1 Kings 4:20

Contextual Overview

²⁰ Judah and Israel were many as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking and making merry. ²⁰ The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They were very contented, with plenty to eat and drink. ²⁰ Judah and Israel were many, as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking and making merry. ²⁰ There were as many people in Judah and Israel as grains of sand on the seashore. The people ate, drank, and were happy. ²⁰ The people of Judah and Israel were as innumerable as the sand on the seashore; they had plenty to eat and drink and were happy. ²⁰ Judah and Israel [were] many, as the sand which [is] by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking, and making merry. ²⁰ Judah and Israel were many as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking and making merry. ²⁰[The people of] Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand that is in abundance by the sea; they were eating and drinking and rejoicing.²⁰ Judah and Israel were as many as the sand by the sea. They ate and drank and were happy. ²⁰ Juda and Israel weren vnnoumbrable, as the soond of the see in multitude, etynge, and drynkynge, and beynge glad.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

as the sand: 1 Kings 3:8, Genesis 13:16, Genesis 15:5, Genesis 22:17, Proverbs 14:28

eating: 1 Samuel 30:16, 1 Chronicles 12:39, Job 1:18, Psalms 72:3-7, Ecclesiastes 2:24, Isaiah 22:13, Micah 4:4, Zechariah 3:10, Zechariah 9:15, Acts 2:46

Reciprocal: Genesis 49:11 - he washed Numbers 1:46 - General Joshua 11:4 - as the sand 2 Samuel 17:11 - as the sand 1 Kings 4:29 - as the sand 1 Kings 12:4 - our yoke 2 Kings 18:31 - eat ye 1 Chronicles 22:9 - I will give 2 Chronicles 10:4 - grievous Psalms 68:13 - the wings Psalms 72:16 - of the city Psalms 80:9 - and it Isaiah 10:22 - though thy Isaiah 36:16 - eat ye Jeremiah 22:15 - eat Zechariah 10:8 - and they Hebrews 11:12 - as the sand Revelation 20:8 - the number

Cross-References

Genesis 4:2
And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground.

Genesis 4:2
And again she bore his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

Genesis 4:2
After that, Eve gave birth to Cain's brother Abel. Abel took care of flocks, and Cain became a farmer.

Genesis 4:2
Then she gave birth to his brother Abel. Abel took care of the flocks, while Cain cultivated the ground.

Genesis 4:2
And she again bore his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

Genesis 4:2
Again she gave birth, to Cain's brother Abel. Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

Genesis 4:2
And [later] she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel kept the flocks [of sheep and goats], but Cain cultivated the ground.

Genesis 4:2
And efte sche childide his brother Abel. Forsothe Abel was a kepere of scheep, and Cayn was an erthe tilyere.

Genesis 4:2
and she addeth to bear his brother, even Abel. And Abel is feeding a flock, and Cain hath been servant of the ground.

Genesis 4:2
Later she gave birth to Cain's brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, while Cain was a tiller of the soil.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Judah and Israel [were] many, as the sand which [is] by the sea in multitude,.... Being blessed with great fruitfulness in their families, and having no pestilential disease among them, nor wars to lessen their number, and so the promise to Abraham was fulfilled, Genesis 22:17; and which was an emblem of Christ's spiritual subjects, especially in the latter day, whom Solomon was a type of, see Hosea 1:10;

eating, and drinking, and making merry; having a large increase of the fruits of the earth, and in no fear of any enemies; expressive of the spiritual joy of believers in the kingdom of Christ, and under the word and ordinances, Song of Solomon 2:3.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

There is some doubt about the proper arrangement of the remainder of this chapter. The best alteration, if we alter the Hebrew order at all, would be to place 1 Kings 4:20-21 after 1 Kings 4:25.

Many ... - See 1 Kings 3:8 note; and compare Psalms 127:1-5, which is traditionally ascribed to Solomon, and which celebrates the populousness and security of Israel in his day.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Kings 4:20. 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.