1 Kings 22:29-40--Ahab Killed in Battle

1 Kings 22:29-40
English Standard Version

Ahab Killed in Battle
29 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead. 30 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you wear your robes.” And the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle. 31 Now the king of Syria had commanded the thirty-two captains of his chariots, “Fight with neither small nor great, but only with the king of Israel.” 32 And when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “It is surely the king of Israel.” So they turned to fight against him. And Jehoshaphat cried out. 33 And when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him. 34 But a certain man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel between the scale armor and the breastplate. Therefore he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn around and carry me out of the battle, for I am wounded.” 35 And the battle continued that day, and the king was propped up in his chariot facing the Syrians, until at evening he died. And the blood of the wound flowed into the bottom of the chariot. 36 And about sunset a cry went through the army, “Every man to his city, and every man to his country!”

​37 So the king died, and was brought to Samaria. And they buried the king in Samaria. 38 And they washed the chariot by the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood, and the prostitutes washed themselves in it, according to the word of the LORD that he had spoken. 39 Now the rest of the acts of Ahab and all that he did, and the ivory house that he built and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 40 So Ahab slept with his fathers, and Ahaziah his son reigned in his place.

---

Ahab decided, probably because of the prophecies against him, that he would not go into battle wearing his royal robes, but would be disguised as a regular soldier, but the king of Judah would wear his royal robes so that people looking to attack the king might attack the king of Judah instead of the king of Israel.  They both took their forces into battle against Syria.  All of the 32 captains in charge of the chariots (for there were many chariots) were ordered to go after only the king, so the king of Judah became their target.

The LORD allowed the chariots to see that the king of Judah was not the king of Israel they were hunting, and they turned back and did not kill the king of Judah.  However, a certain man (unnamed) drew his bow and shot it without aiming it towards the Israelite army and it "just so happened" (we know already there is no random chance with the LORD, for he makes the lot fall however He wills) rich between the plates of Ahab's breastplate (a perfect shot) so that he asked his chariot driver to turn around and carry him out of battle, for he was wounded.  He was propped up in the chariot facing the Syrians until evening when he died.  At sunset the command went out for every man to return to his own city and country--the war was cover because Syria's objective had been accomplished.  They had no desire to take Israel, only to kill King Ahab.

So Ahab died and was brought to Samaria and buried there.  They washed his chariot which had been covered in his blood in the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood just as the prophecy that LORD had spoken against him said would happen.  We are then told that the rest of the deeds of King Ahab as well as information about his ivory palace he built and all the cities he built for himself can be found in the book of Chronicles.  Then Ahab's son Ahaziah ruled in the place of his father (though not for long as we remember that the entire line of Ahab's family is going to be cut off, though the LORD did not do it during Ahab's lifetime since Ahab repented.  Ahab would be the first in his family to die.  The rest will follow soon after).