1 Kings 22:11

And Zedekiah [This name = "Justice of Jehovah," is one of the proofs that these cannot have been prophets of Baal, as Stanley and others suppose] the son of Chenaanah [= "Canaanitess." But we gather from 1 Chronicles 7:10 that this, like Shelomith, was a man's name. The Benjamite there mentioned may be identical with the father (or ancestor) of Zedekiah] made him [Rawlinson would translate, had made him," He says that the horns must have "been made previously, in expectation of some such occasion as that now afforded him." But it is quite conceivable that during the prophesyings, which clearly lasted some time, the idea occurred to Zedekiah, and it would not take long to put it into execution] horns of Iron [Thenius understands that these were iron spikes held on the forehead. But the reference is clearly to the horns of a bullock, and the appropriateness of the prophetic act is only manifest when we remember that Ephraim is compared to a bullock ( Deuteronomy 33:17 ), and more, that Moses spake beforehand of the strength of his horns, and predicted that with them he should " push the people together to the ends of the earth." Not only, that is to say, was the horn a familiar Oriental symbol of power ( 1 Samuel 2:1 , 1 Samuel 2:10 ; 2 Samuel 22:3 ; Psalms 89:24 ; Psalms 92:10 ; Daniel 7:21 ; Daniel 8:8 , etc.), but it was identified in a peculiar manner with the powerful tribe of Ephraim; in ether words, with the kingdom of Israel This symbolical act was not necessarily an imitation of the action of Ahijah ( 1 Kings 11:30 ). Such acted parables were not uncommon among the prophets ( 2 Kings 13:15 ; Isaiah 20:2 ; Jeremiah 13:1 ; Jeremiah 19:10 ; Jeremiah 32:9 sqq.; Ezekiel 4:5 .; Acts 21:11 )]: and he said, Thus saith the Lord [Heb. Jehovah . He now uses the sacred name; no doubt because of Jehoshaphat's demand, verse 7], With these shalt thou push [the word of Deuteronomy 33:17 ] the Syrians, until thou have consumed then.