׁמְר֔וֹן לִשְׁעָלִ֕ים לְכָל־ הָעָ֖ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר בְּרַגְלָֽי

וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח  And  sent 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
אֵלָיו֙  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
הֲדַ֔ד  Ben-hadad 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: בֶּן־הֲדַד  
Sense: the king of Syria, contemporary with Asa of Judah.
וַיֹּ֕אמֶר  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
כֹּֽה־  so 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֹּה  
Sense: thus, here, in this manner.
לִ֛י  to  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
אֱלֹהִ֖ים  the  gods 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
וְכֹ֣ה  and  also 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: כֹּה  
Sense: thus, here, in this manner.
יוֹסִ֑פוּ  more 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יָסַף 
Sense: to add, increase, do again.
יִשְׂפֹּק֙  is  left 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: סָפַק 
Sense: to clap, slap.
עֲפַ֣ר  [enough]  dust 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עָפָר  
Sense: dry earth, dust, powder, ashes, earth, ground, mortar, rubbish.
שֹׁמְר֔וֹן  of  Samaria 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: שֹׁמְרֹון  
Sense: the region of northern Palestine associated with the northern kingdom of the 0 tribes of Israel which split from the kingdom after the death of Solomon during the reign of his son Rehoboam and were ruled by Jeroboam.
לִשְׁעָלִ֕ים  for  a  handful 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שֹׁעַל  
Sense: hollow hand, hollow of hand, handful.
לְכָל־  for  each 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הָעָ֖ם  of  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
בְּרַגְלָֽי  follow  me 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, fdc, first person common singular
Root: רֶגֶל  
Sense: foot.