k Heb. Bleſs. Bleſſing is put for curſing and blaſpheming, as 705. 1. 5. * Ats6; and 2.9. fo alſo here. as 1s apparent» beczule his 5leffng God and 11: the King had been no Crime. It is a Figure called Euphemiſmus. God * Lev: would have blaſphemy ſo much abhorred,thart ir ſhould not eaſily and 24 14! unneceſlatily be named by its proper name Compare Pſ. 16.4 To the place where Malefattors were puniſhed, which was our of the City, Lev. 24. 23. of. 7. 24. Mar. 15. 20. Heb. 13. 12, partly, to ſhew chat they were unworthy of all humane ſociety, and avhorred by all the people: and partly, becauſe the place where they were killed, was the eby ceremonially polluted. m2 "The proper puniſhment of Blaſphemers, Lev: 24. 15, 16. » As one thar curſed his God, and his Political Father, his King. See Exod. 21+ i7. and 22. 28.
11 And the men of the city, ever the elders, and the nobles, who were the inhabicants in his city, did as Je- Z2bel had ſent unto them o, and as it was written in the letters which ſhe had ſent unto them.
o Which isnot at all ſtrange in them who had for a long time caſt off the fear and ſenſe of God, and proſtiruted their Conſciences and Religion to pleaſe their King, and ſold themſelves to all manner of wickedneſs, and could notnow make a ſafe and honourable retreat, and durſt not diſobey Jezevel/s command, by whom they knew the King was wholly governed; and who could eaſily have taken away their Livesin the ſame manner, if they had refuied to kill Naboth.
12 They proclaimed a Faſt, and ſet Naboth on high among che people. | 13 And there came in two men, children of Belial,
and ſat before him : and the men of Belial witneſſed azainſt him, ever againſt Naboth, in the preſence ofthe people, ſaying, Naboth did || blaſpheme God and the [ Heb: king. Then they carried him forth our of the city, Is and ſtoned * him p with ſtones that he died. >, Kind
p And his Sons with him, asit "mY be thoughe from 2 Kings g. 26. g: 26: that ſo the King might have an undiſturbed poſſeſſion ; for whick they might pretend thoſe examples, Num, 16. 32+ Joſ. 7. 24. Bur. theſe were examples of extraordinary vengeance, and by ſpecial Warrant from God ; and the Law of God was politively contrary to it, Deut. 247 16. ; IS
14 Then they ſent to Jezebel q, ſaying, Naboth 1s ſtoned, and is dead.
q By whom they knew the Affairs of the Kingdom were managed and this Deſign contrived. I5 © And it came to paſs, when Jezebel heard that Naboth was ſtoned, and was dead, that Jezebel ſaid to Ahab, Ariſe, take poſlefiion of the vineyard of N _ :
Chap. XX: | &
"I.
. "(hap: XX [. . . I. the Jezreelite, which he refuſed to give thee
money : for Naboth is not alive, but dead. ;
| 7 Either, Firſt, By right of Confiſcationgto repair the Injury which he did to the King by blaſpheming him. Or Secondly, By tyrannica Uſurpation. Or, Thirdly, By right of Inheritance * for tome fa. that Hhab was his next Kinſman, his Sons being Dead ; which they judge more likely, becauſe his Land was next to the Kings-
16 And it came to paſs, whenAbab heard rhac Naboth was dead.that Ahab roſe up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jeſreelite, to take poſſeflion of it.
17 © And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tiſhbite, ſaying, : ;
18 Ariſe,go down to meet Ahab king of Iſrael, which 3s in Samariaſ: behold, he is # in the-ineyard of Na- both, whither he is gone down to p{ eſs it.
ſ Either,who now is there.and about ro dart thence to Jexretl : or, who.commonly dwells there. * Or rater, h- wil be ; by that time that thou comeſt thirher, thou ſhalr fil him there. :
19 And thou ihait ſpeak unto him, ſaying, Thus ſaich the LORD, Haſt thou killed,and alſo taken poſſethon «: And thou ſhalt ſpeak unto him, ſaying, Thus ſaith te LORD, in the place where dogs licked the Blood of Naborth, {hail dogs like thy blood, even thine x.
» Thou haſt murdered an Innocent & Righteous Manz& inſtead of repeating for it, thou ha't added another piece of injuſtice and violence to it,and art going confidently agd chearfully ro reap the Fruit of thy wickedneis; He aicribes Jezebels Fatt to Ahab, bc- caule Jezebel did ir by his Connivance,and Conſent,and Aurhority . and for the ſatisfa&tion of his inordigate Appetite. x Queſt, tow
was this fulfilled, when Ahabs blodwas not licked in J-zr-e/,which was in the Tribe of 1ſachar. but in the Pool of Samar, chap.22.38- which was in the Tribe of Ephraim ? Anſ. Firſt, This was donc. though not in the ſame individual place, yet in the ſame genera
placc,# e.in the Territory of Samaria,within which Jezreet was & in a place of the ſame nature, a publick and common place ; for fuct, was both the place of Nabo hs Execution, and the Poo} of Samara
Secondly, This was particularly accompliſhed in his Son uram,a
is affirmed, 2 K-ngs 9- 25,26 whole blood is not improperiy called Ahabs blood, becauſe Children are ſaid to be born of their Parents blood. See Joh. 1.13. AF# 17. 26. Obje Theſe words, thy blood, ever thine,ſhew that it is meant of Ahab's Perſon. »ſ» True, the threat- ning was ſo dire&ed and deſigned at firſt ; but afterwards, upon his humiliation, the puniſhment was transferred from him to his Son,as is expreſſed, ver.29. Obj. This is aid ro be fulfilled in 4habs Perſon, chap. 22.38. Al tirher that may be referred to tome other Prediction or Commination not elle-where mentioned : or ra- ther, it intimates, that it was in part, and in ſome ſort fulfilled in him,though not ſo ſevere!'y and opprobriouſly, nor with ſuch Cha- ra&ers of theCurſe as it was in his Son zwhence he there mentions only the thing,withour any regard unto the place here deſigned But it may further be obſerved, T hat although upon Ahabs humiliation the Curſe here threarned might ſeem to be wholly tranflared from his Perſon to his Poſterity ;yet upon Ahahs return to fin,in the next
for |
KIN QO ©
- IH Hoo «| Chap. XXL, 25 © But there was none, ike unto Ahab g, which Iid ſell himſelf co work wickednefs in the ſight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his Wife || ſtirred. ry 1 | | Or, inci | 7 Nne among all the Kings of I-a'l which had been before him. ted. | > This is added to thew, that temptations to ſin are no excuſe to ' the ſinner. - : Foſa = 3 26 Ad he did very abominably in following idols, ;ccording to all things as did the Amorictes 3, whom the _ LORD c iſt our before the- Children of Iſrael. i i i, e. The ſevgn Nations of Canz#, all called by this'Name,as A