Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, 1 Kings · Chapter 22
CHAP. XXII.
Verſ. 2. JEhoſhaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Iſrael.] Since the firſt revolt of the ten tribes under Jeroboam from the kingdome of Judah, there had been continuall warres betwixt the kings of Judah and Iſrael: but when Jehoſhaphat came to the crown of Judah, and had a while continued the wars againſt Ahab, with good ſucceſſe, 2. Chron. 17.1, 2, 3. And Jehoſhaphat his ſonne reigned in his ſtead, and strengthened himſelf againſt Iſrael. And he placed force… in all the fenced cities of Judah, &c. And the Lord was with Jehoſhaphat, becauſe he walked in the firſt wayes of his father David; fearing, it ſeems, leſt their diviſions might expoſe them both to the prevailing power of the Syrians, who began in in theſe times to encroach upon them, he judged it the beſt policie to put an end to theſe warres betwixt them and the kings of Iſrael, and ſo made a firm league with Ahab, and made alſo a match betwixt his ſonne Joram, and Athaliah the daughter of Ahab, 2. Chron. 18.1. and 21.6. and hereupon it was that Jehoſhaphat went down to viſit Ahab; who with great coſt and ſtate entertained and feaſted both him and his followers, 2. Chron. 18.2. Ahab killed ſheep and oxen in abundance for Jehoſhapat, and for the people that were with him.
Verſ. 3. (And the king of Iſrael ſaid unto his ſervants, Know ye that Ramoth in Gilead is ours? &c.] One article in the league, which three years ſince Ahab had made with Ben-hadad was, that he ſhould reſtore all the cities of Iſrael which were in his poſſeſſion, chap. 20.34. And Ben-hadad ſaid unto him, The cities which my father took from thy father, I will reſtore. But Ramoth Gilead, it ſeems, he was loth to part with, and therefore now Ahab enters into conſultation to recover it by forte, ſince he would not by fair means yield it up to him. It was a goodly citie, and beſides it belonged to the Levites, and was a citie of refuge, Joſh. 21.38. and therefore no wonder though he were unwilling that it ſhould be any longer in the hands of the Syrians.
Verſ. 6. Then the king of Iſrael gathered the prophets together about foure hundred men, &c.] To wit, his Baalitiſh falſe prophets, who were the great ſupporters of that linſey woolſey religion, that was now in faſhion amongſt the Iſraelites, pretending themſelves the prophets of the Lord Jehovah, the God of Iſrael, and yet withall the prieſts of Baal: as by the number we may gueſſe, perhaps they were thoſe foure hundred prophets of the groves, which were reſerved from appearing to Elijahs chalenge, chap. 18.19, 20. however they were doubtleſſe of Baals falſe prophets; for ſuch Jehoſhaphat knew them to be, and therefore could not reſt in their predictions, verſ. 7. and Jehoſhaphat ſaid, is there not here a prophet of the Lord beſides, that we might enquire of him.
Verſ. 8. And the king of Iſrael ſaid unto Jehoſhaphat, There is yet one man &c.] To wit, in Samaria, whom I could preſently ſend for: this word yet may have reference either to thoſe prophets that had prophecyed good ſucceſſe to Ahab; to wit, that beſides thoſe, there was one man, a prophet of the Lords; or elſe, to the true prophets of the Lord; to wit, that though they were all in a manner ſlain or fled, there was yet one man left; namely, Micaiah the ſonne of Imlah, &c.
And Jehoſhaphat ſaid, Let not the king ſay ſo.] As if he ſhould have ſaid, we muſt not ſay, we hate the prophets of the Lord, becauſe they ſpeak that which pleaſeth us not; if he be a faithfull prophet of the Lords, he muſt ſpeak the truth what ever it be; and God forbid the king ſhould ſay, that for that he hates him.
Verſ. 11. And Zedekiah the ſonne of Chenaaenah made him horns of Iron, &c.] whereby was ſignified the power of theſe two kings that were now to go againſt the Syrians for the recovery of Ramoth Gilead.
Verſ. 13. Let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them, &c.] This the meſſenger that came for Micaiah might ſay: firſt, out of a kind of carnall curteſie, as wiſhing well to the prophet: and ſecondly, out of ſome ſpeciall deſire he had that the warre ſhould go forward.
Verſ. 15. And he anſwered him, Go, and proſper; &c.] This Micaiah ſpake ironically, not to deceive Ahab, (for we ſee, he ſpake theſe words after ſuch a manner that Ahab himſelf perceived he meant not what he ſaid) but by way of deriding the falſe prophets, who had all returned this pleaſing anſwer to Ahab, and to intimate, that he knew well enough that the king would not be pleaſed unleſſe he ſaid the ſame that they did; and therefore Micaiah ſaid not, Thus ſaith the Lord, Go, and proſper, &c. but in a tone of deriſion, Go and proſper, for the Lord ſhall deliver it into the hand of the king; as if he ſhould have ſaid, you had beſt go as your prophets adviſe you, they all tell you, that your expedition againſt Ramoth Gilead ſhall be proſperous, and that the Lord ſhall deliver it into your hands, and can you queſtion the truth of ſuch oracles? Indeed I know well that I… ſhall not be ſo, but if I tell you the truth, I know you will not believe me, and therefore ſince you deſire to be deceived, be deceived; Go and proſper, &c. this was that which Micaiah intended, and the like ironicall expreſſions we have in other places, as that Gen. 3.22. concerning our firſt parents, when they by ſinne were fallen from that bleſſed eſtate wherein God had created them: Behold the man is become like one of us, to know good and evil: and that of Elijah to Baals prieſts, 1. Kings 18.27. Crie aloud, for he is a God, either he is talking, or he is purſuing, or he is in a journey▪ or peradventure he ſleepeth, and must be awaked: and that of Solomon, Eccleſ. 11.9. Rejoyce O young man in thy youth, and let thy heart chear thee in the dayes of thy youth, and walk in the wayes of thine heart, and in the ſight of thine eyes.
Verſ. 17. And he ſaid, I ſaw all Iſrael ſcattered upon the hills as ſheep that have not a ſhepherd. &c.] Hereby was intimated, that Ahab ſhould be ſlain, and his army routed; this expreſſion of being ſcattered upon the hills, is uſed, becauſe in that countrey, when they ſought to eſcape the enemy that purſued them, they uſed to fly to the hills and mountains, there to hide themſelves; whence is that, Matth. 24.16. Then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains.
Verſ. 18. Did I not tell thee, that he would propheſie no good concerning me, but evil.] By theſe words Ahab ſought to intimate to Jehoſhaphat, that he ſhould not be troubled with theſe words of Micaiah, but conceive of them as ſpoken (as he had beforehand ſaid he would do) out of hatred and malice againſt him. And indeed happely hereby it was that Jehoſhaphat was deceived, and ſo went with Ahab, though Micaiah had foretold the death of Ahab, and diſperſion of his army.
Verſ. 19. And he ſaid, Heare thou therefore the word of the Lord.] This word therefore hath relation to that which Ahab ſaid to Jehoſhaphat: Did I not tell thee, that he would prophecie no good concerning me, but evil, as if the Prophet had ſaid; ſeeing thou art diſpleaſed at what I have ſaid, and wilt not believe, but that I have ſpoken it out of ill will, I will now largely ſhew you the whole viſion that I ſaw.
I ſaw the Lord ſitting on his throne, and all the hoſt of heaven ſtanding by him on his right hand and on his left.] That is, the Angels who are the miniſters of the God of heaven, at whoſe command they are continually imployed, and if in this hoſt the evil ſpirits are alſo included, they are called the hoſt of heaven: onelyonly becauſe they alſo are under the overruling power of God, and are miniſters to execute his vengeance on the wicked, and were happely ſuch as ſtood now on his left hand.
Verſ. 20. And one ſaid on this manner, and another ſaid on that manner.] This is added onelyonly to imply, that God hath divers wayes and means whereby he can accompliſh that which he hath purpoſed in himſelf.
Verſ. 25. Thou ſhalt ſee in that day, when thou ſhalt go into an inner chamber to hide thy ſelf.] To wit, leſt he ſhould be ſlain, for incouraging the king to go againſt Ramoth Gilead by his falſe prophecy.
Verſ. 26. Take Micaiah, and carry him back unto Amon the governour of the city, and to Joaſh the kings ſonne.] This Joaſh was, it ſeems, either the ſonne of Ahab, or rather the ſonne of Omri the father of Ahab, and called uſually amongſt the people the kings ſonne, and being in ſome place of authority in the citie, the Prophet was ſent to him, together with Amon the governour of the citie. As for theſe words of Ahabs, Take Micaiah and carry him back; from hence it may be probably gathered, that when at firſt they fetched Michaiah, they fetched him out of priſon, whither he is now ſent back again; and becauſe of this many Expoſitours incline to think, that this Micaiah was that Prophet that formerly threatned, that his life ſhould go for the life of Ben-hadad, whom he had ſent away in peace, chap. 20.42. and that for this he had been ever ſince kept in priſon.
Verſ. 27. Put this fellow in priſon, and feed him with bread of affliction. &c.] That is, with a diet courſe and ſcanty, a poore pittance, enough to hold life and ſoul together, ſuch as is uſually allowed to poore captives and ſlaves, and will onelyonly ſerve to prolong their affliction and miſery. See Deut. 16.3▪
Verſ. 29. So the king of Iſrael and Jehoſhaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead.] It was much that good Jehoſhaphat ſhould cauſe Micaiah to be ſent for, and then ſuffer a proud Baalitiſh prieſt to ſmite him on the cheek before his face, and heare the king with ſuch a ſevere charge ſend him back to priſon, and never open his mouth to ſpeak a word for the poore Prophet: but that he ſhould go up to Ramoth Gilead with Ahab, after the Prophet had foretold the dangerous event of this expedition is farre more ſtrange, and indeed all that can be ſaid herein is this, that either he was ſo farre overborn with the confidence of thoſe foure hundred Prophets that promiſed victory, that he began to think (however at firſt he ſuſpected them) that their words might prove true rather then Micaiahs, the rather, becauſe he knew that they ſhould fight in a juſt cauſe, which God uſually favours; or elſe, that having engaged his word already to Ahab, with whom he had lately joyned himſelf in affinitie, he was loth to ſhrink now upon the words of Micaiah, but choſe rather to hazard the ſucceſſe, and to make triall what the event would be.
Verſ. 30. And the king of Iſrael ſaid unto Jehoſhaphat, I will diſguiſe my ſelf, &c.] Great perſonages are uſually moſt laid at in battels; and beſides, the propheſie of Micaiah had ſcared Ahab doubtleſſe, though he ſeemed to ſlight it; yea perhaps he might alſo heare of the king of Syrias charge to his ſouldiers concerning him; to avoid therefore this danger, and ſo if it might be, to elude Micaiahs threat, he reſolves to diſguiſe himſelf, and to enter the battel in the habit of an ordinary captain. But yet happely Ahab pretended that he did this, onelyonly that the Syrians might not know there were two kings in the battel, leſt they ſhould thereby be rendred the more cautelous and wary in their fight. And thus he might indeed upon a fair ground wiſh Jehoſhaphat to go on in his robes, becauſe he would not put upon him the diſguiſing of himſelf in the attire of a common ſouldier or captain.
Verſ. 31. Fight neither with ſmall nor great, ſave onelyonly againſt the king of Iſrael.] This the king of Syria commanded his two and thirty captains, 1. Kings 22.31. firſt, becauſe he might well hope that the death or taking of the king would be the readieſt means to rout the whole army; or ſecondly, becauſe he deſired to wipe off the diſhonour that fell upon him in the laſt battel, by bringing Ahab under his merciemercy, as he was then expoſed to the mercy of Ahab. So well doth he repay the merciemercy which the king of Iſrael had then ſhown him, and that no doubt by the ſpeciall hand of Gods providence, to convince him of his folly in ſparing him, whom God would have had deſtroyed.
Verſ. 32. Jehoſhaphat cried out.] That is, he cried out for help, to wit, both by calling upon Ahab to help him (whereby it may be the Syrian captains perceived that he was not the king of Iſrael) and by calling upon God for ſuccour, who thereupon helped him (as it is ſaid, 2. Chron. 18.31.) and moved the Syrians to depart from him; onelyonly, the Lord was pleaſed by bringing him into this danger, to let him ſee his folly in going out with Ahab, notwithſtanding the Prophet Micaiah had given him ſo fair a warning.
Verſ. 34. Turn thine hand, and carrie me out of the hoſt, for I am wounded.] That is, out of the battel; for he left not the camp, leſt his ſouldiers ſhould fly, but was ſtayed up in his chariot untill the evening, verſ. 35. and thus at laſt the vengeance of God fell upon him for his idolatry, and for his perſecuting Gods prophets, but eſpecially for the death of Naboth.
Verſ. 38. And one waſhed the chariot in the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his bloud, &c.] See the note, chap. 21.19, 41.
Verſ. 42. Jehoſhaphat was thirty and five yeares old when he began to reigne, and he reigned twenty and five yeares in Jeruſalem.] Seeing therefore he began his reigne in the fourth yeare of Ahab, as it is ſaid in the foregoing verſe, who reigned two and twenty years in Samaria, it muſt needs follow, that whileſt Jehoſhaphat ſate in the throne of Judah Ahab reigned in Iſrael about ſeventeen or eighteen years; Ahaziah the ſonne of Joram two years, and Jehoram his brother, the ſecond ſonne of Ahab about foure years, and then Jehoſhaphat dyed, and Jehoram his ſonne reigned in his ſtead: indeed ſome Expoſitours hold, that Jehoſhaphat was deſigned and made king by his father Aſa ten yeares, or thereabouts, before his father dyed, and that of this it muſt be underſtood which is ſaid here, that he was thirty and five yeares old when he began to reigne; namely, when he was deſigned king in his fathers life time, and conſequently, that he was five and fourty years old when he began to reigne alone by himſelf; and this I conceive to be moſt probable: nor can I well ſee how we can reconcile that ſeeming contradiction, betwixt the words of the ſacred Scripture, in 2 Kings 8.26. and 2 Chron. 22.2. unleſſe this be taken for granted. Beſides, ſure we are that Jehoſhaphat himſelf did thus; namely, that he made his ſonne Jehoram king in his life time, to wit, about the ſeventeenth yeare of his reigne, happely when he went with Ahab to Ramoth Gilead, as may be gathered from the 2. Kings 1.17. and that having reaſſumed the government to himſelf at his return home, afterwards about the twenty firſt or twenty ſecond of his reigne, he again put the government into his ſonne Jehorams hands, ſome two years before he dyed.
Verſ. 43. Nevertheleſſe, the high places were not taken away.] In 2 Chron. 17.6. it is ſaid, that he did take away the high places: But the like objection concerning Aſa is anſwered before, Chap. 15.14.
Verſ. 45. Now the reſt of the acts of Jehoſhaphat, &c.] Many of theſe are alſo recorded in the Scripture-Chronicles; as firſt, how in the third yeare of his reigne he ſent teachers into all the places of his land where they wanted inſtruction, 2 Chron. 17.7. ſecondly, how he recovered the tribute due unto him by the Arabians and Philiſtines; from the one he had ſilver, from the other he had ſheep and goates to the number of fifteen thouſand and foure hundred: 2 Chron. 17.10, 11. thirdly, how he joyned himſelf in affinity with Ahab, giving his ſonne Joram in marriage to Athaliah Ahabs daughter, 2 Chron. 18.1. fourthly, how being reproved by Jehu the prophet at his return from Ramoth Gilead for helping Ahab, he again viſited his kingdomes, and reformed what he found out of order both in matters of religion and juſtice, 2 Chron. 19.1, 11. and fifthly, how the Aramites or Damaſcens, with the Moabites Ammonites and Idumeans invading the land of Iſrael with a mighty army, Jehoſhaphat proclaimed a faſt, and ſought the Lord; whereupon the prophet Jehaziel foretold the victory which ſhould be obtained without any bloudſhed on his part, which accordingly came to paſſe; for the next day theſe nations diſagreeing for ſome cauſes amongſt themſelves, thoſe of Ammon and Moab ſet upon the Idumeans and brake them utterly; which done, they alſo ſlew each other, in which broil Jehoſhaphat arriving, took the ſpoil of them all without any loſſe on his part, 2 Chron. 20.1—30.
Verſ. 47, There was then no king in Edom: a deputy was king.] To wit, they had a deputy ſe… over them by the kings of Judah, and ſo it had been ever ſince the dayes of David, 2 Sam. 8.14. and this is here inſerted, either to intimate, that this it was that gave him the advantage of building a fleet at Ezion-Geber, which was in Edoms territories; of which in the following verſe: or elſe to note, how to this time God continued this nation in ſubjection to the kings of Judah, though preſently after in the dayes of his wicked ſonne they rebelled againſt him: indeed we reade that ſome of the Idumeans were in the field with the Moabites and Ammonites againſt Jehoſhaphat, 2. Chron. 20.10, 22, 23. but firſt theſe might be ſome voluntary mercenaries, not ſent out by the ſtate: ſecondly, even theſe it ſeems were not ſo firm as was expected againſt Judah in that expedition, and therefore were ſlain by them of Moab and Ammon, 2. Chron. 20.23. The children of Ammon and Moab ſtood up againſt the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to ſlay and deſtroy them: and thirdly, moſt clear it is, that the Idumeans did not declare themſelves, and openly revolt from the crown of Judah, and make themſelves a king, till the dayes of Jehoram, 2. Chron. 21.8. In his dayes the Edomites revolted from under the dominion of Judah, and made themſelves a king.
Verſ. 48. Jehoſhaphat made ſhips of Tharſhiſh to go to Ophir for gold, &c.] Or ſhips to go to Tharſhiſh, or Tarſhiſh, 2. Chron. 20.36. Concerning which, ſee the note, 1. Kings 10.22. Here it is ſaid in the following verſe, that Ahaziah deſired to joyn with Jehoſhaphat in that voyage, and that he would not conſent thereto; but in the 2. Chron. 20.36, 37. it is ſaid, that he did joyn with Ahaziah in this work, and that hereupon the Prophet Eliezer came to him, and reproved him, and foretold that his ſhips ſhould be broken, which accordingly came to paſſe in the very port of Ezion-geber; it ſeems therefore that at firſt when Ahaziah deſired this, Jehoſhaphat would not, but at laſt overcome with the king of Iſraels importunitie he yielded; or elſe, that when a ſecond time Ahaziah deſired again to joyn with Jehoſhaphat in a navy, Jehoſhaphat did then deny him, as it is here ſaid, verſ. 49. as having had ſufficient warning by the loſſe of his former ſhips.
Verſ. 51. Ahaziah the ſonne of Ahab began to reigne over Iſrael in Samaria the ſeventeenth yeare of Jehoſhaphat king of Judah, &c.] But may ſome ſay, if Jehoſhaphat began to reigne in the fourth yeare of Ahab, as is noted above verſ. 4. then the ſeventeenth of Jehoſhaphat muſt needs be but the twentieth or the one and twentieth of Ahab: now ſince Ahab reigned two and twenty years, how is it ſaid here, that Ahaziah the ſon of Ahab began to reigne in the ſeventeenth yeare of Jehoſhaphat? I anſwer, doubtleſſe Ahaziah was made king by his father Ahab, about a yeare or two before Ahab died, and then reigned two years after his fathers death; ſo that he began to reigne, to wit, his father yet living, In the ſeventeenth yeare of Jehoſhaphat, and after his fathers death he reigned alſo two years complete.