· Translation: KJV

1 Kings 20:43The king of Israel went to his house sullen and angry, and came to Samaria.

The setting

The road from battlefield to Samaria, Israel, ~860 BC. King Ahab rides home alone, brooding over the prophet's devastating words...

The emotion here: observing a king's childish response with disappointed resignation

The original word

sār (סר) — sullen, stubborn, rebellious, turning away in defiance

Why it matters

The distance from the battlefield to Samaria was about 25 miles—plenty of time to stew in anger

Read with care

What most readers miss in 1 Kings 20:43

This is the second time Ahab goes home 'sullen and angry'—it's becoming his pattern when confronted

Common misconceptionPeople see this as just describing Ahab's mood, but it's actually showing his spiritual pattern—when confronted with truth, he retreats into stubborn anger instead of repentance.

The thread continues

Verses that echo 1 Kings 20:43

Bible Genome reading

1 Kings 20:43 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerNarrator
EraDivided Kingdom
Primary emotionangry
Literary typenarrative

Emotional genome

Comfort power10%
Quotability40%
Memorability50%
Crisis relevance50%
Standalone30%
Themes:emotional responserejection of truth

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open 1 Kings 20

1 Kings 20:43 comes from the book of 1 Kings, written during the Divided Kingdom period. The setting is a royal palace. These words are attributed to Narrator. The dominant emotion in this verse is angry, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include emotional response, rejection of truth. Notable phrases: sullen and angry.

Your reflection

What does 1 Kings 20:43 mean to you, today?

A short note. A question. A prayer. Saved privately to your Soul Garden, dated, and tied to this verse forever.

Speak your heart →

Get 3 verses for "angry"

Delivered to your inbox right now. Free.