XVIII. JEHOSHAPHAT MAKES AFFINITY WITH AHAB, AND TAKES PART IN THE SYRIAN WAR AT RAMOTH-GLLEAD. Comp. 1 Kings 22:2. Only the introduction of the narrative (2 Chronicles 18:1) differs from that of Kings — a change necessitated by the fact that the chronicler is writing the history, not of Ahab, but... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW JEHOSHAPHAT HAD. — _And Jehoshaphat got._ RICHES AND HONOUR IN ABUNDANCE. — Repeated from 2 Chronicles 17:5. AND JOINED AFFINITY WITH AHAB. — He married his son Jehoram to Athaliah, daughter of Ahab and Jezebel (2 Chronicles 21:6; 1 Kings 18:8). The high degree of prosperity to which the king... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AFTER CERTAIN YEARS. — See margin. 1 Kings 22:2 has: _“_And it came to pass _in the third year,_ that Jehoshaphat went down,” &c. — a date which is relative to the three years’ truce between Syria and Israel mentioned in the preceding verse. From 1 Kings 22:51 of the same chapter we learn that t... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AHAB KING OF ISRAEL. — This verse is essentially the same as 1 Kings 22:4. From this point the two narratives practically coincide. (See the Notes on 1 Kings 22) TO RAMOTH-GILEAD — i.e., Ramoth of, or in, Gilead. Ramoth (“heights”), or Ramath or Ramah (“height”), was a common name in such a hil... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JEHOSHAPHAT. — So exactly 1 Kings 22:5. ENQUIRE... AT THE WORD. — _Seek the word. _... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE. — _And._ OF PROPHETS. — Rather, _the prophets._ FOUR HUNDRED. — Kings, “_About_ four hundred.” _Also’ Adonai_ (“the Lord”), instead of _ha’elôhîm_ (“the [true] God”); and “I go against” for “we go to,” where the former is obviously more appropriate.... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT — _And._ So 1 Kings 22:7, literally.... [ Continue Reading ]
HE NEVER PROPHESIED GOOD UNTO ME, BUT ALWAYS EVIL. — Literally, _He is not prophesying to me for good, but all his days for evil._ Kings: “He prophesieth not to me good but evil.” The chronicler has aggravated the idea of opposition, by adding “all his days;” _i.e.,_ throughout his prophetic career.... [ Continue Reading ]
CALLED FOR ONE OF HIS OFFICERS. — Literally, _Called to a eunuch._ (See on 1 Chronicles 28:1.) MICAIAH — Hebrew text, _Mîkâhû,_ a contracted form. The Hebrew margin substitutes the usual spelling.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE KING OF ISRAEL... SAT EITHER OF THEM ON HIS THRONE. — Rather, _Now the king of Israel_... _were sitting each on his throne._ CLOTHED IN THEIR ROBES. — The pronoun, which is indispensable if this be the meaning, is wanting in the Hebrew. The Syriac has probably preserved the original reading... [ Continue Reading ]
PUSH. — _Butt_ (Daniel 8:4). Figuratively, as here, Deuteronomy 33:17. UNTIL THEY BE CONSUMED. — _Unto destroying them. _... [ Continue Reading ]
PROPHESIED. — _Nibbĕ’îm,_ “were prophesying.” Vulg., “prophetabant.” In 2 Chronicles 18:9 the synonym _mith-nabbe’îm_ was used, which also signifies “mad, raving” Jeremiah 29:26). The root meaning of this word is probably visible in the Assyrian _nabû,_ “to call, proclaim,” so that the _nâbî,_ or pr... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WORDS OF THE PROPHETS... ONE ASSENT. — See margin, and comp. Joshua 9:2, “they assembled... _to_ fight against Israel, one mouth “ — _i.e.,_ with one consent.) Probably instead of _dibhrê, “_words,” we should read _dibbĕrû, “_they said,” a far slighter change in Hebrew writing than in English:... [ Continue Reading ]
EVEN. — _Nay, but whatsoever my God shall say._ MY GOD. — Kings, _Jehovah. _... [ Continue Reading ]
SHALL I FORBEAR. — Kings, _shall we forbear._ (See Note on 2 Chronicles 18:5.) AND HE SAID, GO YE UP ... AND THEY SHALL BE DELIVERED. — Kings repeats the words of 2 Chronicles 18:11, “Go thou up, and prosper thou, and the Lord,” &c. The chronicler has substituted a reply, which states quite definit... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE KING SAID. — 1 Kings 22:16 _literatim._ I ADJURE THEE. — Compare the words of the high priest to Christ (Matthew 26:63).... [ Continue Reading ]
UPON THE MOUNTAINS. — Kings, “_unto_ the mountains.” AS SHEEP. — _Like the flock,_ both of sheep and goats.... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT EVIL. — So Kings. Heb., here as margin. (Comp. 2 Chronicles 18:7.)... [ Continue Reading ]
AGAIN. — _And._ THEREFORE. — LXX., _not so,_ as if the Hebrew were _lô’kçn_ instead of _laken._ Vulg. excellently, “at ille: idcirco ait audite verbum domini.” HEAR YE. — Kings, _hear thou._ STANDING ON HIS RIGHT HAND. — Literally, _were standing._ Kings, _And all the host of heaven was standing... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ONE SPAKE, SAYING. — Literally, _and one said_ (i.e., it was spoken), _this one saying thus, and that one saying thus._ The text is certainly right. AFTER THIS MANNER. — _Kâhhâh._ Kings, _bĕkhôh._ Kings has, _and this one said in this wise, and that one was saying in that wise. _... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THERE CAME OUT A SPIRIT. — Rather, _And the spirit came forth._ LXX., καὶ ἐξῆλθεν τὸ πνεῦμα_. _... [ Continue Reading ]
AND BE. — _Become_ (_wĕhâyîthî lĕ_). Kings omits the particle. A LYING SPIRIT. — _A spirit of falsehood._ (Comp. Isaiah 11:2; Isaiah 19:14; Ezekiel 14:9 : “And the prophet, if he be deceived, and speak a word, it is I, Jehovah, who have deceived that prophet.” The verb “deceive” is that which is re... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW THEREFORE. — _And now._ OF THESE. — Kings, _of all these._ So some Hebrew MSS., Vulg., Syriac, Arabic, and one MS. of LXX.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN. — _And._ AND SMOTE. — _Way-yak,_ a correction of _way-yakkèh_ (Kings), such as the chronicler often makes. WHICH WAY. — Literally, _where is the way the spirit of Jehovah passed._ Kings, _where passed the spirit,_ &c. UNTO THEE. — _With thee. _... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU SHALT SEE. — _Thou art to see,_ or, _destined to see, on that day when thou shalt enter a chamber in a chamber to hide thyself_ (_lĕhçchâbçh”,_ correctly. Kings, _lĕhçchâbçh_). Zedekiah’s further history is not recorded — an indication, as Ewald justly observes, that the original narrative cont... [ Continue Reading ]
TAKE YE... CARRY HIM. — Kings, _Take thou_... _carry thou,_ addressed to some single officer. GOVERNOR. — _Sar,_ “prefect.” LXX., ἄρχοντα. Syriac_t shallit._ CARRY BACK — i.e., _convey back._ Literally, _make him return. _... [ Continue Reading ]
BREAD OF AFFLICTION, AND WITH WATER OF AFFLICTION. — In the Hebrew the second word (_làhats_) is not a genitive but an accusative, “bread with stint,” “water with stint.” Literally, _squeezing._ Vulg., “panis modicum et aquae pauxillum.” Syriac, “bread (enough) to keep life, and water (enough) to ke... [ Continue Reading ]
AND MICAIAH SAID. — Literally as 1 Kings 22:28. IF THOU CERTAINLY RETURN. — “If thou _dost_ return.” AND HE SAID — _i.e.,_ Micaiah said, turning to the crowd of bystanders, and making them witnesses to his prediction. HEARKEN, ALL YE PEOPLE. — Rather, _Hearken ye, O peoples all!_ Literally, _all o... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL DISGUISE MYSELF, AND WILL GO. — Literally, _disguising myself and entering!_ A hurried exclamatory mode of speaking. THEY WENT. — Kings, _he_ (Ahab) _went into the battle._ So some Hebrew MSS., LXX., Syriac, Vulg., Arabic, and Targum.... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT WERE WITH HIM. — Kings adds, “thirty and two,” referring to what is related in 1 Kings 20:16; 1 Kings 20:24, a matter which the chronicler has not noticed. The Syriac and Arabic supply the number here. WITH SMALL OR GREAT. — So Kings. Our text is literally, _with_ the _small or_ the _great._... [ Continue Reading ]
DREW A BOW. — _With the bow._ AT A VENTURE. — See margin, and comp. 2 Samuel 15:11, where a similar phrase occurs, which Gesenius interprets “without thought of evil design.” The LXX. εὐστόχως_,_ “with good aim,” is a bad guess. Syriac, “innocently straight before him.” But the explanation of Rashi... [ Continue Reading ]
INCREASED. — Literally, _went up, grew._ (Comp. Genesis 40:10; Amos 7, the growth of grass.) HOWBEIT THE KING OF ISRAEL STAYED HIMSELF UP IN HIS CHARIOT. — Literally, _and the king of Israel was_ (or, _continued_)_ holding himself up in the chariot, facing Aram, until the evening._ 1 Kings 22:35 rea... [ Continue Reading ]