The Meaning of 1 Kings 20:27 Explained

1 Kings 20:27

KJV: And the children of Israel were numbered, and were all present, and went against them: and the children of Israel pitched before them like two little flocks of kids; but the Syrians filled the country.

YLT: and the sons of Israel have been inspected, and supported, and go to meet them, and the sons of Israel encamp before them, like two flocks of goats, and the Aramaeans have filled the land.

Darby: And the children of Israel were numbered and victualled, and they went against them; and the children of Israel encamped before them like two little flocks of goats; but the Syrians filled the land.

ASV: And the children of Israel were mustered, and were victualled, and went against them: and the children of Israel encamped before them like two little flocks of kids; but the Syrians filled the country.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the children  of Israel  were numbered,  and were all present,  and went  against  them: and the children  of Israel  pitched  before them like two  little flocks  of kids;  but the Syrians  filled  the country. 

What does 1 Kings 20:27 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Kings 20:16-30 - The God Both Of Hills And Valleys
What is God to us? Is He only the God of the hills? We expect religion to serve us when we come to the great summits of experience. There are times of rapture and of vision when we seem naturally to stand with God on the holy mountains. We have our Moriah, our Pisgah, our Tabor, our Hermon. But is that all?
No! God is with us in the valleys. When we descend into the valley of weeping, Psalms 84:6, r.v., the valley of the shadow of death, the valley of obscurity and loneliness, the valley of conflict, we can say with the psalmist, "Thou art with me," Psalms 23:4. Most of us, perhaps, spend the larger part of life in the valleys, walking among commonplace duties. Let us see to it that in these shadowed days we walk in close companionship with the Divine Friend; that, when the path ascends and the mountain-breeze is on our faces and the view widens, we may stand with God on our high places as with hinds' feet. See Habakkuk 3:19.
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 20:27 mean?

And the sons of Israel were mustered and given provisions and they went against them and encamped the sons of Israel before them like two little flocks of goats and while Syria filled - the countryside
וּבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל הָתְפָּקְדוּ֙ וְכָלְכְּל֔וּ וַיֵּלְכ֖וּ לִקְרָאתָ֑ם וַיַּחֲנ֨וּ בְנֵֽי־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל נֶגְדָּ֗ם כִּשְׁנֵי֙ חֲשִׂפֵ֣י עִזִּ֔ים וַאֲרָ֖ם מִלְא֥וּ אֶת־ הָאָֽרֶץ

וּבְנֵ֣י  And  the  sons 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
הָתְפָּקְדוּ֙  were  mustered 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: פָּקַד 
Sense: to attend to, muster, number, reckon, visit, punish, appoint, look after, care for.
וְכָלְכְּל֔וּ  and  given  provisions 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Pual, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: כּוּל  
Sense: to seize, contain, measure.
וַיֵּלְכ֖וּ  and  they  went 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
לִקְרָאתָ֑ם  against  them 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person masculine plural
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to encounter, befall, meet.
וַיַּחֲנ֨וּ  and  encamped 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: חָנָה  
Sense: to decline, incline, encamp, bend down, lay siege against.
בְנֵֽי־  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
נֶגְדָּ֗ם  before  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: נֶגֶד  
Sense: what is conspicuous, what is in front of adv.
כִּשְׁנֵי֙  like  two 
Parse: Preposition-k, Number, mdc
Root: שְׁנַיִם  
Sense: two.
חֲשִׂפֵ֣י  little  flocks 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: חָשִׂף  
Sense: small flocks, little flocks.
עִזִּ֔ים  of  goats 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: עֵז  
Sense: female goat, she-goat, goat, kid.
וַאֲרָ֖ם  and  while  Syria 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֲרָם 
Sense: Aram or Syria the nation.
מִלְא֥וּ  filled 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: מָלֵא 
Sense: to fill, be full.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הָאָֽרֶץ  the  countryside 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.