18:28 the blood gushed out. Self-laceration was practiced to rouse a god’s pity and response in the ancient world, but was prohibited by the OT law (Lev. 19:28; Deut. 14:1).
18:29 no…no…no. This 3-fold declaration emphasized the complete lack of response on the part of Baal. The fact that there was no response indicated Baal’s impotence and non-existence (Jer. 10:5).
18:31 twelve stones. The 12 stones represented the 12 tribes, since this contest had significance for both Judah and Israel. Although the tribes had been divided into two nations, they were still one people in the Lord’s plans, with the same covenants and a single destiny.
18:32 two seahs. This was about 4 gal. or a third of a bu. of seed.
18:36 the evening sacrifice. This sacrifice was offered around 3:00 p.m. (Ex. 29:38–41; Num. 28:3–8).
18:40 Seize the prophets. Taking advantage of the excited feelings of the people over the manifestation of Jehovah as the true God, Elijah called on them to seize the priestly imposters and fill the river with their blood, the river that was dried up by their idolatry. Brook Kishon. This river, which drains the Jezreel Valley from E to the NW, was in the valley N of Mt. Carmel. executed them. The killing of the 450 prophets of Baal (18:19) fulfilled the law’s demands that false prophets be executed (Deut. 13:1–5) and that those embracing idolatry or inciting others to practice it were worthy of death (Deut. 13:13–18; 17:2–7). Further, these deaths were just retribution for Jezebel’s killing of the Lord’s prophets (vv. 4, 13).
18:41 eat and drink. Elijah instructed Ahab to celebrate the end of the drought.
18:42 bowed down. Elijah’s actions expressed his and Israel’s humble submission to God. Elijah prayed for rain this time (cf. 17:1; James 5:17) and God again answered (cf. James 5:18). Since the Lord’s curse was lifted, the rains would be coming.
18:45 Jezreel. A town located in the tribal allotment of Issachar at the eastern end of the Jezreel Valley, N of Mt. Gilboa, about 55 mi. N of Jerusalem. Jezreel was Ahab’s winter capital (see 21:1), situated between 15 to 25 mi. E of the Carmel Range.
18:46 ran ahead. It was customary in the ancient Near East for kings to have runners before their chariots. The prophet showed Ahab his loyalty by rendering to him that service. Empowered by God, Elijah ran on foot ahead of Ahab’s chariot the 15 to 25 mi. from Mt. Carmel to Jezreel.
1 Kings 19
19:3 he saw. His hope shattered, Elijah fled as a prophet, broken by Jezebel’s threats (v. 2), her unrepentant Baalism, and her continuing power over Israel. Elijah expected Jezebel to surrender; when she did not capitulate, he became a discouraged man (vv. 4, 10, 14). Beersheba. A city located 100 mi. S of Jezreel (18:45, 46) in the Negev, it marked the southern boundary of the population of Judah.
19:4 broom tree. A desert bush that grew to a height of 10 ft. It had slender branches featuring small leaves and fragrant blossoms. take my life. Since Israelites believed that suicide was an affront to the Lord, it was not an option, whatever the distress. So Elijah asked the Lord for death (cf. Jon. 4:3, 8) because he viewed the situation as hopeless. Job (Job 6:8, 9), Moses (Num. 11:10–15), and Jeremiah (Jer. 20:14–18) had also reacted in similar fashion during their ministries.
19:6 cake…and…water. As at Cherith and Zarephath (17:6, 19), God provided food and drink for Elijah in the midst of his distress and the surrounding famine.
19:8 forty days. Elijah’s trip took over double the time it should have taken. Therefore, the period had symbolic meaning as well as showing literal time. As the people of Israel had a notable spiritual failure and so wandered 40 years in the wilderness (Num. 14:26–35), so a discouraged Elijah was to spend 40 days in the desert. As Moses had spent 40 days on the mountain without bread and water, sustained only by God as he awaited a new phase of service (Ex. 34:28), so Elijah was to spend 40 days depending on God’s enablement as he prepared for a new commission from the Lord. As Moses had seen the presence of God (Ex. 33:12–23), so Elijah experienced a manifestation of God. Horeb. An alternate name for Mt. Sinai, located about 200 mi. S of Beersheba.
19:10, 14 Elijah viewed the Israelites as rebels against the Mosaic Covenant, a rebellion that his ministry had been unable to arrest (see v. 3). Paul used this incident as an illustration in Rom. 11:3.
19:11 the LORD passed by. The 3 phenomena, wind, earthquake, and fire, announced the imminent arrival of the Lord (cf. Ex. 19:16–19; Ps. 18:7–15; Hab. 3:3–6). The Lord’s self-revelation to Elijah came in a faint, whispering voice (v. 12). The lesson for Elijah was that Almighty God was quietly, sometimes imperceptibly, doing His work in Israel (v. 18).
19:15 the Wilderness of Damascus. The Syrian Desert S and E of the city of Damascus, the city located to the NE of Israel.
19:15–17 The Lord instructed Elijah to anoint Hazael of Syria (see 2 Kin. 8:8), Jehu (see 2 Kin. 9:2), and Elisha (v. 19) for the purpose of commissioning them to destroy Baal worship in Israel. Through these 3 men, the Lord completed the execution of Baal worshipers that Elijah had begun. Actually, Elijah commissioned only the last of these 3 men directly—the other two were indirectly commissioned through Elisha. Elisha was involved in Hazael’s becoming Syria’s king (2 Kin. 8:7–14), and one of Elisha’s associates anointed Jehu (2 Kin. 9:1–3). By the time the last of these men died (2 Kin. 13:24), Baalism had been officially barred from Israel.
19:16 Abel Meholah. The hometown of Elisha was located in the Jordan Valley, 10 mi. S of Beth-Shanon, in the tribal allotment of Manasseh.
19:18 Paul used God’s response to Elijah as an illustration in Rom. 11:4. kissed him. Kissing the image or symbol of Baal was apparently a common act in worship (cf. Hos. 13:2).
19:19 Elisha. This name means “my God is salvation” and belonged to Elisha, the successor to Elijah (see 2 Kin. 2:9–15). Shaphat. Elisha’s father, whose name meant “he judges.” twelve yoke of oxen. It was a common practice for several teams of oxen, each with his own plow and driver, to work together in a row. After letting the others pass, Elijah threw his mantle around the last man, Elisha, thus designating him as his successor.
19:20 Go back again. Elijah instructed Elisha to go, but to keep in mind the solemn call of God and not to allow any earthly affection to detain his obedience.
19:21 slaughtered. The slaughter of the oxen was a farewell feast for family and friends, indicating that Elisha was making a decisive break. He followed Elijah and became his servant (lit. “aide,” the same term used for Joshua’s relationship with Moses in Ex. 24:13; 33:11). Just as Elijah resembled Moses, so Elisha resembled Joshua.
1 Kings 20
20:1 Ben-Hadad. This was likely Ben-Hadad II of Syria (see note on 15:18), who marched on the capital of Israel and demanded surrender by Ahab (vv. 2–6). thirty-two kings. These were probably rulers of client city-states in the land of Syria (see notes on 10:29).
20:9 I will do…I cannot do. Ahab was willing to give tribute to Ben-Hadad as his vassal (vv. 2–4), but he refused to allow the Syrian king to plunder his palace (vv. 5–8).
20:10, 11 Ben-Hadad boasted that his army would level the hill of Samaria to dust (v. 10). Ahab replied that Ben-Hadad should not boast of the outcome of the battle before it began (v. 11).
20:13 I will deliver it into your hand today. These were the words of assurance given before battles when the Lord was about to fight on Israel’s side (Josh. 6:2, 16; 8:1, 18; Judg. 7:2; 18:10; 1 Sam. 23:4; 24:4). Further, the victory would show Ahab that the Lord was in every respect the mighty God He claimed to be. Though the people and king of Israel had dishonored God, He would not utterly cast them off (vv. 14, 15).
20:17–21 The battle strategy was to send out the young leaders who could perhaps draw near to the Syrians without arousing too much alarm and then, at a given signal, initiate a charge joined by Ahab’s main striking force that would catch the drunken Syrians off guard and throw them into confusion. The glorious victory, won so easily and with such a small force, was granted so that Ahab and the people would know that God was sovereign.<
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20:22 the spring of the year. Spring was the usual time for battles in the ancient Near East (see note on 2 Sam. 11:1), and a prophet warned Ahab that Ben-Hadad would retaliate in the following year.
20:23 gods of the hills. The advisors of Ben-Hadad believed that Israel had won the previous battle because it occurred in mountainous terrain, the area they believed was ruled by Israel’s “gods.” They counseled Ben-Hadad to strengthen his army and fight Israel again, only on level ground (v. 25). Obviously, this attitude insulted Israel’s God, the Lord, who is sovereign over the whole earth (cf. 2 Kin. 19:16–19). That blasphemous depreciation of the Lord’s power meant certain defeat for the Syrians (v. 28).
20:26 Aphek. Though several towns in Israel bore the name Aphek, the one mentioned here probably lay about 3 mi. E of the Sea of Galilee, N of the Yarmuk River.
20:27 like two little flocks of goats. Compared to the massive herd of Arameans covering the land, Israel looked like two little goat flocks. Goats were never seen in large flocks or scattered like sheep; hence the description of the two compact, small divisions.
20:28 man of God. See note on 12:22.
20:30 inner chamber. Lit. “a room in a room,” a safe, well-hidden place.
20:31 sackcloth…and ropes. Sackcloth traditionally symbolized mourning and penitence. Ropes around the heads were symbols of surrender.
20:34 marketplaces. Lit. “streets, outside places.” Bazaars were set up in a foreign land (cf. Neh. 13:16), a lucrative market for Israelite goods.
20:35 sons of the prophets. An association of prophets that met and possibly lived together for study, encouragement, and service (see note on 1 Sam. 10:5).
20:35, 36 The prophet needed to be wounded as if in battle to carry out the drama. The refusal to do as the prophet said was wrong, as it was a withholding of necessary aid to a prophet of God in the discharge of his duty. It was severely punished as a warning to others (cf. 13:2–24).
20:39–43 The prophet illustrated that, just as a soldier pays dearly for losing a prisoner in war, Ahab will pay for letting Ben-Hadad, the idolatrous enemy of God, live.
20:39 a talent of silver. This was about 75 lbs. of silver, more than a common soldier could afford and for which debt he would face death.
20:40 your judgment. This “judicial parable” was designed to trap Ahab into announcing the punishment for his own crime (see 2 Sam. 12:1–12). Unknowingly, Ahab declared his own judgment (v. 42).
20:42 utter destruction. By declaring the battles to be holy war (vv. 13, 22, 28), the Lord had put Ben-Hadad and the Syrians under the ban, a reference to something belonging to the Lord and destined to be destroyed (Deut. 7:2; 20:16). By freeing Ben-Hadad, Ahab had disobeyed the law and would suffer the ban in place of Ben-Hadad.
20:43 sullen and displeased. Ahab was resentful and angry because of the Lord’s reaction to his actions (cf. 21:4).
1 Kings 21
21:1 Jezreel. See note on 18:45. Ahab had built a second palace in Jezreel, where he lived when not in the capital at Samaria.
21:2 Give me your vineyard. In Canaanite culture, since land was simply a commodity to be traded and sold for profit, Ahab’s offer to Naboth of an exchange of property or offer of purchase was a common transaction in the Near East.
21:3 The LORD forbid. Naboth’s words implied that trading or selling his property would be a disregard of the law and thus displeasing in God’s eyes (cf. 1 Sam. 24:6; 26:11; 2 Sam. 23:17). The reason was that the vineyard was his ancestral property. The Lord, the owner of all of the land of Israel, had forbidden Israelite families to surrender ownership of family lands permanently (Lev. 25:23–28; Num. 36:7–9). Out of loyalty to God, Naboth declined Ahab’s offer.
21:7 You now exercise authority over Israel! This statement can be taken as an exclamation or a question. Either way, Jezebel was sarcastically rebuking Ahab for not exercising absolute royal power in the matter.
21:8 she wrote letters. Written by the royal scribe, ancient letters were mainly in the form of a scroll sealed in clay or wax with the sender’s personal sign. The seal made the contents of the letters a royal mandate and implied that disobedience would certainly lead to some kind of punishment.
21:9 Proclaim a fast. To call an assembly for solemn fasting implied that a disaster threatened the people that could be averted only if they would humble themselves before the Lord and remove any person whose sin had brought God’s judgment upon them (cf. Judg. 20:26; 1 Sam. 7:5, 6; 2 Chr. 20:2–4).
21:10 two men. The Mosaic law required two witnesses in capital cases (Num. 35:30; Deut. 17:6; 19:5). scoundrels. Lit. “sons of Belial.” These were utterly wicked men. See note on 1 Sam. 2:12. blasphemed God and the king. The penalty for cursing God and the king was death (Ex. 22:28).
21:13 outside the city. They hypocritically climaxed their violent murder by killing the innocent Naboth in a place that was in accordance with the Mosaic law (Lev. 24:14; Num. 15:35, 36). He was stoned to death in the open fields and his sons were killed with him (2 Kin. 9:26), eliminating all possible heirs.
21:19 Elijah’s first announcement of judgment applied to Ahab personally. He said that the dogs would lick Ahab’s blood in the same place that Naboth died, outside the city of Jezreel. This prophecy was not fulfilled because of his repentance (vv. 27–29), but was partially fulfilled in the licking of Ahab’s blood by dogs at the pool in Samaria (22:37, 38).
21:21–24 Elijah’s second announcement of judgment applied to Ahab and his house. The judgment was virtually identical with one made to Jeroboam (14:10, 11) and similar to the one made to Baasha (16:3, 4).
21:23 concerning Jezebel. Jezebel was singled out for judgment because of her initiative in driving Ahab in the promotion of Baalism (v. 25). Elijah’s prophecy concerning her was literally fulfilled in 2 Kin. 9:10, 30–37.
21:27 tore his clothes. The tearing of garments was a common expression of grief, terror, or repentance in the face of great personal or national calamity (Num. 14:6; Josh. 7:6; Judg. 11:35; 2 Sam. 1:2; 3:31).
21:29 days of his son. Since Ahab had truly humbled himself before the Lord, he did not see the disaster forecast for him (v. 19). Instead, God postponed it until the reign of his son, Joram, ca. 852–841 B.C. (2 Kin. 9:25, 26). Joram died in the field of Naboth (cf. v. 19).
1 Kings 22
22:1 three years. Israel had peace for 3 years following the two years of war with Syria described in 20:1–34. During this peace, Ben-Hadad, Ahab, and 10 other kings formed a coalition to repel an Assyrian invasion. Assyrian records described the major battle fought at Qarqar on the Orontes River in 853 B.C. Though Assyria claimed victory, later events show that they were stopped from further advance southward at that time. With the Assyrian threat neutralized, Ahab turned his attention to the unfinished conflict with Syria.
22:2 Jehoshaphat. The king of Judah , ca. 873–848, whose reign is described in vv. 41–50. See notes on 2 Chr. 17:1—21:3.
22:3 Ramoth in Gilead. Ramoth was a Levitical city E of the Jordan River in Gilead, on the N border of Gad the home of Jephthah (Judg. 11:34) and a key administrative center in Solomon’s kingdom (4:13). It seems to have been one of the cities that Ben-Hadad should have returned to Israel (20:34).
22:5 inquire for the word of the LORD. Jehoshaphat was willing to help Ahab fight Syria (v. 4), but reminded Ahab of the need to seek the will of the Lord before going into battle (cf. 1 Sam. 23:1–5, 9–13; 2 Sam. 2:1; 5:19–25; 2 Kin. 3:11–20).
22:6 prophets. These 400 prophets of Ahab were not true prophets of the Lord. They worshiped at Bethel in the golden-calf center set up by Jeroboam (12:28, 29) and were supported by Ahab, whose religious policy also permitted Baal worship. Their words were designed to please Ahab (v. 8), so they refused to begin with the authoritative “thus says the LORD” and did not use the covenant name for Israel’s God, “LORD.”
22:7 a prophet of the LORD. Jehoshaphat recognized that the 400 prophets were not true prophets of the Lord, and wished to hear from a true pro
phet.
22:8 Micaiah. His name means “Who is like the LORD?”
22:10 throne. A portable, high-backed chair made of wood with arm rests and separate foot stool.
22:11 Zedekiah. He was the spokesman for the false prophets. In contrast to v. 6, he used the introductory formula and God’s covenant name.
22:15 Go and prosper. Micaiah sarcastically repeated the message of the false prophets as he had been encouraged to do (v. 13). Ahab clearly sensed the sarcasm and demanded that Micaiah tell him the truth (v. 16).
22:17 sheep that have no shepherd. The image of the king as a shepherd and his people as the sheep was a familiar one (Num. 27:16, 17; Zech. 13:7). Micaiah’s point was that Israel’s shepherd, King Ahab, would be killed and his army scattered.
22:22 a lying spirit. This must be Satan, whom the Lord allowed to speak through 400 demons who indwelt the 400 false prophets.
22:24 struck…on the cheek. This was a rebuke by the leader of the false prophets (v. 6) for the perceived insolence of Micaiah and his claim to truly speak for God. It was followed by a sarcastic question asking if the prophet could tell which direction the spirit in Zedekiah had gone.
22:28 If you ever return. In accordance with Deut. 18:21, 22, Micaiah declared to Ahab that if he lived to return from the battle, then he had uttered a false prophecy.
22:30 disguise myself. Rejecting the prophecy, but fearing it also, Ahab decided not to wear his official robe, but the clothes of an ordinary soldier.
22:31 only with the king of Israel. The very Syrian king, Ben-Hadad, whose life Ahab had spared (20:34), ungratefully singled him out for death.
22:32 Jehoshaphat cried out. According to 2 Chr. 18:31, this was a prayer for the Lord’s deliverance. Jehoshaphat’s cry showed the Syrians that he was not Ahab.
The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV Page 178