1 Kings 20

bowing the kfteo’was an act of worship; and So was kissing tlie idol: which was done two ways: cither by applying their mouth immediately to the imago (as Cicero against Verrts relates of tho image of Hercules), or kissing their hand before the image, and then stretching it out, and, as it were, throwing the kiss to it. Concerning which Tito of adoration Salmasius hath given a large account in his annotations upou Flav. Vopiscus, in the life of the emperor Probus; where ho observes such kisses were called tabrata oscula; and from henco tho phrases osciila jacere, and basiajactare, and manu venerari, and manu salutdre: which he shews out of many authors arc used for this’Way of adoration: tho same ho notes in his Plin. Excrcit. p. 936. where Pliny saith, " in ndorando dextram ad osculum rcfcrimus, totum corpus eircumagimus;" ivhen w& worship, we kiss our hand, and turn about onr whole body. Beer-sheba and went to Haran. Which Rasi interprets, He went out to go to Haran. For it presently follows, that God appeared to him in the way.

1 Kings 20:1

J±ND Ben-hadad king of Syria. Ben-hadad is as much as the son ofHadad. Which Hadad was of the seedroyal in Edom, and escaped into Egypt when David slew all the males in Edom; (xi. 16, 17.) but infested Solomon in his latter days, and endeavoured to recover his kingdom; in which he not succeeding, it is probable he established himself in Syria..Gathered all his host together.] The father of this king ha5 taken several cities from the Israelites, (ver. 31. xv. 20.) and perhaps had made them tributaries to the Syrians; which tribute Ahab refusing to pay, he made Avar upon him. And there were thirty and tivo kings with 1dm.] Such petty princes as those in the land of Canaan before the “conquest df itt>y Joshua; ^vho were under the protection of the king Of Syria, and bound to serve Trim in his wars. ■But he had better have been without them, and employed his own natural subjects only, who had done his business mare successfully, (ver. 24.) because it was their own. And horsesdnd chariots’] It is not said what number; “Which is’an argument it was not very great. And he’ivent tip and besieged Sairtaria, and ivarred Ugainst it.] He did nbt actually besiege it; Tor his army’was routed beforb he could do it. Therefore the sense is, he tvent tip to besiege Samaria, and assault it. Which is like that speech, Gen. xxviii. 10. Jacob went out from

1 Kings 20:2

And sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city, and said unto him, Thus saith Ben-hadad. He speaks in a haughty style; just like the messengers of the Assyrian monarch to Hezekiah, Tlius saith the great king, tlie king of Syria.

1 Kings 20:3

Thy silver and thy gold are mine; thy wives and thy children, even the goodliest, are mine. This message is explained by the king of Israel’s answer.

1 Kings 20:4

And the king of Israel answered and said, My lord, O king, according to thy saying, I am thine, and all that I have. He was content to be his vassal, and to hold all that he enjoyed of him; for so he understood his demands. But Ben-hadad intended more: or, from his submissive answer, took occasion to enlarge his demands; requiring the property of all he had, which he resolved (as appears from his second message, in the next verses) to take into his own possession.

1 Kings 20:5

And the messengers came again, and said, Thus speaketh Ben-hadad, saying, Although I have sent unto thee, saying, TJiou shalt deliver unto me thy silver, and thy gold, thy wives, and thy children; Ver- 6. Yet I will send my servants unto thee to-morrow about this time, and they shall search thy house, and the houses of thy servants; and it shall be, that ivhatsoever is pleasant in thine eyes, they shall put it in their hand, and take At away.] He tells him the meaning of his first demand, that he should deliver all he had into his hands. Unto which, if he now consented, it should not suffice; but he would send some of his officers to take all, and to ransack every corner of his’ palace, and carry away from Irim and from his courtiers (who are meant, I suppose, by his servants) whatsoever was valuable: or, perhaps, by servants he means all his subjects.

1 Kings 20:7

Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said. Summoned a general council of all the great men to advise what to do. Mark, I pray, and see how this man seeketh mischief: for he sent unto me for my wives, and for my children, for my silver and my gold, and I denied them not.] But now nothing will content him but my utter ruin, and enslaving of our country. In this Ahab shewed some sparks of virtue remaining in him; in that while Ben-hadad desired only what ho had in his own disposal, that is, all his private goods, he agreed to it: but when all the people, and the public good were concerned, he would do nothing without their consent.

1 Kings 20:8

And all the elders, and all the people, said unto him, Hearken not unto him, nor consent. They promising unanimously, I suppose, to stand by him, and defend him against so insolent an enemy.

1 Kings 20:9

Wherefore he said unto the messengers of Ben-hadad, Tell my lord the king. Of whom he speaks in as humble a manner as he did at first, (ver. 4.) All that thou didst send for to thy servant at the first I will do: but this thing I may not do.] For his people would not yield to it.. And the messengers departed, and brought him word again.] Delivered this answer to Ben-hadad, that Ahab stuck to his first concession, according as he understood his demands, but would not consent to more.

1 Kings 20:10

And Ben-hadad sent unto him, and said, The gods do so to me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me. *He wishes he may perish, if he did not bring such an army against the king of Israel, that if every soldier in it should > take a handful of his country, nothing of it would bo left remaining. Others explain it thus; I will not leave a bit of Samaria standing. But the other is most natural; and this is included in it. *,

1 Kings 20:11

And the king of Israel answered and said, Tell him; Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he thatputteth it off. A speech like that, " Do not sing a. triumph before the victory.”

1 Kings 20:12

And it came to pass, when Ben-hadad heard this message (as lie was drinking, he and the kings in the pavilions), that he saidunto his servants, Set yourselves in array) and they set themselves in array against the city.] Whilst the treaty lasted between him and Ahab he was remiss: but now he commands his army to be put in prefer, and that they should invest Samaria, and plant their batteries against it..,.

1 Kings 20:13

And,behold, there came a prophet to Ahab king of Israel, saying. One of those that had been hid; but was now commanded by God to appear and carry a message to Ahab. Which the prophet thought he might do safely; when he brought him such good news, as that which follows. Thus saith the Lord, Hast thou seen all this great multitude? behold, I ivill deliver it into thine hand this day.] Hereby God shewed, that, as he hated idolatry, of which Ahab was notoriously guilty, so he hated also insolent proud boasters, who imagine they have no superior; and that they can carry all things as they please, by their own power, i - And thou shalt know that I am the Lord.] t Have a new demonstration that he was the Lord of all things. - For Ahab had no such message brought by any of Baal’s prophets; which was sufficient to convince him, that the Lord, who could foretell and do such wonderful things, was the only God. •

1 Kings 20:14

And Ahab said, By whom?. He gave some credit to his word; and only asks by whom this deliver?• ance should be wrought: for he knew he had not forces enough to encounter and overthrow such powerful enemies. And he said, Tlius saith the Lord, Even by the young men of the princes of the provinces.] The princes of the pro* vinces were the governors of the several provinces, into which the kingdom was divided. And their young men seem to signify their servants, or their pages (as we speak), that waited on them. As much as to say, Not by old ex T perienced soldiers, but by youths; who, perhaps, had never seen a fight, but had always lived at court. * And he said, Who shall order the battle?] Or, who shall begin the fight (as some understand these words), they or we? Shall we make a sally, or expect till they assault us? Arid he answered, TJiou.] He bids the king begin, and lead them on. Which was commanded, to encourage the young men, and to try whether Ahab would thus far trust God or not.

1 Kings 20:15

Tlien he numbered the young men of the princes of the provinces, and they were two hundred and thirtytwo; and after them he numbered all the people, even all the children of Israel, being seven thousand.] All that he could get Microsoft ® A COMMENTARY UPON [chap. XX. together: for these sorely wore not all tho men of war in Israel. Ver. 1G. And they went out.] Of Samaria* At noon.’] When they knew the, Syrians were at dinner, taking a repast; if not debauching themselves, as their king was. And Ben-hadad was drinking himself drunk in the pavili07is, he and the kings, the thirty-two kings that Jtelped him.’] Being perfectly secure that the Israelites durst not appear to disturb him.

1 Kings 20:17

And the young men of the princes of the provittces went out first. And Ahab, no doubt, at the head of them. And Ben-liadad sent out, and they told him. There are men come out of Samaria.] The meaning is; that upon their first coming out, Ben-hadad hearing a bustle, sent to know what was the matter: and they told him a small party was come out of Samaria.

1 Kings 20:18

And he said. Whether they be come out for peace, take them alive.; or whether they be come ontfortvar, take them alive. It was against tho law of nations to apprehend those that came to treat of peace: but he, in his insolent pride, bade his people not trouble themselves to examine what they came for, but to take them alive; which he thought they might easily do, being so few.

1 Kings 20:19

So he departed thence. From Mount Ho’rcb. And found Elisha the son of Shaphat.] In his journey towards Damascus. Who was ploughing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth.’] His servants managed the rest, and he himself drove the last. This shews him to have been a great man; who, according to the manner of those ancient times, looked after his business himself; and was taken from the plough to be a prophet, as the Romans took some from thence to be dictators and consuls. For nothing was in greater esteem than agriculture hrhong’the ancient Greeks and Romans’, as well as among the Hebrews. In Homer, we see kings and princes living updn the fruits of their lands and their flocks, and labouring with their own hands. Hesiod hath made a poem on purpose to recommend the country life and labour to his brother. ltrould be too tedious to shew how the Carthaginians ancl \ Persians, and indeed all other ancient nations, did not think that to do -nothing was to live nobly; but they studied how to cultivate their lands, and employed themselves, as well as their servants, in that business. Whence such persons, who were of tho best quality, were called avTovpyol, men that s did their work themselves, and did not commit the care of it to others, but ploughed with their own hands. So Quinctius Cincinnatus is said by Dionys. Halicarh. lib. x. to have returned from his consulship, to lead, rbv avrovpyo v j3tov, a mstic life, as lie did before it. As the learned Jac/Perizonius observes upon iEIian’s Var. Histor. lib.i.,cap. 31. As for the rest, the Greeks ascribe this invention of yoking oxen together to plough withal either to’Cere’s, andTriptolcmns, or Bacchus (or some other great person); though Moses, who was before them all, wUs Well acquainted with it; (Dent. xv. 9.) and Job before him, (Job i. 3. xlii. 12.), Abarbinel thinks these twelve yoke of oxen with which Elisha was ploughing, denoted that he should Tie leaded 6f tho twelve tribes of Israel. And Elijah passed by him, and cast 7ns mantle xtpoh him.] He put upon him the prophetical habit; which was his inauguration. Or, as some understood it, this was a token that hejmust become his servant, and attend upon him; and consequently succeed in his office, For servants were wont to carry their masters’ shoes after them, and their garments. And accordingly he waited upon him, as appears from two phrases, in the last verse: first, he vtent after him; and secondly, he 7ninistered unto “him. Vfcr. 20. Ancl he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah^ To desire him to stay a little. And said, Let me kiss my father and my. mother?] Take his leave of them. And then I will follow thee.’] For he understood that to be the meaning of his throwing his mantle upon him. And he said unto him, Go back again.] Return to thy oxen; and do as thou desirest. For what have I done unto thee?] He asks him whether he thought he had done any thing to hinder him? And so this was said to try whether he understood his meaning, and was inclinable to attend him. But Abarbinel thinks these words signify, that ho had conferred a great dignity Upon him; which required him to dispatch his business immediately; and taking leave of his father and mother, to come after him without any delay; since he had done such ti great thing to him. Which illustrates the words of our Saviour, Matt, xix.21. So these young men of the princes of the pro vinces came out of the city, and the army which followed them J] The young men only appeared at first; but the rest of the army came out a little after. *.

1 Kings 20:20

And they slew every one his man. Who came to apprehend them… * * » And the Syrians fled, and Israel pursued them.] At which the Syrians were so amazed, by the suddenness of the attempt, that they fled: imagining them to.be strongor. and better prepared for war than they were. And Ben-hadad the king of Syria escaped on’ahorse with the horsemen.] He was possessed with the same fear.; and did not endeavour to make his men rally again, but fled away together with them.

1 Kings 20:21

And he returned back from him. Went home, and then came’to those that were ploughing. And took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat.] He made a feast for his servants, neighbours, and friends, before he parted with them; in token of the, joy he conceived at his new calling. Which “shews he was not a poor peasant, such as our ploughmen are; bnt a man of condition, who was able to make a great expense upon occasion. And Tic arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him?] Clad to leave his estate, his friends, and all that he had; glad to serve God in a lower station first, before he exfctmtcd the office of a prophet. And the king of Israel went out> and smote the horses and chariots, and slew the Syrians with a great slaughter.] He went out, by the prophet’s order, at the head of the young men, when they first issued out of the city. But now he went out further than he had done at the beginning, and overtook the chariots and horsemen; among whom he made a great slaughter.

1 Kings 20:22

And the prophet came to the king of Israel, and said, Go, strengthen thyself and mark, and see what thou doest. He bade him make what preparations he was able, and take catre that nothing was wanting to oppose the designs of the Syrians against him; who would certainly return, and renew the fight the next year. For at the return of the year the king of Syria will come up against thee.] At the time when kings used to go out to war. Of which sco 2 Sam. xi. 1.,.

1 Kings 20:23

And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him, Their gods are gods of the hills, therefore they were stronger than we. They did not know the God of the universe, but only worshipped particular gods; who they thought ruled over particular countries, and distributed several parts of those countries among them; (some being gods of the woods, others of the rivers, &c.) and they imagined the God of tho Hebrews to ho ope<j3arr]c,.as Pan was called by the heathen. For. they had heard, perhaps, that their law was given from heaven upon a mountain, and there God appeared to them: and tho country of Israel also was very hilly: where, upon one eminent hill, God’s temple, was bnilt) and he was worshipped. And it was known, that the Israelites, delighted to sacrifice in high places: insomuch, that when they could not come at them, they sacrificed on the house-tops, ( Jer. xx. 13.) But let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they.] For, besides that the Syrian gods, they thought, had more power in a flat plain country, wherein they delighted; there also they should have more service of their horses and chariots, which could not fight so well upon mountains.

1 Kings 20:24

And do this thing; Take the kings away, every man out of his place, and put captains in their rooms. He had made the thirty-two kings, who were his tributaries, chief commanders in his former army: which his counsellors represented to him as a great error; and therefore advised him to displace them, and put his own captains in their stead, who would fight better. For they fought for their country, which the other did not: and besides, the kings, it is likely, were too delicate. to be warriors; and were not so obedient to discipline as his captains would be.

1 Kings 20:25

And number thee an army like the army thou hast lost, horse for horse, chariot for cliariot; and we will fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they:. Forhisarray they knew would be superior; and they should have the advantage of the ground.

1 Kings 20:26

And it came to pass; that, at the return of the year, Ben-hadad numbered the Syrians, and went up to Aphek, to fight against Israel.’) This was a city in the tribe of Asher: which, it is probable, was one of those that Benhadad’s father had taken from the king of Israel, (ver. 34.) Not far from which was the plain of Galilee, where he intended to fight.

1 Kings 20:27

And the children of Israel were numbered, and were all present, and went against them. That is, as many as could be got together were numbered, and put in order to give them battle. And the children of Israel pitched before them like two little flocks of kids; but the Syrians filled the country.] The Hebrew word chasiph is no where found but in this place; which Kimchi and others translate a little flock. But there is no need to add the word little: for the flocks of goats are always small; never so great as those of sheep. For they love to ramble, and are scattered up and down, as Bochartus observes, who translates these words, two flocks of young kids; denoting their contemptible number, and, that they were weak, feeble, and timorous, like those fugacious creatures, as he speaks, Hierozoicon, par. i. lib. ii. cap. 51.

1 Kings 20:28

And there came a man of God, and spake unto the king of Israel, and said, Thus saith the Lord, Because the Syrians have said, The Lord is God of the hills, but he is not God of the valleys: therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shall knoxo that I am the Lord.] This man of God, the Jews say, was the prophet Micaiah. Vfcr. 29. And they pitched one over against the other seven days; and so it was,’that on the seventh day the battle was joined.] It may seem strange that they should look upon CHAP* XX.]. THE FIRST BOOK OF THE KINGS. one another so long, and watch for /advantages, without coruin 0, to any action: for the Syrians had so much advantage in their numbers, that one would think they should have immediately encompassed the Israelites, and de-< stroyed them all. But, perhaps, the Israelites were pitched upon a rising ground, and the Syrians durst not attack them till they came down into the plain. And the children of Israel slew of the Syrians a hundred thousand footmen in one day.’] In all.probability they surprised them, by a sudden unexpected, assault: and’God dismayed thenr and struck such a terror into them, that they could make no resistance.’ hLm Verl 30. And the rest fled to Aphek, into the city; and there a wall fell upon twenty and seven thousand of the men tliat were left.’] The wall of the city, under which they lay, to be ready to defend it, fell down; either by the Israelites’ batteries, or by an earthquake; and killed or maimed a great number of them that fled thither for safety. And Ben-hadad fled into the city, into an inner chamber.] In the Hebrew the words are, into a chamber within a clumber; that is, into a very secret place, where he thought he should not be easily found.

1 Kings 20:31

And his servants said unto him, Behold now, we Iiave heard that the kings of Israel are merciful kings. Better natured than other kings unto those who were in distress; they retaining still something of the temper of that good king David; who was full of humanity and tenderness, unto which true religion disposes men above all other things. Let us, I pray thee J] One of his principal courtiers spake this in the name of the rest. Put sackcloth on our loins, and ropes upon our heads; and. go out to the king of Israel: peradventure lie will save thy life.’] This it seems was the posture in thoso’ times, wherein supplicants presented themselves, when they pc* titioned for mercy; as among the Greeks and Romans they came in a mournful manner, with a branch of olive in their hands. The sackcloth upon their loins was a token of great sorrow for what they had done; and halters about their necks; a token of their subjection to what punishment he pleased to inflict.

1 Kings 20:32

So they girded sackcloth on their loins, and put rapes upon their heads, and came unto the king of Israel, and said, Thy servant Ben-hadad saith, I pray thee, let me live. He now as humbly petitions Ahab, as Ahab a little while ago had petitioned him, (ver, 4.) and he begs of him life. Such are the strange turns of human affairs, which the ancient historians among the heathens have observed, as admonishments to men not to bear themselves high in a prosperous condition, nor trust to their present fortune (ap they called it), not knowing, " quid serus vesper.vchat,” what might fallout before the day was done. And he said, Is he yet alive? he is my brother.] He rejoiced to hear that he did not perish in the battle; and not only pardoned him at the first word, and gave him his life; but expressed as great affection to him, as if ho had been his brother. This was folly, not mercifulness or goodnature. It had been enough not to have tormented him; but to lethim not only live, but own him for a brother, was stupid inconsidcration. For a man that lately treated him so disdainfully could never make a true friend.

1 Kings 20:33

Noiv the mm did diligently observe whether any thing would come from Mm, and did hastily catch it: and they said, Thy brother Ben-hadad. They were wise per-;, sons whom he employed in this embassy; who. watched attentively whether any kind word would drop from his mouth, on which they might lay hold, and make their advantage of it, before he could retract it. And they catched at the word brother, and said, Thy brother Ben-hadad lives, *and implores this favour, that he may live. And he said, Go ye, bring him.] This was strange rashness,.^ make such haste, as not to advise with his privycouncil wbat’to do in such a case; Then Ben-hadad came forth to Mm; and he caused him to come up into the chariot.] It seems that Ahab was still in the field.

1 Kings 20:34

And Ben-hadad said unto him, The cities which my. father took^from thy father I will restore. The word Ben-hadad not being in the Hebrew, Osiander and some others think that Ahab, who.was so kiM as to take him. up into his chariot, made this speech to him when he came there, that he would not only give him his life, but his kingdom also, which he had now power to take from him; and be so far from diminishing his power, that he would restore all that had been taken from him by his.father; Which senseless kindness was the thing that provoked. God to. pronounce that heavy doom upon him, ver. 42. But the next words do not well agree with this: therefore I take these to be Ben-hadad’s words to Ahab, whereby he endeavoured to smooth Jiim up and sweeten him, by offering to become his subject (as the next words signify), and making restitution of all that had been taken from his predecessor.’ And thou shalt make streets for thee in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria.]’ Some think by streets he means market-places, where commodities were sold, the toll of which should belong to Ahab. Others think he means courts of judgment, where he should maintain a jurisdiction over Ben-hadad’s subjects: others, that we now call a piazza, of which Ahab should receive the rents. But commonly interpreters think he means fortifications, whereby he might bridle the chief city of the kingdom of Syria; that they might not make new irruptions into the land of Israel: citadels, as we now speak, to keep them in awe, and to be a check to them, if they attempted any thing destructive to the Israelites. Yet, after all, Gotf. Vallandus hath said a great deal to prove that the, Hebrew word signifies palaces, which he being allowed to build, was a great token of subjection. We do not read of any such things that were built by the Syrian kings in Samaria: nor of any cities they took from the Israelites; unless those taken from Baasha, (xv, 20.) who was not Ahab’s father. Then said Ahab, I will send thee away with this covenant. So he made a covenant with him, and sent him away.] Wherein he discovered his great weakness: for his covenant was soon broken, as we read in the last chapter of this book.

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And a certain man of the sons of the prophets. • This the Je>ys will still have to be Micaiah: which is not likely, for he is called a prophet of the Lord, not one of the sons of the prophets. Said unto his neighbour in the word of the Lord, Smite me, I pray thee.] He bade him give him such a blow as might wound him, (ver. 37.) Microsoft® 3N2 45G A COMMENTARY UPON [chap. XXI. Arid the man refused to smite him.’) Because it looked like inhnmanity to strike an innocent person, who had done him no wroug. • < • • Vcr. 3G. Then said he unto him, Because thou hast not obeyed the voice of the Lord, behold, as soon as thou art departed from me, a lion shall slay thee.] This may seem too severe a punishment, till these two things be considered; First, that the prophet commanded him to smite him, and that by the word of the Lord. Not of his own will, and from his proper private motion; but God required it. As if he had said (so Theodorct glosses on it), ovk lyu> <rot, &c. It is not I that require this of thee, but the Spirit that is within me. And accordingly the punishment was inflicted, because he obeyed not the voice of the Lord. And secondly, the prophet commanded this in God’s name, not to an ordinary man, but El Reehu: which should not be translated, to his neighbour, but, as St. Jerome, to his companion. And so the Targura, and other ancient interpreters, to his fellow; that is, a prophet bred in the same school with himself: who well understood the weight of these words, I command thee in the name of the Lord. And as soon as he was departed from hint, a lion found him, and slew him.’] The Jews say in the title Sanhedrin, and other places, that some prophets were put to death by the hand of man, and others by the hand of God. They * that prophesied what they were not told by God, or they that prophesied in the name of idols, were to be put to death by the judges: but they who concealed their prophecy, or rejected a prophecy, their death was by the hand of God. Vcr. 37. Then he found another man, and said, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man smote him, so that in smiting he wounded him.] The intention of this was, that he might, find the freer access to Ahab, as a soldier well deserving; and that he might the better feign his story: for in such a matter the king was not to be dealt withal in downright words.

1 Kings 20:38

- And the prophet departed, and waited for the king by the way, and disguised himself with ashes upon his face. As a man in a very mournful condition. The Hebrews understand it, that he covered his face with a veil, or a handkerchief, or bound it about with a fillet (for one cannot tell how ashes should cover it), in token that he was wounded. So that the king could not know who he was. (Sec Bochart’s Canaan, lib. ii. cap. 8.)

1 Kings 20:39

And as the king passed by, he cried to the king; and said, TIty servant went out into the midst of the battle. He pretended that he had adventured his life in the late fight; being engaged in the hottest service. And, behold, a man turned aside, and brought a man unto me, and said, Keep this man: if by any means he be missing, then thy life shall be for his life, or else thou shall pay a talent of silver.] He pretended, I suppose, that his captain having a prisoner of great quality, charged him with him; telling him that he should be answerable for him with his life, if he let him escape; or redeem his life with a greater sum of money than he was able to pay.

1 Kings 20:40

And as thy servant was busy here and there. Endeavouring, in the fight, to do the best service he was able every where. He was gone.] In the Hebrew, he could not be found. And the king of Israel said unto him, So shall thy judgment be; thyself hast decided it.] Thou hast pronounced thy own sentence; according to your agreement, so shalt thou suffer. He had forgot how he had dismissed a greater person willingly, else he could not have been so hardhearted as to condemn one that had offended unwillingly. But he soon made him think of it. Vcr. 41. And he hasted, and took away the ashes from his face.] Threw away his disguise immediately; by pulling off the cloth wherein his face was wrapped. And the king of Israel discovered him that he was of tlie prophets.’] Some of the by-standers perhaps knew him, when they saw his bare face: or, by the very motion of his eyes” before he spak6 (which he did immediately), he sufficiently discovered what he was.

1 Kings 20:42

And he said unto him, Titus saith the Lord, Because thou hast let a man go out of thy hand whom I appointed to utter destruction. For the battle was the Lord’s; and the victory being obtained purely by the Divine power, and the singular favour of God, Ahab ought not to have resolved how to dispose of Ben-hadad without God’s leave; but have consulted him (who had put him into his hands) what he would have done with him: for he was God’s prisoner; who was to have his part of the spoil, which he would please to choose. Therefore thy life shall go for his life, and thy people for his people.] The former part of this decree of God was fulfilled three years after, when Ahab was killed in a battle against the Syrians, (xxii. 1 — 4, &c.) But the latter part was deferred until the reign of Hazael, who fulfilled it by the wars he had with the Israelites, (2 Kings x. 32, 33.)

1 Kings 20:43

And the king of Israel went to his house heavy and displeased, and came to Samaria. This heavy sentence turned all their joy for the late victory into mourning: Ahab being much troubled for what he had done, and for what he was like to suffer.