1 Kings 22:38

38 and [one] rinseth the chariot by the pool of Samaria, and the dogs lick his blood -- when the armour they had washed -- according to the word of Jehovah that He spake.

1 Kings 22:38 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 22:38

And one washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria
After the body was taken out, very likely the chariot driver, who drove it into the pool, and plunged it into it, as the word signifies, to cleanse it from the blood of his master:

and the dogs licked up his blood;
mixed with the water of the pool; the Septuagint adds, "the swine", which is not probable, such creatures not being bred in the land of Israel:

and they washed his armour;
his coat of mail, through the joints of which the blood issued, and ran upon it. The word is sometimes used for whores, and is so translated here in the Greek version, and by Munster and Castalio; and both Ben Gersom and Abarbinel say, that women, who were harlots, washed here in his blood, mixed with water; and so Josephus F21 writes, that afterwards it was a custom for whores to wash in this pool; though some say F23 two whores were painted on Ahab's chariot, by the order of Jezebel, to inflame his lust, and these were what were washed; but the word signifies armour, or rather ornaments, clothes, jewels

and now all this was according to the word of the Lord which he spake;
both by Elijah, that as the dogs licked the blood of Naboth, so they should his, as they now did, though not in the same place; nor was it necessary to fulfil the prophecy, (See Gill on 1 Kings 21:19), though some have thought F24 that his blood, mixed with the water of the pool of Samaria, was carried in a stream down to Jezreel, and there licked by the dogs, where Naboth's was; but chiefly what was spoken by Micaiah is here respected, that thus Ahab fell at Ramothgilead, as he had prophesied, ( 1 Kings 22:17 1 Kings 22:20 1 Kings 22:28 ) and his life went for the life of Benhadad, as he had before declared, ( 1 Kings 20:42 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F21 Antiqu. l. 8. c. 15. sect. 6.
F23 See Jarchi & Kimchi in loc.
F24 Kimchi in loc.

1 Kings 22:38 In-Context

36 and he causeth the cry to pass over through the camp, at the going in of the sun, saying, `Each unto his city, and each unto his land.'
37 And the king dieth, and cometh into Samaria, and they bury the king in Samaria;
38 and [one] rinseth the chariot by the pool of Samaria, and the dogs lick his blood -- when the armour they had washed -- according to the word of Jehovah that He spake.
39 And the rest of the matters of Ahab, and all that he did, and the house of ivory that he built, and all the cities that he built, are they not written on the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel?
40 And Ahab lieth with his fathers, and Ahaziah his son reigneth in his stead.
Young's Literal Translation is in the public domain.