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 Jehosh'aphat, and his might that he showed, and how he warred, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?

46 And the remnant of the male cult prostitutes who remained in the days of his father Asa, he exterminated from the land.

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

48 Jehosh'aphat made ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold; but they did not go, for the ships were wrecked at E'zion-ge'ber.

49 Then Ahazi'ah the son of Ahab said to Jehosh'aphat, "Let my servants go with your servants in the ships," but Jehosh'aphat was not willing.