· Translation: KJV

1 Kings 20:16They went out at noon. But Ben Hadad was drinking himself drunk in the pavilions, he and the kings, the thirty-two kings who helped him.

The setting

Syrian camp outside Samaria, ~850 BC. Noon heat. Ben-Hadad and 32 allied kings drinking heavily in their tents...

The emotion here: recording the irony with grim satisfaction

The original word

šātāh (שָׁתָה) — drinking heavily, getting drunk

Why it matters

Ancient kings often made military alliances official through ceremonial drinking

Read with care

What most readers miss in 1 Kings 20:16

This wasn't a party — it was a victory celebration BEFORE the battle was won

Common misconceptionThis seems like random drinking, but Ben-Hadad was celebrating victory before fighting — classic hubris that God opposes.

Bible Genome reading

1 Kings 20:16 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerNarrator
EraDivided Kingdom
Primary emotionresting
Literary typenarrative

Emotional genome

Comfort power10%
Quotability30%
Memorability40%
Crisis relevance20%
Standalone40%
Themes:complacencypride before fallpoor leadership

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open 1 Kings 20

1 Kings 20:16 comes from the book of 1 Kings, written during the Divided Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Narrator. The dominant emotion in this verse is resting, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include complacency, pride before fall, poor leadership. Notable phrases: drinking himself drunk; in the pavilions.

Your reflection

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