The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Kings — Section 411

view of the great plain in front" (Stanley). xxxvi. 24, 26; Deut. xxv, 3, &c.)" But when In fa.et, it was in its way jnst as well it is remembered that Baal's prophets were adapted for the solemn vindication of the 460, and the prophets of eh. xxii, 6 were law which took place there as Jebel Sufsafeh about 400 men, the solitary instance of tho was for the giving of the lo.w. (2) A sort of 400 prophets of Astarte-who, by the way, plateau. near the summit-the table-land were Jezebel's rather than Ahab's mirusters where the e.Ite.rs were built, &c.-would o.c- -a.fiords but a slender basis for his con- commodate a. vast number of spectators clusion), which eat at Jezebel's table. (ver. 21). (3) There is a spring of water [Heb. eaters of. There is nothing in the close at he.nd-less than 100 yards distant Hebrew to imply that they sat with her at -a1,.d a spring which is said to flow even in the so.me board ; e.nd it is certain that this the driest seasons, which would supply the would be e.!together repugnant to Ea.stem water of which we read in vers. 4, 33-35. ideas of propriety. All that is meant is Josephus (Ant. viii. 13, 6) so.ye it came from that they were fed by her bounty, See the fountain. (4) The sea., though not visible note on eh. ii. 7.) from the plateau itself, is seen from a point Ver. 20.-So Ahab sent unto all the chil- some 300 feet higher, a. deta.il which accords dren of Israel, and gathered the prophets admirably with the account of vers. 42--44. together unto Mount Carmel ['' The per- It mo.y be added tho.t the place is still held secuting king became a passive instrument sa.cred by the Druses, o.nd reverenced by in the hand of the persecuted prophet" "Jews, Christie.ns, Moslems, e.nd Bedouin (Stanley). His ready compliance with as the site of these miracles of Elijah" Elijah's request, notwithstanding the bitter (Thomson). The traveller, consequently, hatred of the man which he had just be- cannot doubt for a moment, as he stands trayed, is easily explained. It was not so on the table-land of El Murahkah and looks much that" he bowed before the spiritual across the great pie.in to J ezreel and the supremacy of the prophet, which impressed heights of Ge.Iilee and So.me.ria, that he is him " (Biihr), as that he hoped, from his on the very spot sanctified by the descent of reappeare.nce, that he was now about to the heavenly fire. It should be added, a.a speak the word (oh. xvii. 1) and give rain explaining the selection of Ce.rmel by upon the ee.rth, nnd Ahab wns willing to Elijah, that its situation is centre.I and take any measures which would conduce to convenient ; the.t it is near the seo., from that result. It would take some days to whence the re.in-clouds would come ; the.t oollect the representatives of the tribes.] it is easy of access from J ezreel ; and the.t it Ver. 21.-And El.l,jah ea.me unto all the we.a not only a holy place from earlier people [He is concerned not so much with times (cf. 2 Kings iv. 23), but e.Iso had its the king as the people of the Lord. His nlto.r of Jehovah, an altar, no doubt, in object was not " to prove thnt Ahab o.nd not oonstnnt nse when the people "sncrificed he had troubled Israel," but to prove that nnd burnt incense on the high places," but Jehovah and not Bo.e.I was God. There is which hnd in later days fallen into neglect, abundo.nt room on the plnteo.u, or "wido o.nd was now broken down. It was every way, uplnnd sweep" (Stanley), above referred therefore, a most appropriate loce.lity for the to, to accommodate a large concourse of public vindication of the despised and out- peopleJ, a.nd saJd, How long halt ye between raged law of God, "No place could be con- two opinions? ['l'his is e. faithful and felici- ceived more fitted by nature to be thnt tous rendering. But it must be remembered wond~ous battle-field of truth" (Tristram in that " be.It " is used in the sense of "limp." Wordsworth)], a.nd the prophets of Baal [so Vulg. Usquequo claudicatis in dwis partes. called not beoanse they were Weissager und The same word is used in ver. 26 of tho Verkilnder (Biihr) of the god, nor yet be- swaying, tottering do.nee of the Bnal pro- cause they were teachers and emisso.ries of phets.) Uthe Lord be God [Hob. if Jehovah his religion, bnt because of the prophotio the God], follow him [Heb, go (i.e., walk frenzy (ver. 28) into which they worked straight) after him]: but 1f Ba.nl, then follow themselves (Keil)] four hundred a.nd fifty, him. And the people a.nswered him not a a.nd the prophets of the groves [Heb. of the word. [Not only wore they awed by the Ashe~ah, i.e., of Aste.rte, not "grove," as presence of the king nud the priests of Baa! Rawlmson. See note on oh. xiv. 16) four on the one side, and of Elijah on the other, hundred [Rawlinson reme.rks that "the but they were " convicted by their own number 400 seems to have been one espe- oonsoienoes," o.nd so were speechless (Matt. oio.lly affected by Ahnb." He reminds us xxii. 12).) tbo.t we find 400 prophets at the close of his Ver. 22.-Then said Elijah WltO the reign (1 Kings ui.i. 6), and also remarks people, I, even I only, remain [Heb. I, I mn on "the prevalence of the number 40 in . left alone. Cf. Gen. xxxii. 2-!; LXX. 1w,,,;,. the religions systems of the Jews (Exod. raro~] a prophet of the Lord LThcuitu 422 THE FIEST BOOK OF KINGS. [on. XVIU. 1--46.