Naboth is condemned of blasphemy.

Before CHRIST 899.

899.

12 They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people. 13 And there came in two men, children of Belial, and sat before him and the men of Belial witnessed against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died.

14 Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead.

15 And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned, and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give thee for money for Naboth is not alive, but dead.

16 And it came to pass, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.

Ahab taketh possession of the vineyard.

19 And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine.

20 And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the LORD.

a

Before CHRIST 899.

10.

21 Behold, I will bring evil upon a Chap. 14. thee, and will take away thy poste- 2 Kings 9. 8. rity, and will cut off from Ahab bhim b1 Sam. 25. that pisseth against the wall, and him e Chap. 14. that is shut up and left in Israel,

22.

10.

29.

22 And will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of d Chap. 15. Nebat, and like the house of Baasha e Chap. 16. 3. the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger, and made Israel to sin. 23 And of Jezebel also spake the 12 Kings 9. LORD, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the || wall of Jezreel.

24 Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the

princes never want wicked instruments to execute their will. As their example spreads a general degeneracy of manners among the people, so it is their policy to fill all places of trust and power with none but men of profligate and corrupt principles, whose conscience can bend to their interest, and whose obedience will conform to the most enormous crimes. Wogan.

The manner of compassing Naboth's destruction was detestable. It was by the corruption of a whole court of judicature, and by subornation of witnesses. And so all the magistrates of Jezreel, at the instigation of Ahab's wife, and to serve her wicked purposes, were drawn into the horrible guilt of wilful perjury and deliberate murder. It was one dismal circumstance in this tragedy, that it was acted under the mask of religion, and with high pretences to vindicate the honour of God. It was introduced with a fast, to implore the Divine assistance and direction in the great cause they were entering upon; and the first article in Naboth's accusation was, that he had blasphemed the great Majesty of Heaven. What a mystery of iniquity is the heart of man, where such black villanies are hatched and wrapt up, and transacted under the specious colours of zeal and devotion! Hypocrisy is odious in the lowest of the human race, but much more in a king, who punishes with death the counterfeiting of his seal, and abusing of his image and superscription to any fraudulent purpose, as being highly dishonourable to him; and yet is not ashamed to counterfeit the great seal of Heaven, and profane the most sacred things of God, to give authority to his infernal machinations. Reading.

25 But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work

36.

|| Or, ditch.

19. — In the place where dogs licked &c.] The words should rather be translated, "As the dogs licked," or, "In like manner as the dogs licked." He declares the cause of the judgment upon Ahab, but does not assign the place; for it was in Samaria that the dogs licked the blood of Ahab, chap. xxii. 38. Bp. Patrick. Or, if the sense in our translation be retained, by Ahab's blood must be understood the blood of his wife, children, and kindred, for Jezebel and her son Jehoram, 2 Kings ix. 25, were both slain in Jezreel. Pyle.

20. Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?] While Ahab is rejoicing in the success of his plot, Elijah comes, sent from God, with an errand of vengeance. Methinks I see how the king's countenance changed, with what aghast eyes and pale cheeks he looked upon that unwelcome Prophet. Little pleasure took he in his prospect, while it was clogged with such a guest; yet his tongue begins first, "Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?" Great is the power of conscience. Ahab's continuing idolatry, now seconded by blood, bids him look for nothing but frowns from Heaven. A guilty heart can never be at peace. If Ahab had not known how ill he had deserved of God, he would never have saluted God's Prophet by the name of an enemy. He would never have been troubled at being found by Elijah, if his own breast had not found him out for an enemy to God. Bp. Hall.

25. But there was none like unto Ahab,] The particle here rendered "but," should be rendered perhaps "indeed," or "because;" and instead of "there was," it may be best translated, "there is none like unto Ahab ;'

Ahab repenting,

CHRIST 899.

| Or, incited.

26 And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.

27 And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his

CHAP. XXII.

1 Ahab, seduced by false prophets, according to the word of Micaiah, is slain at Ramothgilead. 37 The dogs lick up his blood, and Ahaziah succeedeth him. 41 Jehoshaphat's good reign. 45 His acts. 50 Jehoram succeedeth him. 51 Ahaziah's evil reign.

and went softly.

28 And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 29 Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not

so that these two verses may give a statement of the cause of the judgments denounced against Ahab. Pyle. whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.] The example of Ahab may be a caution to us whom we admit to be our companions, especially whom we take to be the partner of our counsels, the friend of our inmost heart. It is recorded as a signal instance of depravity in his nefarious career, that he united himself by the closest and tenderest bond to an idolatrous and unprincipled woman, chap. xvi. 31. The consequence was deplorable, but natural. His own inclination to evil received a fresh impulse from hers: corrupt himself, he became more and more hardened by the accession of her corrupt passions: instigated by her, in the particular example that has now been passing before our eyes, as well as in the general tenour of his life, he proved himself an apostate from God, and, by natural consequence, (for religion is the only sure foundation of morality,) the enemy of man; and he has left behind him a fatal memorial of the powerful influence of vice on social intercourse, in the testimony of the sacred historian, that "there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up." Mant.

27.—and went softly. All the expressions in this verse are expressions of great sorrow and heaviness. These last words are commonly understood to mean, that he went about with a slow pace, which shewed that he was reduced to great weakness and feebleness of body by fasting and grief; and that his heart sunk within him. Bp. Patrick.

29.- because he humbleth himself &c.] Though this repentance of Ahab was far from being sincere, yet God was pleased so far to regard it, as to respite the worst degrees of threatening pronounced, and not to execute it fully, till the reign of his son Joram, as will appear, 2 Kings ix, and x. Pyle. Or perhaps Ahab's repentance at this time was true though imperfect, and his sorrow sincere, though of no long continuance; and that, had he persisted in the good resolutions he had then taken up, God would have remitted to him, not only the temporal, but the eternal punishment likewise, that was due to his sin. In the mean time, this instance of the Divine lenity is left upon record to encourage the first essays of our repentance, and to give us the assurance, that our good and gracious God, who keepeth mercy for thousands, and forgiveth iniquity, transgression, and sin, will not break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax, but bring forth judgment unto truth. Stackhouse.

Israel.

without war between Syria and

Before CHRIST 899.

897.

2 And it came to pass in the third year, that a Jehoshaphat the king of a Chron. Judah came down to the king of Israel.

18. 1, &c.

In the person of Ahab we see a most enormous criminal: yet a pardon is obtained on a shew of repentance. In God's dealings with him, we have therefore an instance of the wise measures wherewith his mercy and his justice are dispensed. Notwithstanding the heinousness of Ahab's faults, he finds mercy, upon his humiliation and repentance. Now as the sole motive of his penitence and humiliation was the dread of those judgments he had been threatened with, rather than any sorrow for, or hatred of, his sins; his pardon for that reason is only temporal, and merely a reprieve for the term of his own life," I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house." Had his repentance been perfect and sincere, it would have prevailed to reverse the whole sentence, as well as to respite his doom. The very reprieve is, indeed, an encouragement to the greatest sinners to repent. But, at the same time, such a mercy ought to appear terrible to those who stop short in their course of penitence, and suffer it not to have a perfect work. Wogan.

God, seeing the humiliation of Ahab, told him, he would not bring the evil upon his house in his days. This is a very remarkable circumstance, an example of the infinite goodness of God towards the greatest sinners, when they humble themselves before Him. Here let us take notice, that, if the repentance of Ahab appeased the Lord for a time, because there was something of sincerity in it, though it was not of long continuance; much more, may we imagine, will those who repent with all their heart, and persevere in their repentance, infallibly obtain from the Divine mercy the pardon of their sins. Ostervald.

Although Ahab, by the wicked counsels of Jezebel his wife, had committed shameful murder, and against all right disinherited and dispossessed for ever Naboth's family of their vineyard; yet, upon his humble submission in heart unto God, which he declared outwardly by putting on of sackcloth and by fasting, God changed his sentence, so that the punishment which He had determined fell not on Ahab's house in his time, but was deferred unto the days of Joram his son. Here we may see of what force our outward fast is, when it is accompanied with the inward fast of the mind, that is, a sorrowfulness of heart, detesting and bewailing our sinful doings. Church Homilies.

Chap. XXII. ver. 2. came down to the king of Israel.] There was an affinity between Jehoshaphat and Ahab, 2 Chron. xviii. 1, Jehoshaphat's son having married Ahab's daughter, 2 Kings viii. 18. This affinity

Ahab is seduced by false prophets.

Before CHRIST 897.

+ Heb. silent from taking it.

say so.

Micaiah is sent for.

7.

5 And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Enquire, I pray thee, at the word of the LORD to day. 6 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the LORD shall deliver it into the hand of the king.

7 And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD besides, that we might enquire of him?

8 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And

with the idolatrous Ahab was the capital errour of Jehoshaphat's reign, proving mischievous to himself and ruinous to his family. It took place about the thirteenth of his reign. Dr. Hales.

3. Ramoth in Gilead] Or Ramoth-gilead. It is probably the same as Ramath-mizpeh," mentioned at Josh. xiii. 26; the names Gilead and Mizpeh being added to the name "Ramoth," to distinguish this Ramoth, as being in the land of Gilead or Mizpeh, from other places of the same name. Dr. Wells.

6. the prophets-about four hundred men,] These were either prophets of the groves, who were not slain with the prophets of Baal, ch. xviii. 19; or perhaps there were schools of the prophets kept up still in Israel, in imitation of those of Judah, wherein men were bred up who pretended to have this gift. It is plain they were false prophets, for Micaiah calls them, ver. 23, "Ahab's prophets." Bp. Patrick.

These were probably pretended prophets, whom Ahab had set up by rewards and promises, and who accordingly knew how to suit his humour and flatter his vanity, all agreeing in the same fawning compliances, and the same treacherous counsels, which pleased for the present, but proved fatal in the end; they are emphatically called the prophets of Ahab, not of the Lord, ver. 22, by Micaiah, although they professed to be the Lord's prophets, prophesying in his name. That such false prophets should have existed at that time, is what might be expected. Prophet is a title of honour, and carries dignity with it; therefore where there are true Prophets, there will be pretenders also, raised up perhaps by their own vanity or avarice, or other corrupt motives. Where there are Prophets and pastors to

Before CHRIST 897.

9 Then the king of Israel called an || officer, and said, Hasten hither Mi- || Or, eunuch. caiah the son of Imlah.

10 And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah sat each on his throne, having put on their robes, in a † void place in the en- + Heb. floor. trance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.

11 And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron: and he said, Thus saith the LORD, With these shalt thou push the Syrians, until thou have consumed them.

12 And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramothgilead, and prosper: for the LORD shall deliver it into the king's hand.

13 And the messenger that was gone to call Micaiah spake unto him, saying, Behold now, the words of the prophets declare good unto the king with one mouth: let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them, and speak that which is good.

14 And Micaiah said, As the LORD liveth, what the LORD saith unto me, that will I speak.

guide and instruct honest and faithful men, there will be pretending prophets and pastors, to misguide and seduce those that will be misled by them. As long as the world loves flattery and deceit, there will be flatterers and deceivers. Besides, from the time that king Jeroboam had drawn the ten tribes into a revolt, and, to prevent their return, had set up altars at Dan and Beth-el, in opposition to the temple at Jerusalem, there was altar erected against altar, and priests against priests, to emulate the service and worship of the house of Judah: and, as the true Prophets of the Lord were all against the idolatry of the golden calves, therefore the ten tribes, with their kings, were under the stronger temptation to set up and encourage false prophets, as rivals of the true ones, thereby to carry an appearance at least of outvying the other two tribes. Dr. Waterland.

10.—in a void place] Or "floor," as in the margin. The Eastern threshing-floor was a level smooth area, inclosed by mud-brick walls, having a proper opening for entrance, and on one side of it the barn or garner. A place of this description was very proper for such an attendance as is noticed in the text; and very convenient, not merely to accommodate the two kings and their courtiers, but also to separate them from the populace, the mass of the army, &c. Fragments to

Calmet.

11. — made him horns of iron] This seems to have been the manner of Prophets in ancient times, to represent, by outward signs, the future events which they foretold: as Isaiah and Jeremiah continued to do in after-ages, Isa. xx. 2; Jer. xxvii. 2. Bp. Patrick.

Micaiah foretelleth

Before CHRIST 897.

15 So he came to the king. And the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we forbear? And he answered him, Go, and prosper: for the LORD shall deliver it into the hand of the king.

16 And the king said unto him, How many times shall I adjure thee that thou tell me nothing but that which is true in the name of the LORD?

17 And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd: and the LORD said, These have no master: let them return every man to his house in peace.

18 And the king of Israel said

15. — Go, and prosper :] His meaning is, What needest thou to ask me this question? Thy prophets have assured thee sufficiently already go up as they have bidden thee; no doubt thou shalt prosper, thou hast their word for thy security. Bp. Hall.

These words were spoken ironically, and in mockery of the promises which the other prophets made to Ahab. It evidently appears, from Ahab's reply, that he suspected Micaiah's sincerity, and collected from his manner of speaking, that he intended to ridicule the answers of the false prophets. Stackhouse. He probably spake to them with such a look and gesture, and tone of voice, as shewed that he intended nothing more than to ridicule and mimick the pretended prophets. Reading.

19. I saw the Lord sitting &c.] Micaiah, like an honest man and a faithful counsellor, discovered the whole secret, that those four hundred pretended prophets were all deceivers, and all actuated by the same spirit of lying. Only, instead of bluntly telling the king that they were all liars, he takes up his parable, as the Prophets were used to do, declaring what he had seen in a prophetick vision, which was the method that God had chosen for opening the matter to him. Micaiah had before said, ver. 17, "I saw all Israel scattered &c." which can only be understood of what he saw in prophetick vision, pre-signifying the real fact that should follow after; for the thing that he then saw was not yet come to pass. Micaiah saw what he there relates, just as St. Peter, Acts x. 11, "saw heaven opened, &c. ;" not that any thing which St. Peter saw was real, excepting that such ideas or appearances were really formed on his mind as he lay in a trance. The like representation was made to Micaiah in a vision, signifying what was doing in the matter of Ahab, and what the event would be. The moral or meaning of all was, that as Ahab loved to be cajoled and flattered, so God permitted those four hundred men, pretending to be prophets, to abuse and impose upon him, which, in conclusion, would prove fatal to him. Dr. Waterland. This is a parabolical speech, signifying that there was a greater king than Ahab, who would judge him according to his works. In that which follows, ver. 20, it is not to be thought that there was any consultation before the Divine Majesty; but these representations are made to bring invisible things down to the level of men's capacities. "And one said on this manner, &c." This is intended to signify, that God has many various ways of

Ahab's death.

66

bringing men to ruin, when He decrees it. "And there came forth a spirit, &c." ver. 21. This again is not to be understood literally, but as signifying generally that there are evil spirits ever forward to entice men to their destruction, and having power so to do if the Lord do not hinder them. And the Lord said unto him, Wherewith?" ver. 22. God was not ignorant of what he could, and intended to do; but this is said to represent more familiarly to common understandings, by what means Ahab was led into destruction. "And he said, Go forth, and do so." God permitted this lying spirit to follow his own inclinations, which He knew would have success, and prevail with Ahab to believe he should prosper in the war, wherein it was the intention of God to visit him with destruction. It was in this sense that "the Lord put a lying spirit" in the mouth of the prophets, ver. 23; that is, permitted them to mislead Ahab, concerning whom "the Lord had spoken evil;" that is, had decreed that he should perish in this war. Bp. Patrick. We cannot but infer, that Micaiah's speech is nothing more than a parabolical representation of a certain event, which not long after came to pass; that several of the circumstances which are thrown into it are in a great measure ornamental, and designed only to illustrate the narrative, and that therefore they are not to be taken in a literal sense, but in such a manner as other parables are, where the end and design of the speaker is chiefly to be considered; which in Micaiah's case was, to shew the reason why so many of the prophets declared what was false upon this occasion, even because they were moved, not by the spirit of truth, but by that of adulation. Stackhouse. This whole representation is highly figurative, and by no means to be understood literally. The meaning is, that God justly punishes wicked men when they obstinately refuse to hear Him, permitting them to be deceived by the evil one to their own destruction. Dr. S. Clarke. The substance of what the Prophet says is this; It is certainly revealed to me by an infallible vision from God, that He in his just judgment hath decreed to give power to an evil spirit to delude these thy four hundred prophets with lies, and to give thee over to be misled by their delusions, to thine own destruction; and this I do as surely know, as if I had seen the Lord sitting on his throne, and consulting upon the way and the means of exposing thee to these seducements, and giving permission to an evil spirit to work this mischief unto thee. Bp. Hall.

Ahab goeth in disguise

Before

CHRIST

897.

c 2 Chron. 18. 23.

|| Or, from chamber to chamber. + Heb. a chamber in a chamber.

Or, when he was to dis

guise himself, and enter into the ballle.

23 Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee.

C

24 But Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near, and smote Micaiah on the cheek, and said, Which way went the Spirit of the LORD from me to speak unto thee?

25 And Micaiah said, Behold, thou shalt see in that day, when thou shalt go || into an inner chamber to hide thyself.

26 And the king of Israel said, Take Micaiah, and carry him back unto Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king's son;

27 And say, Thus saith the king, Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I come in peace.

28 And Micaiah said, If thou return at all in peace, the LORD hath not spoken by me. And he said, Hearken, O people, every one of you.

29 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead.

30 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, || I will disguise myself, and enter into the battle; but put thou on thy robes. And the king of

22.-go forth, and do so.] It is a known Hebraism to express things in an imperative and active form, which are to be understood only permissively. Thus the expression here implies only a permission, not a command. Abp. Tillotson.

23. Now therefore, the Lord hath put a lying spirit &c.] We must always bear in mind, that it is frequent in Holy Scripture to call that the Lord's doing, which He only permits to be done, because He has the supreme direction of all things, and governs the event. Wicked devices proceed from wicked men; but that they prevail and take effect, is owing to the hand of God directing and ordering what shall be the issue of them. In the present instance the words of the original will admit of being translated, "the Lord hath permitted a lying spirit in the mouth &c." Dr. Waterland.

In

25.-Behold, thou shalt see in that day, &c.] answer to the false prophet's question, uttered by way of scorn and reproach, Micaiah answers, he shall know when the battle is over, when he shall be forced to conceal himself for fear of being executed for a false prophet, and a betrayer of his king and country. Pyle. 34.-drew a bow at a venture,] Thus what men do at a venture, that is, without any certain design, God directs to certain ends, to serve his own glory. Bp. Wilson.

31 But the king of Syria commanded his thirty and two captains that had rule over his chariots, saying, Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the king of Israel.

32 And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, Surely it is the king of Israel. And they turned aside to fight against him: and Jehoshaphat cried out.

33 And it came to pass when the captains of the chariots perceived that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him.

CHRIST 897.

simplicity.

34 And a certain man drew a bow † at a venture, and smote the king of + Heb. in his İsrael between the + joints of the har- + Heb. ness: wherefore he said unto the joints and the driver of his chariot, Turn thine hand, and carry me out of the host; for I am + wounded.

in

breast-plate.

+ Heb. made sick.

ascended.

35 And the battle + increased that Heb. day: and the king was stayed up his chariot against the Syrians, and died at even: and the blood ran out of the wound into the midst of the + Heb.bosom. chariot.

36 And there went a proclamation throughout the host about the going down of the sun, saying, Every man to his city, and every man to his own country.

37 So the king died, and † was + Heb.came.

between the joints of the harness:] Between the joints of "the armour;' in which sense the word "harness" was formerly used.

Ahab had concealed himself from the knowledge of men, but not from the eyes of God: He directed a random shot to find out a passage through the joints of his armour into his body, where it gave him his death's wound. Reading.

O the just and mighty hand of that Divine Providence, which directs all his actions to his own ends; which orders where every shaft shall light, and guides the arrow of the strong archer into the joints of Ahab's harness! It was shot at a venture; it falls by a destiny, and there falls where it may carry death to a hidden debtor. In all actions, both voluntary and casual, thy will, O God, shall be done by us, with whatever intentions. Little did the Syrian know whom he had stricken, no more than the arrow with which he struck. An invisible hand disposed of both, to the punishment of Ahab, to the vindication of Micaiah. How worthily art Thou, O God, to be adored in thy justice and wisdom; to be feared in thy judgments! Bp. Hall.

37. So the king died,] Thus ended the life and reign of king Ahab; but this was only the beginning of those sufferings which were afterwards accomplished in his wife and children, and the more remote branches of his