1 Kings 15:20 (KJV)

What does 1 Kings 15:20 mean?

1 Kings 15:20 describes how Benhadad, king of Syria, responded to King Asa of Judah by attacking the northern kingdom of Israel. The attack placed military pressure on Israel from the north, helping Asa in his conflict with Israel’s king, Baasha.

The verse is told by a narrator, not spoken by either king. After Asa’s request in verse 19, Benhadad sent his military commanders against several northern places, including Dan and territory associated with Naphtali.

The Hebrew behind 1 Kings 15:20

• “hearkened” — שָׁמַע (shamaʿ): This word can mean to hear or to listen. Here it carries the sense of acting on Asa’s request, as Benhadad’s response shows.
• “smote” — נָכָה (nakhah): This word can mean to strike or attack. In this military setting, it describes an assault on the named places rather than a blow to one person.

Why 1 Kings 15:20 matters

• Benhadad’s attack opened pressure on a different part of Israel from the one threatening Asa. Baasha had been building at Ramah near Judah, while the places named in verse 20 lay farther north.
• The outcome affected Baasha’s plans. In the next verse, Baasha stopped building at Ramah and withdrew to Tirzah.
• The list reaches beyond individual towns. “All Cinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali” presents the attack as extending across a wider northern area.