Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, 1 Kings · Chapter 19
CHAP. XIX.
Verſ. 1. ANd Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withall, how he had ſlain, &c.] That is, he told her the ſucceſſe of that conflict betwixt Elijah and the prophets of Baal, and all the miraculous paſſages that Elijah had done; and that to clear himſelf from being blamed by that his imperious wife, for that unavoidable execution of the Baalites which followed hereupon; yet withall he would have her know, that the putting of them to the ſword, was rather Elijahs fact, then his; he had ſlain all the prophets with the ſword: as fearing, that all which could be ſaid, would hardly ſatisfie her: but that the foure hundred prophets of the groves are not included amongſt thoſe that were ſlain by Elijah, we may the rather think; becauſe, chap. 22.6. we reade again of foure hundred prophets that were called together by Ahab.
Verſ. 2. Then Jezebel ſent a meſſenger unto Elijah, ſaying, So let the gods do to me, &c.] Either ſhe aſſured her ſelf, that he who had alwayes ſhewen himſelf ſo ſtout and bold, and might now be encouraged with the favour of the people, would not fly; or elſe ſhe was merely carried away with the impotencie or her rage and paſſion, which God by his all-ruling providence did now make uſe of, for the preſervation of his Prophet; for elſe ſhe would never have ſent him word what ſhe meant to do; thereby giving him warning, as it were, to be gone. Concerning this form of ſwearing, So let the gods do to me, and more alſo, &c. See the note Ruth 1.17.
Verſ. 3. And when he ſaw that, he aroſe, and went for his life, and came to Beerſheba, &c.] That he might not be exalted in mind, becauſe of thoſe great wonders that had been wrought by him, the Lord ſuffered him to be over-born with fears, that he might ſee his own weakneſſe, inſomuch that he who erewhile feared not Ahab and all his Baalites, did now at the threats of a woman, not onelyonly flie into another kingdome, the kingdome of Judah, (where good Jehoſhaphat then reigned) yea to the uttermoſt parts of that kingdome, to Beerſheba, that was ſouthward, in the fartheſt part of all that land, but alſo from thence withdrew himſelf into the wilderneſſe; not as ſuſpecting any evil from good Jehoſhaphat, the king of Judah; but as fearing leſt Ahab or Jezebel ſhould ſend ſome or other into Judah to diſpatch him there; and happely the rather becauſe there was too great correſpondence betwixt Jehoſhaphat and them; and therefore when he went from Beerſheba, becauſe he would not expoſe him to the wants of the wilderneſſe, and becauſe being alone he might the better hide himſelf, he left his ſervant there.
Verſ. 4. And he requeſted for himſelf that he might die, &c.] The miſery that at preſent he underwent, made him now as deſirous to be rid of his life, as before he was ſolicitous by flight to preſerve it; eſpecially conſidering, that dying here in an ordinary way, Jezebel and her Baalites could not triumph over him: It is enough, ſaith he, that is, I have lived long enough, I know I muſt die, (for I am no better then my fathers, that have all dyed before me,) and therefore ſince my life is full of nothing but troubles and miſery I deſire to end my dayes preſently.
Verſ. 6. And he looked, and behold, there was a cake, &c.] This word behold, intimates how wonderfull it was to him, he not knowing from whence it came.
Verſ. 7. Ariſe and eat, becauſe the journey is too great for thee, &c.] Though Elijah happely had not pitched upon the place whither he meant to go, yet the Lord gives him notice that ſo farre and long he ſhould ſtill wander, that it was fit he ſhould well refreſh himſelf with that proviſion, which by his angels he had now ſent to him.
Verſ. 8. And he went in the ſtrength of that meat fourty dayes and fourty nights, unto Horeb the mount of God.] So called, becauſe there the Lord appeared to Moſes in a burning buſh, and there afterwards he gave the law to the Iſraelites. How the ſtrength of this meat could ſuſtain Elijah ſo long it is needleſſe to enquire, ſince it was done miraculouſly by the command of God; as he was pleaſed to ſuſtain Moſes as long without food, ſo he was pleaſed by the ſtrength of one meal thus to ſuſtain Elijah; thereby to ſhew, with how little he can uphold the life and ſtrength of his ſervants, if they be brought into ſtraits. However, obſervable it is, that both Chriſt, Moſes, and Elijah, who appeared together when Chriſt was transfigured, did each of them faſt in their ſeverall times fourty dayes and fourty nights without any ſuſtenance.
Verſ. 9. What doest thou here Elijah?] As if he ſhould have ſaid, why art thou not amongſt my people, executing the office of a prophet amongſt them, to which I have called thee?
Verſ. 10. And he ſaid, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hoſts, &c.] That is, I have been zealous for thy glory and worſhip, and grieved in thy behalf to ſee thy people forſake thee, and go a whoring after ſtrange gods; yea, and I have oppoſed, what in me lay, the horrible apoſtacie of the times; and hereby I have incenſed the adverſaries againſt me, ſo that they ſeek to ſlay me, as they have done the reſt of the prophets; and this is the reaſon I am here forced to hide my ſelf: but howſoever, obſervable it is, that the prophet makes not a direct anſwer to the queſtion propounded, but chooſeth rather to imply the cauſe of his fear and flight, then plainly to confeſſe that he fled thither, (which was his fault) for fear of Jezebel.
For the children of Iſrael have forſaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, &c.] That is, the altars in the high places, whereon the people had formerly ſacrificed before the temple was built by Solomon: for though it was a ſinne to offer ſacrifice upon any altar, but that at the temple in Jeruſalem (and therefore thoſe kings that pulled down theſe altars, and took away theſe high places, are highly commended for it) yet the Iſraelites not doing it for this reaſon, but onelyonly out of their zeal for Baal, that his worſhip might be promoted, and that there might not be any memoriall left of the true God in the land of Iſrael, it is reckoned as a ſinne in them, and a manifeſt proof of their bitter hatred of the true religion from which they were revolted. Thus theſe words are uſually underſtood by Expoſitours: yet there may be another probable ſenſe given of them, they have thrown down thine altars, that is, they have deſtroyed thy worſhip; to wit, by reſtraining men from Gods altar at Jeruſalem.
I, even I onelyonly am left, and they ſeek my life to take it away.] That is, there is none left but my ſelf, that do openly plead thy cauſe againſt thine enemies; all the reſt being either ſlain, or hiding themſelves, chap. 18.13.
Verſ. 11. And behold, the Lord paſſed by, &c.] That is, the glory of the Lord, wherewith he was pleaſed to manifeſt himſelf at preſent to his ſervant Elijah. Thus, in the firſt words, the generall ſumme of the whole viſion is expreſſed, and then in the following words we are told more particularly how this was done: firſt, there was a great and ſtrong wind that rent the mountains, and brake the rocks in pieces before the lord, then after that there was an earthquake, and after that a fire, but the Lord was in none of theſe; that is, the Lord did not in theſe appear to Elijah, & ſpeak and make known his will to him as he did afterward (theſe were but glorious forerunners of Gods preſence) but then at laſt there came after the fire, a ſtill ſmall voice, and then the Lord appeared to him, and inſtructed him what he ſhould do. Now the end of this viſion or apparition, I conceive, was, firſt, to humble Elijah with thoſe terrible foregoing ſignes of Gods Maieſtie and power, that ſo he might with the more awfulneſſe, and ſear, and readineſſe to obey, hearken unto that which God ſhould ſay to him, and withall acknowledge Gods mercy in that he did not overwhelm him with his terrours and judgements, notwithſtanding his cowardiſe in withdrawing himſelf from the work of his calling; but was content to deal with him in ſuch a gentle and gracious manner, as at preſent he did. Secondly, to ſtrengthen his faith in Gods protection, by letting him ſee, that God, who had all the creatures at his command, was able, if he ſaw cauſe, to deſtroy and conſume all his enemies even in a moment. And thirdly, to inſtruct him how he was purpoſed to deal with his enemies, thereby to appeaſe the griefe and diſcontent of his ſpirit, concerning them, (and then a chief part of the ſignificancie of this apparition muſt conſiſt in this, that God was not in the wind, nor in the earthquake, nor in the fire, as is noted, verſ. 11.12.) namely that though the Lord were of infinite power to deſtroy all his wicked adverſaries, and could by divers terrible and unreſiſtable judgements puniſh Ahab and Jezebel, and other his proud perſecutours; yet he would rather ſtill deal with them (according to his wonted long ſuffering and patience) by the ſtill and gentle voice of the miniſtery of his prophets: or happely, that though he could ſweep them away inſtantly with his judgements, yet rather he would effect their ruine in his good time, in a more ſecret, hidden, and tacit way: Yea and fourthly, it is not improbable which ſome alſo adde, that hereby likewiſe was ſignified, that Gods ſaving manifeſtation of himſelf is not to be expected in the terrours of the law, but in the ſtill and gracious voice of the Goſpel.
Verſ. 13. He wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and ſtood in the entring in of the cave.] The Lord did before enjoyn Elijah to come up out of the cave, and to ſtand upon the mount before him, verſ. 11. and no doubt, he went immediately up, at leaſt to the mouth of the cave (elſe could he not have ſeen the fire that paſſed before the Lord) but yet it ſeems there he ſtayed, and kept himſelf ſomewhat inward, till knowing that with that ſtill ſmall voyce the Lord would appear to him, he then went out to the very entring in of the cave, onelyonly withall caſting his mantle about his face, which he did out of an awfull fear of Gods majeſty; as Moſes did, Exod. 3.6. concerning which, ſee the notes there.
There came a voice to him, and ſaid, What doeſt thou heare, Elijah?] The very ſame queſtion that God had propounded to him before, he now propounded again; either thereby to let him know, that it was he that now ſpake again to him; or that his former reply was no ſufficient excuſe for his deſerting thoſe propheticall employments to which God had called him; or elſe, that Elijah returning the ſame anſwer that he had formerly given him, the Lord might thence take occaſion to give him that further ſatisfaction concerning his fears, and directions what he ſhould do, which now he intended him.
Verſ. 15. Anoint Hazael to be king over Syria, &c.] We reade that Eliſha foretold Hazael that he ſhould be king of Syria, 2. Kings 8.13. and that a young Prophet by Eliſhaes directions, did long after this anoint Jehu king of Iſrael, 2. Kings 9.1, 6. and here in the following words is expreſſed, that Eliſha was called to be a Prophet, by the caſting of Elijahs mantle upon him, verſ. 19, 20, 21. but that Hazael or Eliſha were ever anointed, we reade not; nor that Jehu was anointed by Elijah, and hence the moſt Interpreters do hold, that by anointing, here is meant onelyonly the deſigning of them to their offices, and that this Elijah did to Hazael and Jehu, by appointing Eliſha to do it when he was gone, and to Eliſha by caſting his mantle upon him, whereupon he had preſently the gift of propheſie, that unction of Gods ſpirit, whereof the outward anointing was a ſigne. But rather I think, we may ſay, that Elijah did what now he was enjoyned, that is, that he did indeed anoint Hazael, Jehu, an Eliſha, though it be not expreſſed; and indeed to what end was Elijah now preſently to go to Damaſcus if it were not to anoint Hazael?
Verſ. 17. Him that eſcapeth the ſword of Hazael, ſhall Jehu ſlay.] Though Iſrael ſuffered moſt of Hazaels crueltie in the latter dayes of Jehu, 2. Kings 10.32. In thoſe dayes the Lord began to cut Iſrael ſhort, and Hazael ſmote them in all the coaſts of Iſrael; and in the dayes of Jehoahaz his ſonne, 2. Kings 13.1, 3. yet in the dayes of Joram the ſonne of Ahab (before Jehu) did Hazael begin to afflict Iſrael, as is evident by the battel which Joram fought with Hazael, 2. Kings 8.28. Now with reſpect to this it is ſaid here, that him that eſcapeth Hazaels ſword, ſhall Jehu ſlay.
And him that eſcapeth from the ſword of Jehu, ſhall Eliſha ſlay.] That is (ſay the moſt Expoſitours) by threatning them, and adjudging them by a propheticall ſpirit to thoſe calamities, and to that deſtruction which afterward fell upon them; and indeed we find the like expreſſions, which upon this ground the Lord elſewhere uſeth concerning his Prophets, as Jer. 1.10. See I have this day ſet thee over the nations, and over the kingdomes, to root out, and to pull down, and to deſtroy, and to throw down, to build and to plant: and Hoſ. 6.5. Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets, I have ſlain them by the words of my mouth. Some Expoſitours adde further, that theſe words are particularly intended concerning thoſe children of Beth-el, that were torn by two ſhe beares immediately upon Eliſhaes curſing them in the name of the Lord, 2. Kings 2.24. and concerning thoſe that died of the famine that was in Samaria, which it ſeems indeed Eliſha had beforehand threatened ſhould come upon them, becauſe the king was ſo enraged againſt the Prophet for it, God, ſaith he, do ſo, and more alſo to me, if the head of Eliſha the ſonne of Shaphat ſhall ſtand on him this day: But becauſe theſe things were done before the dayes of Jehu, and theſe words ſeem plainly to ſpeak of ſomething to be done after Jehu had begun to execute Gods wrath upon them, him that eſcapeth from the ſword of Jehu ſhall Eliſha ſlay; I rather think that this is meant of ſome other judgements (not expreſſed in the ſtory) which upon the prophecying or prayers of Eliſha did after that fall upon the idolatrous Iſraelites; yea perhaps the people might be wonne by Eliſha to do ſome execution upon the Baalites, as they were formerly by Elijah, 1. Kings 18.40.
Verſ. 18. Yet have I left me ſeven thouſand in Iſrael, &c.] That is, many thouſands that have not worſhiped Baal, and this is added to comfort Elijah concerning that complaint of his, I, even I onelyonly am left, verſ. 14. becauſe they uſed not onelyonly to bow and kneel before their idols, but alſo to kiſſe them, according to that Hoſ. 13.2. Let the men that ſacrifice kiſſe the calves; or if they could not come ſo near their idol-gods, then to kiſſe their hands as they bowed before them (whence is that of Job chap. 31.26, 27. If I beheld the ſunne when it ſhined, or the moon walking in brightneſſe, and my heart hath been ſecretly inticed, or my mouth hath kiſſed my hand) therefore to imply men that had not in the leaſt kind polluted themſelves with the idolatry of Baal, the Lord uſeth this expreſſion here; all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kiſſed him: and by this, as by a book-caſe, doth the Apoſtle Paul prove that God had not caſt off all the Iſraelites in his time, Rom. 11.2, 3, 4:
Verſ. 19. And found Eliſha the ſonne of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth.] That is, he had twelve plowes going in the field with twelve yoke of oxen, and the reſt having ſeverall ſervants attending them, and holding them, he himſelf was with the twelfth.
And Elijah paſſed by him, and cast his mantle upon him.] The prophets wore a rough mantle peculiar to them, whereby they were known; 2. Kings 1.8. And they anſwered him: He was an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins, and he ſaid, it is Elijah the Tiſhbite: Zach. 13.4. The prophets ſhall be aſhamed, every one of his viſion when he hath propheſied, neither ſhall they wear a rough garment to deceive: ſo that by the throwing of his mantle upon him was ſignified, that God had called him to the office, and would give him the gifts and ſpirit of a Prophet, and that he ſhould ſucceed him in his room; yea, and afterwards perhaps he did alſo anoint him, as Gods command above verſ. 16. ſeems to imply.
Verſ. 20. And he ſaid unto him, Go back again, for what have I done to thee?] This Elijah ſpake to imply, that it muſt needs be from a ſupernaturall work of Gods Spirit upon him, and not from his throwing of his mantle upon him, that Eliſha ſhould thus tender himſelf to abandon all and to follow him; and that therefore he had need to be carefull that he did not neglect the call of God; and thus though he gave him liberty to return back to take his leave of his father and mother, yet withall he gives him a caveat to take heed of making any delay in doing what God had moved him to do; he might go whither he liſt for any thing that he had done to him, but God had made ſuch an impreſſion upon his ſpirit, that he could not without perill withſtand, or diſregard, this powerfull and commanding motion of Gods Spirit within him.
Verſ. 21. And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and ſlew them, and boiled their fleſh with the inſtruments, &c.] To make therewith a farewell feaſt for his friends, and to expreſſe thereby his joy (worthy a feaſt) and his bidding adue to his former imployments.