1 Kings 22:10

1Ki 22:10 And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah sat each on his throne, having put on their robes, in a void place in the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.

Ver. 10. Sat each on his throne.] This might have daunted the good prophet, but that he had lately seen the Lord sitting upon his throne with all the host of heaven standing by him, {1Ki 22:19} and hence he so boldly looked in the face these two kings sitting in their majesty; for he beheld them as so many mice, Vel tanquam e palude sua repentes ranunculas. {a}

{a} Bernard.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

22:10 In the ancient Near East, important business was often conducted at the threshing floor near the city gate. David secured the threshing floor of Araunah and built an altar there (2 Sam 24:18-25; 1 Chr 21:26); it later became the site for the Temple in Jerusalem (2 Chr 3:1).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

In their kingly apparel.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

a void place--literally, "a threshing-floor," formed at the gate of Samaria.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(10) Each on his throne.—The description evidently implies that, having reluctantly consented to send for Micaiah, Ahab seeks to overawe him by display not only of royal pomp, but of prophetic inspiration, professing to come, like his own, from the Lord Jehovah.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

10. And [R.V. Now] the king of Israel] The change is justified, as the sentence is not a mere addition to what has gone before but a new feature in the history.

having put on their robes] R.V. arrayed in their robes. The original language indicates a degree of display suited to the meeting of two kings. Moreover the A. V., in connexion with the words immediately following, is open to a misunderstanding. What is described is not what the kings did, but in what state they sat. The LXX. has ἔνοπλοι. Josephus also gives the idea of an armed gathering. He says ‘The two kings having gone out of the city, and having sat down each on his throne, distributed to their own soldiers pay for the campaign (τὸ στρατιωτικόν).’

in a void [R.V. an open] place] The word in the Hebrew is most frequently rendered ‘a threshing-floor.’ This was a large open space in which the oxen could be driven round, to tread out the corn. Such a space is here indicated, where chairs of state could be erected for the two kings, and where the prophets could come about them.

in [R.V. at] the entrance of the gate of Samaria] There appears usually to have been some place set apart near the gate of a city, mostly outside, where important business proceedings, trials, and such matters could be conducted in public and where kings and magistrates could sit and listen to appeals for help or justice. Cf. Gen_23:10; Gen_23:18; Jos_2:7; Jos_9:2-9; 2Ki_23:8, &c.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And the messenger that was gone to call Micaiah spake unto him,.... By the way, as they came along together, as Josephus (p) observes:

behold, now, the words of the prophets declare good unto the king with one mouth; they are unanimous that he shall prosper in his undertaking against the Syrians:

let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them, and speak that which is good; which, as an ignorant man, he might advise to from good will to the prophet, that he might not be branded with singularity, and a spirit of contradiction, and that he might have the favour of the king, and be released from prison, pitying his miserable condition in which he found him.

(p) Antiqu. l. 8. c. 15. sect. 4.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Sat each on his throne - Or, “were sitting.” They had removed from the banquet 2Ch 18:2 to the void place, or empty space at the entrance of the gate Rth 4:1; 2Sa 15:2, where Ahab daily sat to hear complaints and decide causes. Each was seated upon his throne, the Oriental kings having portable thrones, which they took with them upon their journeys.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Court, or barn floor. They were in or near cities, that they might be so protected from the incursions of enemies, who strove to set the corn on fire, 1 Kings xxiii. 1., and Judges xv. 5.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Their robes; their royal robes, and ensigns of majesty.

In a void place; in the place of judicature, which was in or nigh the gate of the city, and in the front of some void place, where either people stood to hear and see justice administered, or soldiers were placed for the defence of the city in time of war.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

10. Each on his throne — Thrones purposely erected for this august occasion near the gates of the city.

Robes — Royal garments.

A void place — Probably the site of an old threshingfloor; a broad, open space, where a vast assembly might gather.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah sat each on his throne "Oriental kings had portable thrones, which they took with them upon their journeys" (Heb 7:212. Layard, "Nineveh and Babylon," p. 150) Rawlinson, having put on their robes As a council of state was to be held, the kings put on their official vestments. simply means "coverings," "clothes," but that the special royal dress is here intended is clear, as Bahr observes, from Lev_21:10. This gathering of prophets and counsellors seems to have followed the banquet. When Jehoshaphat expressed his readiness to go to war, Ahab appears to have forthwith convened this assembly, in order that the matter might be put in train at once. Ewald says a review of the troops was designed, but of this the text knows nothing in a void place Heb. a threshing-floor. See note on 1Ki_21:1. The "floor" implies not only a vacant space, but an exalted position. Ordinarily, it would not be enclosed within the city walls, nor does it appear that this floor was in the entrance The Hebrew has no preposition; simply jtP, which would be more correctly rendered "at the entrance." The town gate was the great place of concourse. (2Ki_7:1) Here, too, justice was dispensed. (See Rth_4:1; 2Sa_15:2 2Sa_19:8; Psa_69:12 Psa_127:5; Deu_21:19; Gen_19:1 Gen_23:10; Amo_5:12, Amo_5:15, etc.) of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them. They continued their prophesyings even whilst Micah was being summoned. Or the reference may be to the prophesyings of ver. 6.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

made himself horns of iron

"made iron horns for himself"

With these you will push the Arameans until they are consumed

The prophet's actions are a symbolic metaphor that illustrates the way that Ahab would defeat the Arameans. Ahab's army will win with great strength, as a bull attacks another animal. (See: Symbolic Action and Metaphor)

until they are consumed

Destroying an enemy army is spoken of as if it were consuming them. This can be stated in active form. AT: "until you consume them" or "until you destroy them" (See: Metaphor and Active or Passive)

given it into the hand of the king

Here the word "hand" refers to power. AT: "allowed the king to capture it" (See: Metonymy)

translationWords

Ahab

kingdom of Judah

throne

robe

gate

Samaria

horn

Aram

consume

Ramoth

Gilead

hand

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.