1 Kings 22:47

47 There was no king in Edom; a deputy was king.

1 Kings 22:47 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 22:47

There was then no king in Edom, a deputy was king.
] Which had been the case from the times of David, who subdued Edom, and placed garrisons in it, and governors over it, ( 2 Samuel 8:14 ) and continued through the reign of Jehoshaphat, unto the times of his son, under whom the Edomites revolted, and set up a king of their own, ( 2 Kings 8:20 ) , with a view to which this is observed, as also to account for it how Jehoshaphat could build ships in Eziongeber, which was in the land of Edom, of which in the next verse, because the whole country was governed by a viceroy, or deputy, under him.

1 Kings 22:47 In-Context

45 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his power that he showed, and how he waged war, are they not written in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Judah?

46 The remnant of the male temple prostitutes who were still in the land in the days of his father Asa, he exterminated.

47 There was no king in Edom; a deputy was king.

48 Jehoshaphat made ships of the Tarshish type to go to Ophir for gold; but they did not go, for the ships were wrecked at Ezion-geber.

49 Then Ahaziah son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, "Let my servants go with your servants in the ships," but Jehoshaphat was not willing.