1 Kings 20:10

10 from Benhadad: "I will bring enough men to destroy this city of yours and carry off the rubble in their hands. May the gods strike me dead if I don't!"

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 The leaders and the people answered, "Don't pay any attention to him; don't give in."

9 So Ahab replied to Benhadad's messengers, "Tell my lord the king that I agreed to his first demand, but I cannot agree to the second." The messengers left and then returned with another message

10 from Benhadad: "I will bring enough men to destroy this city of yours and carry off the rubble in their hands. May the gods strike me dead if I don't!"

11 King Ahab answered, "Tell King Benhadad that a real soldier does his bragging [after] a battle, not before it."

12 Benhadad received Ahab's answer as he and his allies, the other rulers, were drinking in their tents. He ordered his men to get ready to attack the city, and so they moved into position.