1 Kings 22:38 kjv
And one washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood; and they washed his armor; according unto the word of the LORD which he spake.
1 Kings 22:38 nkjv
Then someone washed the chariot at a pool in Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood while the harlots bathed, according to the word of the LORD which He had spoken.
1 Kings 22:38 niv
They washed the chariot at a pool in Samaria (where the prostitutes bathed), and the dogs licked up his blood, as the word of the LORD had declared.
1 Kings 22:38 esv
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.
1 Kings 22:38 nlt
Then his chariot was washed beside the pool of Samaria, and dogs came and licked his blood at the place where the prostitutes bathed, just as the LORD had promised.
1 Kings 22 38 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Ki 21:19 | “Thus says the LORD, ‘In the place where dogs licked up the blood of Naboth, shall dogs lick up your own blood.’” | Elijah's direct prophecy to Ahab regarding his fate. |
| 1 Ki 21:23 | “And of Jezebel the LORD also spoke, saying, ‘The dogs shall eat Jezebel within the bounds of Jezreel.’” | Related prophecy of judgment against Jezebel. |
| 1 Ki 16:30-33 | Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD, more than all who were before him... served Baal. | Describes Ahab's unparalleled wickedness and idolatry. |
| 1 Ki 18:18 | "I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father's house, because you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD..." | Elijah confronting Ahab over his idolatry and its consequences. |
| 1 Ki 21:25-26 | Indeed, there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do evil in the sight of the LORD, stirred up by Jezebel his wife. | Reinforces Ahab's extreme evil. |
| 2 Chr 18:33-34 | A certain man drew a bow at random... he died at evening. | Parallel account in Chronicles of Ahab's death. |
| Num 23:19 | God is not a man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? | God's word is reliable and always fulfilled. |
| Isa 55:11 | "So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty..." | Assurance of the power and certainty of God's word. |
| Jer 1:12 | "Then the LORD said to me, 'You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it.'" | God's commitment to fulfilling His prophecies. |
| Psa 7:16 | His mischief returns upon his own head; and on his own skull his violence descends. | Poetic justice and consequences of one's actions. |
| Pro 1:31 | So they shall eat the fruit of their own way, and have their fill of their own devices. | Individuals face the consequences of their choices. |
| Pro 26:27 | Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling. | The principle of recompense for evil deeds. |
| Gal 6:7 | Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. | Spiritual law of sowing and reaping, judgment for sin. |
| Rom 2:6 | He will render to each one according to his works. | God's impartial justice based on deeds. |
| Deut 28:15 | "But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD your God... then all these curses shall come upon you." | General principle of curses for disobedience, fulfilled in Ahab's life. |
| 1 Ki 14:10-11 | "Therefore, behold, I will bring harm upon the house of Jeroboam... those who die in the city the dogs shall eat." | Earlier prophecy against Jeroboam's house, involving dogs and dishonor. |
| 1 Ki 16:3-4 | "I will consume the descendants of Baasha... those who die of Baasha in the city the dogs shall eat." | Another prophecy of ignominious death for a wicked king, Baasha. |
| Rev 22:15 | Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral... | Association of "dogs" with impurity and those outside God's kingdom. |
| Lev 17:11 | "For the life of the flesh is in the blood..." | Blood's sacred nature, here defiled, indicating severe judgment. |
| Ez 23:22 | Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I will rouse against you your lovers..." | Metaphorical language of unfaithfulness often includes 'harlotry', connecting to prostitutes. |
| Hos 4:10 | "They shall eat, but not be satisfied; they shall play the harlot, but not increase..." | Denunciation of spiritual and physical harlotry in Israel. |
| 2 Ki 9:7 | "You shall strike down the house of Ahab your master, so that I may avenge on Jezebel the blood of my servants the prophets." | God's purpose behind Ahab's judgment – avenging martyred prophets. |
1 Kings 22 verses
1 Kings 22 38 Meaning
This verse recounts the death and ignominious fate of King Ahab, directly connecting his demise to a divine judgment foretold by the LORD. While he was formally buried in Samaria, the specific detail of his chariot being washed by the pool of Samaria where his blood was licked up by dogs and where prostitutes frequented, highlights the public shame, defilement, and precise fulfillment of God's prophetic word. It serves as a stark testament to the consequences of his extreme wickedness and idolatry, particularly in the Naboth's vineyard incident.
1 Kings 22 38 Context
1 Kings 22 concludes the account of Ahab's reign. Throughout 1 Kings, Ahab is portrayed as Israel's most wicked king, heavily influenced by his Phoenician wife Jezebel, who introduced pervasive Baal worship and persecuted the LORD's prophets. The immediate context for verse 38 is Ahab's final military campaign to recapture Ramoth-gilead from the Arameans. Despite Micaiah, a true prophet of the LORD, prophesying Ahab's death in battle (in stark contrast to 400 false prophets who promised victory), Ahab attempts to defy God's word by disguising himself. However, a randomly shot arrow strikes him, confirming God's immutable decree. Verse 38 specifically details the outcome of his fatal wound: his blood filling his chariot and being publicly defiled, directly fulfilling Elijah's prophecy from 1 Kings 21:19 concerning Naboth's vineyard. This scene underscored the public nature of divine judgment and the dishonorable end of a king who profoundly dishonored God. The pool of Samaria was a common public washing place, intensifying the indignity.
1 Kings 22 38 Word analysis
- "So the king died": Refers to Ahab, king of Israel. A factual, decisive statement sealing his fate as prophesied.
- "and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria.": Describes the transport of his corpse to the capital city and his formal internment there. This suggests a regular royal burial despite his wicked life and the previous public defilement of his blood, contrasting with the full extent of the judgment detailed immediately prior.
- "And they washed the chariot": (Heb. wayyish·ṭə·p̄ū) From the root šāṭap, meaning to overflow, wash away, deluge. Implies a thorough cleansing necessary due to the large amount of blood accumulated in it. This action was public and served to cleanse the war machine.
- "by the pool of Samaria": (Heb. bə·rē·ḵaṯ šō·mə·rōn) A prominent, public body of water, likely used for various communal activities including washing and bathing. This specific location amplifies the ignominy of Ahab's end, transforming what should be a royal, honorable handling of his body into a public spectacle of degradation. Samaria itself was the center of his idolatrous reign.
- "and the dogs": (Heb. hak·kə·lā·ḇîm) Unclean scavengers in ancient Israelite culture, universally despised and symbolic of deep defilement and dishonor. Their licking of blood implies a complete lack of dignity for the king's spilt blood.
- "licked up his blood": A vivid and visceral detail directly fulfilling Elijah’s curse (1 Ki 21:19). Blood (Heb. dām) represents life, and its defilement by dogs underscored the severity of God's judgment and Ahab’s dishonorable demise, directly mirroring his shedding of Naboth's innocent blood.
- "(now the prostitutes washed themselves there)": (Heb. wə·haz·zō·nōṯ rā·ḥaṣ·ṣū) The parenthetical phrase adds a further layer of impurity and contempt. Prostitutes (Heb. zōnōṯ, referring to harlots or cultic prostitutes often associated with pagan worship and immorality) using the same location as Ahab’s blood purification associates his end with the lowest strata of society and reinforces the extreme degradation and spiritual impurity linked to his reign.
- "according to the word of the LORD which He spoke.": This conclusive phrase acts as the interpretive key for the entire event. It confirms divine sovereignty, God's justice, and the unfailing nature of His prophetic declarations. It removes any notion of the event being accidental or mere misfortune, cementing it as direct fulfillment of judgment upon a disobedient king.
1 Kings 22 38 Bonus section
The detail of the prostitutes washing at the same location carries symbolic weight. In prophetic literature, idolatry is frequently depicted as spiritual harlotry. Thus, Ahab’s blood being defiled in a place associated with literal prostitutes, mirrors the spiritual harlotry (Baal worship) that characterized his reign and for which divine judgment fell upon him. The fact that the judgment happens publicly, involving scavengers and the lowest members of society, further signifies that even royal blood could be treated as utterly worthless in God’s sight when justice demanded it. This passage illustrates a potent principle of retributive justice where the instrument of the king's power (chariot) and the symbol of his life (blood) were subjected to extreme indignity as a consequence of his wicked actions.
1 Kings 22 38 Commentary
King Ahab’s ignoble end in 1 Kings 22:38 is a striking testament to God’s unwavering justice and the certainty of His spoken word. Despite his efforts to escape his prophesied demise by disguising himself, divine judgment found him. The specific, visceral details—the washing of his chariot at a public pool, dogs licking his royal blood, and the proximity to prostitutes—all coalesce to portray a death that was not only fatal but profoundly dishonorable and publicly defiled. This was not arbitrary fate but the precise execution of the LORD’s sentence, specifically echoing Elijah’s prophecy in 1 Kings 21:19 following the murder of Naboth for his vineyard. The location (pool of Samaria, Ahab's wicked capital) and the agents of defilement (unclean dogs, prostitutes) underscored the spiritual and moral degradation of Ahab’s reign and the defilement he brought upon Israel. It stands as a powerful biblical illustration that no human power, wealth, or strategic evasion can thwart God’s divine decrees. His word, once spoken, invariably comes to pass, demonstrating His absolute sovereignty over all creation and rulers.