Outward
peace and mutual alliances, marked by unfaithfulness and
forgetfulness of God
The last chapter presents
another element of this history, namely, the guilty
alliances which were formed between the royal families of
Israel and Judah. Both of them prosperous at this period,
they seek the establishment and increase of their power
by peace and mutual alliances. On Jehoshaphat's side it
was nothing but unfaithfulness and forgetfulness of God.
And, if God did not forsake him, Jehoshaphat saw the
commencement of chastisements, the results of which were
deeply disastrous to his house.
The false prophets
and the prophet of Jehovah
We see also the false
prophets in power: Ahab had four hundred of them. We may
remark also, that they made use of Jehovah's name, and no
longer, as it appears, of Baal's [1]. Nor was Elijah, as we see, the only
prophet of Jehovah. The intermixture continues. Outwardly
the state of things is less offensive; but the heart of
Ahab is unchanged. At the request of Jehoshaphat, who is
uneasy in this false position, Ahab sends for the prophet
of Jehovah; but he does not hearken to him and has to
meet the consequences.
We learn also here in what
manner a lying spirit deceives and leads the wicked to
ruin, fulfilling the purposes and judgments of Jehovah.
Elisha and Elijah
During all this time
Elisha constantly accompanies Elijah and, led to this
intimacy by grace, he is morally imbued with his spirit
before he is clothed with it in power. He seems
identified with him.
[1] Nevertheless the
worship of Baal had not ceased.
1 Kings 22 Bible Commentary
John Darby’s Synopsis
Outward peace and mutual alliances, marked by unfaithfulness and forgetfulness of God
The last chapter presents another element of this history, namely, the guilty alliances which were formed between the royal families of Israel and Judah. Both of them prosperous at this period, they seek the establishment and increase of their power by peace and mutual alliances. On Jehoshaphat's side it was nothing but unfaithfulness and forgetfulness of God. And, if God did not forsake him, Jehoshaphat saw the commencement of chastisements, the results of which were deeply disastrous to his house.
The false prophets and the prophet of Jehovah
We see also the false prophets in power: Ahab had four hundred of them. We may remark also, that they made use of Jehovah's name, and no longer, as it appears, of Baal's [1]. Nor was Elijah, as we see, the only prophet of Jehovah. The intermixture continues. Outwardly the state of things is less offensive; but the heart of Ahab is unchanged. At the request of Jehoshaphat, who is uneasy in this false position, Ahab sends for the prophet of Jehovah; but he does not hearken to him and has to meet the consequences.
We learn also here in what manner a lying spirit deceives and leads the wicked to ruin, fulfilling the purposes and judgments of Jehovah.
Elisha and Elijah
During all this time Elisha constantly accompanies Elijah and, led to this intimacy by grace, he is morally imbued with his spirit before he is clothed with it in power. He seems identified with him.
[1] Nevertheless the worship of Baal had not ceased.