Rashi on the Former Prophets

In the third year. Since he had released Ben-Hadad.

We have been quiet. We are lazy. Siamo figre, in O.F.

Is there no other prophet of Adonoy? I have a tradition that no two prophets prophesy with the same expression, and these are all saying the same expression.

But only evil. For he said to me, “Because you released the man whom I condemned, etc.”

Go up and be successful. He did not say [it] to him in God’s Name.
And may Adonoy give. If only He deliver it into the king’s hand.

These have no masters. You alone will die in the war, as the matter is stated below, “Do not battle the small or the great, but only with the king of Yisroel himself.” Even though it was stated, “and your people instead of his people,” the drop of blood that came out of the righteous man, Michoyhu, whose friend struck him, striking and wounding him, was an atonement for all Yisroel. So it is explained in the [Midrash] Aggadah.

To His right and to His left. Is there “left” in Heaven? Is it not stated, “The right hand of Adonoy’s is exalted, the right hand of Adonoy performs deeds of valor,” [and,] “Your right hand, Adonoy, is adorned with power; Your right hand, Adonoy, crushes the enemy”? But rather, these are on the right and these are on the left. Those on the right present the case for the defense and those on the left present the case for the prosecution.

And a spirit came forth. The spirit of Navos.

When did the spirit of Adonoy pass? [I.e.,] which way did it pass? This is an abbreviated verse. In Divrei Hayomim it is written, “In what way did [Adonoy’s spirit] pass.”

The king of Yisroel said to Yehoshofot, I will disguise myself and go into battle. To disguise himself and go [into battle]. I will disguise myself, [i.e.,] I will change my royal garments, so that they will not recognize me, for if they recognize me, they will turn toward me to attack.
But you wear your own [royal] garments. That you are wearing, for you are not the king of Yisroel, but the king of Yehudah, and they have no conflict with you.

And Yehoshofot cried out. To the Holy One Blessed Is He.

A man drew. This was Naaman.
Innocently [without aiming]. He was not aware that he was the king of Yisroel.
Between the plates of armor. Some coats of mail are made of layers of scales, in the manner it is stated, “and a coat of mail,” and the scales fall on the holes of the coat and close them, and they are called “דבקים” [=attached].

Stood up in the chariot. He exerted himself and stood so that the [Bnei] Yisroel would not become aware of his wound and flee, for flight is the beginning of defeat.

And the dogs licked his blood. I say that Novos was killed there, for the prophet said, “In the place where the dogs licked the blood of Navos, etc.”
And they washed the weapons [there]. And they washed off blood from the weapons there, [Targum] Yonoson rendered it in this manner. But our Rabbis said, “Achov was a cold person, so Ezevel made for him the image of two prostitutes in his chariot.

The ivory palace. [Made of] elephant tooth [i.e., ivory].

Yehoshofot made peace with the king of Yisroel. Since there was war between Asa his father and Basha the king of Yisroel, it was necessary to say this.

The remainder of the prostitution. Who acted lasciviously in public.

There was no king in Edom. [Beginning with] the time of Dovid, the governor was the king. This was written here because in the days of Yehorom his son who sinned, in his days Edom rebelled and crowned a king for themselves, but in the time of Yehoshofot they were still subordinate to him.

For they [the ships] were broken. Since he joined Achazyahu in this [undertaking], therefore, they were broken. And so did the prophet say to him in Divrei Hayomim, “Because you have allied yourself with a Achazyahu, Adonoy has wrecked your undertakings.”

In the seventeenth year of Yehoshofot. Some wonder about this verse, because it is stated concerning Achov that he reigned twenty-two [years], and concerning Yehoshofot it is stated, that he became king “in the fourth year of Achov,” thus resulting that Achov’s [rule] ended in the nineteenth year of Yehoshofot[’s rule], but here it states that Achazyahu became king in the seventeenth year of Yehoshofot[’s rule]. However, I searched and found in Divrei Hayomim concerning the kings of Yisroel, that [Scripture] is not exact in the number of their years, and if one became king at the end of a year, he counts it at the beginning, but he does not count it elsewhere. Therefore I say that, “in the fourth year of Achov,” that is mentioned in reference to when Yehoshofot became king, does not count with it Achov’s first year [of kingship]. And so you find in the majority [of cases]. Also, the year in which Yehoshofot became king is not included in these seventeen years.