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1 Kings 22:34

in 1 Kings 22

However, a certain man drew his bow without taking special aim, and he struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. So the king said to his charioteer, “Turn around and take me out of the battle, for I am badly wounded!”

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV

ASV

And a certain man drew his bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the armor: wherefore he said unto the driver of his chariot, Turn thy hand, and carry me out of the host; for I am sore wounded.

KJV

And a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness: wherefore he said unto the driver of his chariot, Turn thine hand, and carry me out of the host; for I am wounded.

This verse in 1 Kings 22

Commentary

7 notes on this verse

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

Drew a bow at a venture - It is supposed that he shot, as the archers in general did, not aiming at any person in particular. The word לתמו lethummo, which we translate in his simplicity, has been variously understood; in his integrity, his uprightness; in his perfection; i.e., to the utmost of his skill and strength. This is most probably the meaning; and may imply both aim and power, having his butt full in view.

This site's exposition

drew a bow at a

on 1 Kings 22:34-35

An arrow shot without aim finds the one joint a disguise could not cover, and Ahab is held upright in his chariot through the day's fighting so the army will not scatter, dying only at even with the blood running into the chariot. The chance shot lands exactly where 21:19 and 22:20-22 had already said this reign would end.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

No armour is of proof against the darts of divine vengeance. Case the criminal in steel, and it is all one, he that made him can make his sword to approach him. That which to us seems altogether casual is done by the determinate counsel and fore-knowledge of God.

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

Now he sees himself flattered into his own ruin, and Zedekiah's horns of iron pushing, not the Syrians, but himself, into destruction. Thus is he brought to the king of terrors without hope in his death. The royal corpse is brought to Samaria and buried there (

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens

And a certain man drew a bow at a venture,.... Not aiming at the king of Israel, or knowing whereabout he was.

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

The corpse was conveyed to Samaria; and, as the chariot which brought it was being washed, in a pool near the city, from the blood that had profusely oozed from the wound, the dogs, in conformity with Elijah's prophecy, came and licked it [1Ki 21:19]. Ahab was succeeded by his son Ahaziah [1Ki 22:40].
At a venture - literally, as in the margin, i. e. without intent to kill the king. Between the joints of the harness - literally, as in the margin. The “joints” were probably pieces of armor which attached the breast-plate to the helmet or to the greaves. The arrow entered between the breastplate and one of these “joints.” breastplates made of metal scales were common both in Egypt and Assyria. Turn thine hand - literally, “turn thy hands.” The driver of a chariot, both in Egypt and Assyria, held the reins with his two hands.

The words behind it

21 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • וְאִ֗ישׁand someone

    veishH3761663 times

  • מָשַׁ֤ךְhe drew

    mashakhH4900

  • בַּקֶּ֙שֶׁת֙on the bow

    bakeshetH7198

  • לְתֻמּ֔וֹto innocence his

    letumoH8537

  • וַיַּכֶּה֙and he struck

    vaiyakehH5221499 times

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H85310935 times

  • מֶ֣לֶךְ[the] king of

    melekhH44282525 times

  • יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לIsrael

    yisraelH34782507 times

  • בֵּ֥יןbetween

    beinH996407 times

  • הַדְּבָקִ֖יםthe joints

    hadevakimH1694

  • וּבֵ֣יןand between

    uveinH996407 times

  • הַשִּׁרְיָ֑ןthe body armor

    hashiryanH8302

  • וַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he said

    vaiyomerH5595305 times

  • לְרַכָּב֗וֹto charioteer his

    lerakavoH7395

  • הֲפֹ֥ךְturn around

    hafokhH2015

  • יָדְךָ֛hand your

    yadekhaH30271618 times

  • וְהוֹצִיאֵ֥נִיand take out me

    vehotzieniH33181067 times

  • מִן־from

    min-H44801188 times

  • הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֖הthe camp

    hamachanehH4264215 times

  • כִּ֥יfor

    kiH35884482 times

  • הָחֳלֵֽיתִי׃I have been wounded

    hocholeitiH247076 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    1 Samuel 17:49

    Then David reached into his bag, took out a stone, and slung it, striking the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.

    it leads to

    • 1 Corinthians 1:27–28

      But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

  • Through

    2 Chronicles 35:23

    There the archers shot King Josiah, who said to his servants, “Take me away, for I am badly wounded!”

    it leads to

    • 2 Kings 9:24

      Then Jehu drew his bow and shot Joram between the shoulders. The arrow pierced his heart, and he slumped down in his chariot.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

  • Through

    Micah 6:13

    Therefore I am striking you severely, to ruin you because of your sins.

    it leads to

    • Psalms 107:17–18

      Fools, in their rebellious ways, and through their iniquities, suffered affliction.

    • Acts 12:23

      Immediately, because Herod did not give glory to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.

    • Leviticus 26:16

      then this is what I will do to you: I will bring upon you sudden terror, wasting disease, and fever that will destroy your sight and drain your life. You will sow your seed…

    • Hosea 13:16

      Samaria will bear her guilt because she has rebelled against her God. They will fall by the sword; their little ones will be dashed to pieces, and their pregnant women ripped open.

    • Deuteronomy 28:21–22

      The LORD will make the plague cling to you until He has exterminated you from the land that you are entering to possess.

  • Through

    Revelation 9:9

    They also had thoraxes like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the roar of many horses and chariots rushing into battle.

    it leads to

    • Joel 2:5–8

      With a sound like that of chariots they bound over the mountaintops, like the crackling of fire consuming stubble, like a mighty army deployed for battle.

Where this verse is studied

About 1 Kings

The Death of Ahab — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
The Death of Ahab — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil, The Books of the Kings and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.