The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Kings — Section 523

gree.t suspense e.nd fee.r, until Zedekiah tempt, e.nd it would be difficult for him to delibere.tely smote him, in order to show swim alone against the current. It is prob- that he we.s powerless to e.venge e.n injury a.a able, too, that he discounted the portentous the me.n of God did (eh. xiii. 4), e.nd therefore words of Mica.ia.h on account of the long. no true prophet. This me.y be e.n " empty standing que.rrel between him e.nd Ahab. Re.bbinice.l tre.dition " (Biihr), but we me.y And, fino.lly, we must remember that his be sure the.t Ahe.b did not hear Micaia.h's own interests were threatened by Syria, e.nd words unmoved. He he.d he.d such con- he may well have feared trouble from that vincing proofs of the foresight e.nd powers quarter in ce.se this war were abandoned. of the Lord's prophets the.the may well have Rawlinson suggests that he may have con- trembled, even e.s he put on a bold front, ceived e. personal affection for Ahab; but e.nd sent Micaiah back to the prison house), 2 Chron. xix. 2 affords but slender ground until I come 1n peace. [This looks like e.n for this conclusion. J effort to encourage himself and those around Ver. 30.-And the king ot Israel ea.id him. But it almost betrays his misgiv- unto Jehoshaphat [At Ramoth-Gilead, on ings. He would have them think he had no the eve of the be.ttle], I will disguise myself fears. [same word eh. xx. 38] and enter [The Ver. 28.-And Mica.1ah said, If thou re- margin," when he was to disguise himself," turn at all 1n peace, the Lord hath not &c., is quite miste.ken. The Hebrew has spoken by me. And he ea.ll, Hearken, O two infinitives; lit., to disguise oneself and people [Rather, 0 nations. .tl.udite, populi enter; e. construction which is frequently omnes, Vulgate, He e.ppeals, so to speak, employed to indicate an absolute command. to the world), every one of you. [It is a Cf. Gen. xvii. 10; Exod. xx. 8; Isa.. xiv. curious circumstance that these same words 31 ; e.nd see Ewe.Id, 328 c. " The infini- are found at the beginning of the prophecy tive e.bsolute is the pla.inest and sira- of Micah (eh. i. 2). The coincidence may plest form of the voluntatirn for excla. be purely accidental, or the words may have me.tions" (Biihr). It agrees well with been borrowed by the prophet, not, indeed, the excitement under which Aho.b we.s from our historian, but from some record, doubtless labouring) Into the battle. [It the substance of which is embodied in this is not necesse.ry to suppose with Ewe.Id, history. Micah lived about e. century e.nd a Rawlinson, al., that he had heard of Ben- half after Micaiah ; about e. century before he.dad's co=e.nd to his captains (ver. 31). the Book of Kings we.s given to the world. It is ho.rdly likely that such intelligence Ver. 29.-So the king of Israel and could be brought by spies, o.nd there woul,l Jehoehapat the king of Judah went up to be no deserters from the Syrian army to Ra.moth-Gilead to battle. [" By the very that of the Jews. It is enough to remem- network of evil counsel which he he.a ber that Micaiah's words, "these have no woven for himself is the king of Isre.el led master," could not fa.ii to o.wn.ken some to his ruin" (Ste.nley). We can he.rdly alarm in his bosom, especially when con- doubt th11t Jehosho.phl\t at least would he.ve nected with the prophecy of oh. xx. 42. Ho been well content to abandon the expedition. will not betray his fear by keeping out of tho After the solicitude he had me.nilested for fray-which, indeed, he could not do without the sanction of one of the prophets of abdioe.ting one of the principal functions of Jehovah, e.nd o.fter that the one who had the king (1 Sam. viii. :!0), o.nd without ex- been consulted had predicted the defeat of posing himself to the charge of cowl\rdice ; the l\rmy, the king of Judo.h must have had but under the circumstances he thinks it many misgivings. But it is not difficult to imprudent to to.ke tho leo.d of the a.rmy, ns underste.nd why, notwithstanding his fears, kings were wont to do (2 Sam. i. 10), in his he did not draw ho.ck. For, in the first royal robes. He hopes by his clisguise to place, he he.d committed himself to the we.r escape all danger]: but put thou on thyrobes by the rash and positive promise of ver. 4. [LXX. rov iµaru1µ6v µ011, "lily robes." In the next place, he we.a Ahab's guest, and "We can neither imngino Ah,iL's askinr:: had been sumptuously entertained by him, nor Jehosho.phat's consenting to such I\ pro- e.nd it would therefore require some moral cedure. Jehoshaphat hn,l his own royal courage to extricate himself from the toils robes with him, as appears from vor. 10" in which h11 was entangled. Moreover, he (Rawlinson). If this LXX. interpreto.tion would have subjected himself to the impu- could be maintained it would lend somo tation of oowardice had he deserted his ally colour to the supposition, otherwise destitute bece.use of o. prophecy which threatened the of ho.sis, tho.t Ahab by this arrangement latter with death. '.l'he people around him, was plotting the death of Jehoshaphat in a.gain, including perhaps his own retinue, order thn.t he might incorporate Judo.h into wore possessed with the spirit of battle, and his own kingclom. It is clear, however, tho.t &reo.tcd the prophecy of Mice.io.h with con- . Ahab then ho.d other work on his hands, 588 'l'RE FinST BOOR OF KINGS. [en. XXII. 1-69, - - - - - -- -- - -----------------------~--- and it is doubtful whether even he was The chronicler reo.ds Ulb! they surrounded capable of such a pitoh of villainy. What him, instee.d of ric1 ; and the LXX. has be means is, eithc,r (1) that the Syrians have a personal enmity against himself (ver. 31), ik'v,c},,_caaw in both pi~ces. But the Syrians wherefls they could have none against the can hardly have o.ctuo.lly closed round the king of Judah; or (2) that Jehoshaphat's king, and the alteration might easily be life he.d not been threatened e.s his own made in the course of transcription] to fight against h1m [a.ccording to their in- hiid. "These words ~i~ i11'1~, are not to structions] : a.n.d Jehoshaphat cried out. be taken as e. command, but ~i~ply in this [This cry has been very variously inter- sense : Thou canst put on thy royal dress, preted. According to some, it was his own since there is no necessity for thee to take name that he eje.cnle.ted, which is possible, any such precautions as I have to take " if the co=and of ver. 31 was known in the (Keil). Do they not rather mean that o.llied army. According to others, it was Jehoshaphat should be the recognized leader the battle-cry of Judah, which, it is said, of the armv in which Ahab would serve in would be familia.r to the Syrians, and which a more pri;ate capacity?] And the king of would rally his own soldiers round him. Israel disguised himself, a.n.d went into the The Vulgate, no doubt influenced by the battle. words of 2 Chron. xviii. 31, "And the Lord Ver. 31.-But the king of Syria. com- helped him, e.nd God moved them to depart manded [rather, had co=e.nded. These from him," interprets, clamavit adDominum. words are of the nature of e. parenthesis. That it was e. cry for Divine help is the most "Now the king," &c. i1~ ~ is so rendered in probable, because it is almost an instinct, especially with a pious soul like Jehoshaphat, 2 Chron. rviii. 30] his thirty a.n.d two to cry to God in the moment of danger. captains [mentioned in eh. xx. 24. It does That he had doubts as to whether the course not follow, however (Wordsworth), tha.t he was pursuing was pleasing to God, would these very men had been spa.red by AhabJ make him aJl the more ready to cry aloud that had rule over his cha.riots [Heb. for mercy the moment he found himself in chariotry. Another indication that the peril. But it may have been merely a cry chariots were regarded e.s the most import- of terror. It must be carefully observed ant arm of the Syris.n service], saying, that the Scripture does not say that it was Fight neither with small nor great, save this cry led to his being recognized and only with the king of IsraeL [This spared.] Orienta.lism, tra.nslated into Western ideas, Ver. 33.-And it came to pass, when the means, " Direct yonr weapons against the captains of the cha.riots perceived [in what kinE"," What Ahab had done to provoke way we are not told. But Ahab would be such resentment is not qnite clear. Raw- known to some of them, eh. xx. 31] tha.t lt linson supposes that Ben-had.ad's " defeat was not the king of Israel, that they turned and captivity were still rankling in his back from pursuing him. mind, and he wished to retaliate on Ahab Ver. 34.-And a certain man. [Heb. a the humiliation which he considered him- man. It was natural for some of the Rab- sel! to have suffered." But it is impossible bins to identify this archer with Ne.a.man to see in Ahab's generous conduct towards -the tradition is found in Josephus. But him e. sufficient reason for the fierce hatred it is directly contrary to the spirit of the which these words disclose. It is much narrative to attempt to identify him. As more proba.ble that some affront he.d subse- it was a ehance e.rrow, so it wo.s by nn quently been offered to the Syris.n monarch, unknown e.rcher] drew a. bow a.t a. venture possibly in the shape of the repro_aches [Heb. in his simplicity, i.e., with, no inten- which Ahab me.y have addressed to bun on tion of shooting Ahab: not knowing what account of his retention of Ramoth-Gilee.d, he was doing. The.t this is the meaning is e.nd the gross violation of the treaty ofch. xx. clear from the use of the words in 2 Sam. 34. It is also possible that he hoped that xv. 11], a.n.d smote the king of Israel be- the death of Ahab would terminate the war tween the joints of the harness [The (Bii.hr).] me.rg., joints and the breastplate, comes Ver. 32.-And lt came to pass when the nearer the Hebrew. But it is clee.r that the captatns of the cha.riots saw Jehoshaphat, rendering joints, notwithstanding that it has that they said, Surely L'!tS, not only the support of Gesenius and others, is a (Bahr, Keil), bnt certainly; cl. Gen. mistaken one. "In the joints" we can un- xliv. 28; Judges iii. 24; 2 Kings x:r:iv. derstand, bat "between the joints and tht 31 1t [Heb. JU?] 1B the king of Israel coat of mail," gives no sense. It is obvionl And they turned ulde [Cf. eh. XX. ,9, that 0 11?~1lJ like l:7~tl following, mnst ae.me word. The Hebrew :mserts P /V. signify some portion of the armour, and the on. xxn. 1-68.] 'fRE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS. li39