1 Kings 4:20

The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

Contextual Overview

²⁰Judah and Israel became as numerous as the sand by the sea, eating and drinking and rejoicing.²¹And Solomon reigned over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. These kingdoms offered tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life. ²²Solomon's provisions for a single day were thirty cors of fine flour, sixty cors of meal, ²³ten fat oxen, twenty range oxen, and a hundred sheep, as well as deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fattened poultry. ²⁴For Solomon had dominion over everything west of the Euphrates-over all the kingdoms from Tiphsah to Gaza-and he had peace on all sides. ²⁵Throughout the days of Solomon, Judah and Israel lived in safety from Dan to Beersheba, each man under his own vine and his own fig tree. ²⁶Solomon had four thousand stalls for his chariot horses and twelve thousand horses. ²⁷Each month the governors in turn provided food for King Solomon and all who came to his table. They saw to it that nothing was lacking. ²⁸Each one also brought to the required place their quotas of barley and straw for the chariot horses and other horses.

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

Genesis 4:4
while Abel brought the best portions of the firstborn of his flock. And the LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering,

Genesis 4:5
but He had no regard for Cain and his offering. So Cain became very angry, and his countenance fell.

Genesis 4:9
And the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" "I do not know!" he answered. "Am I my brother's keeper?"

Genesis 4:10
"What have you done?" replied the LORD. "The voice of your brother's blood cries out to Me from the ground.

Genesis 4:11
Now you are cursed and banished from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.

Genesis 4:12
When you till the ground, it will no longer yield its produce to you. You will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth."

Genesis 4:21
And his brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play the harp and flute.

Genesis 25:27
When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field, but Jacob was a quiet man who stayed at home.

John 8:44
You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out his desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, refusing to uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, because he is a liar and the father of lies.

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.