Kings I 22:17

17 And the king said to the footmen that attended on him, Draw nigh and slay the priests of the Lord, because their hand with David, and because they knew that he fled, and they did not inform me. But the servants of the king would not lift their hands to fall upon the priest of the Lord.

Kings I 22:17 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 22:17

And he said
The prophet, in a serious and solemn manner, being adjured by the king:

I saw all Israel scattered on the hills, as sheep that have not a
shepherd;
the armies of Israel routed, dispersed, and fleeing, some one way and some another, on the mountains of Gilead near Ramoth, weak and helpless, not knowing where to go for safety, having none to direct them; and this was either now instantly represented to his mind, or what had been before in a dream or vision:

and the Lord said, these have no master;
these sheep have no shepherd this army hath no general,

[Israel] has [lost its king]: let them return every man to his house
in peace,
very few slain, Jarchi thinks Ahab only, see ( 1 Kings 22:31 ) that part of the threatening, ( 1 Kings 20:42 ) was now to he accomplished, "thy life shall go for his life", but the other part, "and thy people for his people", was to be deferred to another time.

Kings I 22:17 In-Context

15 Have I begun to-day to enquire of God for him? By no means: let not the king bring a charge against his servant, and against thee whole of my father's house; for thy servant knew not in all these matters anything great or small.

16 And king Saul said, Thou shalt surely die, Abimelech, thou, and all thy father's house.

17 And the king said to the footmen that attended on him, Draw nigh and slay the priests of the Lord, because their hand with David, and because they knew that he fled, and they did not inform me. But the servants of the king would not lift their hands to fall upon the priest of the Lord.

18 And the king said to Doec, Turn thou, and fall upon the priests: and Doec the Syrian turned, and slew the priests of the Lord in that day, three hundred and five men, all wearing an ephod.

19 And he smote Nomba the city of the priest with the edge of the sword, both man, and woman, infant and suckling, and calf, and ox, and sheep.

Footnotes

• [a]. flees.