And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite ,.... After he was gone from Ahab, and Ahab had been some time in this humble posture; the Targum calls it the word of prophecy, and so it was, as the next verse shows: saying: as follows. read more
Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me ?.... Which yet was but an external humiliation, to be seen only with bodily eyes, as were all his actions and postures, before observed. Some Jewish writers F9 Bereshit Rabba in Abarbinel in loc. think his repentance was true and perfect, and his conversion thorough and real: they tell us F11 Pirke Eliezer, c. 43. , that he was in fasting and prayer morning and evening before the Lord, and was studying in the law all his days, and... read more
Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself - He did abase himself; he did truly repent him of his sins, and it was such a repentance as was genuine in the sight of God: He humbleth himself Before Me. The penitent heart ever meets the merciful eye of God; repentance is highly esteemed by the Father of compassion, even where it is comparatively shallow and short-lived. Any measure of godly sorrow has a proportionate measure of God's regard; where it is deep and lasting, the heart of God... read more
Guilt and Mercy. I. To ENJOY THE FRUITS OF SIN IS TO TAKE ITS GUILT . "Hast thou killed?" etc. It is not said that Ahab knew of the plot. The plain inference is that he did not. Jezebel wrote to the elders, and to her the tidings were sent that the deed was done. But if Ahab did not know before, he knew after. Knowing how it had been procured he nevertheless received it, and heard as he stood there the word of the Lord: "Hast thou killed , and also taken... read more
Ahab's Repentance. After the terrible sentence pronounced by Elijah upon Ahab for his enormities follows this account of his repentance. The record teaches— I. THAT THERE IS REPENTANCE FOR THE VILEST . 1. Ahab answered this description . 2 . Yet Ahab took God's message to heart . 3 . He humbled himself accordingly . II. THAT THERE IS MERCY FOR THE PENITENT . 1 . God observed the repentance of Ahab . 2 . He called the attention... read more
Partial Penitence. Such was the effect of Elijah's message delivered in the vineyard of Naboth. The fearless courage of the prophet had again asserted itself, and once more the king quailed before his terrible words of denunciation. The subject is the more worthy of study because the deceitfulness of the human heart is here laid bare by "the searcher of hearts." If we understand Ahab, we shall better understand ourselves. I. THE DECEITFUL NATURE OF AHAB 'S HUMILIATION . We... read more
And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, [It is not clear that this mitigation of the sentence was announced to Ahab], read more
Divine Relentings. If we were to seek the Scriptures through for a proof that God's "property is always to have mercy," and that judgment is His strange work, where should we find a more striking and eminent one than in this relenting towards Ahab? Consider - I. AHAB 'S SIN . In this respect" there was none like him." He "sold himself to work wickedness." It was not because of Naboth's murder alone that the sentence of 1 Kings 21:19-22 was pronounced against him; it was for the... read more
Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? [The repentance, if it was not profound, or enduring, was nevertheless, while it lasted, sincere. The Searcher of hearts saw in it a genuine self-abasement. And "He will not break the bruised reed nor quench the smoking flax;" Isaiah 42:3 ; Matthew 12:20 .] Because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil [There is a manifest reference to Matthew 12:21 , where the same words are used] in his days; but in his son's days ... read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Kings 21:17-29
In these verses we may observe, I. The very bad character that is given of Ahab (1 Kgs. 21:25, 26), which comes in here to justify God in the heavy sentence passed upon him, and to show that though it was passed upon occasion of his sin in the matter of Naboth (which David's sin in the matter of Uriah did too much resemble), yet God would not have punished him so severely if he had not been guilty of many other sins, especially idolatry; whereas David, except in that one matter, did that which... read more