meaning of the verb p;;i,, adhaesit, leads 8?me have been led, though without suffi- ue to conclude that "the hanging skirt of cient warrant, to conclude that Ahab left p11~·.111lel. m~tal pllltes-hence the pluro.l " - the field, had his wo~d bound up, and (Bahr) 1e mtended. The coat of mo.il only then returned to take his part in the battle. covered the breast and ribs. To this But the explanation is very simple. As the a fringe of movable plates of steel was bo.ttlo increased, it beco.me impossible to attached or fastened, hence called 0'i?~1- comply with the king's desire. So thick So Luther, Zwischen den Panzer und Hen- was the fight that retreat was impossible. gel. One is reminded here of the Po.rthian H_enee the wounded king, who would other- arrow which wrung from Julian the Apos- msc have sunk down to the bottom of the tate the dying c_onfession, •' Thou bast ch~ot, had to be "stayed np in the pre- conquered, 0 Galilean." Cf. Psa. vii. 13, sence of the Syrians." This circumstance 14]: wherefore he saJd unto the driver of mo.y also account for the fact that he died ~ chariot, Tw:n thine hand [or, accord- at even. Had it been possible to remove mg to the Chethib, hands. The charioteers him and staunch hie wounds he mi,.,bt 0
of Palestine, like those of Egypt and Assyria., have lingered for some time. As it w11s he or those of modem Russia, held a rein in bled to death. It is not clear theref~re each hllild. Same expression 2 Kings ix. that "his death was kingly" '(Kitto), o; 23. The meaning is "tum round"] and caxry that we must concede to Ahab "the credit me out of the host ; for I am wounded. of right princely fortitude on this occasion" [~eb. made sick.· The king probably felt (Rawlinson). He would have left the host 1118 wound to be mortal, as a wound in such could he have done so. It was his ser- a part, the o.bdomen (cf. 2 Sam. ii. 23; iii. vant~ propped up the dying man in his 27; xx. 10), would be. Vulgate, graviter cbo.not, to encourage the army. Wha.t a pic- vulneratu.s sum. How far an arrow in such ture for an artist-the king with the pallor a pl11ce could penetrate, we may ga.ther from of death spreading over his face, the a.nxious 2 Kings ix. 24; cf. Job xvi. 13. And he faces of the attendants, tbe pool of blood was seeminglv anxious that the army should the sun sinking to the horizon, &c.], and not know it, lest they should be discouraged. died at even: and the blood ran out of the They would soon discover it if he remained wound [Heb. the blood of the wo1111d poured] with the host; he can fight no longer ; hie Into the midst [Heb. bosom; LXX. ,coA ,rov, wound needs attention ; hence this com- the hollow part, or "well." The s11llle word mand. It is quite possible that the cha- is used of the concave pa.rt of the altarJ of rioteer, in the din and confusion of battle the chariot. mo.y not have observed that his master wa; Ver. 36.-And there went a proclamation wounded. The arrow had not struok any throughout the host [Heh . .d.nd the shout- part of the armour.] ing passed 011cr in the camp. Gesenius will have it that i1n must me11n a " joyful Ver. 35.-And the battle Increased [Heb. ory," and woulil seo the cause of joy in tho tDent up. Marg. ascended. The tide of cessation of hostilities o.nd the pennission warfar~. rose ~gher and higher. Both Keil to return home] about the going down of and Bahr thmk that the image is taken th~.. sun [A:ccording to the chronicler (eh. from a. swelling river, o.nd cite Isa. viii. 7. xvm. 34), 1t was o.t sunset tho.t the king The obicct of this verse is to explllin how it died. It seems natura.l, therefore, to cou- was tho.t the king's request wo.s not com- nect this shout with his death. But the plied withJ that day: and the king was approach of night would of itself put an stayed up 1n hie chariot [Heh. 111ade to end to tho bo.ttlo. It docs not appear tho.t 6tand. . L:iq::. ,}v ~•1T'l"'"'I:· He wae sup- Isro.el ha.d been utterly defeated, or hnd ported 10 his chanot by some of hie ser- suffered great loss. But "they ho.d no vant~, and maintained in an erect posture. master"] , aa.ying, Every man to his city, ~ho.nots were destitute of seats. Accord- and every man to his own country [or 1~g to Theniue and Keil, ho mainto.ined himself er_ect, by his own strength. But land]. the word 1s passive] a.gal.net the Syrl.a.ns Ver. 37.-So the king died [Tho LXX. makes this to be o. part of the procl11ma.tion, [Heh. in the face of the Syrians. M::l) E-.aarot fit n-jv . . . yijv On rE&v1J1CEV 0 coram. His back wo.s not twned to the~• f3aar).. ~i,,, which involves a very slight ~s ho ho.d desir~d. The idea that he wa~ m any way fighting ago.inst the Syrians is cho.nge in the Hebrtw text, 7',r.,;, nr., '::J altogether foreign to the text It is at instead of 7,r.i;, nr.,,, and gives o. better fir_st sight somewhat difficult to reconcile sense. It bo.s alreo.dy been st11tecl tho.t this statement with the direction given to the king died. Such repetitions however n.ro tho charioteer in the preoeding verse, nnd _common in Hebrew, o.nd this ren.dinG hll8 640 THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS. tea. xltn. 1-liB.