1 Kings 22:11

_AND ZEDEKIAH THE SON OF CHENAANAH MADE HIM HORNS OF IRON: AND HE SAID, THUS SAITH THE LORD, WITH THESE SHALT THOU PUSH THE SYRIANS, UNTIL THOU HAVE CONSUMED THEM._ Zedekiah ... made him horns of iron. Small projections, of the size and form of our candle extinguishers (worn in many parts of the East as military ornaments), were worn by the Syrians of that time, and probably by the Israelite warriors also. This false prophet, who made himself "horns of iron," meant by that symbol to show that the king of Israel should have irresistible power. A horn of iron signifies an oppressive government. In short, Zedekiah, by assuming two horns, impersonated two heroes; and, pretending to be a prophet, wished in this manner to represent the kings of Israel and Judah in a military triumph. It was a symbolic action, to impart greater force to his language (see the notes at Deutero

1-14 The same easiness of temper, which betrays some godly persons into friendship with the declared enemies of religion, renders it very dangerous to them. They will be drawn to wink at and countenance such conduct and conversation as they ought to protest against with abhorrence. Whithersoever a good man goes, he ought to take his religion with him, and not be ashamed to own it when he is with those who have no regard for it. Jehoshaphat had not left behind him, at Jerusalem, his affection and reverence for the word of the Lord, but avowed it, and endeavoured to bring it into Ahab's court. And Ahab's prophets, to please Jehoshaphat, made use of the name of Jehovah: to please Ahab, they said, Go up. But the false prophets cannot so mimic the true, but that he who has spiritual senses exercised, can discern the fallacy. One faithful prophet of the Lord was worth them all. Wordly men hav...

Verse 1 Kings 22:11. _ZEDEKIAH - MADE HIM HORNS OF IRON_] This was in imitation of that sort of prophecy which instructed by significative actions. This was frequent among the prophets of the Lord....

HORNS OF IRON - The horn in Scripture is the favorite symbol of power; and pushing with the horn is a common metaphor for attacking and conquering enemies (see Deuteronomy 33:17; Compare Psalms 44:5; Daniel 8:4). Zedekiah, in employing a symbolic action, was following the example of a former Israelite prophet 1 Kings 11:30. THUS SAITH THE LORD - Or, יהוה _y__e__hovâh_. Zedekiah lays aside the unmeaningful “Lord” אדני _'ǎdonāy_ of the general company of Israelite prophets...

EXPOSITION THE EXPEDITION OF AHAB AND JEHOSHAPHAT AGAINST HRAMOTH-GILEAD. THE DEATH OF AHAB. THE REIGNS OF JEHOSHAPHAT AND AHAZIAH. 1 KINGS 22:1 AND THEY CONTINUED [rather, _rested_._ _Heb. _sate_, _dwelt_._ _Cf. Judges 5:17. The LXX. has ἐκάθισε, sing.] THREE YEARS WITHOUT WAR [The Hebrew explains the "rested"—_there was not war, _etc. See Ewald, 286 g

AND ZEDEKIAH THE SON OF CHENAANAH MADE HIM HORNS OF IRON,.... Horns are emblems of power and might, and iron ones of greater strength still; the prophets sometimes made use of visible signs, to represent the things they prophesied of should come to pass, see Isaiah 20:2, and the same method this prophet took: AND HE SAITH, THUS SAITH THE LORD; IMITATING THE TRUE PROPHETS: WITH THESE SHALL THOU PUSH THE SYRIANS UNTIL THOU HAST CONSUMED THEM: Abarbinel thinks he had in view the blessing of Joseph by Moses, Deuteronomy 33:17 where he is compared to a bullock with horns; and these said to be the ten thousands of Ephraim, and the thousands of Manasseh; and Ahab being of the tribe of Joseph, and ruling in Ephraim and Manasseh, the prophet chose to make use of this emblem for

CHAPTER 22 THE DEATH OF AHAB _ 1. Jehoshaphat and Ahab (1 Kings 22:1)_ 2. The prophet Micaiah (1 Kings 22:13) 3. The battle and Ahab's death (1 Kings 22:29) 4. Jehoshaphat of Judah (1 Kings 22:41; 1 Kings 2 Chron. 19-20) 5. Ahaziah, King of Israel (1 Kings 22:51) Three years passed without war between Syria and Israel. In the third year Jehoshaphat of Judah came down to Ahab. Jehoshaphat's son and heir-apparent ha

AHAB'S ATTACK ON RAMOTH-GILEAD AND HIS DEATH. The death of Ahab must have taken place before or during the year 854 B.C., when the battle of Qarqara was fought, and his name is mentioned in the Assyrian inscription (p. 69). The question is, did he take part in that battle as a vassal of Bir-' idri (Ben-hadad) before or after the war related in 20. In the latter case his death was probably later in 854 B.C. The chapter is a continuation of the latter case his 20, and from the same source with additions. Jehoshaphat, whose son married Ahab's daughter (2 Kings 8:18), is present as Ahab's ally. Here, as in 1 Kings 20, 21, there is no allusion to the Baal worship. Ahab's prophets are prophets of Yahweh, and the king can muster four hundred. The rivalry is between true and false prophecy. It is not known where Ramoth-gilead (the heights of G.) actually was. It was a most important place, menti...

_Zedekiah_ In 1 Kings 22:24 we see that Zedekiah was the leader of Ahab's prophets. His action here is one of those symbolical proceedings not uncommon with the prophets. Thus Ahijah significantly rent his garment into twelve pieces (1 Kings 11:30) and gave Jeroboam ten. Zedekiah's language, addressed to Ahab, is probably an allusion to the blessing of Ephraim in Deuteronomy 33:17. By this time Ephraim had become the representative tribe of the Northern Kingdom, and of him Moses had said -his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth." By such language not only Ahab, but Jehoshaphat might be encouraged to trust more to the prophecies of success.

ZEDEKIAH—MADE HIM HORNS OF IRON— It was by these actions that the prophets instructed the people in the will of God, and conversed with them in signs; but where God teaches the prophet, and, in compliance with the custom of the times, condescends to the same mode of instruction, then the significative action is generally changed into vision, either natural or extraordinary. The significative action, I say, was, in this case, _generally_ changed into a vision, but not _always._ For as sometimes, where the instruction was for the people, the significative action was perhaps in _vision:_ so sometimes again, though the information was only for the prophet, God would set him upon the real expressive action, whose obvious meaning conveyed the intelligence proposed or sought. Of this we have given a very illustrious instance in the case of Abraham's offering up his son Isaac. The excellent Maim...