1 Kings 20:10

10 And Ben-Hadad sent to him and said, The gods do so to me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me!

1 Kings 20:10 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 20:10

And Benhadad sent unto him, and said
That is, to Ahab:

the gods do so unto me, and more also;
bring greater evils upon me than I can think or express:

if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people
that follow me,
signifying that he made no doubt of it of reducing it to dust by numbers of men he should bring with him, which would be so many, that if each was to take an handful of dust of the ruins of Samaria, there would not enough for them all; which was an hectoring and parabolical speech, uttered in his wrath and fury.

1 Kings 20:10 In-Context

8 And all the elders and all the people said to him, Hearken not, nor consent.

9 And he said to the messengers of Ben-Hadad, Tell my lord the king, All that thou didst send for to thy servant at the first I will do; but this thing I cannot do. And the messengers departed, and brought him word again.

10 And Ben-Hadad sent to him and said, The gods do so to me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me!

11 And the king of Israel answered and said, Tell [him], Let not him that girdeth on boast himself as he that putteth off!

12 And it came to pass when he heard this word, as he was drinking, he and the kings in the tents, that he said to his servants, Set yourselves. And they set themselves against the city.