16:2 I lifted you up from the dust. Cf. 14:7. followed the ways of Jeroboam. See note on 14:16.

16:3 wipe out Baasha and his house. Cf. 14:10 (the house of Jeroboam); 21:21 (the house of Omri and Ahab).

16:4 Identical to the prophecy against Jeroboam’s dynasty in 14:11.

16:5 his achievements. For the purposes of the writer of Kings (see Introduction: Theme), it was not necessary to list any of Baasha’s achievements. He may have been a very successful ruler from a military-political point of view. annals of the kings of Israel. See note on 14:19.

16:6 rested with his ancestors. See note on 1:21.

16:7 evil he had done . . . like the house of Jeroboam. See v. 2; 15:34. he destroyed it. Although Baasha fulfilled God’s purpose (14:10,14) in destroying the house of Jeroboam, he remained responsible for this violent and unlawful act (cf. Ge 50:20; Isa 10:5–7,12).

16:8 twenty-sixth year of Asa. 886 bc (see note on 15:10; see also Introduction: Chronology). two years. 886–885 bc.

16:9 getting drunk. The fact that Elah was carousing at Tirzah while the army was laying siege to Gibbethon (v. 15) indicates that he had little regard for his responsibilities as king.

16:10 twenty-seventh year of Asa. 885 bc.

16:11 killed off Baasha’s whole family. A common practice to prevent revenge killings or any claims to the throne by the descendants of the former king (see 15:29; 2Ki 10:1–7; 11:1). friend. Probably the chief adviser to the king (see note on 2Sa 15:37).

16:12 word of the LORD . . . through the prophet Jehu. See vv. 1–4. Zimri did not consciously decide to fulfill Jehu’s prophecy, but unwittingly he became the instrument by which Jehu’s prediction was fulfilled (see note on v. 7) when he conspired against Elah and destroyed the dynasty of Baasha.

16:13 sins Baasha and his son Elah had committed. See 15:34. worthless idols. A reference to all the paganism in Israel’s religious observances, including the use of the golden calves in worship (12:28; 14:9).

16:14 annals of the kings of Israel. See note on 14:19.

16:15 twenty-seventh year of Asa. 885 bc (see notes on 15:1,10). Gibbethon. See notes on v. 9; 15:27.

16:16 plotted against the king and murdered him. See vv. 9–12. Omri, the commander of the army. He held a higher rank than Zimri did under Elah (v. 9).

16:17 Tirzah. The royal residence (see vv. 8–10; see also note on 14:17).

16:19 ways of Jeroboam. See note on 14:16.

16:20 annals of the kings of Israel. See note on 14:19.

16:22 Tibni died. It is not clear whether Tibni’s death was due to natural causes or the result of the military struggle for control of the land.

16:23 thirty-first year of Asa. 880 bc (see note on 15:10; see also Introduction: Chronology). became king. Became sole king. The struggle for control of the northern kingdom between Omri and Tibni lasted four years (compare this verse with v. 15). twelve years. 885–874. The 12 years of Omri’s reign include the four years of struggle between Omri and Tibni (cf. vv. 15,29). Tirzah. See note on 14:17. Omri had been able to capture Tirzah in a matter of days (vv. 15–19).

16:24 Samaria. Seven miles northwest of Shechem, Samaria rose about 300 feet above the surrounding fertile valleys (referred to as a “wreath” in Isa 28:1). The original owner may have been persuaded to sell his property (21:3) on the condition that the city be named after him (cf. Ru 4:5). The site provided an ideal location for a nearly impregnable capital city for the northern kingdom (20:1–21; 2Ki 6:25; 18:9–10). With the establishment of this royal city, the kings of the north came to possess a royal citadel-city such as the Davidic dynasty had in Jerusalem (2Sa 5:6–12). Archaeologists have discovered that Omri and Ahab also adorned it with magnificent structures to rival those Solomon had erected in Jerusalem. From this time on, the northern kingdom could be designated by the name of the royal city, just as the southern kingdom could be designated by its capital, Jerusalem (see, e.g., 21:1; Isa 10:10; Am 6:1).

16:25 sinned more than all. Omri’s alliance with Ethbaal of Tyre and Sidon (Omri’s son Ahab married Ethbaal’s daughter Jezebel to seal the alliance) led to widespread Baal worship in the northern kingdom (vv. 31–33) and eventually to the near extinction of the Davidic line in the southern kingdom (see 2Ki 11; see also note on 2Ki 8:18). This marriage alliance must have been established in the early years of Omri’s reign (see note on v. 23), perhaps to strengthen his hand against Tibni (vv. 21–22).

16:26 same sin Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit. See 12:26–33; see also note on 14:16. worthless idols. See note on v. 13.

16:27 things he achieved. Omri’s military and political accomplishments were not of importance for the purposes of the writer of Kings (see Introduction: Theme). Apart from establishing Samaria as the capital of the northern kingdom, about all that is known of him from the biblical account is that he organized a governmental structure in the northern kingdom that was in place during the rule of his son, Ahab (20:14–15). Omri’s dynasty, however, endured for over 40 years. A century and a half later (732 bc) Tiglath-Pileser III of Assyria referred to Israel as the “house of Omri” in his annals. annals of the kings of Israel. See note on 14:19.

16:28 rested with his ancestors. See note on 1:21.

16:29 thirty-eighth year of Asa. 874 bc (see notes on 15:9–10). twenty-two years. 874–853 bc.

16:30 more evil . . . than any. Omri sinned more than those before him (v. 25), and Ahab sinned more than his father had. Evil became progressively worse in the royal house of the northern kingdom. Nearly a third of the narrative material in 1,2 Kings concerns the 34-year period of the reigns of Ahab and his two sons, Ahaziah and Joram. In this period the struggle between the kingdom of God (championed especially by Elijah and Elisha) and the kingdom of Satan (exemplified by the idolatry of Omri and Ahab) was especially intense.

16:31 married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal. The first-century Jewish historian Josephus refers to Ethbaal as a king-priest who ruled over Tyre and Sidon for 32 years. Ahab had already married Jezebel during the reign of his father (see note on v. 25). Baal. Perhaps Melqart, the local manifestation of Baal in Tyre, whose worship was brought to Israel by Jezebel. It is probable that Ahab participated in the worship of this deity at the time of his marriage. The names of Ahab’s sons (Ahaziah, “The LORD grasps”; Joram, “The LORD is exalted”) suggest that Ahab did not intend to replace the worship of the Lord with the worship of Baal but to worship both deities in a syncretistic (mixed) way.

16:32 temple of Baal that he built in Samaria. Ahab imported the Phoenician Baal worship of his wife Jezebel into the northern kingdom by constructing a temple of Baal in Samaria, just as Solomon had erected the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. This pagan temple and its sacred stone (see note on 14:23) were later destroyed by Jehu (2Ki 10:21–27).

16:33 Asherah pole. See note on 14:15. than did all the kings of Israel. See note on v. 30. Ahab elevated the worship of Baal to an official status in the northern kingdom at the beginning of his reign.

16:34 rebuilt Jericho. Does not mean that Jericho had remained uninhabited since its destruction by Joshua (see Jos 18:21; Jdg 1:16; 3:13; 2Sa 10:5), but that it had remained an unwalled town or village. During the rule of Ahab, Hiel fortified the city by reconstructing its walls and gates (see 9:17 for a similar use of “rebuilt”). This violated God’s intention that the ruins of Jericho be a perpetual reminder that Israel had received the land of Canaan from God’s hand as a gift of grace. Accordingly, Hiel suffered the curse Joshua had pronounced (Jos 6:26).

17:1-2Ki 8:15 The ministries of Elijah and Elisha and other prophets from Ahab/Asa to Joram/Jehoshaphat—during one of the greatest religious crises in the history of the kingdom of Israel.

17:1 Elijah. Elijah’s name (meaning “The LORD is my God”) was the essence of his message (18:21,39). He was sent to oppose vigorously, by word and action, both Baal worship and those who engaged in it. from Tishbe in Gilead. See NIV text note. Gilead was in the northern Transjordan area. The precise location of Tishbe is unknown (but see maps here and here). whom I serve. In the great crisis brought on by Ahab’s promotion of Baal worship, the Lord sent Elijah (and after him Elisha) to serve as his representative, much as he had sent Moses long ago. The author of Kings highlights many parallels between the ministries of Elijah and Moses. neither dew nor rain. The drought was not only a divine judgment on a nation that had turned to idolatry but also a demonstration that even though Baal was considered the god of fertility and lord of the rain clouds, he was powerless to give rain (cf. Lev 26:3–4; Jer 14:22; Hos 2:5, 8; Zec 10:1 and notes).

17:3 Leave here. With this command God withdrew his prophet from his land and people to leave them isolated from his word and blessings. The absence of the prophet confirmed and intensified the judgment. Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. Perhaps a gorge leading into the Jordan Valley (see maps here and here).

17:4 ravens to supply you with food there. The Lord’s faithful servant Elijah was miraculously sustained beyond the Jordan (like Israel in the wilderness in the time of Moses) while Israel in the promised land was going hungry—a clear testimony against Israel’s reliance on Baal. The fact that Elijah was sustained in a miraculous way while not living among his own people demonstrated that the word of God was not dependent on the people, but the people were dependent on the word of God.

17:6 meat. Since the ravens themselves were not to be eaten (Lev 11:15; Dt 14:14) and the meat they normally ate was also forbidden food (Lev 7:24; Dt 14:21; Eze 4:14), the kind of “meat” referred to and its source remain mysterious. in the morning . . . in the evening. To eat meat every day, to say nothing of twice a day, was not common fare for common people. Among them meat was reserved for special occasions. Kings, on the other hand, seem to have had meat daily on their table (1Ki 4:23). It appears, then, that Yahweh’s servant Elijah is here depicted as eating at King Yahweh’s table (see Ex 29:38–41; Nu 28:4–8; cf. 2Ki 4:42 and note; see also 1Ki 18:19, where Elijah speaks of the “prophets . . . who eat at Jezebel’s table”) while apostate Israel goes hungry.

17:9 Zarephath in the region of Sidon. A coastal town located between Tyre and Sidon in the territory ruled by Jezebel’s father Ethbaal (16:31). Elijah is commanded to go and reside in the heart of the very land from which the Baal worship now being promoted in Israel had come. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food. Elijah, as the bearer of God’s word, was now to be sustained by human hands, but they were the hands of a poor widow facing starvation (v. 12). She was, moreover, from outside the circle of God’s own people (cf. Lk 4:25–26)—in fact, she was from the pagan nation that at that time (much like Egypt earlier and Babylon later) represented the forces arrayed against God’s kingdom.

17:10 So he went. Elijah’s reliance on the Lord demonstrated the faith in the Lord that Israel should have been living by.

17:12 As surely as the LORD your God lives. Since she is not an Israelite, her oath in the name of the Lord was probably an accommodation to Elijah’s religious convictions.

17:13 first make a small loaf of bread for me . . . then make something for yourself and your son. As a prophet, Elijah’s words are the command of the Lord. The widow is asked to give all she has to sustain the bearer of the word of God. The demand to give her all is in essence the demand of the covenant that Israel had broken.

17:14 what the LORD, the God of Israel, says. Elijah can tell the widow “Don’t be afraid” (v. 13) because the demand of the covenant is not given without the promise of the covenant. The Lord does not ask more than he promises to give.

17:15 did as Elijah had told her. By an act of faith the woman received the promised blessing. Israel had forsaken the covenant and followed Baal and Asherah in search of prosperity. Now in the midst of a pagan kingdom a widow realized that trustful obedience to the word of God is the way that leads to life.

17:16 jar of flour was not used up. God miraculously provided for this non-Israelite who, in an act of faith in the Lord’s word, had laid her life on the line. Just as God had given the Israelites manna from heaven, he miraculously gave her food even while he was withholding food from his unfaithful people in the promised land. The warning of Dt 32:21 was being fulfilled (cf. Ro 10:19; 11:11,14).

17:18 Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son? The widow concluded that Elijah’s presence in her house had called God’s attention to her sin, and that the death of her son was a divine punishment for this sin. Although her sense of guilt seems to have been influenced by pagan ideas, both she and Elijah are confronted with the question: Why did the God who promised life bring death instead?

17:21 stretched himself out on the boy three times. Why Elijah chooses to do this is unclear, although similar actions occur elsewhere in scripture (2Ki 4:34; Ac 28:10). Elijah’s prayer, however, makes it clear that he expected the life of the child to return as an answer to prayer, not as a result of bodily contact. let this boy’s life return to him. Moved by a faith like that of Abraham (Ro 4:17; Heb 11:19), Elijah prayed for the child’s return to life so that the veracity and trustworthiness of God’s word might be demonstrated.

17:22 the boy’s life returned to him. The first instance of raising the dead recorded in Scripture. This non-Israelite widow was granted the supreme covenant blessing, the gift of life rescued from the power of death. This blessing came in the person of her son, the only hope for a widow in ancient society (2Ki 4:14; Ru 1:11–12; 4:15–17; Lk 7:12).

17:24 you are a man of God. See note on 1Sa 2:27. The widow had addressed Elijah as a man of God previously (v. 18), but now she knew in a much more experiential way that he truly was a prophet of the Lord (see note on 12:22). the word of the LORD from your mouth is the truth. God used this experience to convince the Phoenician widow that his word was completely reliable. Her confession was one that the Lord’s own people in Israel had failed to make.

18:1 third year. Apparently of the drought. Later Jewish tradition indicates that the drought lasted three and a half years (cf. Lk 4:25; Jas 5:17), but that probably represents a symbolic number for a drought cut short (half of seven years; see Ge 41:27; 2Ki 8:1). present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land. Elijah’s return is not occasioned by repentance in Israel but by the command of the Lord, who in his sovereign grace determined to reveal himself anew to his people.

18:3 Obadiah. A common OT name, meaning “servant of the LORD.” his palace administrator. See note on 4:6.

18:4 the LORD’s prophets. See note on v. 13.

18:5 The famine did not move Ahab to repentance (contrast Ahab’s response to the famine with that of David years earlier, 2Sa 21:1). But when his military strength seemed to be jeopardized, he scoured the land for food and water (see 10:26; according to the annals of the Assyrian ruler Shalmaneser III, Ahab could bring 2,000 chariots against him).

18:8 tell your master, ‘Elijah is here.’ This action would publicly identify Obadiah with Elijah in contrast to his previous clandestine support of the prophets sought by Jezebel (vv. 4,13).

18:12 I don’t know where the Spirit of the LORD may carry you. Elijah’s disappearance earlier and now his sudden reappearance suggested to Obadiah that God’s Spirit was miraculously transporting the prophet about (see 2Ki 2:16; cf. Eze 3:12 and note).

18:13 Jezebel was killing the prophets. Possibly in an attempt to please Baal so he would send rain. prophets of the LORD. Probably members of the communities of “prophets” that had sprung up in Israel during this time of apostasy (see note on 20:35).

18:17 you troubler of Israel. Ahab holds Elijah responsible for the drought (see also Jos 7:25).

18:18 You have abandoned the LORD’s commands and have followed the Baals. The source of Israel’s trouble was not Elijah or even the drought, but Ahab’s breach of covenantal loyalty.

18:19 Mount Carmel. A high ridge next to the Mediterranean Sea, where the effects of the drought would be least apparent (Am 1:2) and the power of Baal to nurture life would seem to be strongest. prophets of Baal . . . prophets of Asherah. See v. 29 and note. Asherah. See note on 14:15. eat at Jezebel’s table. See note on 2:7.

18:21 waver. The Hebrew for this word is the same as that used for “danced” in v. 26 (see note there). Elijah speaks with biting irony: In their religious ambivalence Israel is only engaging in a wild and futile religious “dance.” If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him. Elijah placed a clear choice before the people. He drew a sharp contrast between the worship of Yahweh and that of Baal to eliminate the apostate idea that people could worship both deities. God tolerates no rivals (see Ex 20:3 and note).

18:22 only one . . . left. Although it seems to Elijah that he is the only remaining prophet of the Lord, this is not actually the case (see v. 4; 19:10,14; 20:13,28,35; 22:6,8; cf. 19:18 and note; Ro 11:4).

18:24 I will call . . . who answers. See note on Ps 118:5. The god who answers by fire—he is God. Both the Lord and Baal were said to ride the thunderstorm as their divine chariot (see Ps 104:3 and note); thunder was their voice (see Ps 29:3–9 and note) and lightning (“fire”) their weapon (see Ps 18:14 and note). Elijah’s challenge is direct. Cf. Lev 9:24.

18:26 danced around the altar. The ecstatic dance was part of the pagan ritual intended to rouse the deity to perform some desired action (see note on v. 21).

18:27 deep in thought . . . sleeping. Elijah ridicules, but as he does he shows knowledge of the Baal myths that depict the gods as having very human characteristics. busy. Perhaps a euphemism for relieving himself.

18:28 until their blood flowed. Self-inflicted wounds (causing blood to flow) were symbolic of self-sacrifice as an extreme method of arousing the deity to action. Such mutilation of the body was strictly forbidden in the Mosaic law (Lev 19:28; Dt 14:1).

18:29 frantic prophesying. Indicative of ecstatic raving, in which the ritual reached its climax (see notes on 1Sa 10:5; 18:10). time for the evening sacrifice. See Ex 29:38–41; Nu 28:3–8. no response. Dramatic demonstration of Baal’s impotence (Ps 115:5–8; 135:15–18; Jer 10:5).

18:30 altar of the LORD, which had been torn down. It is possible that the altar had been built by people of the northern ten tribes after the division of the kingdom (see note on 3:2) and that it had been destroyed by the agents of Jezebel (vv. 4,13; 19:10,14).

18:31 twelve stones, one for each of the tribes. In this way Elijah called attention to the covenant unity of Israel as the people of God in spite of their political division. What was about to happen concerned the entire nation, not just the northern ten tribes.

18:33 water. By drenching the whole installation Elijah showed to all that he was using no tricks.

18:36 prayed. Elijah’s simple but earnest prayer stands in sharp contrast to the frantic shouts and “dancing” and self-mutilation of the Baal prophets. God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel. An appeal to the Lord to remember his ancient covenant with the patriarchs, and to Israel to remember all that the Lord has done for them since the days of their ancestors.

18:38 fire of the LORD fell. See note on v. 24.

18:40 Kishon Valley. The Kishon River flows below Mount Carmel (see map). slaughtered there. Elijah, acting on the authority of the Lord, who sent him, carried out the sentence pronounced in the Mosaic law for prophets of pagan deities (Dt 13:13–18; 17:2–5).

18:41 sound of a heavy rain. Now that Baal worship has been struck a devastating blow, there is the promise of rain (see 17:1). Significantly, Ahab takes no action—either to carry out the Mosaic sentence or to halt Elijah. He still wavers between two opinions (see v. 21 and note).

18:42 Elijah . . . bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees. A posture of prayer. Now that the people had confessed that the Lord alone is God, Elijah prayed for the covenant curse to be lifted (see note on 17:1) by the coming of rain (8:35; 2Ch 7:13–14).

18:43 Seven times. The number symbolic of completeness (see note on Ge 5:5).

18:44 rising from the sea. Appearing on the western horizon above the Mediterranean.

18:46 ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel. Divinely energized by extraordinary strength, Elijah ran before Ahab’s chariot to Jezreel (a distance of about 16 miles). This dramatic scene, with the Lord’s prophet running before the king and the Lord himself racing behind him riding his mighty thundercloud chariot (see note on v. 24), served as a powerful appeal to Ahab to break once for all with Baal and henceforth to rule as the servant of the Lord.

19:1 Jezebel. Ahab’s wife and a worshiper of Melqart, the local manifestation of Baal in Tyre, Phoenicia (see notes on 16:25, 31–32; 18:13). prophets. Of Baal.

19:2 May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely. A curse formula (see note on 1Sa 3:17). them. The dead prophets of Baal (v. 1; 18:40).

19:3 Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. In spite of Elijah’s great triumph in the trial on Mount Carmel and the dramatic demonstration that his God is the Lord of heaven and earth and the source of Israel’s blessings, Jezebel is undaunted. Hers is no empty threat, and Ahab is complicit in opposing Elijah. So Elijah knows that one of the main sources of Israel’s present apostasy is still spewing out its poison and that his own life is in jeopardy. Beersheba. The southernmost city in Judah (see notes on Ge 21:31; Am 5:5; see also Jdg 20:1 and map).

19:4 broom bush. A desert shrub, sometimes large enough to offer some shade (see photo). prayed that he might die. Cf. Jnh 4:3,8. Elijah concluded that his work was fruitless and consequently that life was not worth living. He had lost his confidence in the triumph of the kingdom of God and was withdrawing from the arena of conflict.

19:7 angel of the LORD. See note on Ge 16:7. God in his mercy provided sustenance and rest for his discouraged servant. the journey is too much for you. Evidently Elijah had already determined to go to Mount Horeb, where God had established his covenant with his people. There is no indication that the Lord had instructed him to do this as he had previously directed him to go to Kerith (17:2–3) and to Zarephath (17:8–9) and to meet Ahab (18:1).

19:8 forty days and forty nights. Sustained by the Lord as Moses had been for the same length of time on Mount Sinai (Ex 24:18; 34:28) and as Jesus would be in the wilderness (Mt 4:2,11). Horeb, the mountain of God. Probably an alternative name for Mount Sinai (Ex 3:1; 19:1–3), located in the desert apparently about 250 miles south of Beersheba.

19:9 What are you doing here, Elijah? The question implies that Elijah had come to Sinai for his own misguided reasons and not because the Lord had sent him.

19:10 Elijah did not give a direct answer to the Lord’s question but implied that the work the Lord had begun centuries earlier with the establishment of the Sinaitic covenant had now come to nothing. Whereas Moses had interceded for Israel when they sinned with the golden calf (Ex 32:11–13), Elijah condemned the Israelites for breaking the covenant, and bitterly complained over the fruitlessness of his own work. only one left. See v. 18; 18:22 and notes.

19:12 gentle whisper. In the symbolism of these occurrences (vv. 11–12) the Lord appears to be telling Elijah that although his servant’s indictment of Israel was a call for God to judge his people with windstorm, earthquake and fire, it was not God’s will to do so now. Elijah must return to continue God’s mission to his people, and Elisha is to carry it on for another generation (v. 16).

19:13 What are you doing here, Elijah? After demonstrating his presence in the gentle whisper rather than in the wind, earthquake or fire, the Lord gave Elijah an opportunity to revise the answer he had previously given to the same question (vv. 9–10).

19:14 Elijah’s unrevised answer demonstrated that he did not understand the significance of the divine revelation he had just witnessed.

19:15 The LORD said to him. Giving instructions to Elijah that revealed his sovereign power over people and nations. Even though Israel would experience divine judgment through Hazael, Jehu and Elisha, God would continue to preserve a remnant faithful to himself among the people. go to the Desert of Damascus. Apparently Elijah is to go back by way of the road east of the Dead Sea and the Jordan. As it turns out, all three anointings take place east of the Jordan, though it is Elisha who effects the anointing of the two kings. anoint. Appears to mean here no more than “designate as divinely appointed.” This anointing was actually done by Elijah’s successor Elisha (2Ki 8:7–15). Hazael. Subsequently became a serious threat to Israel during the reigns of Joram, Jehu and Jehoahaz (2Ki 8:28–29; 10:32–33; 12:17–18; 13:3,22). There are references to him on ivory fragments from Arslan Tash (north Syria) and Nimrud (Assyria). Tiglath-Pileser III, king of Assyria, called Damascus (Aram) the “House of Hazael.”

19:16 anoint Jehu. Jehu was a military commander under Ahab and Joram, Ahab’s son (2Ki 9:5–6). He was anointed king over Israel by a “man from the company of the prophets” at the instruction of Elisha (2Ki 9:1–16), with the mandate to destroy the house of Ahab. Elisha. As with Elijah (see note on 17:1), Elisha’s name (meaning “God is salvation” or “God saves”) was the essence of his ministry. His name evokes memory of Joshua (“The LORD saves”). Elijah is given someone to finish his work, just as Moses was, and Elisha channels the covenant blessings to the faithful in Israel just as Joshua brought Israel into the promised land (see the account of Elisha’s ministry in 2Ki 2:19—8:15; 9:1–3; 13:14–20). In the NT John the Baptist (“Elijah,” Mt 11:14; 17:12–13) was followed by Jesus (“Joshua”; see NIV text note on Mt 1:21) to complete God’s saving work. Abel Meholah. See map.

19:17 Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael. See 2Ki 9:24. Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. How this may have been fulfilled we are not told, but see 2Ki 2:24; 8:1 (see also Hos 6:5).

19:18 seven thousand. A round number, symbolic of the fullness or completeness of the divinely preserved godly remnant (Ro 11:2–4). Elijah had been mistaken in his conclusion that he alone had remained faithful (see vv. 10,14; 18:22 and note). not kissed him. See Hos 13:2.

19:19 threw his cloak around him. Thus designating Elisha as his successor (see note on v. 16).

19:21 slaughtered them . . . burned the plowing equipment. Elisha’s break with his past vocation was complete. This may have been more difficult if he came from a wealthy family (v. 19). servant. In Hebrew the same designation as used for Joshua’s relationship to Moses (“aide,” Ex 24:13; 33:11).

20:1 Ben-Hadad king of Aram. Chronological considerations suggest that this was Ben-Hadad II (see note on 2Ki 8:7), either a son or a grandson of Ben-Hadad I, who had begun to rule Aram as early as 895 bc (see notes on 15:9–10,18–20,33). The events of this chapter span parts of two years (vv. 22–26), followed by three years of peace between Israel and Aram (22:1). Ahab died at the conclusion of the three years of peace in a battle against the Arameans (22:37) in 853. This means that the events of this chapter are to be dated c. 857. thirty-two kings. Tribal chieftains or city-state kings who were vassals of Ben-Hadad II (ruled c. 860–843). Samaria. See note on 16:24.

20:4 I and all I have are yours. Ahab’s submission to Ben-Hadad’s demand suggests that Israel saw little hope for the possibility of a military victory over the Aramean forces. The negotiated settlement would end the siege on Samaria, spare Ahab’s life and avoid the plundering of the city.

20:6 I am going to send my officials to search your palace and the houses of your officials. Ben-Hadad’s new demand required the surrender of the city to his forces.

20:9 this demand I cannot meet. Ahab replied in language conceding Ben-Hadad’s superiority (“my lord the king, ‘Your servant . . . ’ ”) but was adamant in refusing to surrender the city.

20:10 May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely. A curse formula (see note on 1Sa 3:17).

20:11 One who puts on his armor should not boast like one who takes it off. Meaning a soldier should boast of victory after the battle, not before—a saying similar to the familiar “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.”

20:13 you will know that I am the LORD. Although Ahab had not sought God’s help in the crisis confronting the city, the Lord graciously chose to reveal himself yet another time (18:36–37) to the king and people, this time through a deliverance.

20:14 junior officers under the provincial commanders. See note on 16:27. Organizational details of the provincial government of the northern kingdom are unknown.

20:15 232 junior officers . . . 7,000 in all. Not a large military force (though a significant number for a city under siege) but one of fitting size for demonstrating that the imminent victory was from the Lord rather than from Israel’s own military superiority (cf. Jdg 7:2).

20:20 each one struck down his opponent. Apparently they were met by a small advance force like their own (2Sa 2:15–16). escaped on horseback with some of his horsemen. After their defeat, the Arameans seem to have withdrawn to Damascus.

20:22 the king of Aram will attack you again. The anonymous prophet (v. 13) warned Ahab against undue self-confidence. The prophet’s announcement of an impending renewed attack by Ben-Hadad should have driven Ahab to a more complete reliance on the God who had revealed himself on Mount Carmel and in the recent military victory.

20:23 gods of the hills. An expression of the pagan idea that a deity’s power extended only over the limited area of his particular jurisdiction. That is why they were too strong for us. The Arameans believed that the outcome of military conflicts depended on the relative strength of the gods of the opposing forces rather than on the inherent strength of the two armies. For this reason, their strategy was to fight the next battle in a way that advantageously maximized the supposed strengths and weaknesses of the deities involved.

20:26 Aphek. Presumably the Aphek located a few miles east of the Sea of Galilee (see map). The battle apparently took place in the Jordan Valley near the juncture of the Yarmuk and Jordan rivers (see map).

20:28 man of God. Apparently the same prophet mentioned in vv. 13,22. you will know that I am the LORD. See note on v. 13. God will again demonstrate that he is the sovereign ruler over all nature and history and that the pagan nature deities are powerless before him.

20:29 a hundred thousand casualties. For the problem of apparently excessive numbers of people in biblical narrative, see article.

20:30 wall collapsed. The God of Israel not only gave Israel’s army a victory in battle but also caused an additional disaster to fall on the Aramean army. twenty-seven thousand. See note on v. 29.

20:31 kings of Israel are merciful. The Arameans recognized that Israel’s kings were different from, e.g., the ruthless Assyrian kings. sackcloth . . . ropes. Perhaps here symbolic of humility and submission.

20:32 Your servant. In the diplomatic language of the time, Ben-Hadad acknowledged his inferiority and subordination to Ahab by designating himself Ahab’s servant (see note on v. 9). my brother. Ahab disregarded Ben-Hadad’s concession and responded in terminology used by rulers who considered themselves equals (see 9:13 and note). In doing this, Ahab gave much more than Ben-Hadad had asked or expected.

20:33 come up into his chariot. Not the treatment normally accorded a defeated military opponent.

20:34 cities my father took from your father. Perhaps Ramoth Gilead (22:3) along with some of the cities Ben-Hadad I had taken from Baasha (15:20) at an even earlier time. your own market areas. Outlets for engaging in the lucrative international trade—a distinct economic advantage; usually such privileges were a jealously guarded local monopoly. made a treaty with him, and let him go. A parity treaty (a peace treaty between equals) that included among its provisions the political and trade agreements proposed by Ben-Hadad. In all this, the Lord was not consulted.

20:35 company of the prophets. See 2Ki 2:3, 5,7,15; 4:1,38; 5:22; 6:1; 9:1. This phrase is traditionally rendered “sons of the prophets,” but the Hebrew for “sons” here refers to members of a group, not to male children. Companies of prophets were apparently religious communities that sprang up in the face of general indifference and apostasy for the purpose of mutual edification and the cultivation of the experience of God. It seems likely that they were known as prophets because their religious practices (sometimes ecstatic) were called prophesying (18:29; Nu 11:25–27; 1Sa 10:5–6, 10–11; 18:10; 19:20–24)—to be distinguished from “prophet” in the sense of one bringing (“prophesying”) a word from the Lord. The relationship of the Lord’s great prophets (such as Samuel, Elijah and Elisha) to these communities was understandably a close one, the Lord’s prophets probably being viewed as their spiritual mentors.

20:36 as soon as you leave me a lion will kill you. A penalty reminiscent of what happened to the man of God from Judah (13:23–24).

20:39 talent. See NIV text note. Because few soldiers could have paid such a large sum, it would appear to Ahab that the man’s life was at stake.

20:40 That is your sentence. Ahab refused to grant clemency. Little did he know that he was pronouncing his own death sentence (cf. the similar technique used by Nathan the prophet, 2Sa 12:1–12).

20:42 a man I had determined should die. See NIV text note and notes on Lev 27:28; Jos 6:17. It is not clear whether Ahab violated a previous revelation or erred by simply neglecting to inquire of the Lord before releasing Ben-Hadad. In any case, the Lord had given Ben-Hadad into Ahab’s hand (v. 28), and Ahab was responsible to the Lord for his custody. your life for his life, your people for his people. Because Ahab sinned in his official capacity as king, the sentence fell not only on Ahab personally but also on the people of the northern kingdom. Ahab died in battle against the Arameans (22:29–39), and Israel was severely humiliated by them during the reigns of Jehu and Jehoahaz (2Ki 10:32; 13:3).

21:1 close to the palace of Ahab. Ahab maintained a residence in Jezreel, in addition to his official palace in Samaria (18:45; 2Ki 9:30). Samaria. The entire northern kingdom is here represented by its capital city (see note on 16:24).

21:2 Let me have your vineyard. Because royal power in Israel was limited by covenantal law (Dt 17:14–20; 1Sa 10:25), Ahab was unable simply to confiscate privately held land, as was customary with Canaanite kings (see note on v. 7; see also 1Sa 8:9–17).

21:3 Naboth’s refusal to dispose of his land was based on the conviction that the land was the Lord’s, that he had granted a perpetual lease to each Israelite family and that this lease was to be jealously preserved as the family’s permanent inheritance in the promised land.

21:7 Is this how you act as king over Israel? A sarcastic remark of incredulity spoken by one accustomed to the despotic practices of the Phoenician and Canaanite kings, who would not hesitate a moment to use their power to satisfy personal interests (contrast the attitude and practice of Samuel in the exercise of his civil power, 1Sa 12:3–4).

21:9 Proclaim a day of fasting. Jezebel attempted to create the impression 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 on them (cf. Jdg 20:26; 1Sa 7:5–6; 2Ch 20:2–4).

21:10 two. Mosaic law required two witnesses for capital offenses (Nu 35:30; Dt 17:6; 19:15). scoundrels. See note on Dt 13:13 (“troublemakers”). have them bring charges. The entire scenario was designed to give an appearance of legitimate judicial procedure (Ex 20:16; 23:7; Lev 19:16). he has cursed both God and the king. For this the Mosaic law prescribed death by stoning (Lev 24:15–16).

21:13 outside the city. In accordance with Mosaic law (Lev 24:14; Nu 15:35–36). Naboth was stoned to death on his own field (compare v. 19 with 2Ki 9:21,26), and his sons were presumably stoned with him (see 2Ki 9:26; cf. the case of Achan, Jos 7:24–25), thus also eliminating his heirs.

21:17–26 See photo.

21:19 Have you not murdered a man and seized his property? Ahab’s complicity with Jezebel’s scheme made him guilty of murder and theft. In the place where dogs licked up Naboth’s blood, dogs will lick up your blood. Ahab’s subsequent repentance (v. 29) occasioned the postponement of certain aspects of this prophecy until the time of his son Joram, whose body was thrown on the field of Naboth (2Ki 9:25–26). Ahab himself was killed in battle at Ramoth Gilead (22:29–37), and his body was brought to Samaria, where the dogs licked the blood being washed from his chariot (22:38).

21:21 slave or free. See note on 14:10.

21:22 like that of Jeroboam. See 14:10; 15:28–30. that of Baasha. See 16:3–4,11–13.

21:24 See notes on 14:11; 16:4.

21:25 urged on by Jezebel. See 16:31; 18:4; 19:1–2; 21:7.

21:26 idols. See note on Lev 26:30. Amorites. Here a designation for the entire pre-Israelite population of Canaan (Ge 15:16; Dt 1:7).

21:27 sackcloth. See note on Ge 37:34.

21:29 Because . . . , I will not bring this disaster. See Jnh 3:10 and note. in the days of his son. The judgment was postponed but not rescinded (see note on v. 19).

22:1 three years. See note on 20:1. no war between Aram and Israel. The annals of the Assyrian ruler Shalmaneser III (859–824 bc) record the participation of both “Ahab the Israelite” and Hadadezer (Ben-Hadad) of Damascus in a coalition of 12 rulers that fought against Assyrian forces at Qarqar on the Orontes River in 853. According to the Assyrian records, Ahab contributed 2,000 chariots and 10,000 foot soldiers to the allied forces. Assyrian claims of victory appear exaggerated since they withdrew and did not venture westward again for four or five years.

22:2 Jehoshaphat king of Judah went down to see the king of Israel. Perhaps to congratulate him on the success of the western alliance against the Assyrian threat (see notes on v. 1; 2Ch 18:2).

22:3 Ramoth Gilead. Located near the Yarmuk River in Transjordan; an Israelite city since the days of Moses (4:13; Dt 4:43; Jos 20:8). belongs to us. Israel could lay claim to Ramoth Gilead also by virtue of the treaty concluded with Ben-Hadad a few years earlier (20:34), the provisions of which he had apparently failed to honor.

22:4 he asked Jehoshaphat. Ironically, the king whom Ahab asked to go with him to battle to secure his victory bore the name Jehoshaphat, which means “The LORD judges/rules.” Little did he realize—and he would not believe—that the judging Lord would “go with” him into the battle to guide a certain arrow. Significantly, in this episode the king of Israel is named only once, and that by the Lord in the heavenly court scene (v. 20). But the narrator bombards the reader with the fateful name Jehoshaphat 12 times. And then there is Micaiah (“Who is like the LORD?” [v. 8]), and there is Zedekiah (“The LORD is righteous” [v. 11]). Even though Ahab had just been allied with the Arameans against the Assyrians, now that the Assyrian threat was over he did not hesitate to seize an opportunity to free Ramoth Gilead from Aramean control. I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses. In this alliance Jehoshaphat completely reversed the policy of his father, Asa, who had entered into an alliance with the Arameans against Baasha of the northern kingdom (15:17–23). Of the two allied kings, Jehoshaphat and Ahab, only Jehoshaphat realized that they needed to seek the counsel of the heavenly King seated on his throne (vv. 5, 19). Jehoshaphat was later to be condemned by the prophet Jehu (2Ch 19:2) for violating the Lord’s will by joining forces with Ahab.

22:5 First seek the counsel of the LORD. Jehoshaphat hesitated to proceed with the planned action without the assurance of the Lord’s favor (1Sa 23:1–4; 2Sa 2:1).

22:6 prophets. No doubt associated with the paganized worship at Bethel (see notes on 12:28–29), they exercised their “office” by proclaiming messages designed to please the king (Am 7:10–13).

22:7 Is there no longer a prophet of the LORD here . . . ? Jehoshaphat recognized that the 400 prophets were not to be relied on (Eze 13:2–3) and asked for consultation with a true prophet of the Lord.

22:8 never prophesies anything good. Ahab’s assessment of a prophet depended on whether his message was favorable to him (18:17; 21:20).

22:10 A pause in the action to describe a scene on earth (kings in royal splendor on their thrones surrounded by Ahab’s minions and confidently planning a campaign of conquest), a scene that will shortly be outmatched by the description of a scene in heaven (Israel’s Great King on his throne surrounded by his heavenly host and planning his campaign against King Ahab [vv. 19–23]).

22:11 Zedekiah. Evidently the spokesman for the 400 prophets. iron horns. A symbol of power (Dt 33:17).

22:13 Let your word agree with theirs. A bit of advice reflecting the view that all prophets were merely self-serving.

22:15 we. A subtle shift (v. 6) that seeks a favorable response by including Jehoshaphat as a cosponsor of the enterprise. Attack . . . for the LORD will give it into the king’s hand. Micaiah sarcastically mimics the 400 false prophets (v. 12).

22:16 tell me nothing but the truth. Micaiah apparently betrayed his lack of seriousness, and Ahab immediately recognized this.

22:17 like sheep without a shepherd . . . These people have no master. Using the imagery of shepherd and sheep (Nu 27:16–17; Zec 13:7; Mt 9:36; 26:31), Micaiah depicts Ahab’s death in the upcoming battle.

22:19 I saw the LORD sitting on his throne. A true prophet was one who had been given a vision of God’s heavenly throne room and so could truthfully declare what God intended to do (Isa 6:1; Jer 23:16–22). Micaiah’s description of the heavenly scene puts the earthly scene into which he had been brought (see v. 10 and note) in its true light—a powerful portrayal of where the true power lies and of the folly of human pretensions.

22:23 the LORD has put a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all these prophets. Some view the deceiving spirit as Satan or one of his agents. Others have suggested a spirit of God who undertakes the task of a deceiving spirit (but see 1Sa 15:29). Still others understand the deceiving spirit as a symbolic picture of the power of the lie. The Lord had given the 400 prophets over to the power of the lie because they did not love the truth and had chosen to speak out of their own hearts (see Jer 14:14; 23:16,26; Eze 13:2–3,17; see also note on 2Sa 24:1; cf. 2Th 2:9–12 and note on 2:11). King Ahab, who was content to live by a lie and hated the prophet who spoke the truth, was fittingly lured by God to his execution through a lie he wanted to believe (see also Nu 11:18–20; Ps 18:25–26; Eze 14:9 and note).

22:24 Which way did the spirit from the LORD go when he went from me to speak to you? By this sarcastic question Zedekiah means, “Who says you have the Spirit of the Lord and I don’t?”

22:25 hide in an inner room. Where Zedekiah will seek refuge (cf. 20:30). This will vindicate Micaiah’s prophetic authority.

22:26 king’s son. Probably a royal official (see note on Jer 36:26).

22:27 This is what the king says. Ahab speaks his royal word against the Lord’s prophet because he trusts the (false) divine word proclaimed by his paid prophet (v. 11).

22:30 The king of Israel said. Ahab still thought he was in control. disguise. By this strategy he thought he could direct attention away from himself and so minimize any chance for fulfillment of Micaiah’s prediction. The king who loved the lie thought he could escape the truth by living a lie.

22:31 except the king of Israel. If the leader was killed or captured, ancient armies usually fell apart (cf. vv. 35–36).

22:34 drew his bow at random. The heavenly King aimed the arrow. chariot driver. A war chariot normally carried two men—a fighter and a driver. Sometimes, it appears, there were three men, but the third seems to have been an officer who commanded a chariot unit (see 9:22; 2Ki 9:25; Ex 14:7; 15:4).

22:35 that evening he died. Fulfilling Micaiah’s prophecy (vv. 17,28).

22:38 as the word of the LORD had declared. A partial fulfillment of Elijah’s prophecy concerning Ahab’s death (see note on 21:19).

22:39 the palace he built and adorned with ivory. Excavators of Samaria have found ivory inlays in the ruins of some of the buildings dating from this period of Israel’s history. Ahab’s use of ivory is indicative of the realm’s economic prosperity during his reign. cities he fortified. Excavators have found evidence that Ahab strengthened the fortifications of Megiddo and Hazor. annals of the kings of Israel. See note on 14:19.

22:40 rested with his ancestors. See note on 1:21. Ahaziah his son succeeded him. For the reign of Ahaziah, see vv. 51–53; 2Ki 1.

22:41 Jehoshaphat . . . became king of Judah in the fourth year of Ahab. Appears to refer to the beginning of Jehoshaphat’s reign as sole king in 869 bc (see notes on v. 42; 16:29; see also Introduction: Chronology).

22:42 twenty-five years. 872–848 bc. The full span of Jehoshaphat’s reign dates from the 39th year of King Asa, when he became coregent with his father (see note on 15:10; see also 2Ch 16:12).

22:43 The high places, however, were not removed. See notes on 3:2; 15:14.

22:44 king. Probably to be understood in the collective sense and as including Ahab, Ahaziah and Joram, all of whom ruled in the north during the reign of Jehoshaphat in the south (see note on v. 4).

22:45 military exploits. See 2Ki 3; 2Ch 17:11; 20. annals of the kings of Judah. See note on 14:29.

22:46 male shrine prostitutes. See note on 14:24.

22:47 no king in Edom. Suggests that Edom was subject to Judah (2Sa 8:14; 2Ki 8:20).

22:48 Ophir. See note on 9:28. wrecked at Ezion Geber. The destruction of the trading ships was a judgment of God on Jehoshaphat for entering into an alliance with Ahaziah of the northern kingdom (2Ch 20:35–37).

22:49 Jehoshaphat refused. He finally learned his lesson not to be allied with the family of Ahab.

22:50 rested with his ancestors. See note on 1:21. Jehoram his son succeeded him. For the reign of Jehoram, see 2Ki 8:16–24; 2Ch 21.

22:51 seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat. 853 bc (see notes on vv. 41–42). two years. 853–852 (see note on 2Ki 1:17).

22:52 ways of his father and mother. See 16:30–33. and of Jeroboam. See 12:28–33.