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Matthew Poole and continuators on 1 Kings 20:30

Annotations upon the Holy Bible. Browse this work.

1 Kings20:30

30 But the rest fled to Aphek in the city, and the wall fell upon twenty and seven thousand of the men that were left: and Benhadad fled, and came into the city , into an inner chamber .

Or, the walls (the Singular Number, for the Plural; than which, nothing more frequent) of the City; or of some great Castle, or Fort, in, or near the City, in which they were now Fortifying themselves; or of some part of the City where they lay. Which might possibly happen through Natural Causes; but most probably, was Effected by the Mighty Power of God, then sending some sudden Earthquake, or violent Storm of Wind, which threw down the Wall, or Walls upon them; or doing this by the Ministry of Angels. Which cannot be incredible to any Man, except to him that denies the Truth of all the Miracles Recorded in the Old and New Testament; which being Attested, many of them, by Iews and Heathens, it is the height of Folly and Impudence to deny. For if ever Miracle was to be Wrought, now seems to have been the proper time, and season for it; when the Blasphemous Syrians denied the Soveraign and Infinite Power of God, and thereby in some fort obliged him, for his own Honour, to give a Proof of it; and to shew, That he was the God of the Plains, as well as of the Mountains; and that he could as effectually Destroy them in their strongest Holds, as in the open Fields; and make the very Walls, to whose strength they trusted for their Defence, to be the Instruments of their Ruine. But it may be further observed, that it is not said, That all these were killed by the fall of this Wall; but onely that the wall fell upon them, Killing some, and Wounding others; as is usual in those Cases. Nor is it necessary, that the Wall should fall upon every Individual Person; but it is sufficient to justifie this Phrase, if it fell upon the main Body of them; for the Words in the Hebrew run thus, the Wall fell upon 27000 (not of the men that are left, as we render it, but) which were left of that great Army.

Either, 1. Out of the Fields, as the rest of his Army did. Which is distinctly, and particularly noted of him, because he was the most Eminent Person in it, and the Head of it. Compare the Title of Psal. 18. Or, 2. A[illegible: 1+ letters], and from the noise and report of that Terrible Fall of the Wall, or Walls; which possily might be in the outside, or Suburbs of the City; from whence he [illegible: 1+ letters]led further into the City.

Or, a chamber, within a chamber; where he supposed he might lye hid, till he had an opportunity of making an Escape, or of obtaining Mercy.

Marginal references: Or, from chamber to chamber.; Heb. unto a chamber, within a chamber.

Matthew Poole and continuators, Annotations upon the Holy Bible, 1 Kings 20:30. Public domain.

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