And the king of Israel went out, and smote the horses and chariots, and slew the Syrians with a great slaughter.

1 KINGS 20:21KJV
Know the Bible

1 Kings 20:21 (KJV)

What does 1 Kings 20:21 mean?

1 Kings 20:21 describes how the king of Israel went out after a battle and struck down the horses and chariots of the Syrians, killing many of their soldiers in a large defeat. The verse highlights a decisive and overwhelming victory for Israel over the Syrian army.

The setting is a conflict between Israel and Syria, with the king of Israel (Ahab) leading his forces. After God helped Israel win an unexpected victory, Ahab aggressively pursued the retreating Syrians, destroying their military resources—especially their horses and chariots, which were key to ancient warfare. This action weakened Syria’s ability to fight in the future and showed Israel’s dominance at that moment.

The Hebrew behind 1 Kings 20:21

  • The word for "smote" and "slew" is נָכָה (nakah), which means to strike or hit with force. The repetition of this word in the verse emphasizes the thoroughness and intensity of Israel’s attack.
  • "Horses" (סוּס, sus) and "chariots" (רֶכֶב, rekhev) were the main military technology of the time. By destroying these, the king of Israel was not just killing soldiers but crippling Syria’s military strength.
  • The word for "great" (גָּדוֹל, gadol) in "great slaughter" underlines the scale of the defeat, making clear this was not a minor skirmish but a significant blow to Syria.

Why 1 Kings 20:21 matters

  • This verse shows that Israel’s victory was not just a matter of winning a single battle, but of decisively weakening their enemy’s future military power by destroying their horses and chariots.
  • The details connect to the larger story in 1 Kings 20, where God’s intervention allows a smaller, weaker Israelite force to overcome a much larger Syrian army, highlighting God’s role in Israel’s success.
  • Understanding the destruction of horses and chariots helps explain why later, the Syrians would need time to regroup and why the conflict between these nations continued in the following chapters.

Where else these words appear

“slaughter” Hebrew H4347 · used in 46 verses

  • Leviticus 26:21 And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins.
  • 1 Samuel 19:8 And there was war again: and David went out, and fought with the Philistines, and slew them with a great slaughter; and they fled from him.
  • Isaiah 27:7 Hath he smitten him, as he smote those that smote him? or is he slain according to the slaughter of them that are slain by him?

“chariots” Hebrew H7393 · used in 104 verses

  • Genesis 50:9 And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen: and it was a very great company.
  • 1 Kings 10:26 And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he bestowed in the cities for chariots, and with the king at Jerusalem.
  • 2 Chronicles 12:3 With twelve hundred chariots, and threescore thousand horsemen: and the people were without number that came with him out of Egypt; the Lubims, the Sukkiims, and the Ethiopians.

“Syrians” Hebrew H758 · used in 117 verses

  • Genesis 10:22 The children of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram.
  • 2 Kings 5:1 Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the LORD had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper.
  • 1 Chronicles 2:23 And he took Geshur, and Aram, with the towns of Jair, from them, with Kenath, and the towns thereof, even threescore cities. All these belonged to the sons of Machir the father of Gilead.

“horses” Hebrew H5483 · used in 131 verses

  • Genesis 47:17 And they brought their cattle unto Joseph: and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for horses, and for the flocks, and for the cattle of the herds, and for the asses: and he fed them with bread for all their cattle for that year.
  • 2 Kings 18:23 Now therefore, I pray thee, give pledges to my lord the king of Assyria, and I will deliver thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them.
  • Jeremiah 12:5 If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?