1 Kings 22:3

_AND THE KING OF ISRAEL SAID UNTO HIS SERVANTS, KNOW YE THAT RAMOTH IN GILEAD IS OURS, AND WE BE STILL, AND TAKE IT NOT OUT OF THE HAND OF THE KING OF SYRIA?_ Know ye that Ramoth in Gilead is ours - the site of the present Salt Lake, in the province of Belka. It lay within the territories of the Israelitish monarch, and was unjustly alienated; but whether it was one of the cities usurped by the first Ben-hadad, which his son had promised to restore, or was retained for some other reasons, the sacred historian has not mentioned. In the expedition which Ahab meditated for the recovery of this town, the aid of Jehoshaphat was asked, and promised (see the notes at 2 Chronicles 18:3). Previous to declaring hostilities, it was customary to consult the prophets (see the notes at 1 Samuel 28

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...

By the terms of Ahab’s covenant with Ben-hadad, Ramoth in Gilead ought, long ere this, to have been restored 1 Kings 20:34. Hence, the claim “is ours,” i. e., “it belongs to us of right though the Syrians still hold possession of it.”...

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 THE KING OF ISRAEL SAID UNTO HIS SERVANTS,.... His nobles, those of his privy council, his ministers of state; or "had said" n, some little time before Jehoshaphat came: KNOW YE THAT RAMOTH IN GILEAD IS OURS a city of refuge beyond Jordan, in the tribe of Gad, and so of course must belong to the kingdom of Israel, of which see Joshua 20:8 AND WE BE STILL, AND TAKE IT NOT OUT OF THE HAND OF THE KING OF SYRIA?) neither demand it, nor take any measures to oblige him to deliver it up; representing it as a great omission, and as a piece of negligence and slothfulness, or cowardice. n ויאמר "et dixerat", Junius Tremellius....

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...

AND THE KING OF ISRAEL. Note the Figure of speech _Anadiplosis_ (App-6) with 1 Kings 22:2. RAMOTH. One of the Cities of Refuge. OURS. Given by Jehovah. Therefore presumably. "good work" to take it. But "good works" are "prepared works" (Ephesians 2:10), and this was not so prepared. See 2 Chronicles 19:1; 2 Chronicles 19:2. SYRIA. Probably taken in former war (1Ki 16:34, 1 Kings 16:20 1 Kings 16:43,) by

_Know ye that Ramoth in Gilead_is _ours_ The statement of Josephus (_Ant_. viii. 15, 3) is very probable, viz. that the father of Ben-hadad had taken Ramoth-gilead, with other cities, from Omri. Ben-hadad had stipulated, when he feared for his life (1 Kings 22:34), to restore these conquests, but apparently had not carried out this part of his covenant. He had found Ahab easy to deal with, and once safe back in Damascus, he thought former promises not very binding. On Ramoth-gilead, see above, 1 Kings 4:13....

I. FAITHLESS AHAB AND FEARLESS MICAIAH 22:1-40 Against the earnest protestations of a faithful prophet, the foolhardy Ahab organized a military campaign to try and recapture the Transjordan border town of Ramoth-gilead which was held by the forces of Benhadad. In this futile effort Ahab lost his life. The historian relates here (1) the proposal for the campaign (1 Kings 22:1-5); (2) the predictions of the court prophets (1 Kings 22:6-12), and (3) of Micaiah (1 Kings 22:13-28) regarding the campaign; and finally (4) the death of Ahab at Ramoth-gilead (1 Kings 22:29-38). To this account is appended a conclu