1 Kings 22:35

1Ki 22:35 And the battle increased that day: and the king was stayed up in his chariot against the Syrians, and died at even: and the blood ran out of the wound into the midst of the chariot.

Ver. 35. And the battle increased that day.] Heb., Ascended. Josephus then is out sure, who saith that Ahab only was slain that day, and all the army escaped.

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.

1Ki 22:35-36. The battle increased that day — There was a sharp fight after this; insomuch that the king, for fear his soldiers should give way, would return into the field, notwithstanding his wounds, and be supported in his chariot, to encourage his army. And died at even — Finding, too late, the truth of Micaiah’s words; and Zedekiah’s horns of iron pushing, not the Syrians, but himself into destruction. And there went a proclamation throughout the host — Probably by Jehoshaphat’s order, with the consent of the chief captains of Israel. Saying, Every man to his city, &c. — It is to no purpose to attempt any thing more: the king is dead, and the battle ended; and therefore every man has liberty to return to his own city and habitation. The Syrians also, it is likely, were content to be gone, having slain their capital enemy. By this proclamation the prediction of Micaiah was exactly fulfilled, according to his vision, 1Ki 22:17.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

To wit, Ahab, king of Israel.

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

Verse 35. The king was stayed up] He did not wish his misfortune should be known, lest his troops should be discouraged.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(35) The king was stayed up . . .—Ahab’s repentance, imperfect as it was, has at least availed to secure him a warrior’s death, before “the evil came” on his house and on Israel. Evidently he conceals the deadliness of his hurt, though it disables him from action, and bravely sustains the battle, till his strength fails. Then the news spreads, and the army disperses; but the subsequent history seems to show that no fatal defeat was incurred. This union of desperate physical bravery with moral feebleness and cowardice is common enough in history, and (as Shakespeare has delighted to show in his Macbeth) most true to nature.

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

35. the king was stayed up in his chariot] Some attempt was doubtless made to stop the bleeding, and it was thought best that though not in the fight, Ahab should not withdraw from the field. The LXX. says ‘from morning till evening,’ thus giving the impression that the king was wounded at the very beginning of the fight. The Chronicler says ‘he stayed himself up … until the even.’ This would be inferred from our verse. There is nothing to warrant the expression of the LXX.

into the midst [R.V. bottom] of the chariot] As will be seen from the margin of A.V. the literal meaning is ‘bosom.’ The knowledge of how to stop the bleeding of a wound was not great in those days, and Ahab’s wound must have been fatal whatever had been done. At this point we are left by the Chronicler who closes his notice of these events with the death of Ahab. Israel’s history was no subject of concern for him, except where it touched on that of Judah.

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.

Now the rest of the acts of Ahab, and all that he did, and the ivory house which he made,.... Which, being a very curious and extraordinary thing, is particularly mentioned; though perhaps it might not be made wholly of ivory, but inlaid with it; we read of ivory houses in Amo 3:15,

and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? in which the acts of his predecessors were recorded, see Kg1 14:19 not the Scripture book of Chronicles, for there none of these things are related.

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

The battle increased - See the margin; i. e. the tide of battle rose higher. Compare Isa 8:7-8.

The king was stayed up in his chariot - The king’s wound made it impossible for him to remain standing without help; he therefore had himself supported in his chariot by attendants, in order that his soldiers might not lose heart, as they would be sure to do, if they knew of his peril. Ahab must not be denied the credit of right princely fortitude on this occasion.

The midst of the chariot - literally, as in the margin. The “bosom” of the chariot is the rounded front, with the portion of the standing board that adjoined it. Here the blood would naturally collect, forming a pool, in which the king and his charioteer must have stood.

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

Evening. Achab had only retired to the hinder ranks, while Josaphat, by his valour, maintained the day, till the death of the former put an end to the war.

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).

The battle increased, i.e. grew hot and violent.

Was stayed up; was supported by cordials, or by his servants, that by his presence he might encourage his soldiers to fight more courageously, and that he might see the event of the battle.

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

35. The king was stayed up — Contrary to his first directions to be carried out of the host. The first order was probably partially obeyed; but as the king on retiring saw the battle waxing hotter and hotter, he thought it better for him to stay and witness the fight, and encourage his own troops as far as his disguised presence might serve to do so.

The midst — Or, bosom, of the chariot; the hollow place inside where the warriors stood.

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 battle increased Heb. went up. Marg. ascended. The tide of warfare rose higher and higher. Both Keil and Bahr think that the image is taken from a swelling river and cite Isa_8:7. The object of this verse is to explain how it was that the king"s request was not complied with that day: and the king was stayed up in his chariot Heb. made to stand. LXX hjn ejsthkwv. He was supported in his chariot by some of his servants, and maintained in an erect posture. Chariots were destitute of seats. According to Thenius and Keil, he maintained himself erect, by his own strength. But the word is passive against the Syrians Heb. in the face of the Syrians. jk"nO, coram . His back was not turned to them, as he had desired. The idea that he was in any way fighting against the Syrians is altogether foreign to the text. It is at first sight somewhat difficult to reconcile this statement with the direction given to the charioteer in the preceding verse, and some have been led, though without sufficient warrant, to conclude that Ahab left the field, had he wound bound up, and then returned to take his part in the battle. But the explanation is very simple. As the battle increased, it became impossible to comply with the king"s desire. So thick was the fight that retreat was impossible. Hence the wounded king, who would otherwise have sunk down to the bottom of the chariot, had to be "stayed up in the presence of the Syrians." This circumstance may also account for the fact that he died at even. Had it been possible to remove him and staunch his wounds, he might have lingered for some time. As it was, he bled to death. It is not clear, therefore, that "his death was kingly" (Kitto), or that we must concede to Ahab "the credit of right princely fortitude on this occasion" (Rawlinson). He would have left the host could he have done so. It was his set-rants propped up the dying man in his chariot, to encourage the army. What a picture for an artist the king with the pallor of death spreading over his face, the anxious faces of the attendants, the pool of blood, the sun sinking to the horizon, etc., and died at even: and the blood ran out of the wound Heb. the blood of the wound poured into the midst Heb. bosom; LXX kolpon, the hollow part, or "well." The same word is used of the concave part of the altar of the chariot.

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

the king was held up in his chariot

This can be stated in active form. AT: "someone held the king up in his chariot" (See: Active or Passive)

a cry went up

Here "a cry" represents the soldiers who were shouting. AT: "soldiers began to shout" (See: Metonymy)

Every man should go back to his city; and every man should go back to his region

These two phrases mean basically the same thing and are combined for emphasis. (See: Parallelism)

translationWords

die

blood

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

Stood up in the chariot. He exerted himself and stood so that the [Bnei] Yisroel would not become aware of his wound and flee, for flight is the beginning of defeat.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.