Job 22

doth not reject these as no prophets of the Lord, though he suspected them; and therefore desired to know, if there was any other that was accounted a prophet of the Lord, from whom he might receive further satisfaction. And indeed it is not likely that Ahab would adventure to send for such prophets as were professed servants of Baal, from whom Jehoshaphat, he knew, would receive no advice: but they professed themselves to be servants of the Lord; for whom Elijah’s late miracle had wrought in Ahab some respect. And Dr. Jackson seems to me to have produced a good argument for this, from Jehoshaphat’s continuing his resolution of accompanying Ahab to battle, notwithstanding all that Micaiah had said against it* Which be would never have done, had he believed that Micaiah alone belonged unto the Lord, and his adversaries unto Baal, (book ii. upon the Creed, chap. 18. parag. 2.) hand, and carry me out of the host;for I am wounded.] He bade him drive to some place where ho might look after his wound, which was very painful to him. Though Job had clearly stated the controversy in the foregoing chapter, yet Eliphaz would not yield; but begins the combat a third time, without any ground at all, but a pure mistake, as I have expressed it in the first verse. And to avoid the reproof which had been given him, of repeating merely the same things; he now brings in a catalogue, though without any proof (so much was his anger and bitterness increased), of tho particular sins, both against God and against his neighbour, of which he supposes Job to have been guilty. Else, he still boldly concludes, God would not have punished him with snch severity; that there was not a greater instance of his indignation to be found any where; unless it was in the old world, and in Sodom. Yet he hath so much moderation, that he invites him at last to repentance, and promises him the happy fruit of it; as he had done in his first speech, but not in his second. Nay, he tells him, in conclusion, for his encouragement, that he should be able to do as much for a nation, as ten righteous men, could they have been found there, might have done for Sodom. *

Job 22:1

JL HEN Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said. Then Eliphaz, not being able to deny all this, and yet not minding the scope of it (but imagining Job had accused the Divine Providence of injustice, in suffering the wicked to prosper and the righteous to be afflicted), grew very angry, and said,

Job 22:2

Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself?. Is God ever the better for any thing that we do? because a wise man receives great benefit by his virtue, shall we think that God is a gainer by it too, and that he is bound to reward it?

Job 22:3

Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways, perfect?. Doth he, who needs nothing (being possessor of all things), desire thou shouldest be righteous for his own advantage? or will it turn to his profit, if thou livest never so unblamably?.

Job 22:4

Will he reprove thee for fear of thee? will he enter with thee into judgment?. Or, on the contrary, is he afraid thou shouldest hurt him by thy sins, and will therefore punish them? Is this the reason that he now afflicts thee, to prevent the damage they might do him?

Job 22:5

Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite?. Are not rather thy sins against God and against men so great and so numberless, that no other cause is to be sought of thy sore and multiplied punishments? Ver. (j. For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought^ and stripped the naked of their clothing.] For (to begin with those against man) thou hast been a tyrant, and exacted pawns of thine own kindred for little or nothing: and hath stripped even those of their garments, who hafd no more but just to cover their nakedness.

Job 22:7

Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry. 2 Thou hast been hard-hearted to the weary traveller, when thou sawest him ready to die with thirst or with hunger.

Job 22:8

And the king of Israel said ttnto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man (Micaiah the son oflmlah) by whom we may inquire of the Lord; but I hate him:for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.] We ought to love those who speak the truth, not those who speak what plcaseth us. But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honourable man dwelt in it.] But as for the great and the powerful, all thy estate was at his service; if he brought the title to any land in question, he was sure to carry the cause by thy favour to him. >

Job 22:9

And the king of Israel called an officer, and said, Hasten hither Micaiah the son of Imlah. He would not deny Jchoshaphat’s desire of hearing him, as well as others; lest he should fly off from his kind offer, (ver. 4.) * TIiou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.] When, at the same time, the poor widow and orphans (whose protection -God hath in a special manner commended to us) could not obtain the favour of having justice done them; but were crushed and broken by thee, and had all the means of defending themselves taken from them.

Job 22:10

And the king of Israel, and the king of Judah sat each on his throne, having on their robes. Their royal apparel, and all the ensigns of majesty. In a void place in the entrance of the gate of Samaria.’] Where the people used to meet, and causes were beard by the courts of justice. (See upon 2 Sam. xix. 8.) And all the prophets prophesied before them.] Continued to encourage them in their design. Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee.] Thou art guilty, sure enough, of some such sins as these, which are the cause that now thou art beset with these calamities, and most dreadful plagues have on a sudden confounded thee.

Job 22:11

And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron; and he said, Thus saith the Lord, With these shall thou push the Syrians, until thou have consumed them. Such was the manner, it seems, of prophets in ancient times, by external signs to represent future events: as Isaiah and Jeremiah continued to do in future ages, (Isa. xx, 2. Jer. xxvii. 2.) Or darkness, that thou canst not see; and abundance of waters cover thee.] Oh! thy blindness: dost thou

Job 22:12

And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to JZamoth-Gilead, and prosper: for the Lord shall deliver it into the king’s hand. Everyone of them accorded in the same sense; that he should certainly be victorious.

Job 22:13

And the messenger that was gone to call Micaiah, spake unto him, saying, Behold novo, the words of the prophets declare good unto the king with one mouth; let thy word, I pray thee, be like the tvord of one of them, and speak that which is good.] So mightily did the opinion of universality sway with the superstitious people, that the messenger thought he could persuade Micaiah not to dissent from the rest, lest he should fall under the censure of singularity, peevishness, and privacy of spirit. And thus it is in the church at this day, as the same excellent doctor there observes.

Job 22:14

And Micaiah said, As the Lord liveth, what the Lord saith unto me, that ivitt I speak. He seems as yet to have no revelation about the matter; but when the. question was put to him, God taught him what to answer.

Job 22:15

So he came to the king. And the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go against Ramoth-Gilead to battle, or shall we forbear?. The ver* same question that had been asked the rest of the prophets, (ver. G.) And he answered him, Go, and prosper: for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king.] And he gave the very same answer in the same word that the other prophets had done; (ver. 12.) but spake them in such a manner, that Ahab plainly discerned he derided and mocked. It being as if ho had said, To what purpose shall I contradict your prophets? For you have a mind to go, and do so; try the truth of their prediction. • Ver. 1G. And the king said unto him, How many times shall I adjure thee that thou tell me nothing but thai which is true in the name of the Lord?] He had not adjured him at all, but now he doth; and would do it again, and again, if he did not speak seriously, and tell him what God said to him; which Micaiah had not yet done. For he doth not use the common preface of prophets to the foregoing answer, TIius saith the Lord: because he did not speak in God’s name, but in his own.

Job 22:17

And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills. Routed, and flying from their enemies to tho hills for safety. As sheep that have not a shepherd.] In a most miserable condition, as sheep are without a shepherd to look after them: they being neither strong, nor cunning, nor nimble and swift of feet; but exposed to the injuries of all creatures, when they are left to themselves without a shepherd; which is very often repeated in the Scriptures, as if it were a proverbial speech among the Hebrews. (Numb, xxvii. 17. 2 Chron. xviii. 1G. Zech. x. 2. xiii. 7. Matt. ix. 3G.) And the Lord said, These have no master.] They have lost their king and governor: who was represented by the shepherd beforementioned. Let them return every man to his house in peace.] All go home, and think no more of war; having lost their ruler. This was an exact representation of what followed.

Job 22:18

And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee that he would prophesy no good concerning me, but evil?. He had always been wont to bring threatening messages from God to him: and therefore was not (as the Jews imagine) the prophet who brought him that gracious message, when Ben-hadad treated him so insolently, (xx. 13.)

Job 22:19

And he said, Hear thou therefore the word of the Lord. If thou dost not delight only in lies, hear what have further to say from the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host o heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left.] This is a parabolical speech, as Abarbinel calls it, signifying that there was a greater King than Ahab, who would judge him according to his works. And in a vision ho saw him sitting on a throne, for that purpose, and attended by the heavenly host, as Ahab was by his prophets: some on his right hand, by which many think he means the good angels; and some on his left hand, by which aro meant the bad, who are the executioners of his judgments when he pleases.

Job 22:20

And the Lord said, Who shall persuade Almb, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-Gilead?. It is not to be thought there was any such consultation before the Divine Majesty, who should be employed to persuade him to undo himself: but these representations are contrived to Microsoft® CHAP..XXII.] THE FIRST BOOK OF THE KINGS. bring down invisible things to the meanest capacities of men. Who were to know that the Lord resolved to let Ahab be deceived and perish at Rainoth-Gilead, rather than any other place: that he who let Ben-hadad escape, might be punished by Ben-hadad. And one said on this manner, and another on that manner.’] This is said, only to signify that God hath many ways of bringing men to ruin, when he declares it.

Job 22:21

And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said, I will persuade him.~\ This is not to be understood literally; but that there are evil spirits who arc very forward t& entice men to their own destruction, and have power so to do, if the Lord do not hinder them.

Job 22:22

And the Lord said unto him, Wherewith?. God was not ignorant of what he could and would do: but this is said, to’represent more familiarly to vulgar understandings, by what means Ahad was led into destruction. And he said, I will go forth, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.] Suggest to them that which will deceive him. And he said, Thon shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so.] God permitted this. lyingspirit to follow his own inclinations, which he knew would have success, and prevail with Ahab to believe he should prosper in this war; wherein God intended he should be destroyed. For the prophets had observed how prosperous Ahab had been in former wars with the king of Syria: which made them forward to promise the same success in this also. And Ahab was as forward to believe it, as they were to assure it.

Job 22:23

Now therefore, behold, the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets. They were properly Ahab’s prophets, not the Lord’s; who only employed them to mislead him. And the Lord hath spoken evil concerning thee.] The Lord had decreed he should perish in this war; and in order to it, stirred up the spirit of the prophets (as Abarbinel speaks) to prophesy according to their own inclination; and him to believe them, and rush into his own ruin.

Job 22:24

And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanahwent near. He seems to be the chief of Ahab’s prophets: the head, perhaps, of the whole college. », And smote Micaiah on the cheek.] By way of reproach and scorn, Jer. xx. 2. Mark xiv. 45. and other places. And said, Which way iuent> the Spirit of the Lord from me to speak unto thee?] He was confident he had the Spirit, and could not imagine how it should depart from him, and enter into Micaiah, bidding him contradict all that he and his brethren had prophesied.

Job 22:25

And Micaiah said, Behold, thou shalt see in that day, when thou shalt go into an inner chamber. Into a secret place, (xx. 30.) To hide thyself] For fear he should be seized and punished as a false prophet, and the cause of Ahab’s death. Ver. 2G. And the king of Israel said, Take Micaiah, and carry him back to Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king’s son.] It seems he was in custody, when he was sent for by the messenger to come to Ahab.

Job 22:27

And say, Tims saith the king, Put this fellow in prison. He ordered him, I suppose, to be kept a closer prisoner than before. And feed him with the bread of affliction, and the water of affliction, till I come again in peace.] He would not have him’starved, but fed with coarse bread and bad water; till he came home and brought victory along with him. And then perhaps he intended to put him to death..

Job 22:28

And Micaiah said, If thou return at all in peace, the Lord hath not spoken by me. And he said, Hearken, O people, every one of you. He desires all the people to mark, and be witnesses of what he said; and take this for a sign whether he was a true prophet or not.

Job 22:29

So the Mug of Israel, and Jehoshaphat king of Judah,went up to Ramoth-Gilead. Notwithstanding the long declaration Micaiah had made of God’s decree (which was altogether concerning Ahab), Jehoshaphat gave some credit to the other prophets, who spake in the name of the Lord, as well as he. (See upon ver. 7.)''

Job 22:30

And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and enter into the battle. Like a private man. But put thou on thy robes.] Appear like a king.’ And the king of Israel disguised himself, and went into the battle.] He knew they would aim most at him, as the author of this war; and therefore he would not be known; but gives Jehoshaphat the honour (as he pretended) of leading the army, and appearing as the chief commander of it. But this seems a very odd compliment, to pray him to expose himself to the danger which he shunned. Therefore, others render it Put on these robes (which he then offered him); after my example, lay thy cloak, the garment of a chief commander, aside: and put on these robes. For he brought a double change of raiment into the field; that neither of them might be known by their clothes.

And the king of Syria commanded his thirty-two captains, ivho had rule over his chariots. Which were divided, it is likely, into so many distinct bodies. Saying, Fight neither with small nor great.] With common soldier, or officer, belonging to Jehoshaphat. Save only with the king of Israel."] Whom he looked upon (as I said) as the sole author of the war, into which he had drawn Jehoshaphat.*

And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, Surely it is the king of Israel. Which shews, that whatsoever his robes were, he looked like more than a common man. And they turned aside to fight with him: and Jehoshaphat cried out.] Unto the Lord for help, who delivered him, and moved them to depart from him, as we read in 2 Chron. xviii. 31.

And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots perceived that it was not the king of Israel. By calling upon the Lord for help; or, perhaps, some of them knew him.. N That they turned back from pursuing Mm.] Which was to be ascribed to the secret providence of God, as Ezra tells us in the place abovenamed; who resolved as wonderfully to preserve Jehoshaphat, as to destroy Ahab. Yer. 34. And a certain man drew a boiv at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness.] The Lord, no doubt, directing the arrow to that part, where it should penetrate into his vital parts. The LXX. into his [breast, through his lungs; for it entered between his upper and lower armour. Wherefore he said to the driver of his chariot, Turn thy

And the battle increased that day; and the king ivas stayed vp in his chariot against the Syrians, and died at even. There was a sharp fight after this: insomuch that the king, for fear his soldiers should run away, would return into the field, notwithstanding his wounds, and be supported in his chariot, to encourago his army, till the even parted them, and then he died. And the blood ran out of the wound into the midst of the chariot.’] It could not be staunched by any means they could use, but ran out of his body into his chariot.

And there went a proclamation throughout the host, about the going down of the sun, saying, Every man to his city, and every man to his own country. I suppose Jehoshaphat ordered a retreat to be sounded; and the Syrians, it is likely, were content to be gone, having slain their capital enemy. By this proclamation, the prediction of Micaiah was exactly fulfilled, according to his vision, (ver. 17.)

So the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria.

And one zvashed the chariot in the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up the blood (and tltey washed his armour J, according to the word of the Lord which lie spake. The dogs licked up the blood, which was mixed with the water, wherewith his chariot and armour were washed: the LXX. add the word v*c> as if swine as well as dogs had licked it up. But as there is no such word in the Hebrew, so neither is it in the Chaldee, Arabic, or Syriac; no, nor in the Latintranslation. And.it is very absurd; swine being not commonly kept in this country.

Now the rest of the acts ofAhab, and all that he did, and the ivory house that he made, and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel?’] It appears by this short history, that he had several noble qualities in him, and would have been a great man, if he had not been incurably addicted to idolatry. But it is not to be imagined that the house here mentioned was built of ivory; but only inlaid with it.

So Ahab slept with his fathers; andAhaziah his son reigned in his stead. See ver. 51.

And Jehosfiaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel.

Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Aztibah, the daughter of ShiM. The intention of the Divine writer of this book was, as Abarbinel observes, principally, and in the first place, to give us the history of the kings of the house of David, with which he begins, and then joins to it the history of the kings of Israel. Thus, having finished the history of Asa king of Jndah, he recounts the affairs of Israel under Ahab; who being dead, he returns to the history of the kings of Judah, who were the chief objects of his history.

He walked in all the ivays of his father Asa; he turned not aside from it, doing that which was right in the eyes of the Lord:?ievertheless the high places were not taken away; the people offered and burnt incense yet in the high places.] This error was so deeply rooted, that the best of their kings, till Hezekiah’s time (as I noted before), connived at it: and a great man of ours thinks the prophets | accidentally gave countenance to it. Who had this power, that if they dispensed with any positive precept of the law, that precept was to cease for a time. Nor can any other reason be given of the toleration of high places, before the temple was built, and after that of Elijah’s sacrificing upon Mount Carmcl, and the forbearance of circumcision in the wilderness. (Sec Mr. Thorndikc’s Review of the Rites of the Church, p. 107.)

And Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel. He did not take advantage which Ahab’s death gave him, to seize upon the kingdom of Israel, and take it from his son..

Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might that he sltewed, and how he warred, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Judah?. See xi. 41.

And the remnant of the Sodomites, which remained in the days of Asa his father, took he out of the land. He made a narrower search after them than his father had done, who is said to have removed them; but some remained without his knowledge, (xv. 12.) *

TJtere was then no king in Edom: a deputy was king. The king of Judah deputed one to govern the Edomitcs; who was the viceroy (as we now speak) of the king of Judah. This continued from the days of David, who began this dominion over them, (2 Sam. viii. 14.) unto those of Jehoshaphat; whose son lost this authority, (2 Kings viii. 21.)

And Jehoshaphat made ships of Tharshish to go to Ophirfor gold. These ships were not to go to Tharshish, but to Ophir. But they are called ships of Tliarshish, from their form: for they were made after the mould of those ships which traded to that place. And all such ships, wheresoever they were built, were called ships of Tliarshish. Thus Abarbinel. Which seems not to agree with 2 Chron. xx. 30, 37. (See there.) But the ships were broken at Ezion-geber.] Beifore they sailed.

TJien said Ahaziah the son of Ahab unto Jehoshaphat, Let my servants go with thy servants in the ships: but Jehoshaphat would not. He had contracted an amity with this king, and engaged himself so far, as to let him join with him in this navy; (2 Chron. xx. 35, &e.) but being better instructed by his ill success, and by the reproof of a prophet, he would not continue this league with him.

And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and teas buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Jehoram his son reigned in his stead.

And Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the seventeenth year of Jehoshapfiat king of Judah. This seems not to agree with the account we have before that Jehoshaphat began his reign in the fourth year of Ahab, and Ahab reigned two-a;id-twenty years. Now if we take four from twenty and two, there remain eighteen; and so Ahaziah began to reign in that year, not the seventeenth of Jehoshaphat. But this is easily and truly solved: for the years which the kings of Israel reigned, are taken from the years of the kings of the house of David: so that if any one reigned in the latter end of the reign of a king of the house of David, and the beginning of the following year, he is said to have reigned two years. An instance of which is in the very next words of this verse. And reigned two years over Israel] Not complete, as ap- Microsoft ® CHAP. I.] THE SECOND BOOK OF THE KINGS. pears from 2 Kings iii. 1. but part of two years: for Ahaziah died before his second year was ended. v, y&

And he. did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of his fatherland in the way of his mother. Who was still alive, to keep him in his idolatry. And in the tvay of Jeroboam the son ofNebat, who made Israel to sin.~\ He was in nothing amended, by all that had befallen his father, and the family of Jeroboam.

For he served Baal, and worshipped him. Which worship had been introduced by his mother Jezebel: beyond the impiety of Jeroboam. And provoked to anger the Lord God of Israel, according to all that his father had done.] Taking no warning by the hand of God against his father, which was very remarkable; nor believing the dreadful threatenings of Elijah against his mother, and their whole family. THE SECOND BOOK OF THE KINGS.