Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me?
&c.] Which yet was but an external humiliation, to be seen only with bodily eyes, as were all his actions and postures, before observed. Some Jewish writers
because he humbled himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his
days, but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house;
this was not a pardon, only a reprieve; the sentence pronounced on him and his family was not taken off, nor countermanded, only the execution of it prolonged; it is promised that the destruction of his family should not be in his lifetime, but after his death, in his son's days, otherwise he himself died a violent death, and the dogs licked his blood, as were foretold; however, this may be an encouragement to those who are truly humbled for their sins, and really repent of them, that they shall receive forgiveness at the hand of God, since he showed so much regard to an outward humiliation and repentance.
F9 Bereshit Rabba in Abarbinel in loc.
F11 Pirke Eliezer, c. 43.
F12 Mensal. Colloqu. c. 32. p. 360.