Limitless Word
Sullen and angry, the king of Israel went home to Samaria.
1 Kings 20:43 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB The king of Israel went to his house sullen and angry, and came to Samaria.
  • KJV And the king of Israel went to his house heavy and displeased, and came to Samaria.
  • ESV And the king of Israel went to his house vexed and sullen and came to Samaria.
  • NKJV So the king of Israel went to his house sullen and displeased, and came to Samaria.
  • NASB So the king of Israel went to his house sullen and furious, and came to Samaria.
  • NLT So the king of Israel went home to Samaria angry and sullen.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Ahab goes home to Samaria sullen and angry. He resents God's word rather than repenting of his sin.

Overview

Confronted with the prophet's verdict, Ahab returns to his capital resentful and embittered rather than humbled. His sullen anger exposes a heart that resists correction and refuses to submit to the Lord. This same disposition reappears in the next chapter over Naboth's vineyard, marking Ahab as a man who hardens himself against God's word.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 6

  • 1 Kgs 21:4So Ahab went to his palace, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had told him, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” He lay down on his bed, turned his face away, and refused to eat.
  • Esth 6:12–13Then Mordecai returned to the king’s gate. But Haman rushed home, with his head covered in grief.
  • Esth 5:13Yet none of this satisfies me as long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.”
  • 1 Kgs 22:8The king of Israel answered, “There is still one man who can ask the LORD, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good for me, but only bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.” “The king should not say that!” Jehoshaphat replied.
  • Job 5:2For resentment kills a fool, and envy slays the simple.
  • Prov 19:3A man’s own folly subverts his way, yet his heart rages against the LORD.

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — 1 Kings videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on 1 Kings 20:43YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on 1 KingsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Solomon's glory, wisdom, and temple where God's presence dwells are a shadow of the greater Son of David — 'one greater than Solomon is here' — and of the true Temple, Christ himself.

How 1 Kings 20:43 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.