¥.18. Arife, go down to meet Abab king of Ifracl, which is in Samaria, &c.] Whole feat was there, his palace where he dwelt; and Benjamin of Tudela fays*, that in his time might be difcerned in Samaria the palace of Abad king of J/rael, that is, fome traces of it; fame conneét the laft claufe with J/rae/, as if the fenfe was, that Abad was king over thofe tribes of I/rael, of which Samaria was the head: behold, he is in tbe vineyard of Naboth, - or will be by the time thou getteft thither; though of Naboth: whither be is gone down to poffe/s it as if ic was his legal inheritance. * _ 19. And thou foalt {peak unto him, faying, thus feith the Lord, haft thou killed, and alfo taken poffeffion? 8c.). Killed in order to poffefs, and now taken poffeffion upon the murder; fome verfions, ‘as the Vulgate Latin and Arabic, read without an interrogation, thou baft killed and haft taken poffelfion, 10 Fofeph Kimchi and Ben Melech; charging him with the murder, of Nadoth; and the unjutt poffeffion of his vineyard; the murder is afcribed to him, becaufe his covetoufnefs was the caufe of of this, fee in 2 Kings ix. 30,33, 36.:
it; and it was done by the contrivance of his wife; and it is highly probable 4bab knew more of it, it, he abetted the faét: and thou fhalt Jpeak unto him, faying, in the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, fhall dogs lick tky blood, even thine, which was fulfilled in his fons, who was his flefh and blood: 2 Kings ix. 26. for the punifhment was tefpited in his days, and transferred to his fons, fee ¥. 29. though dogs did lick his blood, even his blood alfo, according to this prophecy, tho’ not in the fame place, fee ch. xxii. 38. wherefore fome take thefe words not to be expreffive of the place where, but of the caufe or reafon for which this fhould be done, and read the words, ina/much, or becaufe dogs have licked*, &c.. — the Arabic verGion is, he is mow in the vineyard Baafha the fou of Abijab, &c!] Two of his p;
ceflors, whofe families were utterly deftroyed, xv. 29..and xvi. 11. for the provocation wh with thou haft provoked me.to anger, and made Jfrael to fin, not only by his worfhip of the calves, but of the idols of the Zidonians, particularly Ba and alfo of the Amorites, y¥. 26. tat mm ¥.23. And of Fexebel alfo fpake the Lord, Bee:} To Elijah, and by him: /aying,. the dogs fha Jezebel by the wall of Fezreel; or in the inheritance or portion of Fezree/, as the Targum; + ng interprets it, the valley of Fezree/; the fulfilment 1 AP. ¥. 24. Him that dieth of Abab in the city se dogs /ball eat, and him that dieth in the field, the fowls the words of the Lord by Elijah; next follow the remarks of the hiftorian. °° y¥.25. But there was none like unto Abab, which did-fell bimfelf to work wickedne/s in the fight of the Lord, &c.] Not of any of his predecefiors; even thofe whofe families had been dedivopeapeon his would be, y¥. 21. fee the note on ¥.20. whom Jezebel his wife fiirred up; to idolatry, revenge and murder, and to whofe will he was a flave, and is one inftance of his being a captive to fin, and giving up himfelf to the power of it. se ¥. 26, And he did very abominably in lowing idols, &c.] Which were abomiiiiliesia + Lord y.20. And Ahab faid to Elijah, haft thou found dungill gods, as the Tigurine vertion ¢ according to mé, O mine enemy, 8cc.) -So he reckoned him, becaufe he dealt faithfully with him, and reproved all things as did the Amorites, whom the Lord cajt out before the children of Ijrael; meaning the feven him for his fins, and denounced the judgments of nations that formerly inhabited Cangaw, but were
God upon him for them: and he anfwered, I have found thee; as a thief; a robber and plunderer in another’s vineyard; he had found out his fin in murdering Nadoth, and unjuftly poffeffing his vineyard, which was revealed to him by the Lord; and now was come as his enemy, as he called him, as being againft him, his adverfary, not that he hated his perfon, but his ways and works: becaufe thou baft fold thyfelf to work évil in the fight of the Lord; had given up himfelf wholly to his Iufts, was abandoned to them, and as much under the driven out for their fins, to make way for the children of J/rael, of which the Amorites weré one, and here put for all the reft. 7 ST, ee th, y. 297. And it came to pals when Abab ‘beard thefe words, &c.] Delivered, in ¥.21—24, that be rent bis clothes, and put fackcloth upon bis flefh; tore off his clothes, and ftript himfelf of all): of his very fhirt, and put fackcloth’on his bare; a coarfe cloth made ‘of hair, and fuch” S are made with: and fafted; how longy it is not faid: and lay in fackcloth, in the night on his power of chem, as a man is that has fold himfelf bed, would have no linen on him day nor night;
to another to be his flave; and which he ferved openly, publickly in the fight of the omnifcient God, and in defiance of him. Avardinel gives another fenfe of the word we render, fold chy elf, that and went foftly; ttep by ftep, as perfons’ mourning, grieving and penfive do; the Targum renders it barefoot, and fo Farchi. " <a ter ci y. 28. And the word of the Lord camé to Eii-
_and connived at it, and confented to it, than is recorded, and however by taking pofleffion upon he made himfelf firange, as if he was ignorant, and did. not know what Fezebel had done; whefeas he knew fully the whole truth of the matter, and that Naboth was killed through her contrivance, _and by her management purpofely; and fo he’ did _ evil in the fight of that God that knows all things, what of the air foall eat.) That is, they fhall have no burial, fee ch. xiv. 11. and xvi. 4." hitherto aré jab the Tifboite, &c.) After he was gone from 4bab, and Abab had been fome time in this humble pofture; the Zargum calls it the word of prophecy, and fo it was, as the next verfe /aying; as follows. ont gti”
pretending he was ignorant when he was not, and this-Zi#jab found out by divine revelation; fo the word is ufed in Gew. xliis 6. fee. 2 Kings xii. 5, 7. fore me? &c.] Which yet was but ane humiliation, to be feen only with bodil € were all his actions and poftures, befor
‘but the former fenfe is beft, as appears from y,
Some Jewifh writers * think, his. repentance true and perfect, and his converfion thorough
_ Upon-his own perfon, by cutting him off with a “violent death, though his family was:fo numerous, having no lefs than 70 fons: and will cut off from Ahab him that piffeth againft the wall, and him that prayer morning and evening before the Le a Maes was ftudying in the law all his’ days, ar not to his evil works any more, anc was-accepted: but the ‘ontrary”
fee the note % ch. xiv. }we never read that h is fout and left in ire 3
10, y. 22. And will-make thine houfe like the boufe of hae Seroboam the fon of Nebat, and like the houfe of true penitent; ‘nor did he leave hi:
b S'S CPA pro. eo-quod, fhit Rabba in Abarbinel in loc.
" pipet roved 9 for der of Nadboth, nor reftored the mily, which he would have « quickly hear of his confulting with the 400 -prophets of the groves, and exprefling his hatred of tence pronounced on him and his family was not taken off, nor countermanded, only the execution miliation arofe from dread of punifhment, and not!
from the true fear of God; however, it was fuch as was never feen in any of his wicked predeceffors, and is taken notice of by the Lord. Luther’ from thefe words concluded, and was perfuaded, that he was faved: becaufe he humbled bimfelf before me, I will not bring the evil in bis days, but in bis fon’s days will I bring the evil upon bis boufe, this was not a pardon, only areprieve; the fen- of it prolonged; it is promifed, that the deftruction of his family fhould not be in his life-time, but after his death, in his fon’s days, otherwife he himfelf died a violent death, and the dogs licked his blood, as were foretold; however, this may be an encouragement to thofe who are truly humbled for their fins, and really repent of them, that they fhall receive forgivenefs at the hand of God; fince he fhewed fo much regard to an outward hu- - miliation and repentance.
ope chapter relates, that after three years peace with the king of Syria, Abab was inclined to go to war with him, to take Ramoth-Gilead out of his hands; and he drew in Febofhapbat, king of Fudah, to join him in it, ¥. r—4. but before they went into it, they took advice, bab, of his 400 prophets, which febofbapbat not being fatisfied with, a true prophet of the Lord, Micaiad, was fent for, ¥. 5—14. who, when he came, jeered Abad with what his prophets had faid to him; inti mated that he fhould be killed, and explained it to him how he came to be deceived by his prophets, ¥. 15—23. upon which he was* {mitten on the cheek by Zedekiah, one of the falfe prophets, and imprifoned by the order.of Ahab, ¥. 24—28. after which the two kings went to the battle, and ehofoapbat was in great danger of his life; but dbad was wounded and died, ¥. 29-40. and the chapter is concluded with an account of the reign of Febofoaphat king of Fudab, y. 41—50. and of Abaziab king of [/rael, ¥. 51, 525 53. » vy. 1. And they continued three years without war between Syria and Irael.) From the time that Benbadad made a covenant with Abad; not three fullyears, but part of them; it.was threatened by Elijah from the: Lord, that Abab’s life fhould go for Benbadad’s, becaufe he had let him go, ch. xx! 42. but becaufe of his humiliation, as is thought by Ben Gerfomand others, it was refpited for thofe three years; and now an opportunity and occafion would be given’ for the fulfilment of what was threatened.
y. 2. And it came to pafs in the third year, &c.] Of the peace, before-it was expired: that Febofha- to the kingdom of J/rael, of which fee Fo. xx. 8. and we be ftill, and take it not out of the hand of thé king of Syria?) neither demand it, nor take any meafures to oblige him to deliver it up; reprefenting it as a great omiffion, and as a piece of negligence and flothfulnefs, or cowardice.
¥.4. And be faid unto Febofhaphat, Wilt thou go with me to battle to Ramoth-gilead? &c,| This affair being lately canvaffed at the council-board; and very much on 4bad’s mind, he puts this queftion to Febofbaphat, his vifiter, relation, and ally; wifely confidering that his own forces were fmall, and that to have iuch an auxiliary might be of great advantage to him: and Febofbaphat faid to the king of Ifrael, Iam as thou art, my people as thy people; my horfes as thy borfes; meaning, that he and his ~ foldiers, foot and horfe, were at his fervice.
¥. 5. And Febofoaphat faid unto the king of Ifrael, Enquire, I pray thee, at the word of the Lord today.) Being a pious and religious prince, he did not chufe to go into a war at once, without confulting the Lord by his prophets, whether it was his will and pleafure they fhould engage in it, and fhould profper; and he was defirous of having this done immediately before they proceeded any farther.
¥.6. Then the king of Ifrael gathered the prophets together, about 400 men, &c.| Falfe prophets, as the Targum and Arabic verfion; and they are called Abab’s prophets, and not the Lord’s, ¥. 23. perhaps thefe were the prophets of the groves, that eat at Fezebel’s table, and were preferved when the prophets of Baal were deftroyed, fince the number agrees with them, fee ch, xviii. 19. and faid unto them, Shall I go againft Ramoth-gilead to battle, or foall I forbear 2? which would you advife to? figni- phat the king of Fudab came down to the kijig of fying he fhould take their advice: and they aid, Go
Ifrael, to Abad, trom Ferufalem to Samaria, reckoned 32 miles”; either to make peace with him, and put an end to the wars which fubfifted between Jrael and Fudch fince the divifionof the’ kingdom, y¥.44. or to contract an affinity with him, by marrying his fon to a daughter of Abab, 2 Kings viii. 18. 26. or rather after peace was-made, and that ftrengthened by the marriage; and fo he went
‘merely to-pay a vilit, as he judged he might then // gu (And the king of Ifrael faid unto bis ferwants, 8eci] His nobles, thole of his privy-coun- ups for the Lord foall deliver it into the hand of the king; which words are very ambiguous, like the core the heathens; for they do not exprefs who or what fhould be delivered up, for the word i¢is‘a fupplement, nor to what king the delivery fhould be made; whether the Syrians, and the place they held, fhould be given up to king Abad, Pi they would have underftood; or whether the ves ites fhould be delivered up to king Benhadad; o that which ever had been the cafe, the credit of their prophecy would be fecured. ‘They ufed the
| word Lord, and not Baal, in complaifance to 7e- bofoaphat, and perhaps as directed by Abab. x. 7. And Febofhaphat faid, \s there not bere a
‘cil, histminifters of {tates or bad faid*, fome little prophet of the Lord befides, that we might enquire of time before Febofbaphat came: Know ye that Ramoth him?| He fufpected thefe to be falfe prophets, in Gilead is ours; a city of refuge beyond Jordan, thoughshe would not call them fo; nor fuggeft that in the tribe'of Gad, ‘and fo of courfe muft belong they were not the prophets of the Lord, becaufe se ie; wou would not affront Abad, who had an opinion of them; and therefore afks, if there were no other ‘that went under the character of a prophet of the Lord, that he might enquire of him for his y. 13. And the meffenger that was gone to call Micaiab, /pake unto him, &c.] By the way, as they came along together, as ‘/e/ephus? oblerves: Befarther hold now, ibe words of the prophets declare good fatisfaction. unto the king with one mouth; they are unanimous
¥. 8. And the king of Ifrael faid unto Febofhaphat, There is yet one max (Micaiab the fon of lab) by whom we may enquire of the Lord, &c.\ And but one in Samaria; Elijah and Elifha were elfewhere: but I hate him, for be doth not prophefy of good concerning me, but evil;
¥. 9. Then the king of Lrael called an officer, &c. An eunuch, as the word is fometimes ufed, one of his pages: and faid, Haften hither Micaiah the fon of {mlab,; who, as it feems from ¥. 26. was in prifon, where perhaps Abad had caft him for his Jaft prophecy to him, and where he had Jain ever fince; and this gives a reafon why he could foreadily fend for him, knowing where he was. y. to. And the king of Ifrael, and Febofbaphat the king of Judah fat each on his throne, &cc.] In great ftate and majefty; having put on their robes; their royal robes, which they wore when they appeared in pomp and grandeur: i# @ void place in the entrance of the gate of Samaria, where courts of judicature were held, and there was an open void fpace for the people to affemble in to hear; the word shas the fignification of a corn-floor, and the Fews fuppofe they and their attendants fat in femicircle like the half of a corn-floor, after the fame manner in which they fay the Sanbedrim at Ferufalem {at °: and all the prophets prophefied before thems concerning this affair of going to Ramorhthat he fhall profper in his undertaking againft the Im- Syrians: let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them, and {peak that which is goad; which, as an ignorant mag, he might advile to from good will to the prophet, that he might not be branded who is thought to be with fingularity, and a fpirit of contradiétion, and my that he might have the favour of the king, and be releafed from prifon, pitying his miferable condition in which he found him, ‘ the fame that was feveral times, with him when engaged in the war with the king of Syria, ch. xx. 13. 22. 28. 35. 38. and each time, excepting the laft, he brought him good tidings; but be-| caufe, in his laft meflage, he told him, that fince he had let Benhadad go, his life fhould go for his life, and his people for his people, for that hel hated him: aad Febofbaphat faid, Let not the king fay fa, which was very modeftly, though perhaps _ too gently faid; fuggefting that the prophets of the Lord thould be heard, refpeéted, and honoured, Jet their meffage be as it would, fince they fpake not of their own mind and will, but what they were moved unto by the fpirit of God. ¥. 15.
¥. 14. dad Micaiah faid, As the Lord liveth, &c.] He fwore by the living God for the confirmation of what he was about to fay: what the Lord aith unto me, that will I fpeak; truly and faithfully, keeping nothing back, nor adding any thing, whether it be good or evil, pleafing or difpleafing; it looks as if as yet he had no inftruction from the Lord what to fay, and yet the vifion he after declares feems to have been had by him before, y- 17. 19.
So be came to the king, &c.} Being in- | troduced by the officer: and the king faid unto him, Micaiah, /hall we go up againft Ramoth-gilead to. bat, tle, or fhall we forbear? the fame queftion in the fame words that was put to the other prophets,
¥. 6. only there’he ufes the fingular number, here the plural, including Fehofbaphat with him: and 4e anfwered him, Ga, and profper: far the Lord” Jball deliver it into the band of the king; he anfwered not in the name of the Lord, faying, thus faith the Lord, nor did he fpeak his own fenfe and in his own words, nor ferioufly, but by way of derifion; he took up the words of the prophets, and bantered \them; it is as if he fhould fay, the prophets bid you go, and tell you that you fhall profper, and that the city will be delivered into the king’s hand; do as they dire&t you, and fee what the iffue will be, no doubt it will be good, fince they are all ajagreed; but he delivered the above words with fuch geftures, and fuch a tone, and with a. contemptuous {mile in his countenance, which fhowed that he {poke not ferioufly, but farcaftically; and — this the king plainly difcovered, as appears by what,
¥. 11. And ZLedekiab the fon of Chenaanah made him horns of iron, &c.) Horns are emblems of power and might, and iron ones of greater {trength ftill; the prophets fometimes made ufe of vifible figns, to reprefent the things they prophefied of fhould come to pafs, fee J/, xx. 2, 3. Fer. xxvii. 2. and the fame method this prophet took: and be faith, Thus faith the Lord, imitating the true prophets: With thefe foalt thou pufo the Syrians, until thou haft confumed them Abarbinel thinks he had in view the bleffing of Fo/eph by Mofes, Deut. XXxill. £7. where he is compared to a bullock with horns; and thefe faid to be the ten thoufands of Ephraim, and the thoufands of Manaffeh, and Abab being of the tribe of Yo/eph, and ruling in Ephraim and Manaffeb, -the prophet chofe to make y.16. And the king faid unto him, How many times fhall I adjure thee, &c.| Not that he hadas yet adjured him at all, or not till now; but he” afks him how often he muft be obliged todo it; and now he adjures him once for all, that he might nog be forced to repeat it: that thou tell me nothing but ’ that which is true ix the name of the Lord? for he obferved he did not {peak in the name of the Lord before, and what he {aid was not in a ferious but ludicrous manner, and not to be regarded as truth, y. 17+ dnd he faid, &c.] The prophet, in a ferious and folemn manner, being adjured bythe © king: J faw all I/rael featiered on the-bills, as focep that have not a jfhepberd; the armies of Sfrael iw routed, difperfed, and fleeing, fome one way and _ fome another, on the mountains of Gilead near ufe-of this emblem for his encouragement.
¥.12. And all the prophets prophefied fo, faying, Go up to Ramoth-gilead, and profper, &c.] All encouraged the king to go up againft this place, and prophelfied of victory, as Zedekiah did: for the Lord foall deliver it into the king’s hand, fee Ramoth, weak and helplefs, not knowing where to i go for fafety, having none to direét them; and this was either naw inftantly reprefented to his mind, or what had been before in a dream or vifion: = the Lord faid, Thefe have uo mafter; thefe theep the have no shepherd, this army hath no general, J/rael_ \
Ch. xxi.¥.18—26. LK ING S. houfe in peace, very few fain; Farchi thinks Abad only, fee ¥. 31. that part of the threaning, ch. xx. 42. was now to be accomplithed, thy dife /ball go for his life, but the other part, and thy people for bis people, was to be deferred to another time. ¥. 18. Aitd the king of Ifrael faid unto Febofbaphat, &c.} Plainly perceiving that the prophet ‘foretold that he fhould fall in battle: Did J not tell thee, that he would prophefy no good concerning Mme, éut evil? intimating that this proceeded from fpite and malice, from ill-will to him and. hatred of him, and was not from the Lord, and therefore not to be regarded; he had told him three years ago his life fhould ‘go for letting Benhadad go; but it had not proved true, and no more would this; and Jebofoaphat being an eafy man, and too credulous, believed what 4hab faid of the charaéter of this prophet, or otherwife it is not to be accounted for, that he fhould go with him‘to war after fuch a declaration made. ¥.19. And be faith, Hear thou therefore the word of the Lord, &c.| Since he had reprefented. what -he had faid, as proceeding from hatred to: him, he would make it clear and plain, that what he had faid was the word of the Lord, and according tohis mind; and that what the other prophets had faid was owing to a lying fpirit in them, which the Lord fuffered. for his ruin; all which are reprefented as in a vifion, in which things are brought down to the capacities of men, and not as really tranfacted: J faw the Lord fitting on bis throne it was reprefented to his mind, as if he had feen with his bodily eyes the divine being in a. glorious form, as a Mito hiring on his throne, to do juftice and judgment; as 4bab and Febofhaphat were. now fitting on their thrones, only as a far greater king, even the King of kings, and in a more fplendid manner: aud all the hoft of heaven flanding by him, on bis right band, and on bis left; the miniftring angels ready to do his will. i _¥. 20. And the Lord faid, Who fhall perfwade Abab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? &c.] Not that it can be fuppofed that the Lord entered into a confultation with the angels. upon this fubject; only that it was, the decree of.God that he fhould go thither, and fall by, the hand of the man whom he had Jet go,:as ajjuft punifhment of him: aud one faid on. this, manner, and. another Said on that mauner not,that.there was fuch an altercation among them; it only fignifies, that there are divers ways and means, by. which.the. purpofes timating ] and decrees of God may be, and, are brought,
¥. 21. And there came forth a fpirit, &c.|..Not from the heavenly hoft on the right hand or theleft, for they are pure and holy, fpirits, and impeccable, and cannot Jie or deceive 5 but the evil fpirit, Satan, the father of lies, the old deceiver, who came forth from his own place and his own SNP any 2 and before the Lord, prefented himfelf before.him, Satan did, Fob i..6.. and faid, 1 will perfwade or prevail upon him; evil {pirits love to be employed in doing hurt to men, they go,about fecking whom they may devour... ‘This could. not be, the ia of Nadoth, as the Jews fay.%, feecking revenge “on Abad; that was in a {tate of happinels, could hot move from thence, and be.capable of inning... » ¥. 22. dad the Lord faid unto, ry W herewith?. 8&c.]_ What way ard method.did he.propofe, to perfwade Abab to.go.up toRamoth 2: the Lord.is about. courfe contrary. to himfelf, |.y: 25. And Micaiab faid, Behold, thou fhalt: fee in the day when thou foalt go into an inner chamber to. hide ebyfelf.| Who would either accompany Abad to the obattle,\vand:upon> his being wounded, flee tocthe' firtt. place of, fecrecy for fafety; or upon flood) the news,of his, defeat brought to Samaria,» would as) betake himfelf to a private! chamber for fecurity, him;) fearing the enemy would purfiie to the very place s or-elfe through fear of the populace, ‘who would attribute the death of the king to the advice of him and the,other\prophets..») so» t ail Won.y. 26.. And -the\ king’ of Irael faid, &e.) ‘To fome of his officers: Take Micaiah, and carry hit back unto Amon the governor':of the city, the chief magiftrate,under the king’; a fort of theriff, who had the! care/of malefactors,-and of all committed to prifon, frorm whom he was received by > mef-
| 717 introduced in this vifionary narrative as afking this queftion, not as ignorant of the fcheme of the evil fpirit, but in order to bring it out, and lead on to the following account: and be faid, 1 will go forth, and I wil! be a lying fpirit in the mouth of all his propbets; put them on encouraging bab to go up, and promifing him fuccefs, as he had in formet battles with the king of Syria, and which might both encourage them to give forth fuch a prediction, and him to believe it to be true; this propofal was quite agreeable to the character of the devil, as the father of lies: and be faid, Thou fhalt per= fwade him, and prevail alfo; not only make ule of this artifice to perfwade, but fucceed alfo; the Lord knew that what he fhould fuggett to the prophets, and they fhould deliver to 4ba6, would be agreeable to his inclination, nor would he do any thing in the courfe of his providence to hinder its taking effect: go forth, and do fo; which was giving leave to try his fkillin the art of perfuafion, in which he knew he would fucceed,) and bring on the righteous judgment. of God upon bab; with this compare “Jobn xiii. 27,
¥. 23. Now therefore behold, the Lord bath put alying [pirit.in the mouths of all thefe thy prophets, &c.] That is, fuffered the lying {pirit to fuggett a lie to them, and fent them {trong delufions to believe that lie, whofe minds were difpofed at any rate to flatter 4hab, to whorh they told it; which was the way defigned to bring him to the ruin appointed for him: and the Lord bath fpoken evil concerning thee; he had decreed it in himfelf, declared it by Micaiah his prophet, and {fuffered all thofe fteps to be taken by Satan and the falfe prophets,’ to bring him toit.
24. Bat Zedekiah the fon of Chenaanah went near, &c,] Stept in’ hafte and paffion from the place where he was: and fmote Micaiab on the cheek in contempt of him, and to fhew his indignation at what he faid; this he did in open courr, before two,kings;.one he believed would favour and. fcreen:him:in this lawlefs aGtion, and the other, out of his. own jurifdiction, had not courage and prefence.of mind to refent it: and faid, Which way went the {pirit of the Lord from me to [peak unto thee? hereby boafting that he had the fpirit of the Lord, and was’direéted by him in what he faid, and ftill remained with -him, and could not poffibly go to Micaiab, and fuggeft the very reverfe; and therefore pertly afks him which way the fpirit went, in- | that, it,was,impoffible he could fteer a
4x8 I fenger, and now fent back to him: and to Foafh the kig’s fon; who might be over his houfhold, as fometimes the king’s fon was, 2 Chron, xxvi. 21. or might be viceroy whilft the king was without the city, and at the gate of it, and about to go to war.
v.27. And fay, Ibus faith the king, Put this fellow in prifon, &c.} In the common pfifon of | the city, where he had been. before, as it feems; and might be now ordered into a more confined place in it, and what might be called “ttle eafe: and feed him with bread of affiittion, and with water and went inte the battle; mon foldier.
¥..31. But the king of Syria commanded bis 32 captains that bad rule over his chariots, &c. This was the number of his kings in the firft battle with Yrael, and of his captains in the fecond, ch. xx. 1, 24, 2g. and the fame number he had now, being very probably not only the number of his chariots, but the divifion of his army was into fo many battalions, under the command of thefe captains of chariots: faying, fight neither with fmall nor of affliction; with bad bread and foul water, and great; of thofe that belonged to Febofbaphat: fave but little of either; juft enough to keep alive and to continue ftarving: until I come in peace; which he feemed confident of, and intimates, that then he would punish him more feverely, ever with death, as a falfe prophet.
¥. 28. Aud Micasah faid, If thou return ab all in peace, the Lord bath not Jpoken by me, &c.] 1 am content to be reckoned a falfé prophet, and to be punifhed as fuch: and he faid, Hearken, O people, every one of yous he called aloud unto them, to obferve what he had predicted, and mark the iffue of it, and bear teftimony for him, or againft him, as things fhould_be.
¥. 29. So the king of Ifracl, and Febofhaphat the king of Judah, went up to Ramoth-gilead.| Which, according to Bunting‘, was 24 miles from Samaria. That Ahab went is no wonder, it was his own motion firft, his inclination led to it, his prophets encouraged. him, and in bravado to the prophet of the Lord, was determined upon it; but it may feem much more ftrange that Febofhaphat thould, after fuch an account as Micaiab had given, and who, doubtlefs, could obferve a great difference between him and the prophets of déab; and yet there is much to be faid which might incline him to go, as that there were 400 prophets all agreed, and who made ufe of the name of the Lord, and pretended to be true prophets; and though he might fufpeét them; he could not confute them; and Micaiah, he prophefied evil of bab only, and therefore Fehofeephat might think himfelf fafe in going; and befides, he had given his word to Abab, and he did not chufe to go from it; to which may be added, that Abad’s caufe was jult, to recover a part of his own dominions,
¥. 30: And the king of Irael faid unto febofoaphat, I will difeuife myfelf, and enter into the battle, &cc. }, Change his’ clothes, his royal robes, and put on others, perhaps the habit of a common foldier; having, it may be, been informed by fome deferters or {pies, of the defign of Benhadad again him. Abarbinel thinks the meaning is, that he would clothe himfelf with a coat of mail, and take to him the feveral inftruments of war, and fo go into the battle fecure; this feems probable from ¥. 34. and this he might do to elude the prophecy of Micaiah; but put thou on thy robes; his royal robes, or rather keep them on, that he might appear to be the chief commander of ‘the army. ‘here feems to be a good deal: of infincerity and treachery in this conduct of Abab’s, whatever honour he might pretend to Febofhaphat, or fafety he might promife him in fuch a fituation; his view feems to be to fave himfelf at the hazard of the life of Febofhaphat, efpecially if the Septuagint verfion could be eftablithed, and put on my clothes s which is natural enough, but would have been too barefaced « and the: king of Irae difguised him elf, divine providence, found its way into only with the king of Ffrael, and his meng for it can hardly be thought that his orders were to fight with none, nor kill any in the battle but bad perfonally; though it is very probable he might give them directions to aim at him chiefly, knowing that if he was killed or taken, his army would flee or furrender; and he might be defirous of getting. him into his hands, as he had been in his; and the rather his fpite was againit him, as he was the mover of the war.
¥. 32. And it came to pals when the captains of the chariots Jaw Fehofbaphat, 8c.) In his royal robes: that they jaid, furely it is the king of I rael;
for they might not Knew the perfons either of Ahab or him, but judged by his habit: and they turned afide to fight againft him; preffed upon him with all their force, either to take him, or flay him: and Febofhaphat cried out, with a lotid voice, either to the captains to let them know who he was, or to his meh to come to his affiftance, or rather to God to help and deliver him; fince i¢ is faid in 2 Chron. xviii. 31. that the Lord helped him, and. moved or inclined the hearts of the captains to depart from him, as it follows here. ~
¥. 33. And it came to pafs when the captains of the chariots perceived that it was not the king of I[- rael, 8c.) © Againft whom only their orders were to fight: that they turned back from purfuing him, for upon fo great a force coming upon him he'could ° not withftand, he fled::
¥. 34. And a certain man drew a bow at a venture, 8c.) Not aiming at the king of J/rael, or knowing whereabout he was. In the Targum on 2 Chrow. xviii. 33. this man is faid to be Naaman, the general of the army of the king of Syria, and. fo Farchi here; but though he did this in his fim-_ plicitys as the word fignifies, without any intention to fmite any particular perfon; yet God di-_ rected the arrow to the man he had marked for deftruétion, and neither his difguife, nor coat of mail, could fecure from that: aud fimote the king of Ifrael between the joints of the harnefs; of which. the pieces of armour on him’ were joined together, the higher and lower parts of it, the breaft-plate, and what covered the belly; and though thefe were joined as clofe as they were capable of joining.
them in thofe times, yet the arrow, kay by ~his ‘body = wherefore he faid unto the driver of bis chariot, turn
‘thine band; or hands, with which he held the reins, and turn the horfes’ on one fide: and carry me out of the boft, where the battle was hotteft, to a’place more remote arid private, that he might» have the wound examined, and the blood ftopped, and return again, as it feems he did: for J am wounded; or rather I am fick*, or ill, as the Targum fomewhat out of order, and thetéfore chofe to retire a little while; not caring it fhould known that he was {mitten and wounded, left his foldiers fhould be difheartened.
W. 35. And ihe battle increafed that day, &c.] It went on, and did not {top upon 4bad’s going out of the hoft,~ but was very hot, and both fides fought furioufly: and the kiig was flayed up in bis chariot againfi the Syrians; the Targum is, ** he ftrengthened himielf, and ftood;’? he exerted himfelf to the uttermoft, and ftood as long as he'could, or could be fupported, fighting againft the Syrians, to animate his army, and that the Syrians might not have any notion of his being wounded: and died at even; in his chariot: and the blood ran out of the wound into the midft of the chariot 5 or bofom' of it, the hollow part of it.
¥. 36. And there went @ proclamation throughout the hoft, about the going down of the fun, 8c. Much about the time that 4bad died; and this proclamation by an herald might be made by his order, as he was dyings or by Yeho/baphat, when he inderftood he was dead: /aying, every mai to bis city, and every titan to bis own country; the otder was to ceafe fighting, and make the beft of thei way as faft as they could to theit own hones, fince their fhepherd and mafter was dead, which fulfilléd the vifion of Micaiah, ¥.17. It feems to have been a drawn battle, at leaft there is no aécount of the advantage on either fide. he)
¥. 37. So the king died, and they brought him to Samaria, &c.J In the chariot he died im: and they buried the king in Sainaria, where his father Omri was buried, ch. xvi. 28.
¥. 38. And one wafhed the chariot in the pool of Santaria, &c.] After the body was taken our, very likely the chariot-driver, who drove it into the pool, and plunged it into it, as the word fignifies, to cleanfe it from the blood of his mafter: and the dogs licked up his blood; mixed with the water Of the pool; the Sepédagint adds, the fwine, which is not probable, fuch creatures. not being bred in the land of L[rael: and they wafbed bis armour; his coat of mail, through the joints of which the blood iffued, and ran upon it. The word is fometimes ufed for whores, and is fo tranflated here in the Greek verfion, and by Munfler and Caftalto; and both Ben Gerfom and Abarbinel fay, that women, who were harlots, wafhed here| in his blood mixed with water; and fo Yo/epbus" writes, that afterwards it was a cultom for whores to wafh in this pool; though fome fay “two whores were painted on dbad’s chariot; by the order of Fezebel, to inflame his luft, and thefe were what were wafhed; but the word fignifies armour, or rather ornaments, clothes, jewels, (ce. this was according to the werd of the Lord which be Jpake; both by Liijah, that as the dogs licked the blood of Naboth, to they fhould his, as they now did, though not in the fame place; nor was it neceflary to fulfil the prophecy in ch. xxi. 19. fee the note there; though fome have thought *, that his blood mixed with the water of the pool of Samaria, was carried in a ftream down to Yezreel, and there licked by the dogs, where Nadorh’s was but chiefly what was fpoken by Micaiab is here reipected, that thus bad fell at Ramoth-gilead, as he had prophefied, ¥. 17, 20, 28. and his life went for the life of Benbadad, as he had before declared, of I/rael.] Firft with bab, with whom he contraéted an affinity, and joined with him in his expedition to Ramoth-gilead, and with Abaziab his ucceffor.
y. 45. And all the reff of the alts of Febofbaphat, and all his might that be foewed, and all bis wars; are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Ifrael?} Many of them are recorded in the canonical book of {cripture, which bears the name of Chronicles; and. more avd now all rmight be in this referred to, out of which might be taken what God has thought fit to tranfmit to future times; fee 2 Chron. xvii, xix, XX.
y. 46. Aad the remnant of the Sodomites, which remained in the days of his father Afa, he took out of the land.) His tather 4/a\removed many of thefe filthy creatures, but not all; as many no doubt as came within his knowledge, but fome remained; whom this his fon removed, being of;tthe fame difpofition with his father, fee ch. xv. 12. _:.
. ¥. 47. There was then no king in Edom, a deputy was king.] Which had been the cafe from the times of David, who fubdued Edom, and placed
¥. 39. Now the ret of the afts of Abab, and alll that he did, and the ivory houfe which be made, &c. 4, and continued through the reign of Febofbapbar, \unto the times of his fon; under whom the Edo-
Which being a very curious and extraordinary thing, is particularly mentioned; though perhaps it might not be made wholly of ivory, but inlaid with it; we read of ivory houfes ‘in Avos iii, (5, and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Jrael; in which the aéts of his” predeceffors were recorded, fee ch. xiv, 1g. and xv. 31. and xvi. i4, 20, 27. not the {fcripture-book of Chronicles, tor there nione of thefe things are related,
¥. 40. So Abab flept with his fathers, and Abaziah bis fon reigned in his feecd.} Of whom more is faid in the latter part of this chapter, and in the following book.
¥.41. And Febofbaphat the fon of Afa began to reign over Fudab, in the fourth year of Abab king of Irael.| And as Abad reigned 22 years, ch. xvi. 29. Febofhaphat mutt reign about 18 years with him, and feven years after him.
¥.42. Febofoaphet was 36 years old when he bes gan to reign, and he reigned 25 years in Ferufalen, &c.] So that he mutt be 60 years of age when he died: and his mother’s name was Azubab the daughter of Shilbi; but of what family they were, is not faid.
¥. 43. And he walked in all the ways of Afa bis father, &c.] Who was a good prince: be turned not afide from doing that which was right in the eyes of the Lord; in his moral converfation, religious worfhip, and civil government: neverthelefs, the high places were not taken away, for the people offered and burnt incenfe yet in the high places 5 he took away the high places and groves for idolatrous worthip, 2 Chron. xvii. 6. but not the high places in which facrifices were offered to the Lord, which ought to have been, efpecially fince the temple was built; and thofe in the tribes of Fudah and Benjamin were altogether inexcufable, being near to the temple, and under no reftraint, as thofe’of the 10 tribes were; but the people were fond of them, becaufe of their antiquity, and it was difficult for religious princes to remove them, if inclined,
¥.44. And Febofbaphat made peace with the king mites révolred, and fet up a king of their own, ov Kings viii. 20. with a view to which this is obferved, as alfo to account for it, how Yehofbapbat)
could build fhips in £2ian-peber, which was in the was buried with bis fathers in the city of Davia land of Edom, of which in the next verfe, becaufe the whole country was governed by a vicé-roys- or _deputy under him.::
y. 48. Febofhapkat made fhips of Tarfbifh, Sec. years of age, and he reigned 10 years.
Ships to go to fea, particularly the Indian fea, ch. x. 22. Tarfbifh is wfed for the fea in\general, P/ xviii. 7. J. ii. 16: in the Cetid, or text, it is tea; in the Keri, or margin, it is made, which we follow, and may be put together, as in the Tigurine verfion, and read, he made tenyhips to go by fea: even to go to Ophir for gold as Solomon did; of which place fee ch. ix. 28. dat they went not, for the ships were broken at Ezion-geber, the port where they were built: as foon as they were lauriched,, or failed, they were broken to pieces againft the tocks néar the harbour, which flood up like a man’s backbone, whence the port had its name;- fee the note on ch. ix. 26. and if this was Ez/zem, as there obferved, near to it was a dangerous place for fhips, and where many were loft, and is fuppofed to be the place where Pharoah and his hoft were drowned”; the reafon of this fhipwreck was, becaufe Febo/baphat joined himfelf with Zbaziab king of J/rael, for which he was reproved by the prophet Ziezer, and this was his punifhment, 2 Chroz. xx. 35, 36, 37+
¥.49. Then faid Abaziah the’ fon of Abab unto Febofoapkat, 8c.) Who very probably. had built fome more fhips on his own bottom, having broke off his partnerfhip with dbaziab: let my fervants go with thy fervants in the fhips; fince he was refufed a part in the fhips themfelves, he defires leave to fend men aboard them to traffick for him abroad: but Fehofbaphat would not, having been reproved
Reboboam, Abijam and Afa were buried: and Febo~ ram bis fon reigned in bis ftead, who was now 32,
¥. 50: And Feboaphat fleps. with his fathers, and ather, &c.] Inthe city of Simm, where Dat id
Faia, basta selon of Abad Same ae over Ifrael in Samaria the 17th year of Feb sbapbe king of Fudab, &c.,} It is observed, that oes _ began to reign in the 4th year of Ahad, and db E reigned 22 years, fee ¥. 41. and ch. xvi. 29, and therefore 4had’s fon muft begin to reign in, the 18th year of Febobapbat; but perhaps he was made king in his father’s life-time, before he Went on his. expedition to Ramoth-gilead, or Abal’s reign was not 22 years compleat: end reigned two Seat Oe a rae]; not compleat, as appears from 2 Kings iii, 1,, 'y¥.52. And be did evil in the fight of the &c.] Which evil was idolatry: and edited way of bis father, his father Abad, who worfhip- ” ped Baal: and in the way of his mother; bis mother”
Jezebel, who was {till living, and ferved Baal and
Afiarte, the deities of her country: and in the way of Feroboam the fon of Nebat, who fet up and worfhipped the golden calves: who made Ifrael to by the worfhip of the fame, into which he « them by his example and authority.,
¥. 53. For he ferved Baal, and worhipped bin,
&c.] Thatis, baziab ferved him, as his father ~ had done, and his mother ftill did: and provoked. to anger the Lord Ged of I/rael, according to all that iby a prophet of the Lord, and had fuffered the lof of his fhips by joining with him already, i hin bis father bad done; of which there is an infer, tt in the firft chapter of the following book; for:
ing through a lattice, and becoming fick upon if, _ he quickly died, having fent meflengers to enquire of the god of Ekron, whether he fhould die or t
(at =>) 4 PEARED s\ Bl OLFLDL a eee PE RERRE Sat ales NAH) UR cReoIED Li, and the pteceding book; are pro-|tion of the hiftory of the kings of Trael and pefly but one book divided ‘into two|Fudab; iand: for a farther account of it, the. pasts, becaufe of the bignels. of it, as|reader is referred to the Zitle of the preceding the book of Samuel; it is a continua- | book.
Cpais chapter begins with the rebellion. Moaé againtt Tirael, y.1. relates a fall of the king of Yracl i in his houfe, which brought on a ficknefs, about which he. fent meflengers to enguire of the god of Ekrons who were ftopped by Elijah, and bid to return, as they did; and upon the king’s examination of them about the caufe of their return; he perceived it was Eijjab that forbad them, y. 2—8. upon which the king fent to him two captains, with 50 men each;
other, to bring him to him, but Bon came down from heaven and confumed them, ¥. 9—12. but a third with 50 men fent to him were fpared; and he is bid to go along with them with a meflage to the king, as he did, ¥.13—16. and the chapter is clofed with the death of Abaziah, y. 175 18. of)he féll through it into it: avd was fick; the fall perhaps threw:him into a fever, and which feemed him threatening, being violent: aad he fent meffengers, and faid unto. them, go enquire of Baal-zebub; thé god of Ekron, whether I fall recover of this difeafe s; not to heal him of it, but to know the iffte of it; a vain wn this! Ekron was one of the principalities of the Philijiines, and this idol was the god they worhhipped, which fignifies a maffer-fly; one after an- which fome think was a large tetaltte fly, made under a planet that rules over flies; and the heathens had deities they called Myiodes, Myagros, and aouzvoc, which fignifies a driver away of flies; as Fupiter and Hercules were called by the Eleans and Romans, and worthipped and facrificed to by them on that account*; and fo the Cyreneans; a people of Lydia; worthipped the god chor, which feems to be a ‘corruption of the word Ekron; becaufe he freed them from flies; after they had been infefted with a peftilence through them’; and Ekrow being a place near the fea, and both hot and moift; might be much infefted with’ thofe creatures. Within the haven of Piolemais, ot Acco; was formerly a temple of Baal-zebub, called in after-times the tower of flues, and ufed as a Pharus*. « ¥. 3. But the angel of the Lord faid unto Elijab, &c.] One of the miniftring fpirits fent by the Lord to him: arife, go up to meet the meffengers of the king of Samaria; that is; the king of / rael, whofe capital city was Samaria: is it not becaufe there is ot a God in Ifrael; known, acknowledged and worfhipped there, of whom there had been fufficient proof of his deity and divine perfections, rs t.1. Then Moab rebelled againft Ifrael aie ihe death of Abab.| Which had been in fubjeétion to them from the times of David, 2 Sam. viii. 2., refufing to pay.a tribute as they had done; taking advantage of dhad’s ill fuccefs with the ‘king of Syria, and of his death, and the: condition and circumftances of his fucceffor.
y.2. And Ahaziah fell down a lattes in bis upper chamber that was in Samaria, 8c.) Which was either a window or lattefs in the form of network, to let in light; or rather were the rails of a balcony or battlement on the roof of his palace, in this form, on which leaning, it broke down, and he fell into the garden or court-yard; or walking on the
-roof his houfe, and treading unawares on a fkyight, which let in light into a room. underneath, as omnifcience, omnipotence, ec. that ye go to enquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron? about future things, when they had God nigh unto them, fully acquainted with them, as this meflage fhows. ¥. 4. Now therefore thus faith the Lord, 8c.) Jehovah, the only true God: thou foalt not come down from that bed on which thou ert gone up, but foalt furely die, this ficknefs fhould be unto death, and the bed he had betaken himfelf to fhould be his death-bed. The phrafes of going up to bed, and coming down, dre ufed with great propriety; for in the eaftern countries, in their bed-chambers, him to.come down, fignifying if he would not, he would fend his men to fetch him down. ¥. 10. And Elijah anfwered and faid to the captain of fifty, If I be @ mian of God, 8c.) Aslam, and thou fhalt know it by the following token, though thou calleft me fo jeeringly; them let fire come down from heaven, and confume thee and t.
fifty, this he faid not in a paffion, and from a pri- - vate fpirit of revenge, but for the vindication-o the honour and glory of God, and under, the impulfe of his Spirit, who was abufed through the ins fult on him as his prophet: aud there came down they had a gallery raifed four or five feet above fire from heaven, and conjfumed him and his fifty; a the floor, with a baluftrade on the front *, and fteps leading up to it; or ladders, which had more or fewer rounds, according as the beds were higher or lower®: and Elijab departed; having met the meffengers, and delivered his meffage trom the Lord unto them.
y.5. And when the meffengers turned back unto him, &c.] To Abaziah king of Jrael, as they did as foon*as Elijab was gone from them; concluding from his habit, his gravity, and the authority with which he fpoke, that he was a prophet of the Lord, and efpecially from his knowledge of them, and of what they were fent about: be faid unto them, why are ye now turned back? for by the time they had been gone, he knew they could never have been at Ekvon and returned.
y. 6. And they [aid unto bim, there came a man up to meet us, and faid unto us, go, turn again unto the king, that fent you, &c.] King Abaziah: and fay unto him; and ‘then they repeatéd all that is faid by the angel to Elijah, and he had delivered to them, ¥. 3,4. and which was a fufficient rea- flafh of lightning, which deftroyed them at once; the Lord hearkening to the voice of his prophet, in vindication of him in his office, and of his own glory.:
¥. 11, Again alfobe fent unto him another captain of fifty, with his fifty, 8c.) The king not being at all terrified with the awful judgment upon the former, fends another: and be anfwered unto him, O man of God, thus hath the king fa Come down quickly; he flouts the prophet in the fame manner as the former, and in the king’s name commands him to come down, and that immediately; which the king added to his orders, or he himfelf, fignitying he would not be ‘trifled with,. he did not come down direétly, he ioe y¥. 12. And Elijah anfwered and faid unto them, &c.] The fame as he had to the firft captain, and made-the fame requeft of fire from heaven; which accordingly came down, and deftroyed this captain and his fifty alfo..
¥.13. And be fent again a captain of the third fon for their turning back, fince they got a full ffty, with bis fifty, &c ] Which was moft daring anfwer from a man of God, of what they were to enquire of at Ekvoz; which was,whether the king would recover of this difeafe or no.
y. 7. And he faid unto them, what manner of man was he, &c.] What appearance or figure did he make? what his habit or clothing? which came up to meet you, and told you thefe words? they had related to him.
¥. 8. And they anfwered him, he was an bairy man, &c.] E1ther the hair of his head and beard and infolent, and fhewed him to'be dreadfully hardened to perfift in his meflages after fuch rebuffs: and the third captain of fifty went ups inftead of calling to the prophet at the bottom of the hill as the other did, he went up to the top of it: and came and fell on bis knees before Elijah, in reverence of him as a prophet’ of the Lord, and under a dread of the power he was poflefled of, of calling for fire from heaven on him and his men, as the former inftances fhewed: and’ befought bim, “and were grown very long, having been much neg-| aid unto him, Oh man of God, I pray thee, let my leéted for a great while; or he had a hairy garment on, either’of goat’s hair, fuch as the Chine e wear 4 life, and the life of thefe fifty thy fervants be precious in thy fight he owns their lives lay at his mercy 3 whofe women fpin it, fee Exod. xxxv. 26. and of he begs they might be fpared, fince it was not in which garments are made; or of camel’s hair, fuch as ‘Yohu the Baptiff wore, who came in his. {pirit and power, and imitated him in his drefs, being alfo as Elijab here, girt with a girdle of leather about bis loins; for more expeditious travelling, not for warmth, the climate being hot: aud he faid, it is Elijah the Tifbbite, for he had feen him formerly in his father’s court in this drefs.
contempt of him, and through ill-will to him as the prophet of the Lord, but in obedience to the king’s command, that they were come to him.
y. 14. Bebold, there came fire down from heaven, and burnt up the two captains of the former fifties, with their fifties, &c.| He owns the facts, and aferibes the death of them to the ‘true caufe, and appears to have an awful fenfe of the judgment of yg. Then the king fent unto him a captain of 50 with his 50, &c.} Not in honour to him, but to bring him by force if he refufed to come wil-| God on them, fearing the fame would befall him and his: ¢herefore let my life now’ be precious thy ght; by*fparing it, what is precious and value lingly: and he went up to him, and bebold, be fat.on the top of an bill, generally fuppofed to be. mount
Carmel: and he fpake unto bim; at the bottom of &c.
the hill, fo loud that he might hear him: thou man of God; or the prophet of the Lord, as the Targum, as thou calleft thyfelf; for this was faid in a fneering, flouting manner: the king bath faid, come down; and in the king’s name he ordered y.15. And the angel of the Lord foid unto Elijah, } The fame as in ¥. 3+ or bad faid*, as fome render it, before this captain came: Go down with him; the captain and his men: and be not of him, of king Abaziah, whom he might fear caufe of the meflage he had fent him, — fhould die of that ficknefs, and for turning back his meffengers to the God of Ekron, and for deftroying his two captains and their fifties; nor of his mother Jezebel, who had threatened his life for killing her prophets: and he arofe, and went down with him unto the king; boldly and courageoufly, not fearing his wrath; fo that the captain not only had his life and the life of his men {pared, but an- {wered the end of his meflage alfo,
¥. 16. And be faid unto him, &c.]} Elijah to king 4kaziah when introduced into his chamber; and after fome difcourfe paffed between them, he confirmed what he had faid to his meffengers, and exprefled it in the fame language as in y. 3,4. fee the notes there.
¥. 17. So be died, according to the word Lord which Elijah had fpoken, &c.] How orhow foon after this is not faid; however, he died of the ficknefs, and on the bed to which he went up, as he faid: and Feboram reigned in bis fread; who was another fon of Abab, and brother of dbaziab, ch. iii. 1. in the fecond year of Feboram \39.
FIIS chapter relates, how that Eliba accompanied Edijah to feveral places, and on the other fide Fordan Elijah was taken up from him tol heaven, which occafioned great lamentation in him, ¥. 1—i2. but having the mantle of Elijah, he divided the waters of Fordan, and paffed over, y 13, 14. and the fons of the prophets at Fericho, perceiving the fpirit of EZijah on him, thewed him great refpect, and propofed fending men to feek his mafter, which they did in vain, y¥. 15—18. when he healed the waters at Fericho, at the requeft o the men of it, ¥. 19—22. and the chapter is concluded with the deftruction of forty-two children at Bethel by bears, who mocked him, y. 2 3,24, 24.
¥. 1. And it came to pafs when the Lord would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, &c. | thereby lifting him up from the earth, and which, as it was the purpofe and will of God, Elijah had notice of, as appears by his motions to different that his matter migh places, under a divine direétion: with Elifba from Gilgal; where it feems they met, a place where the J/raelites firft pitched when they came over Fordan, and where the tabernacle’ was here, I pray thee, &c.
for fome time, and was famous for religious fervices, fee Fab. iv. 19. and v. 9.:: ¥.2. And Elijah faid unto Elifha, Tarry bere, pray thee, &c.| Seemingly unwilling he fhould gojthe fam
- with him, and be prefent at his affumption; which was either out of modefty, not affecting the fpread of the honour and glory to be conferred upon him; or to prevent the grief of Elia at his departure, orto try whether Zii/ba knew any thing of it, and what aifection he had for him: for the Lord bath Sent me to Beth-el, to give fome comfort and fome inftruction and advice to the college of pro there: and Elifba faid unto him, As the being determined to fee the laft of him, have the benefit of his company and converfation, his heavenly difcourfe, and inftru@tion from him as _ dong as he could, and in hope of receiving a blef- the fon of Fehoftaphat king of Fudab, but as he mutt begin his reign in the 19th, or in the latter end of the 18th year of Jehofhaphat, fee 1 Kings XXil, 51. and 2 Kings iii. 1. and SF ehofpaphat reigned in all 25 years, x Kings xxii. 42. he mutt live and reign after this fix or feven years; this therefore is to be reconciled by obferving, that this fon of Fehofbaphat was made viceroy, or was taken into partnerfhip in the throne by his father when he went with Abab to Ramoth-gilead; and it was in the fecond year of this his reign with his father, that the other Feboram began his: becaufe he had no fon; that is, Abaziah, wherefore his brother reigned in his ftead,
¥. 18. Now the reff of the afts of Abaziah which he did, &c.] During his two years reign, which yet were imperfect, and his ats mutt be but few - are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Ifrael? in which were written his father Abab’s alfo, and his predeceffors, fee 1 Kings xxii.
¥. 3. And the fons of the prophets that were at Beth-el, &c.] Or the difciples of them, as the Targum; here, though a place where one of feroboam’s calves was fet up, was a fchool of the prophets, perhaps founded by Elijah as a nurfery for and a check upon the idolatry of the times: came forth to Elifoa, out of their college; and [aid unto him, Knoweft thou that the Lord will take away thy mafter from thy head to-day? who was, as dbarbinel obferves, the crown and glory of his head’; or elfe this is faid, as generally thought, in allufion to difciples fitting at the feet of their mafters, and fo they at the head of them; the rapture of Elijah was by a {pirit of prophecy revealed unto them: and be Jaid, Yea, I know it; being revealed to him in the fame way: hold your peace; not caring to continue any difcourfe with them on the fubject, that his thoughts, which were intent upon it, might not be interrupted, and t not know that he knew of and left he fhould be fnatched away from him, and he not fee him, whilft difcourfing with them. ¥.4. And Elijah faid unto bim, Elifha, tarry J} At Bethel: for the Lord hath fent me to Fericho; to the fchool of the prophets there, to {trengthen, encourage, and advife them: and he faid, As the Lord liveth, 8c. ufing € form of oath as before: /o they came to Jericho; together, which, as the above writer fays’, was four miles from Bethel.) ¥. 5. And the fons of the prophets that were at Fericho, &c.] For though this place was lately rebuilt under a curfe to the builder, yet was blefled with a {chool of the prophets: whofe difciples came to Elifha, and faid unto him; asin y. 3. and to whom phets| he made the fame reply.
Lord| ¥.6. And Elijah faid unto him, T: arry, I pray liveth, and as thy foul liveth, I will not leave thee; thee, here, &c.) At Fericho, feemingly very dehim off, that he might not {ee his affumption: for the Lord hath fent me to Fordan;
Where paffing that he was to be taken up: and be- aid, 8c. Elifha fwore as before, he would not they went down to\leave him:
which, according to Bunting *,|which was fix miles from Fericho *, and they two went on; to Fordan,
¥. 7. And fifty men of the fons of the prophets went, and food to view afar. off, Sec.).To have a view, if theycould, of the affumption of E/jab to heaven, and'be witnefles of it: and they two Stood by Yordan; on the banks of.it, even Elyab and Elifba.
¥. 8. And Elijah took bis mantle, and wrapi it togelbor, &c.] Folded it up clofe together, in a pofition to {mite with it; this is thought to be not his hairy garment, but a fhorter robe, that was worn upon his fhoulders; but the Greeé verfion renders it by Melotes, and fo in y. 14. which, according to Jfdore', was a goat’s {kin, hanging down from the neck, and girt at the loins; and being thus’ clothed, perhaps, may be the reafon of his being called an hairy man, ch. i. 8. and Jmote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither; jutt as Mofes lift up his rod, and the waters of the fea were divided for the J/raelites: fo that they two vent over on dry ground; in like manner as the J/- raelites did through the fea.
¥. 9. And it came to pafs when they were gone over, &c.] Had got on the other fide Yordan: that Elijah faid unto Ehiha, afk what I foall do for thee, before I be taken from thee; for having followed him fo clofely, he now made no more a fecret of his, affumption,.and having had full. trial of his attachment to him, and affection for him;
17. in which they appeared for the glory. and ho~ gat of the prophet, and.as emblems.of his flam-; ing love and zeal for the purity of religion, and. that his affumption might be conipicuous to Liha 5» and perhaps by this means might be feen by. the; 50 men on the other. fide Jordan: this- chariot,; drawn with thefe horfes, was not feen in the heaven, but as running on the earth, and came be-j tween the two prophets, and feparated, them from» each other, taking up £iijad into. it, by, means) of; a wind whirling about him, and which wase1 other than the miniftry of angels; or chelesaie be,a-conflux of exhalations.or clouds, formed’ in this likenefs by a fupernatural power, and by the. folar rays ftriking on them, might appear fiery or reds and fo his affumption was much in.fuch like man-, ner, as our Lord was taken up in a cloud, Asie 9. and Elijah weat up by a whirlwind into heavens, body and foul; fuch a change pafling on him as he went through the region of the air, which divefted him of his mortality and corruption, and fitted him for the invifible world. 7
. ¥..12.'And Elifba faw it, &c.) The afeenfion of Elijah to heaven, the manner of it, and all relative to it, as the difciples faw the afeenfion of and Elifha faid, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy Jpirit be upon me, the two parts of the gifts Chrift, between whichand this theres a great ofjagreement, fee AZs i. 9,10. and fo Lhj~ba had the:
the {piri he had, that of prophecy, and that of doing miracles, as fome think; or two parts out of three of what Elijah was poffefied of; or rather double as much, and which he might defire, not token by which he might expect to have the double portion, as the diiciples: after the:afcenfion of Chrift had an extraordinary effufionyef the Spirit and gifts upon them: and he cried, my father, my from a fpirit of vanity and ambition to. be greater father; or my mafter, my maftery as the Targum than his mafter, but from an eagernefs to promote the glory of God, and the intereft of religion, to reclaim the J/raelites from their idolatry, and eftablith the true religion, which he might obferve £ ijab was not able to do with that meafure of grace and gifts he had; or however this phrafe denotes an abundance, a large portion or méafure, as it every where does. Many, after Bex Gerfom, have thought, it refers to the double portion of the firftborn, and that E/j/ba does not mean a double portion with refpect to Hijab, but with refpect to the junior prophets, with whom he might be confidered as a firft-born, and fo defired a double or greater portion than they, and which may be righteit”; and when he afked this, he did not fuppole. it was in Elijab’s power to give him it, only that he would pray to God at parting with him, that he would beftow it on him.
¥.10. And he faid, thou haft afked a bard thing, &c.] Not'a common privilege, but what is rarely enjoyed, and difficult to obrain, few are fo favoured of God: neverthelefs, if shou fee me when I am taken from thee, it foall be fo unto thee, but if not, it foall not be fo, meaning, that if his rapture was vifible to Eli/fba, and he was favoured with a fight of his affumption, and be an eye-witnefs of it, this would be a token both to Elijah, that it was agreeable to the Lord to afk of him this favour for him, and to £ii/ha to expe& it, otherwife not,
¥. 11, And it came to pals, as they ftill went on ond talked, &c.} About the donation of the gifts of the {pirit requefted, about the ftate of religion
Elijah being a father to Elisa, and: the veft.of the prophets, in the fame fenfe as, difciples, of the prox phets are called fons: ¢he chariots of Ifracl, amd the horfemen thereof; who was a greater defence to Js rael, and was of more) fervice to them, by his inftructions and prayers, than an army confifting of chariots and horfemen; fo the Zargum, ** he was better to J/rael by his. prayers than ‘chariots “and horfemen:”” and he faw him no more; he was carried up in the above manner into the heaven of hea vens, out of the fight of mortals, and: never feen more, but at the transfiguration of Chriftvon’ the mount: aud he took bold of bis owm clothes, and rent them in two pieces; not on account »of Elijah’s cafe and circumitances; who was now in a moft happy and glorious ftate and condition, but as lamenting his own lofs, and the lofs of the pub- Lek: #44: mk gk ie y ¥.13..He took up alfo the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, &c.] Which he had now no*farther need of, and £/ij/ha had, having rent his clothes in two; and this falling into his hands, was a token of his fucceeding him in his office, and that he fhould have the double portion of his fpirit: and be went back, and ftood by the brook of Fordan, at the place where he and £iijab had pafied over together, SS wt ¥. 14. And he took the mantle of Elijab that from bim, and fmote the waters, &c.| Te wrapt it together, as Liijab had done, and fmote the way ters in like manner, to make trial whether the fame {pirit and power »conferred on him in I/rae!, and about the training up of prophets in /aid, where is the Lord God of Elijab? Jet ‘him ay the colleges, and about Eli/ha’s fucceffion as a prophet in his room, and his dilcharge of that office, and fuch like things, as may be fuppofed, in which he gave him inftruction and advice; that bebold, pear now, and fhew his power as he di he knew the mantle would not do without the and the exertion of his might: aad when be. had {mitten the waters, they parted hither ana:
there appeared @ chariot of fire, and, borfes of fresa either angels in this form, fee P/. civ. 4. and Ixviiiny —