The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Kings — Section 475

ime.gines] word again. [Not the" word re- proof that all the prophets bad not been le.ted in the next verse" (Ro.wlinson), but the exterminated. Where Elijah was e.t this messo.ge just recorded.] time, or why he was not employed, we have Ver. 10.-And Ben-hadad sent unto hl.m, no meo.ns ol determining. Bahr says that and said [These words would be quite he was "leo.st of all suited for such e. superfluous, if the oe.ths of which we now message," but not if he had lee.rned the hee.r were the " word " of ver. 9], The gods lesson of eh. xix. 12. At the same time, it do so unto me, and more also [see notes on is to be remembered that he invariably eh. ii. 23 ; xix. 2], 1f the dust of Ba~a.rta appears as the minister of wrath. It may shall suffice for handfuls [The mee.mng of a.lso be reasonably asked why this gracious interposition was granted to the kingdom of Cl'?}'t;i pugilli, is fixed by Ise.: xl. 12, and Sa.maria a.tall. Was not this invasion, and Ezek. xiii.19] for all the people that follow would not the sack of the city have been, a me. [Heb. that are in my feet. Same ex- just recompense for the gross corruption of the pression Judg. iv. IC; v. 15; 1 Se.m. xxv. age, for the persecution of the prophets, &c.? 27 • 2 Sam. xv. 17, &c. This thoroughly But to this it may be replied that Ben-bade.d Ori~ntal piece of bluster a.nd b?a.sting, w~ch was not then the instrument which God had was intended, no doubt, to strike terror mto designed for the correction of Israel (see eh. the henrts of Iring e.nd people, he.a been xix. 17; xxii. 31; 2 Kings x. 32), and further- variously interpreted, but the meaning more tho.t by his brutal tyranny and des- appears to be sufficiently clear. Ben-he.dad potic demands, hA had himself merited a vows tho.t he will make Samaria. a heap of oha.stisement. The city, too, mo.y ha,e been duet, and at the same time aflinne the.t so delivered for the eake of the seven thous,md overwhelming is hie host, that this du~t (oh. xix. 18; 2 Kings xix. 34, Cf. Gen. will be insufficient to fill the ha.nde of hie xviii. 26 sqq.) But this gracious help in the soldiers. Rawlinson compares with it the time of extremit.y was primarily designed well-known saying of the Trachinia.n to as a. proof of Jehovah'$ power over the gods Dicneces, that the Median arrows would of Syria (cf. vers. 13, 28; eh. xviii. 3\l; obscure the sun (Herod. vii. 226), but 2 Sa.m. 2 Kings xix. 22 eqq.), o.ud so as an instru- xvii. 13 is still more apposite.] ment for the conversion of Israel. His Ver. 11.-And the king or Israel answered supremacy over the idols of Phoenicio. ho.d and said, Tell him, Let not him that already been esto.blished] unto Ahab king girdeth on his harness boast hl.mself as he of Israel, saying, Thus salth the Lord, that putteth it off. [This proverb consists Bast thou seen all this great multitude ? of four words in the Hebrew. The commen- (cf. ver. 10. "In Ben-ha.dad's wo.rs with tators cite the Latin, Ne triumphum canas the Assyrians, we sometimes find him o.t the ante victoriam, but proverbs to the ea.me head of nearly 100,000 men" (Rawlinson).] effect a.re found in most languages. Behold, I Will dellverit into thine hand this Ver. 12.-And it came to pass, when Ben- day; and thou ehalt know that I am the hadad [Heb. lie] heard this message [Heb. Lord. [This explains to us the motif of word], as he was drlnk1ng, he and the this great deliverance.] kings in the pavilions [Heh. booths. The Ver. 14.-And Ahab said, By whom? And word shows tho.t, in lieu of tents, kings nnd he said, Thus salth the Lord [Observe the genero.ls on an expedition sometimes used repetition. He is oo.rnful to give special leafy huts, like those of Israel (Levit. xxiii. prominence to the sacred name, as the only 84, 42). Such booths, it is said, a.re still help in trouble (Pao.. xx.1, 5, 7, &c.)], Even erected on military expeditions in the East], by the young men [or servants-il/:l has that he said unto his servants, Set your- both meanings, corresponding with 1rai!: aelves in array [Hob. ~o•lp one short, de- (of. Gen. xnvii. 2; 2 Kings v. 20; viii. 4] cisive word. His indignation and astonish- of the princes of the provinces. [The local ment were too great for more. We might governors (of. chs. iv. 7; x. lli), on the perbo.ps render "Form." Cl. 1 Sam. xi.11; approach ol Ben hadad, ho.d apparently fled Josh. viii. 2, 13; Job i. 17; Ezek. xxiii. 24. to the oo.pito.l. Whether these "young It cannot mean air1:oooµ~aart xapaa:a (LXX.)J men" were their "po.gee" ('rhouius), or And they set themselves in array [or formed. even were "young lo.ds" (Ewald) o.t o.11, or, Again one word, which is more spirited and on the contrary, a "seleot body of strong gra.phio, o.nd conveys tho.t the command was young men" (Biihr), the body-guo.rd of the insta.ntly obeyed] against the city. various governors (2 So.m. xviii. 15) (Von Ver. 13.-And, behold, there came a pro- Gerle.ch), mo.y be doubtful; but when Biihr phet [Heh. one prophet. Cl. eh. xiii. 11. says that Ahab would not have consented According to Jewish writers, this was to appoint weak boys to leo.d the vo.n, at Mico.ia.h, son of Imla.h, but eh. xxii. 8 least without remonstrance, ho must have 1111ga.tivee this supposition. This is another •forgotten tho.t all the ordin!\ry mot1ns a&  488 THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS. [cH. XX, 1-43.