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How would you interpret I Kings 22:34

Discussion in 'Baptist Theology & Bible Study' started by Pastor_Bob, Oct 29, 2007.

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  1. Pastor_Bob

    Pastor_Bob Well-Known Member

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    1 Kings 22:34 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. (KJV)

    I've heard it interpreted that this archer merely took a random shot in the air and God supernaturally guided the arrow to Ahab's most vulnerable spot in his armor.

    The word venture (lethummo) seems to carry more than that. It may mean that this archer shot with all his skill and strength and had Ahab as his target from the start.

    What do you say?
     
    #1 Pastor_Bob, Oct 29, 2007
  2. Aaron

    Aaron Member
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    I always took it as the archer shot randomly toward Israel's army, but your take is interesting. I'm going to check my parallel version.
     
    #2 Aaron, Oct 29, 2007
  3. TCGreek

    TCGreek New Member

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    I went back and read v. 23 and I believe God used that random shot to kill the king: "So now the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours. The LORD has decreed disaster for you."
     
    #3 TCGreek, Oct 29, 2007
  4. readmore

    readmore New Member

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    This is weird... I always fancied I at least was "scholarly" enough after three years of Bible College to look up Strong's word references, but the Hebrew word I come up with for "venture" in I Kings 22:34 is tôm, not lethummo (at least according to E-Sword). Is this a minor variation in Hebrew versions or am I reading it wrong?
     
    #4 readmore, Oct 30, 2007
  5. Allan

    Allan Active Member

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    You are correct from what I have reveiwed.

    And I to am a little surprized this word is rendered 'random' when it speaks of it being:
    This 'seems' to imply what the OP asserted and that is the archer shot true with completeness of skill (which is the reason it stuck exactly were it did in a mortal wound) but I feel (since I did not do an indepth look yet) that the term 'random' is regarding the the fact they were looking for the King and when the one they were chasing did not 'appear' to be him, the archer to skillful aim at one who was not their intended or specific target but one at random. The skillfulness of the shot does however get overshadowed by the our wording of random, yet it was done in such a manner that the King fell as decreed by God. So it still maintain the supernatural death blow but not in the guiding of the arrow but in the person the archer chose to shoot during the battle.
     
    #5 Allan, Oct 30, 2007
  6. Pastor_Bob

    Pastor_Bob Well-Known Member

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    l·thm·u ​

    לְתֻמֹּו
    to·flawlessness-of·him

    http://www.scripture4all.org/OnlineInterlinear/Hebrew_Index.htm
     
    #6 Pastor_Bob, Oct 30, 2007
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 30, 2007
  7. Logos1560

    Logos1560 Well-Known Member
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    The 1568 Bishops' Bible has the following at 1 Kings 22:34

    And a certain man drew a bow ignorantly, & smote the king of Israel between the ribs and his harness: Wherefore he sayd unto the driver of his chariots, Turn thy hand, and carry me out of the host, for I am hurt.

    The 1599 edition of the Geneva Bible has:

    "Then a certain man drew a bow mightily, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of his brigandine. Wherefore he said unto his chariot man, Turn thine hand, and carry me out of the host: for I am hurt.

    The Geneva edition has a note for "mightily": "Or, in his simplicity, and ignorantly."

    The 1611 edition of the KJV has a marginal note for "at a venture," which is "Heb. in his simplicity."
     
    #7 Logos1560, Oct 30, 2007
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