1 Kings 22 35

1 Kings 22:35 kjv

And the battle increased that day: and the king was stayed up in his chariot against the Syrians, and died at even: and the blood ran out of the wound into the midst of the chariot.

1 Kings 22:35 nkjv

The battle increased that day; and the king was propped up in his chariot, facing the Syrians, and died at evening. The blood ran out from the wound onto the floor of the chariot.

1 Kings 22:35 niv

All day long the battle raged, and the king was propped up in his chariot facing the Arameans. The blood from his wound ran onto the floor of the chariot, and that evening he died.

1 Kings 22:35 esv

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.

1 Kings 22:35 nlt

The battle raged all that day, and the king remained propped up in his chariot facing the Arameans. The blood from his wound ran down to the floor of his chariot, and as evening arrived he died.

1 Kings 22 verses

1 Kings 22 35 Meaning

This verse graphically describes the death of King Ahab of Israel, highlighting the immediate and dramatic end to his life in battle. Despite attempts to evade a divine prophecy of his death, he remained in his chariot, propped up, fighting the Syrians as the conflict intensified. He bled profusely from a battle wound, leading to his death by evening, with his blood filling the bottom of his war chariot. This vividly illustrates the unavoidable fulfillment of God's word against him.

1 Kings 22 35 Context

King Ahab, ruler of Israel, was allied with King Jehoshaphat of Judah for a military campaign to reclaim Ramoth-gilead from the Syrians. Prior to battle, Ahab, despite the consistent warnings from the true prophet Micaiah, chose to believe the comforting lies of his 400 false prophets, who assured him of victory. Micaiah had explicitly prophesied Ahab's death in the battle and that Israel would be left shepherdless, a divine judgment for Ahab's persistent idolatry and wickedness, notably his murder of Naboth for his vineyard. To evade this prophecy, Ahab disguised himself, instructing Jehoshaphat to wear his royal robes. However, divine judgment cannot be escaped, and a seemingly random arrow, directed by God's providence (1 Ki 22:34), struck Ahab, fulfilling Micaiah's words. Verse 35 details the agonizing, drawn-out demise of the king throughout that final day of battle.

1 Kings 22 35 Word analysis

• And the battle grew hot that day: This signifies the ferocity and persistence of the fighting. It highlights the sustained effort required by Ahab to stay "propped up" despite his mortal wound. It underscores that his death wasn't a quick collapse, but a drawn-out struggle against his inevitable end, mirroring his protracted rebellion against God.
• and the king was propped up: The Hebrew word here is Hithpael participle of הָמַד (hāmad), though the typical root is סָמַךְ (samak) meaning 'to lean, to support.' Some textual traditions (like the parallel 2 Chr 18:34) and scholarly interpretation connect it to the Pual form of עָמַד (`amad), meaning "stood up" or "made to stand." This emphasizes his fixed position. Regardless of the precise verbal nuance, the image conveyed is of King Ahab, already wounded mortally, being held upright by force, either by his own will or by attendants. This grim detail speaks volumes about Ahab's stubborn defiance and a king's perceived duty to remain on the field, maintaining a facade of command and leadership even as life ebbed away. It's a defiant stand against the inevitability of death and the clear word of God.
• in his chariot: The chariot (רֶכֶב, rekeb) was a symbol of power, military might, and kingship in ancient Near Eastern warfare. For a king to die in his chariot, bleeding out, speaks of a violent end, but also one that highlights the fall of his earthly power. This symbol of his reign becomes the place of his judgment.
• facing the Syrians: Even in his dying moments, Ahab maintains his kingly posture and remains on the battlefield, directly engaging the enemy. This shows his courage in battle, perhaps even desperation, but most profoundly, his persistence in the very scenario God prophesied would lead to his demise. It indicates the fulfillment occurred directly in the face of his defiance.
• and died at evening: This phrase denotes the specific timing of his death at the end of the day. The significance lies in the drawn-out nature of his agony throughout the entire day, a prolonged torment leading to his inevitable end as the sun set on his life and reign. The passage from life to death happened publicly over many hours, not in secrecy.
• and the blood ran out of the wound: This is a gruesome and graphic detail emphasizing the severity of the wound and the quantity of blood lost. Blood (דָּם, dam) in biblical context often symbolizes life itself (Lev 17:11). The pouring out of Ahab's blood signifies the pouring out of his life, a direct and physical consequence of God's judgment upon him.
• into the bottom of the chariot: This stark detail emphasizes the undignified and inglorious nature of Ahab's death. The blood pooling at the floor of his royal chariot makes his death concrete, visceral, and public, ultimately linking to the ignominious fulfillment of Elijah's prophecy concerning the licking of his blood (1 Ki 22:38, connecting to 1 Ki 21:19). His once glorious war chariot became his literal deathbed and basin for his spilled life, serving as a powerful visual of judgment.

1 Kings 22 35 Bonus section

The "random" nature of the arrow in 1 Kings 22:34 leading to Ahab's death in 1 Kings 22:35 is a profound theological statement. It stands as a polemic against any belief in fate, luck, or an absent deity. Instead, it forcefully asserts God's meticulous providence over every event, even those that appear to be accidents. This seemingly chance arrow was in fact an instrument of divine justice, orchestrating the precise fulfillment of prophecy against King Ahab. This illustrates that no human action or disguise can circumvent God's decreed will. The very details—Ahab being propped up, the blood filling the chariot—underscore not only the immediate agony but also the full, public, and unmistakable manifestation of God's righteous judgment against a wicked king.

1 Kings 22 35 Commentary

This verse provides the stark climax to the narrative of Ahab's life and reign. It reveals God's unswerving sovereignty and the futility of human schemes against divine prophecy. Ahab's attempts to evade Micaiah's pronouncement by disguising himself were ultimately pointless; a divinely directed, seemingly random arrow found its mark, not just by chance, but by divine purpose (Prov 16:33). The detail of Ahab being "propped up" highlights his defiant pride and kingly duty, refusing to leave the field despite a mortal wound, a powerful symbol of his life-long stubbornness against God. His prolonged agony throughout the day, bleeding out in his chariot, paints a gruesome picture of judgment being enacted progressively. The spilled blood filling the bottom of the chariot is a particularly potent image, confirming the violent end of his reign and foreshadowing the eventual full fulfillment of the prophecy concerning the dogs licking his blood in Samaria (1 Ki 22:38). Ahab's death in this manner serves as a powerful biblical illustration that divine judgment is unavoidable, relentless, and always fulfilled, demonstrating that God cannot be mocked (Gal 6:7).