prophets who were known to him. The who promised Divine aid might at any rat, fa,ce alone would hardly have proclaimed have been asked-as prophets constantl,t him a prophet. Aud the prophet's dress were in that age (eh. xxii. 6, 8)-what WIM3 would of course ho.ve been laid aside when the "word of the Lord" concerning Israel's the disguise was assumed.] overbearing and invetcra.te enemy. But Ver. 42.-And he said unto him, Thus Ahab, who had himself played so craven 11 sa.lth the Lord, Because thou hast let go part (vers. 21, 81), and who had contributed [Heb. sent a,cay; same word as in ver. 34. nothing to these great and unhoped-for This is an indirect proof that those were victories, nevertheless arrogated to himself the 'll"ords of A.hab] out of thy hand [Heb. their fruits, and thereby ignored and dis- out of hand-same idiom in 1 Sam. xxvi. honoured God. Secondly, if he had so 23-i.e., po,cer, possession. Cf. Gen. xxxii. little regard for his own private interests as 12; Exod. xviii. 9 ; Num. xxxv. 25) a man to liberate such a man as Ben-hade.d, he whom I appointed to utter destruction ought, as trustee for the pence and welfare [Hcb. a man of my devoting. Cf. Isa. x.xxi.v. of Israel, to have acted differently. The 6; Zech. xiv. 11. It is the word used of the demand of ver. 6 Hhould have revealed to Co.naanites and their cities, Deut. ii. 34; vii. him the character of the man he ho.d to 2; Josh. viii. 26; x. 28; and it gave a name deal with. And lastly, he was acting in to the city Hormah, Num. xxi. 3; xiv. 45. defiance of all the principles and precedents Ben-hadad, therefore, was doomed of God], of the Old Testament dispensation. For therefore thy life shall go for [Heb. be in- one great principle of tho.t dispensation stead of] his life, and thy people for his was the lex talionis. The king was the people. [By the lex talionis. It was prob- authorized dispenser of rewa.rds and punish- ably because of this denunciation (cf. eh. ments, not only to wicked subjects but to xxii 8) that Josephus identifies this prophet aggressive nations. It was his duty to with Micaiah, the son of Imlah, "whom mete out to them the measure they had A.hab appears to have imprisoned on account served to Israel. And the precedents were of some threatening prophecy" (Rawlinson). all in favour of putting such wretches o.e See eh. xxii. 9, 26. For the fulfilment of this Ben-ho.dad to the sword (Josh. x. 26; this prediction see eh. xxii. It has seemed Judg. vii. 25; 1 Sam. xv. 33). If he had to some writers as if Ahab were here very hardly dealt with for merely gratifying a. generous impulse, and dealing magnani- IIbeen the first oppressor who fell into the ho.nds of Israel, Ahab might ho.ve had some excuse. But with the fate of Agag, of mously with a. conquered foe. Indeed, Adoni-bezek, of Oreb and Zeeb, in his there are commentators who see in his memory, he ought at any rate to have release of the cruel and insolent tyrant a. paused and asked counsel of God before "trait which does honour to the heart of ta.king Ben-hado.d into his chariot and A.hab." But it is io be remembered, first, sending him away with a. covenant of peo.ce, that A.hab was not free to do as he liked in to reappear at no distant period on the ibis matter. His victories had been won, scene as the scourge of the Lord's people.) not by his prowess, by the skill of his Ver. 43.-And the king of Israel went to generals, or the valour of his soldiers, but his house heavy and diepleased [Heb. by the power of God alone. The war, that sullen and angry; same words eh. xxi. 4~, is to say, was God's war: it was begun and and came to Samaria. [The order of this continued, and should therefore have been verse suggests that the houAe was one in or ended, in Him. When ever. the details of near Aphek, in which the king was lodged the attack had been ordered of God (ver.14), after the battle-on which this interview, surely He should have been consulted as to therefore, followed closely-and tho.t shortly the disposal of the prisoners. The prophet afterwards he leit it for his capital.]
HOMILETICS. Vars. 1--48.-The Pwrgatory of Nations and King,. The two invasions of Israel by the armies of Syria, and their defeu.t by the finger of God, may sug~est ~ome lessons as to God's dealings with nations, und with oppressive and tyranmcal kings. Two considerations must, however, be borne in mind here. First, that the J?l'8· sent age, unlike the Mosaic, is not a dispensation of temporal rewards and pun~sh- ments. It is true that even now men do receive a rough sort of retnbut1on, according to their deserts, from the operation of natural la.we; but that retribution is uncerta.in and indirect. Sometimes vengeance overtakes the wrong-doer, but as often as not he escapes scathless. 'l'be Jewish economy, however, ha.d absolutely OH. XX. 1-48.] THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS. 493