1 Kings 20:11

Contextual Overview

¹Now King Ben-hadad of Aram assembled his entire army. Thirty-two kings, along with horses and chariots, were with him. He marched up, besieged Samaria, and fought against it. ¹ Ben-Hadad the king of Aram gathered all his host together; and there were thirty-two kings with him, and horses and chariots: and he went up and besieged Shomron, and fought against it. ¹ And Benhadad the king of Syria gathered all his host together: and there were thirty and two kings with him, and horses, and chariots; and he went up and besieged Samaria, and warred against it. ¹ Ben-hadad the king of Syria gathered all his army together. Thirty-two kings were with him, and horses and chariots. And he went up and closed in on Samaria and fought against it. ¹ Ben-Hadad king of Aram gathered together all his army. There were thirty-two kings with their horses and chariots who went with him and surrounded Samaria and attacked it. ¹ Now King Ben Hadad of Syria assembled all his army, along with thirty-two other kings with their horses and chariots. He marched against Samaria and besieged and attacked it. ¹Ben-hadad king of Aram (Syria) gathered all his army together; thirty-two kings were [allied] with him, with horses and chariots. And he went up and besieged Samaria [Israel's capital], and fought against it. ¹ Now Ben-hadad, king of Aram, gathered all his army, and there were thirty-two kings with him, and horses and chariots. And he went up and besieged Samaria, and fought against it. ¹ Then Ben-hadad the King of Aram assembled all his armie, and two & thirtie Kings with him, with horses, and charets, & went vp and besieged Samaria, and fought against it. ¹Now Ben-hadad king of Aram gathered all his military force, and there were thirty-two kings with him, and horses and chariots. And he went up and besieged Samaria and fought against it.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure 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." 1 Samuel 14:6, 1 Samuel 14:12, 1 Samuel 14:13, 1 Samuel 17:44-47, Proverbs 27:1, Ecclesiastes 9:11, Isaiah 10:15, Isaiah 10:16, Matthew 26:33-35, Matthew 26:75

harness: The word harness is an obsolete word for armour, derived from the French harnois. See note on Exodus 13:18.

Reciprocal: Judges 4:10 - at his Judges 8:6 - General Judges 8:24 - because Judges 9:29 - would to God 2 Samuel 2:31 - three hundred 1 Kings 20:16 - Benhadad 2 Kings 3:21 - put on armour Job 41:8 - General Psalms 10:5 - he puffeth Proverbs 14:16 - the fool Isaiah 8:9 - gird Jeremiah 9:23 - neither Daniel 3:19 - he spake Matthew 26:40 - What Luke 14:31 - General Romans 1:30 - boasters Romans 11:18 - Boast not 1 Corinthians 13:4 - vaunteth not itself

Cross-References

Genesis 12:12
It will happen, when the Mitzrim will see you, that they will say, 'This is his wife.' They will kill me, but they will save you alive.

Genesis 12:12
Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive.

Genesis 12:12
and it shall happen that, if the Egyptians see you, then they will say, ‘This is his wife,' then they will kill me but let you live.

Genesis 12:12
When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This woman is his wife.' Then they will kill me but let you live.

Genesis 12:12
When the Egyptians see you they will say, ‘This is his wife.' Then they will kill me but will keep you alive.

Genesis 12:12
so when the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'This is his wife'; and they will kill me [to acquire you], but they will let you live.

Genesis 12:12
and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'This is his wife'; and they will kill me, but they will let you live.

Genesis 12:12
Therefore it will come to passe, that when the Egyptians see thee, they will say, She is his wife: so will they kill me, but they will keepe thee aliue.

Genesis 12:12
and it will be when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, ‘This is his wife'; and they will kill me, but they will let you live.

Genesis 12:12
When the Egyptians see how lovely you are, they will murder me because I am your husband. But they won't kill you.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Ver. 11 And the king of Israel answered and said,.... Very mildly and very wisely:

tell him, let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off; that is, he that prepares for the battle as he that has got the victory; the sense is, let no man triumph before the battle is over and the victory won; the events of war are uncertain; the battle is not always to the strong.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Ahab’s reply has the air of a proverb, with which Orientals always love to answer a foe.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Kings 20:11. 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."