And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron: and he said, Thus saith the LORD, With these shalt thou push the Syrians, until thou have consumed them.
Zedekiah ... made him horns of iron. Small projections, of the size and form of our candle extinguishers (worn in many parts of the East as military ornaments), were worn by the Syrians of that time, and probably by the Israelite warriors also. This false prophet, who made himself "horns of iron," meant by that symbol to show that the king of Israel should have irresistible power. A horn of iron signifies an oppressive government. In short, Zedekiah, by assuming two horns, impersonated two heroes; and, pretending to be a prophet, wished in this manner to represent the kings of Israel and Judah in a military triumph. It was a symbolic action, to impart greater force to his language (see the notes at Deuteronomy 33:17); but 'it was little, more than a flourish with a spontoon' (Calmet, 'Fragments'). It is curious that the modern dervishes carry about them the horn of a he goat or a wild ox as a defensive weapon.