A. M. 3105. 5 But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread? 6 And he said unto her, Because I spake unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and said unto him, Give me thy vineyard for money; or else, if it please thee, I will give thee another vineyard for it: || and he answered, I will not give thee my vineyard. Naboth to accuse him of blasphemy. 8 So she wrote letters in Ahab's A. M. 3105. B. C. 899. name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that were in his city, dwelling with Naboth. 9 And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth 2 on high among the people: C 10 And set two men, sons of Belial, before 7 And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost him, to bear witness against him, saying, thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? arise, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. and eat bread, and let thy heart be merry: I will|| And then carry him out, and stone him, that give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite. he may die. * Heb, in the top of the people. • Exod. xxii. 28; Lev. xxiv. 15; Acts vi. 11.- d Lev. xxiv. 14. appeared in his countenance. Here we see, 1st,|| sign in Ahab, and to beget a good opinion of him That irregular desire, or "discontent, is a sin that is among his people, as if he were grown zealous for its own punishment, and makes men torment them- God's honour, and careful of his people's welfare, selves: it makes the spirit sad, the body sick, and and therefore was desirous to inquire into all those all the enjoyments sour: it is the heaviness of the sins which provoked God against them. And set heart, and the rottenness of the bones; 2d, It is a || Naboth on high-On a scaffold, or high place, where sin that is its own parent; it arises not from the con- || he might be seen and heard by the people; for perdition, but from the mind. As we find Paul content sons accused and arraigned were wont so to appear in a prison, so Ahab discontent in a palace: he had before the judges, that all the people might see them, all the delights of Canaan, that pleasant land, at and hear what was alleged against them, and the command; the wealth of a kingdom, the pleasure proofs of it, and their defence. of a court, and the honours and powers of a throne; and yet all this avails him nothing without Naboth's vineyard. Inordinate desires expose men to continual vexations; and they that are disposed to fret, be they ever so happy, will always find something or other to fret at.”—Henry. Verse 10. And set two men before him to bear witness-It was the Roman custom also; and was most rational, that the accused should have the accusers face to face, Acts xxv. 16. Thou didst blaspheme God and the king-Hebrew, na, beracta, thou didst bless. Blessing is here put for Verse 7. Jezebel said, Dost thou now govern the|| cursing and blaspheming, as in Job i. 5, and ii. 9, as kingdom of Israel?—Art thou fit to be a king who is apparent, because his blessing God and the king canst put up with such affronts from thy subjects, would have been no crime. It was death by the and hast not courage to dispose of them and theirs law of Moses to blaspheme God, Lev. xxiv. 16; as seemeth good unto thee? I will give thee the and by custom it was death to revile the king, which vineyard of Naboth-Trouble thyself no further was forbidden, Exod. xxii. 28. Now, in order to about it, but leave the matter to me; I will manage || make sure work, the witnesses, as they were instructit to thy satisfaction, and the vineyard shall be thine, ed, accused Naboth of both those crimes, that the and shall cost thee nothing. Unhappy are those people might be the better satisfied to see him stoned. princes, and hurried apace toward their ruin, who There is, however, this difference to be observed behave those about them who excite them to acts of tween these two crimes, that by blaspheming God, tyranny, and teach them how to abuse their power! a person only forfeited his life, not his estate, which Verse 8. She sent the letters unto the elders and went to his heirs; whereas, when a man was execunobles-Whom she very well knew to be fit for her ted for treason, his estate was forfeited to him against purpose; that were in his city-In Jezreel. Thus whom the offence was committed. For this reason she seeks to destroy him with a pretence of justice, it was that Naboth was charged with this crime also, and with as little reflection on Ahab as might be. that his estate might be confiscated, and Ahab might, by that means, get possession of the vineyard. And then carry him out-Nof merely out of the assembly, but out of the city, verse 13. For while they were in the wilderness, and before the conquest of Canaan, they executed punishments without the camp, Lev. xxiv, 23; Josh. vii. 24; but afterward without the gates of their cities. By this they intended to signify, that they would take the evil out of the midst of them, and not suffer wickedness to remain among them. Verse 9. She wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast-As if there had been some grievous crime committed, or some great calamity had befallen them, which all the people were to bewail, and purge themselves from, lest they should become guilty; and consequently they were to see the crime punished very severely; for such days of fasting were spent in punishing offenders, doing justice, and praying to God for pardon. She intended also, by taking this step, to remove all suspicion of evil de Ahab, going to take Naboth's B. C. 899. B. C. 899. AM. 3105. 11 And the men of his city, even || of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreel- A. M. 3105. the elders and the nobles who were ite, which he refused to give thee for the inhabitants in his city, did as Jezebel had money: for Naboth is not alive, but dead. sent unto them, and as it was written in the 16 And it came to pass, when Ahab heard letters which she had sent unto them. that Naboth was dead, that Ahab rose up to go 12They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, on high among the people. to take possession of it. 13 And there came in two men, children of Belial, and sat before him: and the men of Belial witnessed against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died. 17 And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 18 Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria: behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it. 19 And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, 14 Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou killed, and is stoned, and is dead. 15 And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned, and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take possession Isa. lviii. 4.- 2 Kings ix. 26.5 Psa. ix. 14. Verse 11. The men of his city did as Jezebel had sent to them-Which is not at all strange, considering that they had for a long time cast off the fear of God; prostituted their consciences and religion to please their king; and sold themselves to all manner of wickedness; so that they could not now make a safe and honourable retreat. Besides, they durst not disobey Jezebel's command, by whom they knew the king was wholly governed, and who could easily have taken away their lives, in the same manner, if they had refused to kill Naboth: and it is not unlikely that she sent private messengers to tell them, by word of mouth, what she expected from them, and how she would reward them; as well as public letters to authorize what they did. Princes never want instruments to execute their pleasure; but it is strange that, in this case, there should be none among the judges and great men that abhorred such villany: it argues the great corruption of their manners by idolatry. i also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine. h Chap. xiii. 32; 2 Chron. xxii. 9. Chap. xxii. 38. with the formalities of a legal process! which was a great aggravation of the crime. For, to use that power for the preservation of the guilty and the murdering of the innocent, which ought to have been used for the punishment of the former and the protection of the latter, was such a violent perversion of justice and judgment, as cannot easily be paralleled. But there is a judgment to come when such iniquitous judgments as these will be called over again! Verse 14. They sent to Jezebel-By whom they were not ignorant the affairs of the kingdom were in a great measure managed, and this design contrived: saying, Naboth is stoned-Which they knew would be an agreeable piece of news to her who had imbrued her hands in the blood of so many of the Lord's prophets. Here let us observe, that as obsequious as the elders of Jezreel were to Jezebel's orders, which she sent from Samaria for the murder of Naboth, so obsequious were the elders of Samaria Verse 13. They stoned him-And, it seems, his afterward to Jehu's orders, which he sent from Jezsons too, either with him, or after him; for God af- reel, for the murder of Ahab's seventy sons, only lerward says, (2 Kings ix. 26,) I have seen the blood that was not done by course of law. "Those tyrants," of Naboth, and the blood of his sons. Let us com- says Henry, "that, by their wicked orders, debauch mit the keeping of our lives and comforts to God, the consciences of their inferior magistrates, may for innocence itself will not always be our security. perhaps find at last the wheel return upon them; This account of Ahab's unjust and barbarous conduct and that those, who will not stick to do one cruel toward Naboth, placed, as it is by the sacred histo- thing for them, will be as ready, when occasion of rian, immediately after his gentle treatment of Ben-fers, to do another cruel thing against them." hadad, shows the great inconsistency and extreme wickedness of his conduct. He spares the proud, boasting, and blaspheming heathen, and even terms him his brother, and honours him by taking him into his chariot; nay, and enters into a covenant with him: but he basely and barbarously murders, or, at least, connives at his wife's murdering, the just and pious Israelite; and that under colour of justice, and Be Verses 18, 19. Arise, go to meet Ahab, which is in Samaria-That is, who reigns in Samaria. hold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth-Or, rather, he will be there by the time thou comest thither. And speak unto him, Hast thou killed and also taken possession?-Thou hast murdered an innocent and righteous man; and, instead of repenting of thy crime, hast added another piece of injustice and vio 21 Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel, lence to it, and art going, confidently and cheerfully, to reap the fruit of thy wickedness. He ascribes Jezebel's act to Ahab, because Jezebel did it by his connivance, consent, and authority, and for the gratification of his inordinate desire. In the place where dogs licked, &c.-Instead of the place, some would render the original word here used, the manner, and so the sense of the passage will be, As the dogs licked, or, in like manner as they licked Naboth's blood, even so shall they lick thy blood: mark what I say, even thine. According to this reading, the prophet foretold that this judgment should come upon him, but did not assign the place; accordingly, the dogs licked Ahab's blood, not in Jezreel, but in Samaria, chap. xxii. 38. If, however, our translation be preferred, it may be observed, 1st, Ahab's blood was licked by the dogs, if not in the same individual, yet in the same general place, Jezreel being in the territory of Samaria. 2d, This was particularly accomplished in his son Joram, as is affirmed 2 Kings ix. 25, 26, whose blood is not improperly called Ahab's, children being said to be born of their parents' blood. The expression, indeed, thy blood, even thine, seems to show that the threatening was at first denounced against Ahab's person, and designed to be fulfilled in him: but afterward, upon his humiliation, the punishment was in part transferred from him to his son, as is expressed verse 29; yet upon Ahab's returning to sin, as is related in the next chapter, he brought back the curse upon himself, and so it is no wonder that it was in some sort fulfilled in him also, Verse 20. Ahab said to Elijah-Upon his delivery of the message last mentioned, which it was needless to repeat. Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?—|| Dost thou pursue me from place to place? Wilt thou never let me rest? Art thou come after me thereon humbles himself before God. 24 Him that dieth of Ahab in the A. M. 3105. B. C. 899. city the dogs shall eat: and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat. 25 But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, "whom Jezebel his wife stirred up. x 26 And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel. 27 ¶ And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly. 28 And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, r2 Kings 1x. 36.- —3 Or, ditch.——3 Chapter xiv. 11; xvi. 4. Chapter xvi. 30, &c." Chapter xvi. 31. Or, incited. * Gen. xv. 16; 2 Kings xxi. 11.y Gen. xxxvii. 34. hither with thy unwelcome messages? Thou art always disturbing, threatening, and opposing me. I have found thee-The hand of God hath found and overtaken thee. Thou hast sold thyself—Thou hast wholly resigned up thyself to be the bond-slave of the devil, as a man that sells himself to another is totally in his master's power. To work evil, &c.— Impudently and contemptuously. Those who give themselves up to sin, will certainly be found out, sooner or later, to their unspeakable amazement. Verses 23, 24. The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall-Or, by the ditch, or fort; or, in the portion, of Jezreel, as the Hebrew word n, becheel, often signifies, and as it is explained 2 Kings ix. 36, a passage which attests the exact accomplishment of this prediction. Him that dieth of Ahab in the city, &c.— Punishments after death are here most insisted on; and these, though lighting on the body only, yet undoubtedly were designed as figures of the soul's misery in an after state. Verses 25, 26. There was none like unto AhabAmong all the kings of Israel who had been before him. Whom Jezebel his wife stirred up-This is added to show that temptations to sin are no excuse to the sinner. He did very abominably in following idols, &c.-There was no abomination which the people of Canaan committed, (here called the Amorites, according to their ancient name, Gen. xv. 16,) which Ahab did not imitate. Verse 27. He rent his clothes, and put on sackcloth, &c.-These were expressions of great sorrow and heaviness, and usual in mourning: for, notwithstanding that Ahab was drawn, by the persuasions of his wife, to idolatry and other great crimes; yet he was sensible that many of Elijah's prophecies had been fulfilled, and therefore he was much disturbed at what he now heard from that prophet. And went Ahab invites Jehoshaphat to join B. C. 899. B. C. 899 A. M. 3105. 29 Seest thou how Ahab hum- || bring the evil in his days; but in A. M. 3105. bleth himself before me? because his son's days will I bring the evil he humbleth himself before me, I will not upon his house. Ahab invites Jehoshaphat to join in recovering Ramoth-gilead, 1-4. His false prophets promise vim success, 5, 6. He sends for Micaiah, 7-10. Further promises, 11, 12. Micaiah's uprightness and prediction, 13–23. He is abused and imprisoned, 24-28. An account of the battle, wherein Ahab is slain, 29-40. The good reign of Jehoshaphat, 41-50. The wicked reign of Ahaziah, 51-53. And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Inquire, I pray thee, at the word of the LORD to-day. 6 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, Heb. silent from taking it. - 2 Kings iii. 7. d Chap. xviii. 19. Verse 1. They continued three years-That is, three years were spent; without war between Syria and Israel-Computed from the last war and league wherewith it was concluded. Both Ahab and Ben-hadad were so weakened and broken by the late wars, that they needed and desired peace to recruit themselves, and repair their former losses. Verse 2. The king of Judah came down to the king of Israel-Having now, as he supposed, made a firm peace with him, by the alliance contracted between Jehoram his son, and Athaliah, Ahab's daughter, 2 Kings viii. 18; 2 Chron. xviii, 1. It is strange that so good a man would be so closely connected with a king revolted from the worship of God! But he appears to have been of too easy a temper, which betrayed him to many inconveniences. Verse 3. Know ye not that Ramoth in Gilead is ore?-Belongeth to us by right, both by God's donation, and by our last agreement with Ben-hadad, chap. xx. 34. It is probable Ben-hadad had not made good his part of the covenant, to restore all the cities which the Syrians had taken from Israel, and that this was one which he refused to deliver up. Verse 4. He said to Jehoshaphat, Wilt thou go up with me, &c. ?-It is not strange that Ahab should desire the assistance of so pious and prosperous a neighbour as Jehoshaphat, and should wish to draw him in to join him in this expedition for the recovery of Ramoth-gilead. Even bad men have often coveted the friendship of the good; but it is strange that Jelloshaphat should go so entirely into Ahab's interests as to say, I am as thou art, and my people as thy people-That is, I will heartily and effectually join with thee; and my forces shall be at thy service, as much as thine own. Verse 5. Jehoshaphat said, Inquire, I pray thee, &c. By some prophet; that we may know the mind of God in this matter, and what success we may expect. A good man, wherever he goes, will take God along with him, will acknowledge him in all his ways, and look to him for success: and, wherever he goes, he ought to take his religion along with him; and not be ashamed to own it, even among those who have no kindness for it. Verse 6. The king of Israel gathered the prophets together-Doubtless his own false prophets, such as he had set up by rewards and promises, and Ahab's false prophets predict success. B. C. 897. B. C. 897. A. M. 3107. and said unto them, Shall I go against || the entrance of the gate of Samaria; A. M. 3107 Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I for- and all the prophets prophesied before bear? And they said, Go up; for the LORD them. shall deliver it into the hand of the king. 7 ¶ And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD besides, that we might inquire of him? 8 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may inquire of the LORD: but I hate him: for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so. 9 Then the king of Israel called an 2 officer, and said, Hasten hither Micaiah the son of Imlah. 10 And the king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, sat each on his throne, having put on their robes, in a 3 void place in 2 Kings iii. 11.- - Or, eunuch. 11 And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron: and he said, Thus saith the LORD, With these shalt thou push the Syrians until thou have consumed them. 12 And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramoth-gilead, and prosper: for the LORD shall deliver it into the king's hand. 13 And the messenger that was gone to call Micaiah spake unto him, saying, Behold now, the words of the prophets declare good unto the king with one mouth: let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them, and speak that which is good. 14 And Micaiah said, As the LORD liveth, what the LORD saith unto me, that will I speak. 'Heb. floor. Num. xxii. 38. who accordingly knew how to suit his humour, and and for that, had lain in prison three years. But flatter his vanity, and who yet gave in their answer this did not make him less confident, or less faithful in the name of Jehovah; either in compliance with in delivering his message. Having put on their Jehoshaphat, or by Ahab's direction, that Jehosha-robes-Their royal robes and ensigns of majesty. phat might be deceived by them into a good opinion|| of the war. Verses 7, 8. Is there not here a prophet of the Lord besides?-Besides these who may seem to be such in your opinion, and by their own profession? He did not entirely reject these as no prophets of the Lord, though he had some doubt of their being divinely inspired with the certain knowledge of future events; and therefore he desired to know if there was any other from whom he might receive further satisfaction. There is yet one man, &c.— Namely, in this place, for whom I can speedily send; for there were also other prophets elsewhere in the kingdom, but these were not at hand. Micaiah the son of Imlah-Not the person whom we call Micah, one of the twelve minor prophets, for he lived a hundred and fifty years after this time, but another of that name. He doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil-He is always a messenger to me of evil tidings. This probably was true, but not a sufficient reason why he should hate him, because Micaiah only delivered the messages which God sent by him; and whatsoever evil he denounced, Ahab himself was the cause and procurer of it. Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so— Let us neither hate his person, nor despise his message; but first hear it, and then do as we see In a void place-In the place of judicature, which was in or nigh the gate of the city, and in the front of some void place, where either people stood to hear and see justice administered, or soldiers were placed for the defence of the city in time of war. And all the prophets prophesied before them-Continued to encourage them in their design; all agreeing, to a man, in the same fawning compliances with Ahab, and the same treacherous counsels, which pleased and tickled, for the present, but proved fatal in the end. Verse 11. Zedekiah made him horns of iron—Fit emblems of the power and victory of these two kings. The devil is God's ape, and the false prophets imitated the true, who, when they declared God's mind by words, did also sometimes confirm it by sensible signs, Isa. xx. 2; Jer. xxvii. 2. Thus saith the Lord-Hebrew, Jehovah, in whose name he pretends to speak, to gain the more credit and countenance to his words. Verses 13, 14. Speak that which is good-This was a most absurd request: for if Micaiah was a true prophet, he could say nothing but what was suggested to him by divine inspiration, and if he were not, why should he speak at all? Of what use could his prophesying be unless to deceive? What the Lord saith unto me, that will I speak-What answer the Lord shall put into my mind and mouth. He resolves as became one who had an eye to a greater king than either of these. He seems, as yet, to have had no revelation about the matter. But when the question was put to him, God taught him what to answer. |