1 Kings 21:26

And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(26) As did the Amorites.—The reference is probably not only to the idolatry and worship of false gods, but to the nameless abominations always connected with such worship.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

21:17-29 Blessed Paul complains that he was sold under sin, Ro 7:14, as a poor captive against his will; but Ahab was willing, he sold himself to sin; of choice, and as his own act and deed, he loved the dominion of sin. Jezebel his wife stirred him up to do wickedly. Ahab is reproved, and his sin set before his eyes, by Elijah. That man's condition is very miserable, who has made the word of God his enemy; and very desperate, who reckons the ministers of that word his enemies, because they tell him the truth. Ahab put on the garb and guise of a penitent, yet his heart was unhumbled and unchanged. Ahab's repentance was only what might be seen of men; it was outward only. Let this encourage all that truly repent, and unfeignedly believe the holy gospel, that if a pretending partial penitent shall go to his house reprieved, doubtless, a sincere believing penitent shall go to his house justified.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The Amorites appear here as representatives of the old Canaanite nations (Genesis 15:16 note). It seems to be implied here that their idolatries were in the main identical with those of the Phoenicians which Ahab had adopted.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

21, 22. will make thine house, &c.—(see on [323]1Ki 15:29 and [324]1Ki 16:3-12). Jezebel, though included among the members of Ahab's house, has her ignominious fate expressly foretold (see 2Ki 9:30).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

The Amorites, i.e. the seven nations of Canaan, all called by this name, as Genesis 15:16 48:22 Amos 2:9,10.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And he did very abominably in following idols,.... Which were abominable to the Lord; "dunghill gods", as the Tigurine version:

according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel; meaning the seven nations that formerly inhabited Canaan, but were driven out for their sins, to make way for the children of Israel, of which the Amorites were one, and here put for all the rest.

Geneva Study Bible

And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

26. he did very abominably] Ahab himself cast aside the worship which his predecessors had inaugurated and followed, and followed Jezebel in her idolatry.

according to all things as did the Amorites] Better, with R.V., according to all that the Amorites did. The Amorites are mentioned probably because, being widely spread, the name had become representative of all the nations cast out before the children of Israel. They were the dwellers on the hills, like the Hittite and the Jebusite. It may therefore be that the Amorite worship and customs had lingered in the hill country of Samaria, and been revived during the idolatrous reign of Ahab.

whom the Lord cast out] The R.V. has usually changed ‘cast’ into ‘drave’ in these passages. See 1 Kings 14:24. There seems no reason why it should not be done here.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 26. - And he did very abominably in following idols [Heb. to go after the idols. For the last word see on 1 Kings 15:12], according to an things as did the Amorites. [Heb. the Amorite - the word is always singular - here put as a nomen generale for the seven nations of Canaan. Cf. Genesis 15:16; 2 Kings 21:11; Ezekiel 16:8; Amos 2:9, 10. Strictly the term Amorite, i.e., Highlander, is in contrast with Canaanite, i.e., dwellers in the lowlands; see Numbers 13:29; Joshua 5:1. But the word is used interchangeably with Canaanite (cf. Deuteronomy 1:44 with Numbers 14:45, and Judges 1:10 with Genesis 13:8), Hittites (Judges 1:10 with Genesis 23:2, 3, 10), Hivites (Genesis 48:22 with Genesis 34:2), and Jebusites (Joshua 10:5, 6, with Joshua 17:63, etc.) The ethnical and geographical ideas of the Jews were never very precise. The idolatries of the seven nations had lingered, as we might expect, amongst the Zidonians, whence they were reintroduced into the kingdom of Samaria - one fruit of disobedience to the command of Deuteronomy 7:1-5, etc.], whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel [Deuteronomy 2:34; Deuteronomy 3:8, 8,etc.] 1 Kings 21:26

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

1 Kings 21:25, 1 Kings 21:26 contain a reflection on the part of the historian concerning Ahab's ungodly conduct, whereby he brought such an ignominious end upon himself and his house. וגו היה לא רק, "only there has not been (one) like Ahab," i.e., there was no one else like Ahab, "who sold himself," etc. הסתּה for הסיתה, from סוּת, to entice, to seduce or lead astray (cf. Ewald, 114, a., and Ges. 72, Anm. 6). ויּתעב, and he acted abominably. Amorites: for Canaanites, as in Genesis 15:16, etc.