1 Kings 22:17

17 et ille ait vidi cunctum Israhel dispersum in montibus quasi oves non habentes pastorem et ait Dominus non habent dominum isti revertatur unusquisque in domum suam in pace

1 Kings 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.

1 Kings 22:17 In-Context

15 venit itaque ad regem et ait illi rex Michea ire debemus in Ramoth Galaad ad proeliandum an cessare cui ille respondit ascende et vade prospere et tradet Dominus in manu regis

16 dixit autem rex ad eum iterum atque iterum adiuro te ut non loquaris mihi nisi quod verum est in nomine Domini

17 et ille ait vidi cunctum Israhel dispersum in montibus quasi oves non habentes pastorem et ait Dominus non habent dominum isti revertatur unusquisque in domum suam in pace

18 dixit ergo rex Israhel ad Iosaphat numquid non dixi tibi quia non prophetat mihi bonum sed semper malum

19 ille vero addens ait propterea audi sermonem Domini vidi Dominum sedentem super solium suum et omnem exercitum caeli adsistentem ei a dextris et a sinistris