1 Kings 22

1Ki 22:1-36.

AHAB

SLAIN AT

RAMOTH-GILEAD.

1. continued three years without war between Syria and Israel--The

disastrous defeat of Ben-hadad had so destroyed his army and exhausted

the resources of his country, that, however eager, he was unable to

recommence active hostilities against Israel. But that his hereditary

enmity remained unsubdued, was manifest by his breach of faith

concerning the treaty by which he had engaged to restore all the cities

which his father had seized

(1Ki 20:34).

2. Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel--It

was singular that a friendly league between the sovereigns of Israel

and Judah should, for the first time, have been formed by princes of

such opposite characters--the one pious, the other wicked. Neither

this league nor the matrimonial alliance by which the union of the

royal families was more closely cemented, met the Lord's approval

(2Ch 19:2).

It led, however, to a visit by Jehoshaphat, whose reception in Samaria

was distinguished by the most lavish hospitality

(2Ch 18:2).

The opportunity of this visit was taken advantage of, to push an object

on which Ahab's heart was much set.

3-8. Know ye that Ramoth in Gilead is ours--a Levitical and free

town on the north border of Gad

(De 4:43;

Jos 21:38),

on the site of the present Salt Lake, in the province of Belka. It lay

within the territories of the Israelitish monarch, and was unjustly

alienated; but whether it was one of the cities usurped by the first

Ben-hadad, which his son had promised to restore, or was retained for

some other reasons, the sacred historian has not mentioned. In the

expedition which Ahab meditated for the recovery of this town, the aid

of Jehoshaphat was asked and promised (see

2Ch 18:3).

Previous to declaring hostilities, it was customary to consult the

prophets (see on

1Sa 28:8);

and Jehoshaphat having expressed a strong desire to know the Lord's

will concerning this war, Ahab assembled four hundred of his prophets.

These could not be either the prophets of Baal or of Ashteroth

(1Ki 18:19),

but seem

(1Ki 22:12)

to have been false prophets, who conformed to the symbolic calf-worship

of Jehovah. Being the creatures of Ahab, they unanimously predicted a

prosperous issue to the war. But dissatisfied with them, Jehoshaphat

inquired if there was any true prophet of the Lord. Ahab agreed, with

great reluctance, to allow Micaiah to be summoned. He was the only true

prophet then to be found residing in Samaria, and he had to be brought

out of prison

(1Ki 22:26),

into which, according to JOSEPHUS, he had been

cast on account of his rebuke to Ahab for sparing the king of

Syria.

10. a void place--literally, "a threshing-floor," formed at the gate

of Samaria.

11. Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron--Small

projections, of the size and form of our candle extinguishers (worn in

many parts of the East as military ornaments), were worn by the Syrians

of that time, and probably by the Israelite warriors also. Zedekiah, by

assuming two horns, personated two heroes, and, pretending to be a

prophet, wished in this manner to represent the kings of Israel and

Judah in a military triumph. It was a symbolic action, to impart greater

force to his language (see

De 33:17);

but it was little more than a flourish with a spontoon [CALMET, Fragments].

14-17. what the Lord saith unto me, that will I speak--On the way the

messenger who conducted [Micaiah] to the royal presence informed him of

the tenor of the prophecies already given and recommended him to agree

with the rest, no doubt from the kindly motive of seeing him released

from imprisonment. But Micaiah, inflexibly faithful to his divine

mission as a prophet, announced his purpose to proclaim honestly

whatever God should bid him. On being asked by the king, "Shall I go

against Ramoth-gilead, or shall I forbear?" the prophet gave precisely

the same answer as the previous oracles that had been consulted; but it

must have been given in a sarcastic tone and in ironical mockery of

their way of speaking. Being solemnly urged to give a serious and

truthful answer, Micaiah then declared the visionary scene the Spirit

had revealed to him;--

17. I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not

a shepherd--The purport of this was that the army of Israel would

be defeated and dispersed; that Ahab would fall in the battle, and the

people return without either being pursued or destroyed by the enemy.

18-23. Did I not tell thee that he would prophesy no good concerning

me, but evil?--Since Ahab was disposed to trace this unwelcome truth

to personal enmity, Micaiah proceeded fearlessly to tell the incensed

monarch in full detail what had been revealed to him. The Hebrew

prophets, borrowing their symbolic pictures from earthly scenes,

described God in heaven as a king in His kingdom. And as earthly

princes do nothing of importance without asking the advice of their

counsellors, God is represented as consulting about the fate of Ahab.

This prophetic language must not be interpreted literally, and the

command must be viewed as only a permission to the lying spirit

(Ro 11:34)

[CALMET].

24, 25. Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near, and smote Micaiah on

the cheek--The insolence of this man, the leader of the false prophets,

seems to have been provoked by jealousy at Micaiah's assumed monopoly

of the spirit of inspiration. This mode of smiting, usually with a

shoe, is both severe and ignominious. The calm reply of the Lord's

prophet consisted in announcing the fate of the false prophets who

suffered as the advisers of the disastrous expedition.

26-28. Take Micaiah, . . . Put this fellow in prison--Ahab, under the

impulse of vehement resentment, remands the prophet until his return.

27, 28. bread of affliction, water of affliction--that is, the poorest

prison fare. Micaiah submitted, but reiterated aloud, in the presence

of all, that the issue of the war would be fatal to Ahab.

29-38. went up to Ramoth-gilead--The king of Israel, bent on this

expedition, marched, accompanied by his ally, with all his forces to the

siege; but on approaching the scene of action, his courage failed, and,

hoping to evade the force of Micaiah's prophecy by a secret stratagem,

he assumed the uniform of a subaltern, while he advised Jehoshaphat to

fight in his royal attire. The Syrian king, with a view either to put

the speediest end to the war, or perhaps to wipe out the stain of his

own humiliation

(1Ki 20:31),

had given special instructions to his generals to single out Ahab, and

to take or kill him, as the author of the war. The officers at first

directed their assault on Jehoshaphat, but, becoming aware of their

mistake, desisted. Ahab was wounded by a random arrow, which, being

probably poisoned, and the state of the weather increasing the

virulence of the poison, he died at sunset. The corpse was conveyed to

Samaria; and, as the chariot which brought it was being washed, in a

pool near the city, from the blood that had profusely oozed from the

wound, the dogs, in conformity with Elijah's prophecy, came and licked

it

[1Ki 21:19].

Ahab was succeeded by his son Ahaziah

[1Ki 22:40].

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