Study Notes for 1 Kings
1:1–11:43 The Reign of King Solomon. First Kings 1–11 describes the reign of David’s son Solomon. Solomon was a great king when he obeyed God and depended on God for wisdom, but his reign ended tragically as he began worshiping other gods.
FACT
God promised to establish David’s kingdom forever (2 Sam. 7:1–17). Although Adonijah was David’s eldest living son, Nathan and Bathsheba’s actions ensured that Solomon’s claim to the throne was stronger (ch. 1). Solomon became king at David’s death.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 1:2–4 let her wait on the king and be in his service. . . . lie in your arms. The Hebrew words used here imply that David could have had sexual relations with Abishag. The fact that he did not do so (knew her not) probably led Adonijah to believe that the king was near death and could be easily overthrown.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 1:5–6 Adonijah was David’s oldest surviving son. David had the right, with God’s guidance, to appoint his own successor. But Adonijah exalted himself by trying to make himself king. Apparently Adonijah was used to getting his way, for David had never held him accountable for anything (never asking, “Why have you done thus and so?”). This is also how David had treated Absalom, who also rebelled (see note on 2 Sam. 13:21).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 1:7–9 The events of chs. 1–2 are related to tensions between Judah and Israel as already seen in the books of Samuel and soon to reappear in 1 Kings 12 (see 2 Sam. 20:1; 1 Kings 12:16). It was the royal officials of Judah who were invited to Adonijah’s feast, not those of Israel. Shimei was an opponent of David from the house of Saul (2 Sam. 16:5–14). The spring En-rogel was south of Jerusalem, at the juncture of the Hinnom and Kidron Valleys. It provided a water source for the city.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 1:13 Did you not . . . swear? This oath is not mentioned anywhere else, and Nathan does not mention it to David when he later confronts him (vv. 24–27). Perhaps David had privately promised Bathsheba that her son Solomon would be the next king.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 1:20–21 Bathsheba is concerned that, if David does not appoint Solomon as the next king, she and her son will be treated as rivals for the throne (counted offenders). Their lives will be at risk.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 1:31 May my lord King David live forever! Bathsheba uses the conventional language for addressing a king (compare Dan. 3:9). She is reaffirming her loyalty to David.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 1:33 my own mule. Solomon’s ride on David’s mule marks him as David’s favored son. The mule itself may have been regarded as a symbol of kingship (see Zech. 9:9; Matt. 21:1–11).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 1:38 Cherethites and . . . Pelethites. These are probably the “servants” of v. 33, apparently David’s own personal troops (see 2 Sam. 20:7, 23).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 1:39 The tent might be the tabernacle, that is, “the tent of the LORD” (2:28–30). However, the text distinguishes between David’s tent in Jerusalem (the temporary location of the ark of the covenant) and the tabernacle in Gibeon.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 1:41–49 Adonijah’s guests, who were in En-rogel (v. 9), were not able to directly observe Solomon’s anointing (vv. 38–40). However, they were close enough that they heard people celebrating. Therefore they trembled and rose (v. 49), knowing that siding with Adonijah could mean being considered rebels.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 1:50 horns of the altar. Adonijah believes that the altar, as a holy place, will protect him from Solomon’s revenge. Many ancient Near Eastern cultures allowed people to seek asylum at shrines.
FACT
Horns of the altar. Many ancient Near Eastern cultures regarded shrines and temples as places where a person could seek safety and refuge. In Hebrew culture, a person accused of a crime might grasp the horns of the altar (1:50) to indicate that he was seeking protection from the Lord.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 2:2–3 Be strong, and show yourself a man. David’s parting words to Solomon echo God’s words to Joshua when he became the leader of Israel after Moses’ death (Josh. 1:6–9).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 2:4 his word that he spoke concerning me. The reference is apparently to 2 Sam. 7:11b–16, although that passage does not mention any conditions attached to the promise (If your sons pay close attention to their way).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 2:5 what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me. Joab is to be killed to clear David’s house of “the guilt for the blood” that Joab “shed without cause” (v. 31). It is interesting, however, that David himself had apparently not been concerned enough about this previously to take action against someone who had been so useful to him (e.g., 2 Sam. 11:15; 14:1–33).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 2:6 according to your wisdom. Solomon must find a way to ensure that Joab’s death is not a peaceful and natural death in old age (do not let his gray head go down to Sheol in peace). For “Sheol,” see note on 1 Sam. 2:6.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 2:10 David slept with his fathers. The metaphor of sleep hints at the expectation of awakening sometime in the future. “With his fathers” suggests that previous generations also join in this hope, and that David is somehow now with them.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 2:11 David reigned over Israel for forty years, and died in 970 B.C.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 2:12 his kingdom was firmly established. God has done for Solomon what he had done earlier for David (2 Sam. 5:12), keeping his promise to David (1 Kings 2:24).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 2:17 give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife. Second Samuel 16:20–22 suggests that sexual relations with the king’s concubines amounted to a claim to the throne. Solomon interprets Adonijah’s request as a revival of his conspiracy (1 Kings 1). It was precisely the “wickedness” against which Solomon had warned Adonijah in 1:52 (compare 2:22).
FACT
Why did Adonijah ask for Abishag? Marrying David’s concubine (2:17) would have given Adonijah a claim to the throne.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 2:22 my older brother. At least some Israelites would have believed that the eldest son had a special claim to the throne.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 2:26 you deserve death. There is no evidence that Abiathar and Joab had anything to do with Adonijah’s request regarding Abishag, but both are pronounced guilty by association.
Jerusalem in the Time of Solomon (c. 970–930 B.C.)
David commanded his son Solomon to build a new temple on Mount Moriah. This work took seven years, followed by 13 years of building a royal complex to the south of the temple (1 Kings 6:38; 7:1). As this quarter was located outside and north of the original city of David, new city walls must have been built to connect the two areas.
Solomon’s temple was Israel’s first permanent sanctuary. The temple was constructed on the top of Mount Moriah (2 Chron. 3:1). The royal complex was built to the immediate south of the temple. It consisted of Solomon’s own palace and a smaller house for his Egyptian wife (1 Kings 7:8), an armory called the “House of the Forest of Lebanon” (vv. 2–5), a Hall of Pillars (v. 6), and a Hall of the Throne (v. 7). A special “Ascent” connected this complex with the temple.
The area between the temple complex and the city of David was called the Ophel.
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1 KINGS—NOTE ON 2:27 thus fulfilling the word of the LORD . . . concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh. Compare 1 Sam. 2:27–36. Abiathar is identified as a member of Eli’s house in 1 Sam. 22:20, and the “faithful priest” of 1 Sam. 2:35 is now discovered to be Zadok (1 Kings 2:35).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 2:28–34 Following David’s instructions (see vv. 5–6 and notes), Solomon moves to have Joab killed. horns of the altar. See note on 1:50. Benaiah . . . struck him down. Joab does not think that Solomon will be as ruthless as Joab had shown himself to be, that is, prepared even to have someone killed in the sanctuary. Though this was not strictly in compliance with Ex. 21:12–14 (which states that a murderer is to be taken away from the altar and put to death), taking refuge in the sanctuary applied only to the case of accidental death (Ex. 21:13), not intentional murder. David’s view (see note on 1 Kings 2:5) was that Joab deserved death for the murder of both Abner (2 Sam. 3:27) and Amasa (2 Sam. 20:10).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 2:36–46 Solomon moves next to kill Shimei, who had cursed David as he fled from Absalom (see vv. 7–8; 2 Sam. 16:5–13). When Shimei ignores Solomon’s order not to go from Jerusalem to any other place, Solomon orders his execution.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 3:1–28 Although Solomon has displayed a worldly kind of wisdom in his treatment of those who were a threat to him (2:6, 9), he still lacks a truly “wise and discerning mind” (3:12). The gift of wisdom that he now receives from God will allow him to govern more justly, as will be seen in vv. 16–28.
Solomon’s Tainted Glory in 1 Kings
| Positives | Negatives |
|---|
| David’s chosen heir (ch. 1) | Gained power in bloody coup (ch. 2) |
| Nathan’s early support (ch. 1) | Prophetic voice disappears |
| Prayer for wisdom to rule righteously (chs. 3–4) | Rules with forced labor; accumulates wealth unjustly (9:15–22; 10:26–29) |
| Completion and dedication of temple (chs. 5–8) | Foreign wives lead him to idolatry (11:1–8) |
| The Lord supports Solomon (9:1–9) | The Lord rejects Solomon (11:9–12) |
FACT
No witnesses. Under normal circumstances, priests and judges would have presided over the case between the two prostitutes (3:16–28). However, because there were no witnesses to the case, the law required them to go before Solomon. The king was considered to be the highest court of appeal.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 3:1 Israel was warned against a “return to Egypt” (Deut. 17:16). They were also warned not to “intermarry” with the people of other nations, because such marriages would lead to their serving other gods (Deut. 7:3–4). Now, Solomon makes a marriage alliance with Pharaoh, and it will, in fact, lead him to serve other gods (1 Kings 11:3–4).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 3:2 the high places. The continued growth of these local places of worship is one of the main concerns in 1–2 Kings (1 Kings 22:43; 2 Kings 12:3; 14:4). The ideal for God’s people was the one place of worship described in Deuteronomy 12.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 3:7–9 I am but a little child. I do not know how. Solomon feels inadequate for the great task of leading Israel.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 3:11–14 Solomon’s “wisdom” in ch. 2 was a self-serving kind. To be a good king, he will need a higher kind of wisdom. The fear of the Lord is the true beginning of wisdom (Job 28:28; Ps. 111:10; Prov. 15:33). I give you a wise and discerning mind. This wisdom is a supernatural gift from God.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 3:16 two prostitutes . . . stood before him. The Israelite king represented the highest court of appeal.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 3:27–28 Through Solomon’s understanding of human nature, he identifies the true mother. Israel realizes that the wisdom of God was in him.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 4:1–20 Solomon displayed great wisdom in the early years of his kingship, and as a result, “Judah and Israel . . . were happy” (v. 20).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 4:2 Among the high officials of Solomon’s kingdom is the chief priest, who is surprisingly not Zadok (2:35) but Azariah the son of Zadok. For some unknown reason, Zadok himself is now in a lesser position, along with Abiathar, who apparently has been reinstated (4:4; see 2:26–27 and notes). The new order, designed in God-given wisdom, is different from the old order, in which Zadok had replaced Abiathar who, perhaps unjustly, had been banished.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 4:3 The secretaries may have had general managerial responsibilities, or more specific tasks such as recording history or writing letters. It is unclear what the recorder did. He may have been a royal messenger or even the state prosecutor.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 4:5 Azariah was in charge of the 12 officers over all Israel mentioned in vv. 7–19. Zabud held the office of king’s friend, that is, his personal adviser.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 4:7–19 The twelve officers may have been tax supervisors. Their job was to ensure that local governments paid their dues to the central government. The one governor who was over the land was most likely Azariah (v. 5), to whom the 12 district officers were accountable.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 4:21–24 Solomon had a strong influence over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt. It is a large area, corresponding to the area promised to Abraham in Gen. 15:18.
Solomon’s Administrative Districts
c. 950 B.C.
Solomon reorganized the Israelite territory of his kingdom into 12 districts, each of which was responsible to supply the immense provisions for the king for one month out of the year. It appears that Judah, Solomon’s tribe, was exempted from this burden. Solomon also fortified key towns throughout his kingdom and built store cities for his economic enterprises. Among his most significant building projects were the temple and his royal palace in Jerusalem, built largely with cedar supplied by King Hiram of Tyre.
FACT
How large was Israel under Solomon’s rule? During the reign of Solomon, Israel extended into the Sinai desert near Egypt in the south and to the Euphrates River in the north. It was roughly three times the size of Israel today and would have included parts of present-day Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 4:25 And Judah and Israel lived in safety . . . every man under his vine and under his fig tree. The people lived under God’s blessing and had some economic independence.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 4:26 40,000 stalls of horses. Although most Hebrew manuscripts place this number at 40,000, a Greek Septuagint manuscript and one Hebrew manuscript say 4,000, which is also the number indicated in 2 Chron. 9:25. So the number here could possibly be a copying error. Compare the 1,400 chariots in 1 Kings 10:26, which would suggest fewer than 40,000 horse stalls. In either case, such a large number of stalls (even 4,000) would violate the prohibition in Deut. 17:16 that the king “must not acquire many horses for himself.”
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 4:30–31 Solomon’s wisdom exceeded that of people from places well-known for their wisdom, including all the people of the east (see Matt. 2:1–12). His wisdom was greater than that of various individuals famous for their wisdom (Ethan, Heman, etc.).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 4:33 He spoke of trees . . . beasts . . . birds . . . reptiles, and of fish. Careful observation of the natural world and how it works is one of the “normal” ways in which people gain wisdom. Solomon combined such wisdom with the special wisdom God gave him (ch. 3).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 5:3–5 God has given Solomon the rest on every side that he had promised to David (2 Sam. 7:11). This picture reflects what happens when the people of Israel have a wise ruler and they walk in obedience to God’s commandments. The time is right for the divinely ordained temple-building project: build the house for my name. See 2 Sam. 7:13.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 5:6 Sidonians is a general term for the Phoenicians, famous for their expertise in timber. Sidon, like Tyre, was on the Phoenician coast, south of what is now Beirut. my servants will join your servants . . . such wages as you set. Solomon suggests to Hiram a cooperative effort and, possibly (although the Hebrew is unclear), that Hiram should set the wages to be paid to his men.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 5:7–8 Blessed be the LORD. A Gentile recognizes God’s blessing on his great people, Israel.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 5:9–12 My servants shall bring it down. Hiram responds with proposals of his own—that his own men should cut the wood and transport it down the coast to Israel, and that Solomon’s men should be involved only after this has been done. Instead of wages for Hiram’s laborers, payment should be in the form of supplies of food for his royal household. Solomon agrees to supply food, but he sends workers to Lebanon “in shifts” to help with the timber (v. 14). Although he is happy to negotiate with Hiram to a certain extent, Solomon is also prepared to ignore terms that do not suit him. This clearly implies that Solomon has the upper hand in the relationship.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 5:13 Solomon drafted forced labor out of all Israel. First Kings 9:15–23 makes it clear that Solomon did not force Israelites to work abroad, but only workers from the Canaanite population of Israel. Two quite distinct groups are intended in 5:13–18 and 9:15–23. The first group consists of 30,000 Canaanites and is supervised by 550 officials. The other comprises 150,000 Israelites and is supervised by 3,300 foremen.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 5:14 At home likely refers to Solomon’s house or palace, the construction of which will be described in ch. 7. Even at this early stage, it seems, Solomon is spending twice as much time on his palace as on the temple (see 6:38–7:1), while giving the appearance that he is moving quickly ahead with the temple.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 5:17–18 Dressed stones probably describes “ashlar” masonry, which uses uniform, rectangular blocks that can be joined with mortar.
FACT
Dressed stones (5:17) are stones that have been cut and polished so that they have smooth faces and edges. This type of masonry was time-consuming and expensive, so it was used primarily for palaces and temples.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 5:18 The men of Gebal are workers from Byblos, a coastal city north of Tyre.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 6:1–7:51 With preparation for the temple complete, the text describes the building and its furnishings. This is interrupted in 7:1–12 by a description of the building of Solomon’s palace. The writer seems to suggest that Solomon’s concern for his own house delayed the completion of the temple.
Solomon’s Temple
Solomon began to build “the house of the LORD” in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah in the spring of 967 or 966 B.C. (1 Kings 6:1; 2 Chron. 3:1–2) and completed it seven years later, in the fall of 960 or 959 (1 Kings 6:38). The temple itself, not including the surrounding chambers on three sides, was 90 feet (27 m) long, 30 feet (9 m) wide, and 45 feet (14 m) high. It stood in the middle of a court with boundary walls.
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1 KINGS—NOTE ON 6:1–10 The authors(s) describe the temple’s overall proportions and its basic form (vv. 2–3); its windows (v. 4); and the structure around it with its side chambers (vv. 5–6, 8, 10). The work was carried out with reverence, avoiding the use of iron tools at the temple site: neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron (see Ex. 20:25 and Deut. 27:5–6 for the restrictions that appear to be in mind here). The temple was 90 feet (27 m) long, 30 feet (9 m) wide, and 45 feet (14 m) high (see illustration).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 6:1 The four hundred and eightieth year after Israel’s release from slavery and the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel was around the year 966 B.C. This verse is important for calculating the date of Israel’s exodus from Egypt. The figure of 480 years would seem to support the traditional “early” date for the exodus, c. 1446 B.C. On the other hand, some scholars believe the 480 might be symbolic, i.e., that it could stand for 12 generations of 40 years each. This would match a “late” date for the exodus, about 1260 B.C. See Introduction to Exodus.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 6:12–13 God will certainly dwell among his people once the temple is built, but the people must still obey his law (see Lev. 26:11–12). This was something the Israelites were always forgetting (see Jeremiah 7).
FACT
No tools of iron? The Lord had forbidden the use of iron tools in the construction of altars (Ex. 20:25). As they built the temple, the Israelites used iron tools on the stones only at the quarry, never at the construction site. They probably did this as an expression of reverence for the temple.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 6:14–35 Solomon built the house and finished it. The repetition of v. 9a in v. 14 marks a return to the main story line of vv. 1–10 after the detour of vv. 11–13. Now the inside of the temple is described. Most attention is paid to the inner sanctuary (vv. 16, 19–32), the Most Holy Place where the ark of the covenant was to be placed (v. 19). It was within the inner sanctuary that the Lord sat. He was enthroned on the cherubim (v. 23; see 1 Sam. 4:4; Ps. 99:1).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 6:36 This verse moves back outside the temple, to the inner court.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 6:38–7:1 the house was finished. Solomon spent much more time building his own palace than he did building God’s house. This is an early sign that he was not fully committed to the Lord. The author probably intended the following emphasis in 7:1: “But his own house Solomon spent thirteen years building.”
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 7:2–5 The House of the Forest of Lebanon, just the first of several buildings in the palace complex, was much bigger than the temple (see 6:2). This building had so much cedar (7:2–3, 7, 11, 12) that it was named after the forest from which the cedar came. It was apparently designed as a treasury or armory (see 10:17, 21; Isa. 22:8). This shows that Solomon was much more concerned about his palace than about the temple.
FACT
The House of the Forest of Lebanon was part of Solomon’s palace. It was much larger than the temple and designed to be a treasury or an armory. It got its name from the large amounts of cedar timber used to build it.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 7:6–12 The Hall of Pillars was almost as large as the temple. There was a throne hall, also called the Hall of Judgment. Two palaces were built, one for Solomon and one for his Egyptian wife.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 7:13–14 Hiram from Tyre, who makes the temple furnishings, is not the king of ch. 5. His mother was an Israelite widow of the tribe of Naphtali.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 7:15–21 two pillars of bronze. Two massive pillars, called Jachin and Boaz, were positioned at the temple entrance. Along with their capitals, the pillars stood 27 cubits (40 feet/12 m), almost as high as the temple itself. They may have been freestanding, though some temples from the ancient world had pillars supporting the roof of the porch.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 7:23–47 See note on 2 Chron. 4:2–6. The sea of cast metal was a large metal basin containing water. It would remind the people of how the Lord created the world out of water (Gen. 1:1–2:3; Ps. 74:12–17). Associated with the sea were ten stands of bronze (1 Kings 7:27). The basins of v. 40 are not those of vv. 38–39, but different utensils used in cleaning out the altar (see Ex. 27:3), as were the pots and shovels.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 7:23 ten cubits from brim to brim . . . thirty cubits (in) circumference. These figures are given in whole numbers. The authors were not trying to give a precise equivalent for pi (which for the ten-cubit diameter would yield a circumference of 31.46 cubits).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 7:48–51 Solomon made all the vessels. Hiram takes responsibility only for the work in bronze, while Solomon is in charge of the work in gold.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 8:1–21 The ark of the covenant of God was the great symbol of the Lord’s presence with his people and the place where the tablets of the law were kept (Ex. 25:10–22; Deut. 10:1–5; Joshua 3–6). It had remained for some time in a tent sanctuary somewhere in the old city of David (2 Sam. 6:16–17; 7:2; 1 Kings 3:15). The temple was now ready to receive it.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 8:2 The feast in . . . the seventh month is the Feast of Booths (see vv. 65–66; Lev. 23:33–43), during which the Israelites were to live in temporary shelters as a reminder of the exodus. It was observed in September/October.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 8:3–4 the priests took up the ark. The ark had remained in a tent sanctuary somewhere in the old city of David (2 Sam. 6:16–17; 7:2; 1 Kings 3:15). Only priests could have taken it right into the inner sanctuary of the temple. Moving the ark, along with the tent of meeting (that is, the tabernacle), symbolized moving the “name” of the Lord to a more permanent dwelling (see 2 Sam. 7:6).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 8:9 Though the ark had once contained the jar of manna and Aaron’s rod (Heb. 9:4; see Ex. 16:32–34; Num. 17:10–11), there was now nothing in the ark except the two tablets of stone on which were written the Ten Commandments.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 8:10 A cloud was often associated with God’s appearing in the OT (e.g., Ex. 13:21–22; 16:10; 19:9). A cloud also covered the tabernacle upon its completion in Ex. 40:34–38.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 8:12–13 thick darkness. Compare Ex. 20:21; Deut. 4:11.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 8:17 a house for the name of the LORD. The word “name” is used in vv. 16–20 and in vv. 22–53 to avoid saying that God himself actually dwells in the temple (see also 3:2; 5:3, 5). God’s presence in the temple was real, for God’s “name” represents all that he is (see note on Acts 10:48). But he was not to be thought of as actually “living” in the temple, as other nations imagined concerning their false gods.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 8:22–53 The ark of the covenant has arrived in the temple (vv. 1–13), and Solomon has addressed the people about the meaning of the event (vv. 14–21). He now prays to the Lord, reflecting on how God “dwells” in the temple. Each of the seven sections of the prayer includes a plea that God would “hear” his people “from heaven” (vv. 32, 34, 36, 39, 43, 45, 49).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 8:27–30 will God indeed dwell on the earth? The temple is a special place where God’s name is, a place toward which his eyes are open (see Isa. 66:1–3). Though God will dwell in the temple (1 Kings 8:10, 13; see note on 1 Sam. 4:3–4), it is not to be thought of as the only place where God is. God hears prayers in heaven (1 Kings 8:30), which is his dwelling place. Even then, however, God cannot be limited to any one place. He does not, strictly speaking, dwell in even the highest heaven (v. 27). God cannot be confined by space.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 8:31–32 If a man sins against his neighbor. This is the first of seven specific petitions in Solomon’s prayer. It concerns a legal case that is impossible to resolve in any normal way because of difficulty with evidence or witnesses (see 3:16–28). A priestly ritual is involved here (compare Num. 5:11–31). Solomon calls upon God himself as judge to condemn the guilty and clear the righteous individual.
FACT
Praying toward Jerusalem (8:29) was a practice started by Solomon that many Jews around the world still follow today. It comes from Solomon’s prayer of dedication, where he stated that God is too great to dwell in a temple. However, the Lord stated himself that his name would dwell in the temple forever (9:3), thus providing a symbolic place to which people could direct their prayers.
FACT
The building and dedication of the temple was perhaps the most significant event of King Solomon’s reign. The temple replaced the Tent of Meeting and became the place of worship for Israel. It was a grand monument to God’s glory for all to see.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 8:33–40 When your people Israel are defeated. The second, third, and fourth petitions concern defeat in battle, followed by exile from the land (vv. 33–34), drought (vv. 35–36), and other difficulties. In each case the cause of the problem is sin. The people need to seek God’s forgiveness and his instruction (vv. 35–36).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 8:46–51 carried away captive. The seventh petition returns to defeat and exile, the major concern of the prayer. In exile, if the people should repent and pray toward land, city, and temple (v. 48; see Dan. 6:10 for the practice), then God is asked to take them back once more as his people and maintain their cause (1 Kings 8:49; see v. 45).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 8:54–9:9 These verses tell of Solomon’s second address to the people (8:54–61), of the conclusion of the temple’s dedication (8:62–66), and of God’s second appearance to Solomon. The Lord responds to Solomon’s prayer with some solemn words about dynasty and temple, people and land (9:1–9).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 8:54–61 rest to his people Israel. Solomon recalls the promises given through Moses. “Rest” refers to the establishment of Israel within the land of Canaan. The ultimate purpose of Israel’s walking in God’s ways is that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God; there is no other (see Deut. 4:35). Israel’s calling is to be a light for the Gentiles (Isa. 49:6), bringing God’s salvation to the ends of the earth.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 8:65–66 from Lebo-hamath to the Brook of Egypt. This phrase designates the whole Solomonic empire. It is similar to phrases in 4:21, 24.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 9:2 a second time. The first occasion was in 3:4–15.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 9:4–5 You shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel. See note on 2 Chron. 7:17–18.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 9:6 if you turn aside from following me, you or your children. The future of the temple and the dynasty depends on the obedience of Solomon and of future generations of Israelites. The particular focus here is idolatry. The people must not go and serve other gods and worship them.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 9:7–8 Disobedience will lead to loss of the Promised Land (see Deut. 29:22–28). The magnificent temple will become a heap of ruins to be scoffed at by those passing by. Israel will be transformed from a nation known for its wisdom (1 Kings 4:21–34) into a nation that is itself a proverb and a byword (see Deut. 28:37).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 9:10–10:29 Solomon’s rule over the surrounding kingdoms, combined with his status in the world in general (4:21–34), put him in a position to build and dedicate the temple (5:1–8:66). This passage now considers the glory of Solomon’s empire in the light of 8:22–53 and 9:1–9.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 9:10 At the end of twenty years would be c. 946 B.C.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 9:11 Hiram king of Tyre. The gold mentioned in v. 11 was not part of the agreement struck between the two kings in 5:1–18, but Hiram supplied Solomon with as much as he desired. Solomon in turn “rewards” him with twenty cities that may not have been worth much.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 9:13 The name Cabul probably comes from the noun “fetters” that is found in Ps. 149:8, a psalm that celebrates the supremacy of Israel over the nations. Hiram calls the land “fettered” to describe his relationship with Solomon.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 9:14 Solomon accumulates huge amounts of gold. Biblical texts associate the accumulation of kingly wealth with spiritual unfaithfulness (e.g., Deut. 17:17). As will be seen, Solomon’s riches lead him astray.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 9:15–25 the account of the forced labor. The author clarifies that Solomon used his task force of 30,000 Canaanite laborers (5:1–18) for the temple and his other building projects. Israelite workers did other tasks. Pharaoh’s daughter (9:24) was introduced in 3:1, using language similar to Moses’ warnings about intermarriage with foreigners (Deut. 7:1–6). Such marriages could lead to spiritual unfaithfulness. Mentioning the Canaanites (Amorites, Hittites, etc.) in connection with Pharaoh’s daughter serves to prepare the reader for Solomon’s worship of other gods (1 Kings 11:3–4).
FACT
The city of Megiddo was located on one of the most important trade routes of the ancient Near East. In fact, it was so important that when Egypt’s Pharaoh Thutmose III conquered the city in 1482 B.C. he said that capturing it was like capturing a thousand cities. It was so strategic that Israel’s King Ahab (869-850 B.C.) dug a 120-foot (37-m) deep shaft and a 215-foot-long tunnel to provide water for the city in case it came under siege.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 9:15 the Millo. See note on 2 Sam. 5:9.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 10:1–3 The queen of Sheba (see note on 2 Chron. 9:1–9, 12) arrives from Arabia (“Ophir” in 1 Kings 9:28) to test Solomon. there was nothing hidden. Solomon’s wisdom, given by God, was unprecedented. This foreign queen is amazed (10:4).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 10:8 Happy are your men! Happy are your servants. Chapter 10 as a whole focuses on the benefit that wisdom brings to the royal court, and particularly to Solomon himself.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 10:10–13 The queen’s gift of 120 talents of gold (9,000 pounds/4,080 kg) is a remarkably large amount, yet Solomon was already receiving much more gold than this (notice that her gift is exactly the same size as Hiram’s first installment in 9:14). Solomon was a much wealthier person than the queen. What she gives him is tiny compared to what he gives her.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 10:14–25 weight of gold. The accumulation of gold continues. It is mentioned no fewer than 11 times in vv. 14, 16–18, 21–22, 25. It arrives in Israel by various means, including ships of Tarshish (v. 22), that is, ships capable of a journey to such a distant western port (see Isa. 66:19; Ezek. 27:12–15; Jonah 1:3). These ships are said to have sailed to lands so distant that it took three years to return with their extraordinary cargo.
FACT
666 talents of gold (10:14) was a lot of gold—nearly 25 tons! Solomon accumulated lots of gold and other valuable resources through his extensive trading with nations all over the known world.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 10:26–29 chariots and horsemen . . . silver. The accumulation of silver and horses, as well as gold, is forbidden by Deut. 17:16–17. Solomon has violated all but one of the instructions in that passage. His violation of that one remaining instruction will be the subject of 1 Kings 11:1–6.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 11:1–43 Throughout chs. 1–10 there have been hints that all is not well with Solomon’s heart. Now comes the inevitable conclusion: Solomon’s sins have led him to apostasy.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 11:1–4 Solomon loved many foreign women . . . clung to these in love. Solomon loved the Lord (3:3). But he also loved the daughter of Pharaoh and many other women. Solomon’s heart was divided.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 11:5 Ashtoreth is the biblical name for Astarte. At ancient Ugarit in Syria, the planet Venus was worshiped as Astarte. Milcom was a god of the underworld.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 11:7–8 The worship of other gods at high places is a key concern in 1–2 Kings (e.g., 1 Kings 12:25–33; 14:23; 16:31–33). Chemosh was the chief god of the Moabites. Molech may be the same as Milcom in 11:5. The Bible associates Molech with child sacrifice (e.g., Lev. 18:21; 2 Kings 16:3; Jer. 32:35).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 11:9–13 the LORD was angry with Solomon. . . . I will surely tear the kingdom from you. This is what 2:4; 8:25; and 9:4–5 have led the reader to expect. Yet, while punishing Solomon and his kingdom, the Lord will show mercy: I will not do it in your days (11:12). . . . I will not tear away all the kingdom. And, one tribe will remain for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem that I have chosen (v. 13).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 11:14–25 Two men are raised up by God to oppose Solomon: Rezon from the north and Hadad from the south. Where the king once had peace on all sides (5:4), he now finds enemies.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 11:26–33 Solomon’s most significant enemy was Jeroboam the son of Nebat. He was the former superintendent of the forced labor of the house of Joseph, those who had been helping with the construction work in Jerusalem (vv. 27–28). He was met outside the city by the prophet Ahijah (v. 29) with a prophecy concerning the kingship. The garment here is divided into 12 pieces, of which ten, symbolizing 10 northern tribes, are given to Jeroboam (vv. 30–31). One tribe is to remain for the sake of David and Jerusalem (that is, Judah). The tribe Benjamin is not included (see 12:21), perhaps because it was regarded as part of Judah’s territory.
FACT
From ancient times, Damascus has been a strategic location. It was a primary stopping point along the main caravan route that ran from Africa to Mesopotamia. When it became the capital of the Aramean kingdom (modern Syria), it served as a military outpost to prevent Israel from expanding northward.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 11:34–39 a lamp before me in Jerusalem. Solomon will lose no tribes during his lifetime. His son is to have one tribe, to preserve the line of Davidic kings.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 11:43 slept with his fathers. See note on 2:10. Almost all Israelite burials were in multichambered, rock-hewn tombs carved into hillsides. They were probably used as family tombs, so that even in death family ties were emphasized.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:1–14:31 The Kingdom Is Divided. Two kingdoms emerge. Judah is made up of two tribes (Judah and Benjamin) in the south and is ruled by Rehoboam. Israel is made up of the ten northern tribes and is ruled by Jeroboam.
The Kingdom Divides
931 B.C.
When Solomon’s son Rehoboam arrived at Shechem for his coronation after his father’s death, he refused to lighten his father’s heavy tax burden on the people, and the 10 northern tribes revolted and set up Jeroboam as their king. The northern kingdom would now be known as Israel and the southern kingdom as Judah. Five years later, Shishak (also called Sheshonq) king of Egypt invaded Judah and Israel and captured a number of towns. Rehoboam avoided Jerusalem’s destruction by paying off Shishak with many of the treasures Solomon had placed in the temple.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:1–33 As Moses led the people out of slavery under the Egyptian pharaoh, Jeroboam now leads Israel out of “slavery” under the house of David. But rather than being a second Moses, Jeroboam soon begins to look like Aaron, as he fashions golden calves for Israel to worship. Such idolatrous worship will eventually result in disaster for Israel.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:1 Shechem was where the Israelites renewed their covenant with God (Josh. 24:1–27). It was also the site of Abimelech’s attempt to make himself king (Judges 9).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:4 Your father made our yoke heavy. Solomon placed great financial burdens on the people. They are no longer living in freedom in the Promised Land. They are again a people under hard service, as they were in Egypt (Ex. 1:14; 2:23). They toil as oxen would under a heavy yoke.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:10–11 My little finger is thicker than my father’s thighs. Rehoboam is saying that he will be much harsher than his father was. Scorpions probably refers to a particularly vicious form of whip.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:14 I will add to your yoke. Rehoboam is behaving exactly as Pharaoh had behaved before him (compare Ex. 5:1–21).
FACT
How long did the United Kingdom of Israel last? All 12 tribes of Israel were together as one nation for a total of 120 years: 40 years under Saul, 40 years under David, and 40 years under Solomon (c. 1050-930 B.C.).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:15 a turn of affairs brought about by the LORD. God is in control of all events. His word is being carried out, as was the case with the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart (Ex. 4:21; 7:3–4, 13).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:16 What portion do we have in David? The people do not support Rehoboam, so they leave for their tents.
The Divided Kingdom: Kings of Judah (all dates B.C.)
| King | Years of Reign |
Total Years |
Accession Year* |
Possible Co-Reigns |
References in 1–2 Kings** |
Notes |
| Rehoboam |
931/930–915/914 |
17 |
|
|
1 Kings 12:1–24; 14:21–31 |
|
| Abijah/Abijam |
915/914–912/911 |
3 |
18 of Jeroboam I |
|
1 Kings 15:1–8 |
|
| Asa |
912/911–871/870 |
41 |
20 of Jeroboam I |
|
1 Kings 15:9–24 |
|
| Jehoshaphat |
871/870–849/848 |
25 |
4 of Ahab |
with Asa from 873 |
1 Kings 22:41–50 |
|
| Jehoram/Joram |
849/848–842 |
7 (8) |
5 of Joram |
with Jehoshaphat from 853 |
2 Kings 8:16–24 |
Married Athaliah, a daughter of Ahab (Israel) |
| Ahaziah |
842–841 |
1 (2) |
11 of Joram |
|
2 Kings 8:25–29; 9:21–28 |
Killed by Jehu (Israel) in 841 |
| Athaliah (Q.) |
841–835 |
6 |
|
|
2 Kings 11:1–20 |
Killed by Jehoiada the priest |
| Joash/Jehoash |
835–796/795 |
39 (40) |
7 of Jehu |
|
2 Kings 12:1–21 |
Hidden from Athaliah for 6 years (841–835) by Jehosheba, the sister of Ahaziah; protected by Jehoiada the priest |
| Amaziah |
796/795–767 |
29 |
2 of Joash/Jehoash |
|
2 Kings 14:1–22 |
|
| Uzziah/Azariah |
767–740/739 |
52 |
27 of Jeroboam II |
with Amaziah from 791 |
2 Kings 15:1–7 |
|
| Jotham |
750–735/730 |
16 (20) |
2 of Pekah |
Uzziah is alive in 750 but inactive in rule (see 2 Kings 15:5) |
2 Kings 15:32–38 |
|
| Ahaz |
735/730–715 |
16 (20) |
17 of Pekah |
|
2 Kings 16:1–20 |
|
| Hezekiah |
715–687/686 |
29 |
3 of Hoshea |
with Ahaz from 728 |
2 Kings 18:1–20:21 |
|
| Manasseh |
687/686–642 |
55 |
No further accession dates after fall of Israel in 722 |
with Hezekiah from 697/696 |
2 Kings 21:1–18 |
|
| Amon |
642–640 |
2 |
|
|
2 Kings 21:19–26 |
|
| Josiah |
640–609 |
31 |
|
|
2 Kings 22:1–23:30 |
Killed by Pharaoh Neco of Egypt |
| Jehoahaz |
609 |
3 months |
|
|
2 Kings 23:31–34 |
Taken by Pharaoh Neco to Egypt |
| Jehoiakim |
609–598 |
11 |
|
|
2 Kings 23:35–24:7 |
Set on the throne by Pharaoh Neco of Egypt |
| Jehoiachin/Jeconiah |
598–597 |
3 months |
|
|
2 Kings 24:8–17; 25:27–30 |
Exiled to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar in 597; released and honored by Evil-merodach of Babylon in 562 |
| Zedekiah |
597–586 |
11 |
|
|
2 Kings 24:18–20 |
Zedekiah is Jehoiachin’s uncle; Jerusalem and Judah fall to Babylon in 586 |
The Divided Kingdom: Kings of Israel (all dates B.C.)
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:18 It is not clear whether Adoram is the person mentioned in 4:6 and 5:14. He comes to impose forced labor on Israel.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:24 they listened to the word of the LORD and went home. War is avoided, at least for now. But the peace does not last long.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:25 Jeroboam built Shechem . . . Penuel. The first task for Jeroboam was the obvious one of defense. He built up two major cities.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:27–28 two calves of gold. Jeroboam fears that the presence of the temple of the LORD at Jerusalem will lead the people of northern Israel to return to Rehoboam. To prevent this, Jeroboam sets up his own system for worship. His words to the people about the calves—Behold your gods, O Israel—are almost exactly the words with which the people greeted Aaron’s golden calf (Ex. 32:4). These bull idols were unacceptable for the worship of the Lord because they failed to show the difference between the Creator and his creation.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:29–33 Jeroboam builds centers of worship within his own territory to rival Jerusalem, one in the far north (Dan) and one in the far south (Bethel). He appoints priests who had not been set apart by God for such service. He invents a central feast in the eighth month, a version of the Feast of Booths (or Tabernacles) (compare 8:2; Lev. 23:33–43).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 13:1–34 Just as Solomon had stood at his altar in Jerusalem (8:22), Jeroboam now stands at the altar of his new temple in Bethel, ready to dedicate it to his gods. However, since this temple does not have God’s blessing, Jeroboam will not even get a chance to speak.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 13:2 The prophetic words about the future king Josiah point forward to a time when all the northern Israelite dynasties will have come to an end. Only the house of David will remain to take action against Bethel (2 Kings 22:1–23:30).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 13:3–5 Since Josiah’s reign is still a long way off, a sign is also described and then acted out. This indicates that the prophecy is true.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 13:7–32 Jeroboam’s invitation to the man of God to dine and receive a reward is an attempt to buy his loyalty, perhaps hoping for the curse on the altar to be reversed. The invitation (v. 15) from the old prophet living in Bethel is an attempt to prevent the destruction of Bethel. Disobedience leads the man of God to an unfortunate end. Even prophets cannot escape if they are disobedient. Samaria is used here for the territory of which the city of Samaria became the capital under Omri, the father of Ahab (16:24).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 14:1–20 Jeroboam had been promised a dynasty (“house”) just like David’s (11:38). His desire to have a temple (“house”) just like David’s, however, led him into disobedience. These verses describe the results of Jeroboam’s desire to have more than he was promised.
FACT
Lions (13:24) were once plentiful in the ancient Near East. The last recorded sighting of a lion in this area was in the thirteenth century A.D.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 14:2 disguise yourself. In spite of the events of ch. 13, Jeroboam apparently believes that he can fool the old prophet Ahijah into giving him a positive message about his son.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 14:10 Since Jeroboam has failed to be like David (v. 8) and has worshiped other gods as Solomon did (v. 9), his dynasty will come to an end for lack of male descendants.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 14:11 Jeroboam’s dynasty will come to a dishonorable end, since the bodies mentioned will not be buried but will be eaten by dogs and birds. (See 1 Sam. 31:8–13 for the importance Israelites placed on having a proper burial.) Only Jeroboam’s son Abijah will escape this fate (1 Kings 14:13).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 14:15 In the absence of a strong dynasty to rule Israel, the nation is destined to know only the instability of a reed . . . shaken (or “swaying”) in the water. Eventually the Israelites will be exiled to a land beyond the Euphrates River, Assyria (2 Kings 17:1–6, 21–23). Their idolatry includes making Asherim, or Asherah poles, connected with the worship of the goddess Asherah.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 14:17 Jeroboam has apparently moved his royal court to Tirzah.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 14:19 the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. The author(s) of Kings specifically claim to have had access to written sources about the monarchic period, both for Israel and for Judah (e.g., v. 29; 22:45; 2 Kings 12:19; 20:20; 23:28). The reference here is to the Israelite royal record, preserved in palace archives and temple libraries along with foreign annals and inscriptions of various kinds. No copy of any of these chronicles remains today; they are not found in the Bible, and they are different from the books of 1–2 Chronicles. By the end of the second millennium B.C., literacy was widespread in and around Palestine, and writing was being employed in legal, business, literary, and religious texts.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 14:21–31 The text now returns to Rehoboam’s reign and what has been happening in Judah.
Evaluating Kings of Israel and Judah in 1–2 Kings
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 14:22–24 Judah did what was evil. The whole nation has become involved in idolatrous worship.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 14:23 High places and Asherim (see notes on 3:2; 14:15) are aspects of Judah’s idolatrous worship. Pillars are among the Canaanite cult objects which Deut. 12:3 says the people must destroy upon entering the land. These pillars were upright stones of various sizes. They were dedicated to particular deities.
FACT
What were high places? High places (14:23) were worship sites for local pagan gods. Before the temple was built in Jerusalem, Israelites often offered sacrifices in such places. After the temple was built, however, people were required to sacrifice there instead of at the high places.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 14:24 male cult prostitutes. Worship under Rehoboam included prostitution. The people may have seen it as a way to persuade the gods and goddesses to deliver fertility to the land and the people.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 14:25–26 Shishak king of Egypt has often been identified with the pharaoh Sheshonq I (945–924 B.C.), founder of the Twenty-second Dynasty in Egypt. His army apparently passed through Judah on its way to fight in northern Israel.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:1–24 Abijam and Asa. The history of the kings of Judah continues. Abijam (vv. 1–8) is a bad Judean king. He follows the idolatry of the older Solomon and of Rehoboam. Asa (vv. 9–24) is a good Judean king, behaving more like David and the younger Solomon. All the Judean kings who follow are either faithful like Asa or disobedient like Abijam. The authors judge the kings in terms of whether or not they have been “like David.” After the history of these two kings, the text will return to the kings of Israel.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:2–3 If Abishalom is the same as David’s son Absalom, one should remember that the Hebrew terms daughter and father (as well as “mother,” v. 10) do not necessarily refer to a first-generation relationship; they can mean “granddaughter,” etc.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:4 a lamp in Jerusalem. See note on 11:34–39.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:6–7 there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam . . . between Abijam and Jeroboam. The feud that began in ch. 12 between the houses of Rehoboam and Jeroboam continues.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:10–11 Asa reigned forty-one years, from 910 to 869 B.C. On the generations depicted by mother, daughter, and father, see note on vv. 2–3.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:12 He put away the male cult prostitutes. See note on 14:24.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:13 The queen mother served as an adviser of the king and as teacher of the royal children. abominable image for Asherah. This is another object associated with the worship of the goddess Asherah like the Asherim mentioned in 14:15, 23. On the brook Kidron, see note on 2 Chron. 15:16.
FACT
The role of the queen mother was an important one in the royal court. She might serve as an adviser to the king and also as a teacher for his children.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:14–15 Even though the high places were not taken away, Asa was commended for his religious policy. He was faithful enough to bring into the house of the LORD the sacred gifts of his father and his own sacred gifts. When 2 Chron. 14:3 says that Asa removed the high places, this should be taken as meaning he removed some but not all of them (compare 2 Chron. 15:17).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:17 Baasha king of Israel finds Asa’s military position so weak that he is able to push into Benjamin and build up Ramah, only a few miles north of Jerusalem.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:18–19 Asa took all the silver and the gold. Asa was forced to send a large bribe to Damascus to try to establish a new treaty like the one between his father Abijah and the previous Syrian king Tabrimmon (see note on 2 Chron. 16:2–5).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:25–16:34 From Nadab to Ahab. The fulfillment of the prophecy against the house of Jeroboam (14:10–11) has been delayed until God makes it clear how differently he treats the house of David. “Because for David’s sake the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem” (15:4), Judah’s wicked kings do not bring its downfall. Now, however, everything turns out for Israel just as Ahijah had prophesied in ch. 14.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:29 He left to the house of Jeroboam not one that breathed. Baasha fulfills the prophecy of 14:10–11.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 16:1–7 God’s judgment would come upon Baasha and his house (v. 3; see v. 11) both because of his being like the house of Jeroboam and because he destroyed Jeroboam’s house (v. 7; see 15:29). The fact that God had decided that Jeroboam’s house should be destroyed did not release Baasha from moral responsibility for his actions.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 16:11 he struck down all the house of Baasha. Zimri in turn fulfills the word of the prophet Jehu (v. 7), although he then reigns for only seven days (v. 15).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 16:14 Chronicles of the Kings (also vv. 20, 27). See note on 14:19.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 16:21–24 Omri emerges from the civil war as king.
FACT
Though the story of King Omri is told in just eight verses (16:21–28), politically speaking he was one of Israel’s most important kings. He built the capital city of Samaria in a place that gave Israel a strategic advantage over its enemies. After his time, the Assyrians referred to Israel as “the land of Omri.”
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 16:24 The only recorded events of Omri’s reign are the purchase of the hill of Samaria and the building of a new northern capital on it. However, Omri’s descendants would hold the throne for more than a hundred years. The northern kingdom became so identified with this dynasty that Assyrian records referred to Israel as “the land of Omri.”
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 16:31–33 went and served Baal and worshiped him . . . made an Asherah. The Israelite king Ahab, son of Omri, added to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat by marrying a foreign woman, Jezebel. She inevitably led him into the worship of Baal. Baal is a title (meaning “lord”) for the ancient Semitic god Hadad. Hadad was considered to be a storm god. The fertility of the land depended on his sending rain.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 16:34 Hiel . . . built Jericho. . . . at the cost of Abiram his firstborn, and . . . his youngest son Segub. Joshua had pronounced a curse on anyone who might rebuild Jericho (Josh. 6:26). The author(s) of 1–2 Kings understand this curse as the prophetic word of the LORD. Although the text does not say specifically how the two sons of Hiel died, it is possible he offered them in sacrifice, or that they died as a special judgment from God, in fulfillment of Joshua’s curse.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 17:1–22:40 Elijah and Ahab. Other prophets had addressed earlier kings (see 14:7–13; 16:1–4). Until now no one had addressed the house of Omri. But now Elijah is introduced. His first task is to tackle the problem of the Baal worship that Ahab has introduced into Israel (16:31–32). He demonstrates beyond all doubt that Baal is no more a god than are Jeroboam’s bull calves. His announcement of doom on the house of Omri will be delayed, however, until 21:21–24.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 17:1–24 Chapter 17 provides the context—a divinely ordained drought—in which the climactic demonstration of the truth about God and the “gods” will take place (18:16–40).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 17:1 neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word. According to Canaanite religion, Baal had authority over rain and fertility. The absence of rain meant that Baal was submitting to the god of death; he would revive later and, once again, water the earth. The true God of Israel, by contrast, is a God who lives and can either provide or deny the rain.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 17:5 Elijah hides in a harsh area east of the Jordan, where there is no normal food supply. God is nevertheless able to provide for him.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 17:9 Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon. The heartland of Baal worship is in Sidon, a region over which some thought Israel’s God had no authority. Yet the Lord is God of all lands. He even commanded a widow of the region to feed Elijah. (“Command” here might mean “ordained.”)
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 17:13 first make me a little cake. Against all parental instinct, the woman is asked to give Elijah something to eat, even before feeding herself and her son. This would be a great step of faith for her.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 17:18–20 The widow appears convinced of the truth of Elijah’s religion by seeing God’s power in vv. 8–16. When death comes, she knows it must be the Lord’s doing. She blames God’s prophet for reminding God of her sin. Elijah agrees with her about who is the ultimate cause (have you brought calamity . . . by killing her son?), but in his prayer he makes no comment on whether the widow’s sin was the human cause.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 17:21 he stretched himself upon the child three times. The purpose of this action is not made clear. Biblical prophets often “act out” their messages (e.g., Ezekiel 4), and Elijah’s actions here appear to be part of his prayer. When faced with the “god of death,” the Lord, unlike Baal, does not need to submit to him (see note on 1 Kings 17:1).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 18:1–46 In ch. 17 Elijah has lived privately, first in the Transjordanian wilderness and then in Zarephath. Now he reappears in public. The drought will end, but not before all Israel sees that it is the Lord who makes that happen.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 18:1–16 Even though Elijah has been living only a few miles from Jezebel’s hometown of Sidon, he has remained hidden from Ahab. Obadiah, like the widow of Zarephath (17:18), mistakenly connects the prophet’s presence with the coming of punishment for his own sin.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 18:17–18 you troubler of Israel. Ahab sees Elijah, the prophet who has pronounced God’s judgment, as the cause of the nation’s trouble. But Elijah rightly answers that Ahab, who has turned to other gods, is Israel’s true problem.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 18:20 All Israel is now gathered on Mount Carmel. It is a hill near modern Haifa.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 18:21 limping between . . . opinions. Compare v. 26, where the prophets of Baal “limped around the altar.” The worship of the people is no better than the worship of these prophets, as they refuse to choose between the Lord and Baal.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 18:22 I, even I only, am left. Although there were other prophets of the Lord in Israel at this time (see vv. 4, 13; 20:35–43; 22:1–28), Elijah feels that he is the only one willing to take a public stand against the prophets of Baal.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 18:24 the God who answers by fire, he is God. The Lord is often associated with fire in the OT (e.g., Lev. 9:24; 10:2; Num. 16:35). Other ancient sources suggest that Baal was thought to control fire and lightning. The question here is, who really controls the fire?
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 18:27 musing . . . relieving himself . . . on a journey . . . asleep and must be awakened. Elijah taunts the prophets of Baal with some disrespectful suggestions as to why he does not answer them. A real god would not be limited in such ways.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 18:28–29 cut themselves. The desperate attempt to manipulate Baal into action involves self-mutilation.
FACT
Why did the prophets of Baal cut themselves? According to one ancient Canaanite myth, the father of Baal slashes his chest, arms, and back upon learning of his son’s death. In the myth, Baal returns to life when the rains come. The prophets may have hoped that their actions would bring rain and end the drought.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 18:30 he repaired the altar of the LORD. Sacrifices to the Lord were to take place only in Jerusalem, but the authors do not criticize Elijah for repairing this unauthorized altar. The Lord himself removes the altar after it has served its purpose (v. 38).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 18:35 the water ran around the altar. The whole area is soaked with water so there is no possibility of natural combustion. If fire consumes this offering, it must be the Lord’s doing.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 18:36–37 Answer me, O LORD, answer me. Elijah’s public prayer gives evidence of great faith and confidence that God will answer.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 18:38–39 fire of the LORD. This cannot be the result of any natural phenomenon, since even lightning would not consume the stones. As all the people realize, this fire can only be a special work of God.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 18:42 Elijah bowed himself down on the earth and put his face between his knees. The significance of this prophetic action, like that in 17:21, is unclear. He could be praying for rain, or he might simply be exhausted.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 18:45–46 As the rains began, Ahab . . . went to Jezreel, where he had a palace (21:1) and where Jezebel was staying (19:1–2). That Elijah also went to Jezreel suggests he mistakenly thought his war with Baal worship was over.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 19:1–21 Elijah has won a mighty battle on the mountain, but a stronger opponent than Ahab awaits him: Queen Jezebel.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 19:1–2 Jezebel sent a messenger. Jezebel has already killed several prophets (see 18:4, 13). She is to be taken seriously when she threatens to take Elijah’s life.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 19:3 he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life. The shock of Jezebel’s resistance after Mount Carmel has led Elijah to forget to trust God. He flees to Beersheba in the far south of the Promised Land—as far away from Jezebel as he can get. The distance was about 120 miles (193 km), which would have taken an ordinary single traveler around six days.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 19:5 The broom tree is a bush with many branches and twigs, small leaves, and clusters of flowers. an angel touched him. Elijah has been responding so far only to Jezebel’s “messenger” (v. 2). Now God sends an “angel” or messenger of his own, leading Elijah back onto the path of faith.
FACT
Broom trees (19:5) are a type of desert shrub common in Palestine, Arabia, and Egypt. Its long branches form a bush that grows to about 12 feet (3.7 m) high. Wood from broom trees makes excellent charcoal.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 19:7 the journey is too great. Elijah thought his journey was over; he has had “enough” (v. 4). But now he is to fortify himself for a further journey, which will otherwise be “too great” (same Hebrew word as “enough”).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 19:8 he arose . . . and went . . . to Horeb, the mount of God. Horeb is another name for Mount Sinai, where God first spoke the Ten Commandments to the people of Israel (Exodus 19–20). The forty days and forty nights of Elijah’s travels represented a journey of about 250 miles (400 km). The last part of the journey would have taken much longer because of rugged terrain.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 19:10 I, even I only, am left. The resistance of one person (Jezebel) has turned massive victory into overwhelming defeat in Elijah’s mind. He is certainly not the only one left, but that is how he feels.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 19:11–12 not in the wind . . . not in the earthquake . . . not in the fire. The emphasis on Mount Carmel had been on God’s spectacular ways, particularly his use of fire. The emphasis here is on God’s quiet ways, being found in a low whisper.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 19:13–14 What are you doing here, Elijah? The point of the demonstration on the mountain was presumably that Elijah would answer this question differently the second time (compare v. 9). His answer is, however, exactly the same as before (I have been very jealous for the LORD). There is a suggestion in the text that he does not particularly want to understand what God is saying through these events. He has always claimed to “stand before the Lord” (see 17:1; 18:15), but here on Mount Horeb, in spite of the command of 19:11 (“Go out and stand . . . before the LORD”), he apparently stays in the cave until the storm is over and he hears the “whisper” (v. 12). When he does go out, it is with his cloak over his face, which makes it difficult for him to “see.”
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 19:15–18 Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. Elijah must now return to northern Syria-Palestine and anoint Hazael, Jehu, and Elisha. This new political and religious order will bring about the final victory over Baal worship. Elijah is to prepare the way.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 19:19 he departed from there and found Elisha. Has Elijah regained his faith as a result of his trip to Mount Horeb? The closing verses of ch. 19 suggest not. There is no mention here or later of Elijah’s ever even trying to meet Hazael and Jehu (see vv. 15–16). One never reads of Elijah anointing Hazael. Later, Elisha will arrange the anointing of Jehu (2 Kings 9:1–13). There is no mention of Elijah anointing Elisha as his prophetic successor; he merely enlists him as his assistant (1 Kings 19:21). Yet the very names of the two prophets indicate the way God’s plan is unfolding. “Elijah” means “the LORD, he is God,” and Elijah has demonstrated that truth (18:39). “Elisha” means “God saves.”
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 19:20–21 Let me kiss my father and my mother. Elisha immediately leaves his normal employment to follow his new mentor, pausing only briefly to cut his ties with his old life. He kisses his parents goodbye and destroys his old means of financial support (the 12 yoke of oxen and . . . the yokes of the oxen that control them), symbolizing that he has abandoned home and income for the Lord.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 20:1–43 After Elijah’s recruitment of Elisha, one expects to read of his anointing of Hazael as king over Syria and of Jehu as king over Israel (compare 19:15–18). Instead, one finds a different prophet appearing (20:13) and a different king of Syria (Ben-hadad) losing a war with Ahab. The message of ch. 19 is thus illustrated: Elijah is not the only remaining servant of God (see 19:10, 14); and, the Lord will bring about in his own good time the events spoken of in 19:17.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 20:2–9 Your silver and your gold are mine (v. 3). The king of Syria (Ben-hadad) tries to force Israel to serve him. Ahab accepts these terms at first (v. 4). Later he changes his mind (vv. 5–9) when a revision (v. 6) apparently makes the terms more extensive (whatever pleases you), intrusive (search your house), and immediate (tomorrow).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 20:11 Let not him who straps on his armor boast himself as he who takes it off. It is unwise to boast about one’s exploits before the battle has even begun; there is time enough for boasting when the battle is won.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 20:14–18 Israel is to fight according to a divine battle plan that does not make much human sense (as in the case of Gideon in Judges 7). The servants, young men unschooled in military matters, are to initiate the battle. The plan benefits from Ben-hadad’s being drunk as the Israelites approach (1 Kings 20:16). He is seemingly incapable of giving instructions (v. 18).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 20:22–25 strengthen yourself. Both sides prepare for a continuation of warfare in the following spring, a common time for kings to go to war (compare 2 Sam. 11:1). The Syrians plan next time to fight the Israelites in the plain (1 Kings 20:23), where horse and chariot will give them an advantage that they wouldn’t have in the hills. But they fail to realize that the Lord is the only real God, and he can give victory to his people anywhere he chooses (ch. 17).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 20:26 Aphek. The second battle is considerably farther north than the first (see Josh. 19:30), which took place near Samaria (1 Kings 20:1).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 20:28 god of the hills . . . not a god of the valleys. God will prove that the Syrians’ notions about him are false.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 20:31 Sackcloth signifies repentance (compare 21:27), and ropes signify submissiveness (prisoners may be led by them).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 20:34 cities . . . bazaars. The Israelite cities previously taken by the Syrians are returned. Ahab is given trading privileges in Damascus.
FACT
The word bazaar (20:34) meant “place of prices” in Persian. Bazaars were permanent places designated for merchants and traders to buy and sell goods. Either a part of one street or a whole district of a city would be used as a bazaar.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 20:35 sons of the prophets. Prophets who lived in communities together (see note on 2 Kings 2:3).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 20:36 a lion shall strike you down. Even prophets must obey God’s word. See ch. 13, where the same point is made and the same punishment is pronounced. If disobedient prophets cannot escape God’s judgment, then disobedient kings certainly will not.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 20:39–42 Your servant went out into the midst of the battle. In circumstances similar to 2 Sam. 12:1–4, the prophet tricks the king into pronouncing judgment on himself. Disguising himself as a soldier, the prophet tells a story implying that, because he failed in his guard duties, he is liable to pay a fine of a talent of silver (an impossible amount for an ordinary soldier to raise) or suffer death. Ahab agrees that the death sentence is just. Thus he provides the prophet with the opportunity to condemn Ahab because the king has released an enemy king whom God had devoted to destruction (compare 1 Sam. 15:17–24). For “devoted to destruction,” see note on Deut. 20:16–18.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 21:1–29 An apparently reinvigorated Elijah appears again in Jezreel to denounce another sin of Ahab and to foretell the destruction of Ahab’s family for all its sins.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 21:3 the inheritance of my fathers. The land of Israel did not belong to the families who technically “owned” it. Instead it belonged to God. He had brought the Israelites into the land in fulfillment of the Abrahamic promise and had, through Joshua, divided it among the tribes as their inheritance (e.g., Gen. 17:8; Lev. 25:23; Josh. 13:1–7). A complex set of laws kept land in the family. This prevented it from being owned by only the rich (e.g., Deut. 25:5–10). Ahab’s offer shows his disregard for Israelite law.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 21:7 Do you now govern Israel? Jezebel is the most powerful person in Israel (see 19:1–2), not her passive husband Ahab. She despises Ahab when he is unwilling to use his power for personal gain.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 21:8–10 Proclaim a fast. Jezebel’s plan to have Naboth executed on false charges requires the cooperation of elders and leaders who don’t care about justice for the poor (see Deut. 19:11–13; 21:1–9). It also requires the cooperation of two worthless men, who will be the two witnesses required by OT law (see Deut. 19:15–21).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 21:15 take possession of the vineyard. This assumes that the king is entitled to confiscate the property of an executed criminal. This custom is recorded in the history of other ancient nations, but there was no such provision in Israelite law. Ahab and Jezebel were ignoring Israelite law and introducing foreign ideas.
FACT
Confiscation of land. Israelite law did not allow the king to confiscate the land of an executed criminal. This was, however, a common practice outside of Israel. Perhaps Jezebel, who came from Tyre, based her plan to seize Naboth’s vineyard on this practice.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 21:19 In the place where dogs licked up the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick your own blood. Ahab died in battle and was buried in Samaria (22:34–37), not outside Jezreel “in the place” where Naboth was stoned (21:19; see v. 13). Yet, when dogs in Samaria lick up the blood washed from Ahab’s chariot, the text declares that it was a fulfillment of this prophecy (22:38). The prophecy was probably fulfilled in stages, first by Ahab’s death and then by the death of his son Joram, whose body was in fact thrown into Naboth’s vineyard (2 Kings 9:25–26).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 21:23–24 The dogs shall eat . . . the birds of the heavens shall eat. Israelites considered it a terrible thing not to be given a proper burial (Deut. 28:25–26).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 21:29 Because he has humbled himself. Ahab was the worst of kings (vv. 25–26). He added to Jeroboam’s sin the worship of Baal (16:30–33). But Ahab repents, and so avoids God’s judgment on his house in his lifetime.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 22:1–40 Although the house of Ahab is under a prophetic curse, the complete fulfillment of the prophecy will be delayed until the reign of Ahab’s son (see 21:27–29). However, Ahab’s own death has been foretold by two different prophets (20:41–42; 21:19). Now, after a third prophet confirms the word from the Lord, Ahab will die.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 22:1–5 The peace that followed the battle of Aphek (20:26–34) lasted three years. Even after such a crushing defeat, the king of Syria was able to hold on to Ramoth-gilead, located on a major trade route from the Red Sea to Damascus. Jehoshaphat is apparently at peace with Ahab (see 22:44) after the long war described in 14:30; 15:6–7, 16–22. Jehoshaphat, who is a devout man (see 22:43, 46), is willing to go with Ahab to battle at Ramoth-gilead. But first he wishes to inquire . . . for the word of the LORD.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 22:6–7 gathered the prophets together. These prophets are not truly prophets of the Lord, as events will prove. They say whatever the king wants to hear. This is further implied in Jehoshaphat’s response to their advice: Is there not here another prophet of the LORD? (See also note on 2 Chron. 18:4–14.)
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 22:8 Let not the king say so. Ahab should not ignore a prophet of the Lord simply because he never prophesies good concerning me.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 22:10–12 The harvesting of cereal crops in Israel was followed by a threshing and winnowing process. Threshed material was thrown into the air with a fork or a shovel to allow the breeze to separate the grain, the straw, and the chaff. The grain would then be cleaned and stored in jars, grain pits, or storage houses. The location of this activity was the threshing floor, which in this case was at the city gate. Here all the prophets were prophesying before the kings, and Zedekiah acted out his message.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 22:15–16 Go up and triumph. Ahab sees that Micaiah’s words are merely a mocking imitation of the court prophets, who tell him only what he wants to hear.
FACT
Ahab’s ivory palace. Archaeologists have discovered remains of Ahab’s palace (22:39) in Samaria. Beautifully carved ivory fragments with Egyptian and Phoenician designs were found where its main floors and courtyard would have been.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 22:21 a spirit came forward. The imagery is that of a council of war, with the heavenly king sitting on his throne surrounded by his army, making plans to defeat Ahab in battle.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 22:23 put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these . . . prophets. Though God himself does not do evil, he sometimes uses evil agents to accomplish his purposes (see note on 1 Sam. 16:14).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 22:24 How did the Spirit of the LORD go from me to speak to you? Zedekiah says that he has been influenced by “the Spirit of the LORD,” who cannot give contradictory advice to him and Micaiah.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 22:25 All will become clear, Micaiah claims, when the disaster that he is predicting comes and Zedekiah is forced to hide inside someone’s home.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 22:26 Amon is evidently one of Ahab’s high officials, entrusted with control of city affairs in Samaria. Joash the king’s son is responsible for prisoners.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 22:30 the king of Israel disguised himself. Ahab’s disguise is evidence of unclear thinking. If Micaiah has been lying, there is no danger. If he has been telling the truth, Ahab will die, whatever he does.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 22:32–33 Jehoshaphat cried out. And when the captains . . . saw that it was not the king of Israel. Although only Jehoshaphat wears royal robes, he is saved from death because his shout (either its language or its accent) reveals that he is not the man Ben-hadad wants to kill (v. 31).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 22:34 between the scale armor and the breastplate. The arrow shot at random flies to one of the few undefended spots on Ahab’s body. Micaiah is proven to be a true prophet.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 22:35 propped up in his chariot. The king stays on the battlefield all day, presumably to encourage his troops. At sunset he dies.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 22:38 according to the word of the LORD. See 21:19, although that verse does not mention prostitutes, but only dogs. There is already a close association between the two, however, in Deut. 23:17–18. There Moses commands Israel not to become a cult prostitute or to bring into the temple the earnings of a female prostitute or a male prostitute (literally, “dog”; see esv footnote on Deut. 23:18).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 22:39 Chronicles of the Kings (also v. 45). See note on 14:19. Archaeologists have uncovered a palace reminiscent of Ahab’s ivory house at Samaria.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 22:41–53 Jehoshaphat and Ahaziah. Both Jehoshaphat and Ahaziah have already appeared in 1 Kings as characters in Ahab’s story. They are, respectively, his comrade-in-arms and his successor (vv. 2–4, 40).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 22:43–46 Jehoshaphat was a good king. He had nothing to do with cult prostitutes (15:12). Under his rule, however, the high places where ungodly worship occurred were not taken away (15:14).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 22:47 There was no king in Edom; a deputy was king. The Hebrew word for “deputy” is also used to describe Solomon’s various officials (4:5, 27; 5:16; 9:23). Jehoshaphat controlled Edom so completely that its king had no more power than one of Solomon’s deputies.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 22:48 the ships were wrecked at Ezion-geber. Because Jehoshaphat rules Edom, like Solomon he is able to build ships at Ezion-geber (see 9:26–28).
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 22:49 Jehoshaphat was not willing. The current peace between Israel and Judah (v. 44) is not strong. Whereas Solomon took Sidonians on board his ships (9:27), Jehoshaphat refuses even to have Israelites sail with his men. According to 2 Chron. 20:35–37, at first Jehoshaphat was willing to cooperate with Ahaziah. But after Eliezer prophesied against Jehoshaphat’s alliance with Ahaziah, Jehoshaphat changed his mind.
1 KINGS—NOTE ON 22:50 slept with his fathers. See note on 2:10.