AGRIPPA (a-grm'pa), (Gr. 'A-ypbriras.
Ads, perhaps wild horse tamer). Although of the two I leruds, father and son, who also bore the name of Agrippa, the latter is best known by his Roman 11,1111C, it seems proper to include hint with the other members of the I lerodian dynasty, under the name which he bore among his own people. (See 11 EltoD1 AN FAMILY.) AGUE (aga). See PLAGui:.
AGUR (a'gur), Ieb. ow-rroor'. gathered), the author of the sayings contained in Prov. xxx, which the inscription describes as composed of the precepts delivered by 'Agur, the son of Jakeh,' to his friends 'Ithiel and Veal.' Beyond this everything that has been stated of him, and of the time in which be lived, is pure conjecture. Some writers have regarded the names as an appellativc, but differ as to its signification.
AK ach, brother), or rather Ach, is frequently found, according to the adequate representation of the guttural which is followed in our version, as the first syllable of compound I lebrew proper names. •I'he observations already offered in the article An may be referred to for some illustration of the metaphorical use of the term brother in such combinations, as well as for the law of their construction, whenever the two members are nouns of which one is dependent as a genitive On the other. J. N.
AHAB (a'hal,), (lick lather's brother), son of °tuft and the sixth king of Israel, who reigned twenty-(ne years, from It. C o18 to 8o7. Ahab was. upon the whole, the weakest of all the israditish monarchs, and although tiler( are occasional traits of character which show that Its was not without good feelings and dispositions the history of his reign proves that weakness id character in a king may sometimes be as minnow in its effects as wickedness. Many of the evil: of his reign may be ascribed to the close connect. lion which he formed with the Phonucians.
(1) Phcenieian Influence. There had long been a beneficial commercial intercourse between that people and the Jews, and the relations arising thence were very close in the times of David and Solomon. After the separation of the kingdoms the connection appears to have been continued by the nearer kingdom of Israel, but to have been nearly, if not quite, abandoned by that of Judah.
(2) Jezebel. The wife of Ahab was Jezebel, the daughter of Ethbaal, or Ithobaal, king of Tyre. She was a woman of a decided and energetic character, and, as such, soon established that influence over her husband which such women al ways acquire over weak, and not infrequently also over strong, men.
Ahab, being entirely under the control of Jeze bel, sanctioned the introduction, and eventually established the worship of the Phmnician idols, and especially of the sun-god Baal.
(3) Idolatry. Hitherto the golden calves in Dan and Bethel had been the only objects of idol atrous worship in Israel, and they were intended as symbols of Jehovah. But all reserve and limi tation were now abandoned. The king built a temple at Samaria, and erected an image, and con secrated a grove to Baal. A multitude of priests and prophets of Baal were maintained. Idolatry became the predominant religion; and Jehovah, with the golden calves as symbolical representa tions of him, was viewed with no more reverence than Baal and his image. So strong was the tide
of corruption, that it appeared as if the knowledge of the true God was soon to be forever lost among the Israelites.
(4) Elijah. But a man suited to this emer gency was raised up in the person of Elijah the prophet, who boldly opposed himself to the regal authority, and succeeded in retaining many of his countrymen in the worship of the true God. The greater the power which supported idolatry, the more striking were the prophecies and miracles which directed the attention of the Israelites to Jehovah, and brought disgrace on the idols, and confusion on their worshipers.
(5) Death of Naboth. Hard by his palace in Jezreel, a citizen named Naboth had a vineyard, and Ahab being desirous of obtaining it as a kitchen-garden, demanded that Naboth should sell him his vineyard, or exchange it for a better. Na both absolutely refused to violate the Divine law. in an unnecessary alienation of the inheritance of his fathers. Stung with this refusal, Ahab went home greatly displeased, threw himself on his bed, and would cat nothing. Informed of the cause of his disorder, Jezebel, to comfort him, assured him that she would quickly put him in possession of Naboth's vineyard. By issuing forth orders to the elders of the city, and suborning false witnesses against Naboth, she got hint murdered as guilty of blasphemy and treason. Informed of his death, Ahab went and took possession of his vineyard. In his return borne to Samaria, Elijah met him. and divinely assured him that for his murder of Naboth and seizing of his vineyard, dogs should lick his blood on the spot where they licked the blood of Naboth, or perhaps because they licked it ; that Jezebel his wife should be eaten by dogs by the wall of Jezreel ; and the rest of his family have their carcasses devoured by the dogs in the city, or wild beasts and fowls without it. Terrified with this prediction. Ahab rent his clothes. put on sackcloth and mourned for his conduct. To re ward his repentance, God deferred the full execu tion of the stroke until after his death, in the reign of Jehoram his son ( t Kings xxi). At length the judgment of God on Ahab and his house was pronounced by Elijah, who announced that, during the reign of his son, his whole race should be exterminated.
(6) Death of Ahab. Ahab died of the wounds which he received in a battle with the Syrians, ac cording to a prediction of Micaiah, which the king disbelieved, but yet endeavored to avert by dis guising himself in the action (t Kings xvi xxii :40).
"That Ahab's rule was firm though despotic, and maintained the military traditions inaugurated by Ontri, is indicated by the Moabite Stone, which informs us (lines 7,8) that Omri and his son ruled over the land of Mehdeba (conquered by the former) for 4o years. It was not till the concluding part of Ahab's reign, when he was occupied with his Syrian wars, that Moab rose in insurrection" (Hastings' Bib. Diet.).