1 Kings 20

A. M. 3103. B. C. 901. 12 And it came to pass, when Ben-hadad 1 Benhadad, not content with Ahab’s homage, besiegeth Samaria. 13 By the direc- In the first place he made Naboth a fair and handsome offer for the purchase; but Naboth considered the total alienation of his estate (as it certainly was) inconsistent with the divine law: beside which, his mind possessed a spirit of independence that revolted at the idea of sefline the inheritance of his fathers. He therefore refuses all Ahab’s offers, at which the king became “heavy and displeased, and refused to eat.” Jezebel, however, who evidently reigned, though her husband was king, had imbibed the diabolical principle that subjects are only made for kings.

‘Dost thou govern the kingdom ?” said she, and art thou to be controlled i: subject? ‘This is what Dr. Clarke properly calls “ the vital language of despotism;” and sheis the despot. She takes the king’s seal, forges letters in his name, hypocritically proclaims a fast, and writes to her creatures in Jezreel to procure wretches to swear away the life of Naboth, and all to make good her decree, “I will give thee the vineyard.” 4 This narrative also gives us an awful view of the depravity of — morals at this time in Israel; when the magistrates and legal authorities, “the nobles and elders,” were ready to undertake any work of perjury and murder that the king might eS Sy SR ik pet pee rae a ae a dictate; and had at hand “men of Belial,”

ready to swear whatever they were paid to swear! No sooner, however, was this act of villany accomplished, than with all the coolness of a practised assassin, Jezebel says to Ahab, Naboth is dead, “arise and take possession.’ And Ahab himself, though he had wilfully kept himself ignorant of her proceedings, becomes responsible for all, by taking possession of the plunder; and that, no doubt, under the pretence that the vineyard had been forfeited by its owner (though innocent) having died for But “blood has a voice to pierce the skies;’ thus the blood of Naboth, like that of Abel, was heard before the throne of God; and Elijah, who had now fully recovered his fortitude, is sent to meet Ahab, in or near his new possession; and hails him in these words of thunder—“ Thus saith the Lord, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession?…, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth,”

that is, in the open field, (for Naboth was doubtless stoned without the city,) even “ there shall the dogs lick thy blood, even thine.”” The prophet goes on to pronounce destruction against the house of Ahab, and also against Jezebel, all which we shall find shortly come to pass. Alas for Ahab! little did he enjoy his iii-gained possessions. Instead of forming a kitchen-garden for his palace, “he rent his clothes, fasted, and lay in sackcloth,” and thus procured a respite to his sentence, at least in part. But still this awful brand is placed upon his character: “he did sell himself” to sin and Satan “to work wickedness: and as to “Jezebel his wife,” she “incited,” or stirred him up, to every

Notes on the verses

Chap. XX. Ver. 1—43. Ben-hadad besieges Samaria, is defeated, and his life spared by Ahab, for which the latter is reproved.—Both the Greek version and Josephus transpose this and the following chapter, as conceiving the nefarious transaction of Ahab, as to Naboth’s vineyard, preceded this battle: we, however, take them as we find them. We may recollect, that some years before, Asa, king of Judah, had very improperly applied to Ben-hadad to assist him against Baasha, ((1 Kings 15:18), &c.) which was the means of exciting him, as in this chapter, to the conquest of the kingdom of Israel. First he collects a great army, with thirty-two petty rinces in his train, and then sends an insulting message to Ahab, with the most degrading conditions, to which the king at first tamely submits; but this increasing the insolence of the tyrant, he sends a still more haughty message, which obliged him to consult the elders of Israel: these advise him to reject his shameful terms; and a prophet is sent to encourage Ahab to the conflict, with the promise of a victory.

It may seem Chap. XX. Ver. 6, Pleasant in thine eyes.—Josephus and the LXX., &c. read, in their eyes; but if this was intended to mortify Ahab, the common reading seems the most cutting. ‘‘If they shall find any thing in which you (Ahab) are known to take parjicular delight, they shall bring it away.” Ver. 11. That girdeth on.—Yhe girdle was the last part of the armour put on, and bound the rest together. Bp. Lowth. This was a wise reproof; too wise for Ahab himself. [This was, no doubt, a er mode of expression. Jonathan renders it: ‘‘ Let not him who girds himself, and goes down to the battle, boast as he who has conquered and returned from it.”” The word harness is an obsolete word for armour, derived from the French harnois.|—B.

Ver. 12. Pavilions.—(The word pavilion, from papilio, a butterfly, here ia Saran a tent, so called because when ae out it resembles such insects. “hat even persons of regal dignity regaled themselves in this manner, we may earn from Dr. Chandler, who, when he went to visit the Aga of Suki, after hisreturn from hawking, found him vexed and tired; and “a couch was preheard this » message, as he was drinking, he a 18.10.13, and the kings in the i pavilions, that he said unto his servants, i Set yourselves in array. Lord, Hast thou seen all this great multitude ? behold, I will deliver it into thy hand this Thus saith the Lorn, Even by the ™ young men of the princes of the provinces. Then he said, Who shall “order the battle?

And he answered, Thou. 15 Then he numbered ° the young men ofthe 17 And the young men of the princes of the provinces went out first; and Ben-hadad sent k apout, and they told him, saying, There are men come out of Samaria. therefore they were stronger than we; but let strange that Providence should interfere thus on the behalf ot an idolater like Ahab; but the kingdom of Israel is not yet to be dissolved, and the Almighty will not suffer his plans to be defeated by any human power. The wicked Ahab 1s therefore in this case victorious; but is told to be guarded against the ay following, when Ben-hadad vows to return, to revenge is former defeat. He had, however, blasphemed the God ot Israel, by ranking him with the local deities of the heathen, as if his power were confined to the hills only.

He will not be insulted with impunity, and therefore Ahab is again victorious, and Ben-hadad’s army not only defeated, but destroyed; for as the discomfited remains were hastening to seck a retreat within the walls of ee where they expected safety, Providence so ordered it, that the walls of the city and fortress suddenly gave way, while they were passing under them, and buried twenty-seven thousand men. The king and a few of his courtiers, however, escaped; and, as tyrants are always cringing when in distress, they agreed to appeal to the king ot ae eee ee eee eee enn ee ee eee c eee cease een eee aan ared for him beneath a shed made against a cottage, and covered with green boughs to keep off the sun.

He entered as we were standing by, and fell down on it tosleep, without taking any notice of us.” |—Bagster. Ver. 20. Syrians “fed. They were doubtless seized with a supernatural fear, which the strongest mind could not reason down, nor the firmest heart resist. —This fear the Greeks and other heathen nations called a panic; because Pan, one of their gods, was believed to be the author of it. Bacchus, in his Indian exnedition, led his army into some defiles, where he was surrounded by his enemies, and reduced to the last extremity. By the adyice of Pan, bis heutenant general, he made his army give a sudden shout, which stru sk the enemy with so great astonishment and terror, that they fled with the utmost precipitation.

Hence it was ever afterwards called a panic, and supposed to come directly from heaven. It is thus expressed by Pindar: ““ When men are struck with divine terrors, even the children of the gods betake themselves to flight.’’] —Bagster. -