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1 Kings 22:39

Old Testament Historical ASV (1901)

What does 1 Kings 22:39 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “Now the rest of the acts of Ahab, and all that he did, and the ivory house which he built, and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

Now the rest of the acts of Ahab, and all that he did, and the ivory house which he built, and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
1 Kings 22:39 — American Standard Version

Context — 1 Kings 22

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
36And there went a cry throughout the host about the going down of the sun, saying, Every man to his city, and every man to his country.
37So the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria.
38And they washed the chariot by the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood (now the harlots washed themselves [there]); according unto the word of Jehovah which he spake.
39Now the rest of the acts of Ahab, and all that he did, and the ivory house which he built, and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
40So Ahab slept with his fathers; and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead.
41And Jehoshaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel.
42Jehoshaphat was thirty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother`s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.
← 1 Kings 22:381 Kings 22:40 →
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What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“Now the rest of the acts of Ahab, and all that he did, and the ivory house which he made, etc.] Which, being a very curious and extraordinary thing, is particularly mentioned; though perhaps it might not be made wholly of ivory, but inlaid with it; we read of ivory houses in (<300315>Amos 3:15), and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? in which the acts of his predecessors were recorded, (see <111419>1 Kings 14:19 15:31 16:14,20,27) not the Scripture book of Chronicles, for there none of these things are related.”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“The ivory house - So called from the character of its ornamentation. Ivory was largely used in the ancient world as a covering of wood-work, and seems to have been applied, not only to furniture, but to the doors and walls of houses. Nothing is known of the cities built by Ahab; but the fact is important as indicating the general prosperity of the country in his time, and his own activity as a ruler. Prosperity, it is plain, may for a while co-exist with causes - such as, the decay of religions - which are sapping the vital power of a nation, and leading it surely, if slowly, to destruction. The book of the chronicles ... - See above, 1 Kings 14:19; 1Ki 15:31; 1 Kings 16:5, 1 Kings 16:14,…”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · 18th-century historical commentary
“Ivory house - Not that it was made of solid ivory, but because the other materials were covered, or inlaid with ivory. 3 Kings (1 Kings) 22:41”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“22:39-40 Excavations at Samaria have disclosed Ahab’s palace and a nearby pool. The description of the palace as ivory may arise from the ivory-covered furnishings and wall panels. Gleaming white limestone covering the outside of the building also added to the palace’s ivory-like luster.”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“am 3086-3107, bc 918-897 the rest: Kg1 14:19, Kg1 15:23, Kg1 15:31, Kg1 16:5, Kg1 16:20, Kg1 16:27 the ivory house: That is, probably, decorated with ivory in such abundance as to merit the appellation of an ivory house. Kg1 10:18, Kg1 10:22; Psa 45:8; Eze 27:6, Eze 27:15; Amo 3:15, Amo 6:4 3 Kings (1 Kings) 22:40”
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Related study paths

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Sources and verification