The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Kings — Section 538

2 Kings ix. 25, 26; x. 10, 11, 16, 17). Those who are "looking for," are thereby "hastening the coming of the cla.y of God" (see 2 Peter iii. 12). II. THAT NEVERTHELESS THE BAND OF Goo IS IN IT. 1. This Wa8 evident in the caae of .Ahab. The purpose of Ben-he.dad, should Ahab he.vl!I fallen into his hands, is not recorded. Would he return Ahab's compliment of releasing him with a covenant:> Would he show Ahab how he ought to have treated him? (2) But God had other means than the captains of Ben-hade.d to accomplish His purpose. "A man drew a bow at a venture (marg. "in his simplicity'') and omote the king of Israel between the joints and he.mess." A simpleton brings down a king ! (See Prov. i. 32.) God guided the arrow to the opening in the joints of the armour, as He guided the pebble from the sling of David into the frontals of Goliath. No armour is proof age.inst the shafts of Divine vengeance. (3) The hand of God also was seen in the sequel. The prophecies of Elijah and Micaio.h seem to be in con- flict. The one speaks of the dogs licking the blood of Ahab e.t " Se.maria ; " the other of Ahab falling at "Re.moth-Gilead." Who but God could so order events that there should be no conflict here:> "The blood ran out of the wound into the midst (Heb. bosom) of the chariot;'' perhaps more correctly," into the bosom of the charioteer," on which the king leaned. "And one we.shed the chariot ; " or rather, "And the driver washed himself in the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked his blood'' i.e., the blood of Ahab which fell from the bosom of the driver. "And the things they washed." For nm denotes the several kinds of things, being derived from If, a kind or species. Before the person and things defiled with blood were permitted to enter the city, they were to be washed; and the dogs licked up the blood that fell from the driver's bosom, and off the things, as they lay to be washed (see Paa. lxviii. 23). (4) But were not the words of Elijah "In the place where the dogs licked the blood of Na.both " (viz., J ezreel) " shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine"'/ But in the context there, the vineyard of Na.botl1 is said to be in Se.maria. (see eh. xxi. 18, 19), because Jezreel, like Beiliel, was one of the" cities of Se.maria" (see eh. xiii. 82). In the very vineyard of Ne.both did the blood of Ahab flow from the veins of his son (see 2 Kings ix. 25, 26). The providence tlrnt accomplished is no less admirable than the omniscience that predicted. 2. Thi-s was also evident in the caae of Jehoshaphat. (1) Mico.iah did not so.y that the king of Judah should fall e.t Ramoth-Gilead; but bis prophecy did intimate that ho would be of little use to ilie army. The word (t:l1Jit'() in ver. 17 rendered "master" is pluru.l, and evidently associates J ehosbo.pbat with Ahab. When Aho.b was wounded to death o.nd J ehoshaphe.t had fled for his life, the people bn.cl " no musters," so the proclamation soon followed which determined "every man to his house in peace." (2) Jehosbapbat's danger lay in his being assimiln.tocl to Ahab. He should never havo said, " I am as thou art" (ver. 4), then would be not have been persuaded to don Ahab's robes. By the influence of his company J ehosbn.plin.t wo.s becoming morally like him, and therefore was in dangol' of sharing his miser- able fate (see Prov. xiii. 20). t3) To avoid this danger he had to become himself again. "He cried out" [to Jehovah) (see 2 Chron. xviii. 31); ancl thus was dis- covered to the captains, who would expect to hear Ahab cry rather to Baal. The hand of God was evident in his deliverance ; and this he might road 11.s 11 parable assuring him that his future safety must lio in his renouncing evil companions anti returning to the piety of his earlier years.-J. A. M. Vera, 89, 40, 51-53.-Survival. After the nccount of Ahab's death and bmial, and of the manner in which the dogs of Se.maria fulfillod tbo prophecy of Elij,1b, the earlier verses of our text follow. In the firat of these tbo render is refoned to the archives of the nation for an account of the " rost of tho acts " 11.ntl works of this monarch, viz., those to which inspiration was not here specially directed. In the second, the succession of Ahazin.h is mentiouod. ·with these verses, because of the ~nity ~f ilia _subject, we associo.to the throe verses referring to the reign of Ahaz1e.h, Wlth which the chapter closes. Taking the latter first in order, wo see- I. TH:A,T A~AB SURVIVED IN AHAZU..H. 1. This was legally true. (1) " So Aliab slept W1th h:s fathers; o.nd Ahe.zie.h his son reigned in his steo.cl." In law, o. 554 THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS. [ OB. XXII, 1-58.