The Meaning of 1 Kings 22:38 Explained

1 Kings 22:38

KJV: 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.

YLT: 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.

Darby: And one washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked his blood, where the harlots bathed: according to the word of Jehovah, which he had spoken.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does 1 Kings 22:38 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Kings 22:29-40 - The Bow At A Venture Executes God's Sentence
The cup of Ahab's sins was full, and the arrow at a venture executed divine retribution. Had Micaiah not spoken, men would have attributed this apparently chance arrow to misfortune; now, however, it became invested with quite another significance. There is no such thing as chance in this world. The bird does not fall to the ground, the arrow does not find its way to the heart, without a superintending Providence. Whether you live or die, your life is under the immediate supervision of the Almighty. In the battlefield, not a single bullet can hit your beloved, apart from the permitting providence of God. All is under law.
Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand in the evil day. Take the shield of faith, as covering your whole being, lest the joints of the armor open to the fiery darts of your foe. Watch and pray that you enter not into temptation. Note the contrast in the end of these men. The one went to his own place; no disguise could avert his doom. The other seems to have returned to God, 1 Kings 22:32 and 2 Chronicles 18:31, and God gave him years of rest, victory, and prosperity, of which further details are given in 2 Chronicles 19:1-11; 2 Chronicles 20:1-37.
1 Kings 22:1-53 - A Prosperous Nation
What a picture is here given of national contentment and prosperity! We can almost hear the gladsome voice of the myriad-peopled land, teeming with young life and laden with golden harvests. It was the summer of their national existence. The sacred scribe enumerates first the high officials of the court, then the daily provision of the king, his studies, and his fame. Abundant proof was yielded by all these circumstances to the manner in which God kept the pledges which had been made to David, his father.
Here is Solomon "in all his glory," but as we turn from him to the lowly Carpenter of Nazareth, who had nowhere to lay His head; who found His friends among the poor; and who ultimately laid down His life a ransom for many, we realize that, even apart from His divine nature, His was the nobler ideal and the richer existence. "A greater than Solomon is here." Who can measure His empire or resources? What tongue can recount His wisdom? Happy and safe are they that sit at His table, hear His words, and are joint-heirs with Him in His Kingdom! Romans 8:17. [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in 1 Kings 22:38 mean?

And [someone] washed - the chariot at a pool in Samaria and licked up the dogs his blood and while the harlots bathed according to the word of Yahweh which He had spoken
וַיִּשְׁטֹ֨ף אֶת־ הָרֶ֜כֶב עַ֣ל ׀ בְּרֵכַ֣ת שֹׁמְר֗וֹן וַיָּלֹ֤קּוּ הַכְּלָבִים֙ דָּמ֔וֹ וְהַזֹּנ֖וֹת רָחָ֑צוּ כִּדְבַ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבֵּֽר

וַיִּשְׁטֹ֨ף  And  [someone]  washed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁטַף  
Sense: to wash, rinse, overflow, engulf, rinse or wash off.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הָרֶ֜כֶב  the  chariot 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: רֶכֶב  
Sense: a team, chariot, chariotry, mill-stone, riders.
עַ֣ל ׀  at 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
בְּרֵכַ֣ת  a  pool  in 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: בְּרֵכָה  
Sense: pool, pond.
שֹׁמְר֗וֹן  Samaria 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: שֹׁמְרֹון  
Sense: the region of northern Palestine associated with the northern kingdom of the 0 tribes of Israel which split from the kingdom after the death of Solomon during the reign of his son Rehoboam and were ruled by Jeroboam.
וַיָּלֹ֤קּוּ  and  licked  up 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: לָקַק  
Sense: to lap, lick, lap up.
הַכְּלָבִים֙  the  dogs 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: כֶּלֶב  
Sense: dog.
דָּמ֔וֹ  his  blood 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּם  
Sense: blood.
וְהַזֹּנ֖וֹת  and  while  the  harlots 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: זׄנָה  
Sense: fornications.
רָחָ֑צוּ  bathed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: רָחַץ  
Sense: to wash, wash off, wash away, bathe.
כִּדְבַ֥ר  according  to  the  word 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
יְהוָ֖ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
דִּבֵּֽר  He  had  spoken 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.