1 Kings 4:20 Meaning and Explanation
“Judah and Israel were many, as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking, and making merry.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The people of God had grown vast as the sand of the sea and lived in joyful abundance.
What Does 1 Kings 4:20 Mean?
With the districts named, the narrator steps back to behold the whole nation. Judah and Israel are countless as sand by the sea, eating, drinking, and rejoicing. This is a deliberate echo of God's ancient promise to Abraham that his descendants would be as numberless as the sand on the shore.
Here is covenant fulfillment in living color. The promise made to one wandering man has become a joyful multitude at peace. Eating and drinking and rejoicing are signs of a people blessed and unafraid, an image of the abundant life God desires for His own. It anticipates the feast of the kingdom, when the redeemed gather without number to rejoice before their King.
1 Kings 4:20 in the Original Language
chol (חוֹל), 'sand' -- the seashore sand of God's promise of countless descendants to Abraham.
Frequently Asked Questions About 1 Kings 4:20
What does 1 Kings 4:20 mean?
The people of God had grown vast as the sand of the sea and lived in joyful abundance.