t He took the ſame care for the government of his Kingdom;and eſpecially for the reformation of Religion, that ſa did : of whom ſce Chap, 15.11- u ObjeF. It is ſaid, he did take them away, 2 Chren. 17.6. Anſw. He took away thoſe which were ere&ed to Idols; of which,he ſeems to ſpeak there, becauſe the high places are there joined with Groves, which were generally ere&ed to ols, and not ro the True God, as will appear to any one that ſhall compare all the Sc:iptures where groves are mentioned: but he could not take away thoſe which were ere&ed to the true God; of which, this place manifeſtly ſpeaks;as alſo that parallel place, Kings 15.14.where ſee the notes- Or, he took them away, but not fully ; or not in the very beginning of his Reign.
_ 44 And Jehothapnat made peace with the king of
racl Xx.
x With Ahab firſt,& then with his Son. T his is noted as a Blemiſh : in his Government,2 Chron, 19. 2. and proved of moſt miſchievous Conſequence to Jehoſbaphats Pofterity;as we thall ſee 2 K:ng.9.and 10,
45 Now the relt of the acts of Jehoſhaphat, and his might that he ſhewed, and how he warred,are they not , written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of | Judah y ?
y Whence the moſt memorable Paſſages were T I that Canonical Book of the Chronicles. ;- OT INN
45 And the remnant of the Sodomites z which re-
mained in the days of his father Aſa, he took out of the land.
z Of whom ſee Der. 23. 17. 1 King. 14. 24 and 15. 12. £ 47 There was then no king in Edom : a deputy « was
ing.
a Sent,and ſet over them by the Kings of Judab,from the time of David, 2 Sam. $* 14. until the days of Jehoram, 2 Chron. 21. 8. © 48 Jehothaphat || made ſhips 6 of Tharſhith c ro go to Ophir « for gold: but they went not ; for the ſhips were broken at Ezion-geber e.
b As 1t is expreſſed, 2 Chron. 20. 36. Or,there were to Jehoſhaphat ten ſhips ; the Ellipſis of the Verb Subſtantive,and of the Prefix Lamed, being frequent in the Hebrew Language. Some render the Words, he made ten ſhips ; ſo joining both Texts together, and out of both compleating the ſence c Either, x Of the Sea, as this Word is thought ſometimes to be uſed. Or,rather 2.70 go zo Tarſh:ſb,( as it is expreſſed, 2 Chron, 20:36.) and thence to Ophir,as it here follows. See more on 1 Kings 10.22: d Of which, See 1 Kirgrg. 28: e Which was in Edom, and conſequently in fehoſhaphats Territories.
49 Then faid Ahaziih the fon of Ahab unto Jehoſha- phat,Ler my ſervants go with thy ſervants in the ſhips, but Jehoſhaphar wouid nor f.
f 06j. Ir is faid,that he did joyn with Ahbaziah herein, 2 Chron.20« 35, 36 Anſw.That was before this time,& before the Ships were bro- ken ; for the breaking of the Ships mentioned here, wer. 48. is noted to be the Effe& of his Singin joyning with Ahaziah,and. of the Pro« phecy conſequent upon it, 2 Chren.20.37. And good Jehoſhaphat be= ing warned & chaſtiſed by God for this ſin, would not be perſwaded co repeat it ; whereby he ſhewed the ſincerity of his Repentance.
5o And Jehoſhaphat ſlept with his Fathers, and was burried with his fathers in the city of David his Father: and Jehoram his ſon reigned in his ſtead,
51 \ Ahaziah the fon of Ahab began to reign over [ſrael in Samaria the ſeventeenth year of Jehoſhaphat g
king of Judah, and reigned two years þ over Iſrael. £ By comparing this Verſe with wer. 41: it appears, that 4hazih was made King by his Father, and Reigned inConjunQion with him a year or two before Ahabs Death,and as long after it ; even as Je- horam the ſon of Jehoſhaphat was made King by his Father in his Life-time, as we ſhall ſee hereafter ; which poſſibly was done in — with Ahabs deſire upon Marriage of his Daughter to Jehoſbaphats Son ; and it may be Ahab, to induce and incourage him to do ſo, gave him an Example of it, and made his Son his Fartner in the Kingdom. b Either after his Fathers Death : or one be- fore it, and another afrer it. 52 And he did evil in the fight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his
mother, and in the way of Jeroboam 5 the ſon of Ne- bat, who made Irael to fin. i; Which Clauſe ſeems here added,to fhew,how little the Autho-
rity and Example of Parents, or Anceſtors, is to be valued, where it 15 oppoſed to the Will and Word of God.
53 For he ſaved Baal, and wortbipped him, * and provoked to anger the LORD God of lirael, according to all that his father had done.
» —
IT, KINGS.
3L 2
Chap.
d.v.4!
4
{| Or, ha# ten ſhips.
* By ſs dos ing,
4 .* ol -
, hap: T " ſ
ge - _ XEZICETES
IE IE I EEE
| + Heb.
CHAF.L
.þ vebelleth againſt Iſrael, x. Ahaziah being ſick ſendeth to Baalet-
w « Elijah ya his Death, 1————4- Ahazinh hearing i,
ſendeth twice Captains of 50, to bring Elijah to him : Upon whom -
bringeth fire from Heaven, 5==— 12. The third Captam entreatet!
'* Elviah:: Who encouraged by an Angel, goeth and telleth the King of his * Death, 13——16+ Jehoram ſueceedeth him, 17 ——= 18.
HEN Moab 4 rebelled againſt Iſrael, * after the
"KL death of Ahab.
z Which had been ſubdued by David, 2 Sam: 8: 2. as Edo was; and upon the diviſion of this Kingdom into two, Moab was adjoined to that of 1el, and Edom to that of Judah, each to thar Kingdom upon which it bordered. And "when the Kingdoms of [*ael and Judah were weak and forſaken by God,they rook that opportumty to Revolt from them 3 Moab here, and Edom a little afrer it.
2 And Ahaziah fell down through a latteſs in his up- per chamber 4 that was 1n Samaria,and was ſick,and he
{ent meſſengers, and ſaid unto them, Go, inquire of
Baal-zebub c the god of Ekron, whether I ſhall || reco-
| Iive.SoGr- ver of this diſeaſe ?
b Tn which, the Latteſs might be left ro convey Light into the lower Room. Which if it now ſeem abſurd to be in a Kings Palace.
KINGS
2 Which defire did not proceed from a carnal and malicious Paſſion ; but from a pure zeal, to vindicate Gods Name and Hoe nour, Which was ſo horribly abuſed ; and from the motion of Gods Spirit ; as is evident from Gods miraculous Anſwer to his deſire. And therefore Chriſt doth not condemn this Fatt of &/as, but only reproves his Diſciples for their perverſe imitation of it, from another Spirit and Principle, and in a more unſeaſonable time, Luke 9: 54, $5 ; .
11 Again alſo he ſent unto him another Captain of fifty, with his fifty : and he anſwered and faid unto him, O man of God, 'Thus hath the king ſaid, Come down quickly ».