1 Kings 22:29-40

Defeat and Death of Ahab

29 So ¹the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up against Ramoth-gilead.

30 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "²I will disguise myself and go into the battle, but you put on your robes." So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into the battle.

31 Now ³the king of Aram had commanded the thirty-two * captains of his chariots, saying, "Do not fight with small or great, but with the king of Israel alone."

32 So when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, "Surely it is the king of Israel," and they turned aside to fight against him, and Jehoshaphat cried out.

33 When the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.

34 Now a certain man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel in a joint of the armor. So he said to the driver of his chariot, "Turn around and take me out of the fight; ⁴for I am severely wounded."

35 The battle raged that day, and the king was propped up in his chariot in front of the Arameans, and died at evening, and the blood from the wound ran into the bottom of the chariot.

36 ⁵Then a cry passed throughout the army close to sunset *, saying, "Every man to his city and every man to his country."

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

38 They washed the chariot by the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood (now the harlots bathed themselves there), ⁶according to the word of the LORD which He spoke.

39 Now the rest of the acts of Ahab and all that he did and ⁷the ivory house which he built and all the cities which he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles * of the Kings of Israel?

40 So Ahab slept with his fathers, and Ahaziah his son became king in his place.

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1 Kings 22:29-40 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 KINGS 22

This chapter relates, that after three years' peace with the king of Syria, Ahab was inclined to go to war with him, to take Ramothgilead out of his hands; and he drew in Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, to join him in it, 1Ki 22:1-4, but before they went into it, they took advice, Ahab of his four hundred prophets, which Jehoshaphat not being satisfied with, a true prophet of the Lord, Micahah, was sent for, 1Ki 22:5-14 who, when he came, jeered Ahab with what his prophets had said to him; intimated that he should be killed, and explained it to him how he came to be deceived by his prophets, 1Ki 22:15-23 upon which he was smitten on the cheek by Zedekiah, one of the false prophets, and imprisoned by the order of Ahab, 1Ki 22:24-28, after which the two kings went to the battle, and Jehoshaphat was in great danger of his life; but Ahab was wounded, and died, 1Ki 22:29-40, and the chapter is concluded with an account of the reign of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, 1Ki 22:41-50, and of Ahaziah king of Israel, 1Ki 22:51-53.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 7

1. 1 Kings 22:3, 4
2. 2 Chronicles 35:22
3. 1 Kin 20:1, 16, 24; 2 Chronicles 18:30
4. 2 Chronicles 35:23
5. 2 Kings 14:12
6. 1 Kings 21:19
7. Amos 3:15

Footnotes 5

[a]. Lit "between the scale-armor and the breastplate"
[b]. Lit "your hand"
[c]. Lit "camp"
[d]. Lit "went up"
[e]. Lit "land"