1 Kings 22:38
New International Version
They washed the chariot at a pool in Samaria (where the prostitutes bathed), and the dogs licked up his blood, as the word of the LORD had declared.

New Living Translation
Then his chariot was washed beside the pool of Samaria, and dogs came and licked his blood at the place where the prostitutes bathed, just as the LORD had promised.

English Standard Version
And they washed the chariot by the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood, and the prostitutes washed themselves in it, according to the word of the LORD that he had spoken.

Berean Standard Bible
And the chariot was washed at the pool of Samaria where the prostitutes bathed, and the dogs licked up Ahab’s blood, according to the word that the LORD had spoken.

King James Bible
And one washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood; and they washed his armour; according unto the word of the LORD which he spake.

New King James Version
Then someone washed the chariot at a pool in Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood while the harlots bathed, according to the word of the LORD which He had spoken.

New American Standard Bible
They washed out the chariot by the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood (it was there that the prostitutes bathed themselves) in accordance with the word of the LORD which He had spoken.

NASB 1995
They washed the chariot by the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood (now the harlots bathed themselves there), according to the word of the LORD which He spoke.

NASB 1977
And they washed the chariot by the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood (now the harlots bathed themselves there), according to the word of the LORD which He spoke.

Legacy Standard Bible
And they washed the chariot by the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood (now the harlots bathed themselves there), according to the word of Yahweh which He spoke.

Amplified Bible
They washed the chariot by the pool [on the outskirts] of Samaria, where the prostitutes bathed, and the dogs licked up his blood, in accordance with the word of the LORD which He had spoken.

Christian Standard Bible
Then someone washed the chariot at the pool of Samaria. The dogs licked up his blood, and the prostitutes bathed in it, according to the word of the LORD that he had spoken.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then someone washed the chariot at the pool of Samaria. The dogs licked up his blood, and the prostitutes bathed in it, according to the word of the LORD that He had spoken.

American Standard Version
And 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.

Contemporary English Version
Some workers washed his chariot near a spring in Samaria, and prostitutes washed themselves in his blood. Dogs licked Ahab's blood off the ground, just as the LORD had warned.

English Revised Version
And 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 the LORD which he spake.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
His chariot was washed at the pool of Samaria, where the prostitutes bathed. The dogs licked up his blood, as the LORD had predicted.

Good News Translation
His chariot was cleaned up at the pool of Samaria, where dogs licked up his blood and prostitutes washed themselves, as the LORD had said would happen.

International Standard Version
They washed the chariot by the reservoir of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood near where the prostitutes went to bathe, in keeping with the message that the LORD had spoken.

Majority Standard Bible
And the chariot was washed at the pool of Samaria where the prostitutes bathed, and the dogs licked up Ahab’s blood, according to the word that the LORD had spoken.

NET Bible
They washed off the chariot at the pool of Samaria (this was where the prostitutes bathed); dogs licked his blood, just as the LORD had said would happen.

New Heart English Bible
They washed the chariot by the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood where the prostitutes washed themselves; according to the word of the LORD which he spoke.

Webster's Bible Translation
And one washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood; and they washed his armor; according to the word of the LORD which he spoke.

World English Bible
They washed the chariot by the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood where the prostitutes washed themselves, according to Yahweh’s word which he spoke.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and [one] rinses the chariot by the pool of Samaria, and the dogs lick his blood when they had washed the armor, according to the word of YHWH that He spoke.

Young's Literal Translation
and one rinseth the chariot by the pool of Samaria, and the dogs lick his blood -- when the armour they had washed -- according to the word of Jehovah that He spake.

Smith's Literal Translation
And one will inundate the chariot in the pool of Shomeron; and the dogs will lick his blood; and the harlots washed, according to the word of Jehovah which he spake.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And they washed his chariot in the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood, and they washed the reins, according to the word of the Lord which he had spoken.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And they washed his chariot in the pool of Samaria. And the dogs licked up his blood. And they washed the reins, in accord with the word of the Lord which he had spoken.

New American Bible
When they washed out the chariot at the pool of Samaria, the dogs licked up his blood and prostitutes bathed there, as the LORD had prophesied.

New Revised Standard Version
They washed the chariot by the pool of Samaria; the dogs licked up his blood, and the prostitutes washed themselves in it, according to the word of the LORD that he had spoken.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And they washed the chariot on the hill of Samaria; and they washed his armor; and the dogs licked up his blood, according to the word of the LORD which he spoke.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And they washed the chariot in Ramtha of Samaria, and they washed his armor, and dogs licked his blood, according to the word of LORD JEHOVAH which he had spoken.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And they washed the chariot by the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood; the harlots also washed themselves there; according unto the word of the LORD which He spoke.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And they washed the chariot at the fountain of Samaria; and the swine and the dogs licked up the blood, and the harlots washed themselves in the blood, according to the word of the Lord which he spoke.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Ahab's Defeat and Death
37So the king died and was brought to Samaria, where they buried him. 38And the chariot was washed at the pool of Samaria where the prostitutes bathed, and the dogs licked up Ahab’s blood, according to the word that the LORD had spoken. 39As for the rest of the acts of Ahab, along with all his accomplishments and the ivory palace and all the cities he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?…

Cross References
2 Chronicles 18:19-22
And the LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel to march up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one suggested this, and another that. / Then a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will entice him.’ ‘By what means?’ asked the LORD. / And he replied, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ ‘You will surely entice him and prevail,’ said the LORD. ‘Go and do it.’ ...

2 Chronicles 18:33-34
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!” / The battle raged throughout that day, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot facing the Arameans until evening. And at sunset he died.

2 Kings 9:25-26
And Jehu said to Bidkar his officer, “Pick him up and throw him into the field of Naboth the Jezreelite. For remember that when you and I were riding together behind his father Ahab, the LORD lifted up this burden against him: / ‘As surely as I saw the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons yesterday, declares the LORD, so will I repay you on this plot of ground, declares the LORD.’ Now then, according to the word of the LORD, pick him up and throw him on the plot of ground.”

2 Kings 9:36-37
So they went back and told Jehu, who replied, “This is the word of the LORD, which He spoke through His servant Elijah the Tishbite: ‘On the plot of ground at Jezreel the dogs will devour the flesh of Jezebel. / And Jezebel’s body will lie like dung in the field on the plot of ground at Jezreel, so that no one can say: This is Jezebel.’”

Psalm 68:23
that your foot may be dipped in the blood of your foes—the tongues of your dogs in the same.”

Revelation 19:17-18
Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out in a loud voice to all the birds flying overhead, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God, / so that you may eat the flesh of kings and commanders and mighty men, of horses and riders, of everyone slave and free, small and great.”

Ezekiel 39:17-19
And as for you, son of man, this is what the Lord GOD says: Call out to every kind of bird and to every beast of the field: ‘Assemble and come together from all around to the sacrificial feast that I am preparing for you, a great feast on the mountains of Israel. There you will eat flesh and drink blood. / You will eat the flesh of the mighty and drink the blood of the princes of the earth as though they were rams, lambs, goats, and bulls—all the fattened animals of Bashan. / At the sacrifice I am preparing, you will eat fat until you are gorged and drink blood until you are drunk.

Jeremiah 15:3
I will appoint over them four kinds of destroyers, declares the LORD: the sword to kill, the dogs to drag away, and the birds of the air and beasts of the earth to devour and destroy.

Deuteronomy 28:26
Your corpses will be food for all the birds of the air and beasts of the earth, with no one to scare them away.

1 Kings 21:19
Tell him that this is what the LORD says: ‘Have you not murdered a man and seized his land?’ Then tell him that this is also what the LORD says: ‘In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth, there also the dogs will lick up your blood—yes, yours!’”

1 Kings 21:23
And the LORD also speaks concerning Jezebel: ‘The dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.’

1 Kings 21:27-29
When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and fasted. He lay down in sackcloth and walked around meekly. / Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying: / “Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity during his days, but I will bring it upon his house in the days of his son.”

2 Samuel 12:9-10
Why then have you despised the command of the LORD by doing evil in His sight? You put Uriah the Hittite to the sword and took his wife as your own. You have slain him with the sword of the Ammonites. / Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’

2 Samuel 12:13-14
Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” “The LORD has taken away your sin,” Nathan replied. “You will not die. / Nevertheless, because by this deed you have shown utter contempt for the word of the LORD, the son born to you will surely die.”

Matthew 23:35
And so upon you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.


Treasury of Scripture

And one washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood; and they washed his armor; according to the word of the LORD which he spoke.

and the dogs

1 Kings 21:19
And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine.

Joshua 23:14,15
And, behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth: and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the LORD your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof…

Isaiah 44:25,26
That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish; …

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Armor Armour Bathed Blood Chariot Declared Dogs Drinking Harlots Lick Licked Pool Prostitutes Samaria Sama'ria Themselves War-Carriage Washed Women Word
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1 Kings 22
1. Ahab, seduced by false prophets, by Michaiah's word, is slain at Ramoth Gilead
37. The dogs lick up his blood, and Ahaziah succeeds him
41. Jehoshaphat's good reign
45. His acts
46. Jehoram succeeds him
51. Ahaziah's evil reign














And someone washed the chariot
This phrase indicates a mundane yet significant act following the death of King Ahab. The washing of the chariot symbolizes the attempt to cleanse the physical remnants of Ahab's demise. In Hebrew, the word for "washed" is "רָחַץ" (rachatz), which often implies a ritualistic or thorough cleansing. This act at the pool of Samaria underscores the finality of Ahab's reign and the futility of earthly power when contrasted with divine judgment.

at the pool of Samaria
The pool of Samaria serves as a geographical and symbolic location. Samaria was the capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, established by King Omri, Ahab's father. The pool, likely a public place, emphasizes the public nature of Ahab's downfall. Archaeologically, Samaria was a significant city, and its ruins today reflect its historical importance. The pool's mention highlights the intersection of daily life and divine prophecy.

where the prostitutes bathed
This phrase adds a layer of moral and spiritual commentary. The presence of prostitutes at the pool suggests a place of moral compromise, reflecting the spiritual state of Israel under Ahab's rule. The Hebrew term for "prostitutes" is "זֹנוֹת" (zonot), often associated with idolatry and unfaithfulness to God. This setting underscores the degradation of Ahab's kingdom and the consequences of turning away from God's commandments.

and the dogs licked up his blood
This vivid imagery fulfills the prophecy given by Elijah in 1 Kings 21:19. The act of dogs licking blood was considered a disgraceful end, especially for a king. In ancient Near Eastern culture, dogs were often seen as unclean scavengers. The Hebrew word for "dogs" is "כְּלָבִים" (kelavim), emphasizing the ignoble nature of Ahab's death. This fulfillment of prophecy serves as a stark reminder of God's sovereignty and the certainty of His word.

as the word of the LORD had declared
This phrase reaffirms the reliability and authority of God's word. The Hebrew term for "word" is "דָּבָר" (davar), which signifies not just a spoken word but a matter or thing decreed. The fulfillment of God's declaration through Elijah highlights the theme of divine justice and the inevitable consequences of disobedience. It serves as a powerful reminder to the faithful of the importance of heeding God's commands and trusting in His promises.

(38) They washed his armour.--There seems little doubt that this is a mistranslation, and that the LXX. rendering (supported also by Josephus) is correct: "And the harlots bathed in it," that is, in the bloodstained pool, the usual public bathing-place of their shamelessness. The dog and the harlot are the animal and human types of uncleanness.

According unto the word of the Lord.--The reference to the emphatic prophecy of Elijah is unmistakable, and the context fixes its fulfilment plainly as having taken place in Samaria. The difficulty is, of course, the notice in 2Kings 9:25, where the dead body of Jehoram is cast "in the portion of the field of Naboth," evidently at Jezreel; with quotation of the "burden of the Lord laid upon him," "I will requite thee in this plot, saith the Lord." The reconcilement is, with our knowledge, difficult, if not impossible. But the reference in the text is so much clearer, that it must outweigh the other. Naboth, in any case, is likely to have had land in his native place, which would be forfeited to the king; and there would still be an appropriate judgment in making it also the scene of the dishonoured death of the last king of Ahab's house. We may notice, moreover, that the quotation in 2 Kings 9 is not taken from Elijah's words against Ahab, nor does it contain the characteristic notice of the "dogs licking the blood;" though it is noticed as a fulfilment of the subsequent prophecy of chapter 21:24 against Ahab's house.

Verse 38. - And one washed the chariot in [or at; Heb. עַל] the pool of Samaria. [Nearly all Eastern cities had their tanks or pools, often outside the city gate. Jerusalem has several of these, and we read of one at Hebron (2 Samuel 14:12) and Gibeon (2 Samuel 2:13). Cf. Song of Solomon 7:4. The Hebrew word בְּרֵכָה is preserved in the modern Arabic Birkeh]; and the dogs [The LXX. has the swine and the dogs. The mention of swine is hardly likely to have been omitted, had it formed part of the original text] licked up his blood [cf. 1 Kings 21:19, note. According to Josephus, the chariot was washed "in the fountain of Jezreel." The alteration would appear to have been made to avoid the difficulty occasioned by the discrepancy between the statement of the text, and that of 1 Kings 21:19], and they washed his armour [So the Chaldaic and the Syriac. But this translation is now abandoned,

(1) because it is contrary to the usage of the language to make זֹנות the object; and

(2) because that word occurs in the Old Testament only in the sense of harlots (Bahr). The true meaning is that given by the LXX., καὶ αἱ πόρναι ἐλούσαντο. רָחַץdoes not require any object such as "chariot," or "corpse," for it is found in the sense of bathe (intrans.) in Exodus 2:5; Numbers 19:19; Ruth 3:3; 2 Kings 5:10. Bahr reminds us that harlots are elsewhere associated with dogs (Deuteronomy 23:19; Revelation 22:15). This fact is mentioned as a proof of the just judgment of God. Even if these harlots were not prostitutes devoted to the service of the Phoenician deities, whose cultus Ahab had sought to establish in Israel, still the result of his religious policy had been the spread of prostitution. It is a fine example of the lex tolionis. "He which is filthy, let him be filthy still"]; according unto the word of the Lord which he spake [the reference is to 1 Kings 21:19].

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
And [someone] washed
וַיִּשְׁטֹ֨ף (way·yiš·ṭōp̄)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7857: To gush, to inundate, cleanse, to gallop, conquer

the chariot
הָרֶ֜כֶב (hā·re·ḵeḇ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7393: A vehicle, a team, cavalry, a rider, the upper millstone

at
עַ֣ל ׀ (‘al)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the pool
בְּרֵכַ֣ת (bə·rê·ḵaṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 1295: A pool, pond

of Samaria
שֹׁמְר֗וֹן (šō·mə·rō·wn)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 8111: Samaria -- capital of northern kingdom of Israel

where the prostitutes
וְהַזֹּנ֖וֹת (wə·haz·zō·nō·wṯ)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 2185: Harlots

bathed,
רָחָ֑צוּ (rā·ḥā·ṣū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 7364: To wash, wash off or away, bathe

and the dogs
הַכְּלָבִים֙ (hak·kə·lā·ḇîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3611: A dog, a male prostitute

licked up
וַיָּלֹ֤קּוּ (way·yā·lōq·qū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 3952: To lick, lap

[Ahab's] blood,
דָּמ֔וֹ (dā·mōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1818: Blood, of man, an animal, the juice of the grape, bloodshed

according to the word
כִּדְבַ֥ר (kiḏ·ḇar)
Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause

that the LORD
יְהוָ֖ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

had spoken.
דִּבֵּֽר׃ (dib·bêr)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1696: To arrange, to speak, to subdue


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OT History: 1 Kings 22:38 They washed the chariot by the pool (1Ki iKi i Ki 1 Kg 1kg)
1 Kings 22:37
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