Walafrid Strabo

“I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, like sheep that have no shepherd; and the Lord said, ‘These have no master; let each one go home in peace.’ ” Through these words [the prophet] shows that [Ahab’s] iniquity is the cause of the slaughter. In fact, if he had been a good and pious shepherd, he would have defeated his enemies with his own forces. Therefore, he shows the way to obtain salvation. “If the Lord is our God,” he says to them, “each one must go home in peace. If you believe in God and want to know from him what you need to do, dismiss the army.”