The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Kings — Section 478

of the sea of Galilee, and standing, as Aphek in Tehova.h (see ver.18), that this deliverance must have then stood, on the high road was wrnught. But it was also that neigh. between Dama.sons and Jerusalem. On the bouring nations might learn His power and whole, the balance of probability inclines that His name might be magnified ~ong to the latter. It would follow hence that the heathen.] the Israelites, emboldened by their victory Ver. 29.-And they pitched one over of the preceding year, had crossed the river against the other [Heb. these opposite these] to meet the enemy], to fight against Israel seven days. [The Syrians, despite their [Heb. t,o the war with Israel.] overwhelming numbers, appear to have been Ver. 27.-And the chlldren of Israel were afraid to attack, and the Israelites were numbered [lit., numbered themselves. Hith- naturally reluctant, despite the promise paelJ, and were all present [Rather, and they had received, to join battle with so grea.t a host]. And so it was, that in the were provided with food, ~Ul =to nourish. seventh day the battle was joined [Heh. The Alex. LXX. inserts ,ea, 01000J0'1trav. the war drew near. It may have been by Vulgate acceptis cibariis. Marg. were vic- the direction of the man of God that the tualled. This word of itself suggests that Israelites attacked on the seventh day, or they were at a distance from their capital the precedent of Jericho (Josh. vi. 15) may or other city], and went against them [Heb. h~ve influenced their leaders; or the num- to meet them] : and the children of Israel ber seven, properly the mark and signature pitched before them like two little flocks of the covenant, may have come to be l=J'i;-'q strictly means separated. It is rightly regarded superstitiously-in fact, as a lucky translated " little flocks" (not "flocks," number (of. Isa. lxv. 11; Esther iii. 7]: Rawlinson), because the idea is that of two and the children of Israel slew of the bands of stragglers separated from the main Syrians an hundred thousand footmen in body of the flock. So the Vulgate, duo one day. [This prodigious slaughter may parvi greges caprarum; bntLXX., ovo 1Tolµ.v,a well create surprise. That two compara- aiywv. Ewald thinks the " two flocks " tively small companies should be able points to an auxiliary force furnished by physic111ly, to slay, with the rude weapo~ Jehoshaphat, fighting with Israel. He of that age, 100,000 warriors, fighting for also thinks goats are mentioned to convey their lives, seems hardly credible. It is the exalted position of the camp upon the probable, therefore, that the numbers here, hills. Floo,ks of goats as a rule are smaller as elsewhere, have been exaggerated in the than those of sheep, the former being more course of transcription. Another explana- given to straying] of kids [lit., she-goats. tion of the difficulty has, indeed, been sug- " These flocks pa.sture mostly on the cliffs, gested by Bahr, viz., that t:l~l may signify and are smaller than the flocks of sheep " here, as it undoubtedly does elsewhere, (Bahr)]; but the Syrians filled the country. " defeated," "put to flight" (see Gen. xiv. [The whole plain swarmed with their legions 6; 1 Sam. xiii. 4, &c.) Aud the Hebrew in 6triking contrast to the two insignificant at first sight seems to favour this idea, for bodies of Israelites. J it may be rendered literally, they snwte Ver. 28.-And there came a man of God Syria, a hundred thousand, &c. The 100,000 [Whether this is the Eame person as the would then represent the entire strength "prophet" of vers. 13, 22, is not quite clear. of the Syrian infantry. But the mention The difference in the designation (see on of the " footmen " and of 11 one da v " 11like eh. xiii. 1 and p. 303) would lead us to sup- suggests that it is of slaughter, not disper- pose that a different messenger was meant. sion, that the historian speaks.] It is true the Hebrew has the article Ver. 30.-But the rest [Plainly those not " the man of God" (LXX. o tiv0pw1Tor; roil slain. It cannot mean those not defeated] fled to Aphek [It is clear that this fortress 0Eoii), but 0 11:i:,~~ ~~t:' (see Judg. xiii. 6; was then in the possession of the Syrians, Dent. xxxiii. 1) is often hardly distinguish- as they took refuge within its walls], Into able from the sam:i words without the the city; and there a wall [Heb. the wall, article], and spake [Heb. said, same word i.e., the city wall] fell upon twenty and as below] Ullto the king of Israel, and said, seven thousand of the men that were left. Thus sa1th the Lord, Because the Syrians [The Hebrew implies tho.t these were prac- [Heb. Syria, but with a plural verb] have &aid, The Lord 1s God of the hllls, but he is tically all who survived the battle. D1")ryi3:1 not God of the valleys, therefore will I is tho word translated above, "the rest." deliver all this great multitude into thine We have here surely an exaggeration, even hand, and ye shall know that I am the more obvious than that of ver. 39. For even Lord. [It was partly for the instruction of if we suppose an earth~ u11ke, it is difficult hrael, and to confirm their wavering faith to believe tha.t the wa.lls of a pla.ce liks GIi. XX. 1---48.] THE FIRST BOOK UF KINGS. 4.89