The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Kings — Section 518

EXPOSITION. CHAPTER XXII. 1-53. tion at this time must have been great, and, indeed, complete (2 Chron. xvii. 10-19). THE EXPEDITION OJI' A.lu.n AND JEHOSlli• It is in favour of this view that Ahab enter- PHAT AGAINST RurnTH-Gn.EAD. THE DEATH tained him and his la.rge retinue with such OJI' .!RAD. THE BEIGNS OJI' JEilOSlllPHAT profuse hospitality. The chronicler, who AND .!JuzIAH. dwells on the nn.mber of sheep e.nd oxen Ver. 1.-And they continued [rather, slain for the feast, intimates that it was rested. Heb. sate, dwelt. Cf. Judg. v. 17- this generous reception " persuaded " J e- The LXX. has l,ca0,ue, sing.] three years hosha.phe.t to join in the war], Know ye without war [The Hebrew explains the that Ra.moth 1n Gilead [Genera.liy, as "rested "-there was not war, &c. See Ewn.!d, below (vers. 4, 6, &c.), "Ra.moth-Gilead," 286 g. The three years (not full years, i.e., of Gilead. See note on eh. iv. 13. as the next 'l"erse shows) are to be This "great frontier fortress was, in tho counted from the second defeat of Ben- hands of Syria., even after many reverses, hade.d ; the history, that is to say, is re- a constant menace against Israel 11 (Stanley)] sumed from eh. x..x. 34-43. Rawlinson is ours [i.e., it wa.s one of the cities which conjectures that it was during this period Ben-ha.dad ha.d promised to restore (eh. that the Assyrian invasion, under Shal- x.x. 34). This shows tha.t, as we migM maneser II., took place. The Black Obe- expect from a man of Ben-hadad's 0'l"er- lisk tells us tha.t Ahab of J ezreel joined a bea.ring yet pusillanimous character, he league of kings, of whom Ben-he.dad wa.s had not kept good faith. Though so long a. one, ago.inst the Assyrians, furnishing a. time had elapsed, it wo.s still in his hands], force of 10,000 footmen and 2000 cha.riots; and we be still [i1~O is onomatopoetic, see" H.ist. lliust." pp. 113, 114. The com- mon danger might well compel a cessation like our "hush. 11 Marg. rightly, silent from of hostilities] between Syria and Israel. taking it. The word conveys very expres- Ver. 2.-And it came to pass 1n the third sively that they had been afraid of ma.king yea.r [Of the peace ; not o.fter the death of any movement to assert their rights, lest Na.both, a.s Stanley], that Jehoshaphat the they should attract the attention a.nu nnger king of Judah came down [The journey to of their powerful and incensed neighbour], J eruse.lem being inva.ria.bly described as a and take it not out o! the hand of the king "going up," one from Jerusalem to the of Syria 7 [It is hardly likely that Ahab provinces would no.tura.lly be spoken of o.s a. oould have forgotten tha warning of eh. •' going down "] to the king of Israel. [For xx. 42. It is probable that Ben-he.do.d's aught thnt appears, this was the first time fle.gro.n t disregard of his treaty engagements that the monarchs of the sister k.ingJoms determined him to run a.11 risks, especio.lly he.d met, except in battle, since the disrup- if he could secure the help of the then tion, though the ma.rrillge of Jehoram, son powerful king of Judah.] of J ehosho.pho.t, with Atho.lio.h, the daughter Ver. 4.-A.ud he as.id unto Jehoshaphat, of Ahab o.nd Jezebel, had to.ken place some Wilt thou go with me to battle to R.i.moth- yenrs before this do.ta (2 Chron. xviii. 1, 2). Gilea.d 7 [It is probable this question wo.s It is probable that it was the growing power a.eked with some misgivings. Such llJJ. of Syria. ho.d led to this affinity e.nd allinnce.J o.llio.uce we.a altogether new, and Ahab Ver. 3.-And the king of Israel said unto might well won,ler hpw tile idea wouhl h13 servants [During the visit. It seems strike a. pious prince liko J ehosho.phat. likely that Jehoshaphat went down to That the latter ougut to h:i.vo refusecl his Samaria by Ahab's invitation, a.nd that the help, we know from 2 Chron . .rix. 2.] And latter then ho.d this campaign in view. Tho Jehoshaphat said to the ldo.g of Israel, I am chronicler says that Ahab "incited " or as thou art LHeb. as I a.:1 1ho11], my people " stirred him up" (so.me word as i~ eh. as thy people, my horses as thy horses. ui. 25) to go with him to battle. Ahab [From the ready and uurcscrvoJ. way in was unable to contend single-handed and which he at once engages in this wo.r, wo without Divine assistance-which ho ~ould mo.y safely conclude that he, too, had not now look for-against Syria; and saw reason to fear the power of Syria.. Probably no means of compelling the execution of Ben-ho.dad, when he besieged So.maril\ (eh. the treaty which Ben-hadad had ma.de with :u:. 1), had formed the idea of reducing tht him (eh. xx. 34), and which he appears to whole of Palestine to subjection. And have sne.melessly broken, except by the help Jehoshaphat would remember that Ro.moth- ol hhosha.pha.t, whose military org,uuza- Gilea.d, where the Syrian king was 11till 011•  532 THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS. [ CH. XX.D, 1-58,