Judah and Israel were many, as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking, and making merry.
Parallel translations
- WEB Judah and Israel were numerous as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking and making merry.
- BSB The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore, and they were eating and drinking and rejoicing.
- NKJV Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking and rejoicing.
- NASB Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand that is on the seashore in abundance; they were eating, drinking, and rejoicing.
- NLT The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They were very contented, with plenty to eat and drink.
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
Judah and Israel were as numerous as sand by the sea, living in contentment. This signals the fulfillment of God's covenant promise to Abraham.
Overview
The likeness to the sand directly echoes God's pledge to multiply Abraham's offspring (Genesis 22:17). 'Eating and drinking and making merry' pictures the peace and joy of Solomon's golden age. This high point of Old Testament blessing foreshadows the greater rest and fullness found in Christ, in whom Abraham's true offspring is gathered.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- 1 Kgs 3:8And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.
- Gen 22:17That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
- Gen 32:12And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.
- Prov 14:28In the multitude of people is the king’s honour: but in the want of people is the destruction of the prince.
- Mic 4:4But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it.
- Acts 2:46And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
- Zech 9:15The LORD of hosts shall defend them; and they shall devour, and subdue with sling stones; and they shall drink, and make a noise as through wine; and they shall be filled like bowls, and as the corners of the altar.
- Ps 72:3–7The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness.
- 1 Chr 12:39And there they were with David three days, eating and drinking: for their brethren had prepared for them.
- Job 1:18While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house:
- 1 Sam 30:16And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad upon all the earth, eating and drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.
- Zech 3:10In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree.
- Isa 22:13And behold joy and gladness, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine: let us eat and drink; for to morrow we shall die.
- Gen 15:5And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
- Eccl 2:24There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.
- Gen 13:16And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.
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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 4:20 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.