The Second Book of the Chronicles

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- Chapter 18 -

(1 Kings 22:1–12)

Therefore, Jehoshaphat was wealthy and very famous, and he was joined by affinity to Ahab.(a)

And after some years, he descended to him in Samaria. And upon his arrival, Ahab slaughtered very many sheep and oxen, for him and for the people who had arrived with him. And he persuaded him that he should ascend against Ramoth Gilead.

And Ahab, the king of Israel, said to Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, “Come with me to Ramoth Gilead.” And he answered him: “As I am, so also are you. As your people are, so also are my people. And we will be with you in war.”

And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Consult, I beg you, the word of the Lord for the present circumstances.”

And so the king of Israel gathered together four hundred men of the prophets, and he said to them: “Should we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or should we be quieted?” But they said, “Ascend, and God will deliver into the hand of the king.”(b)

And Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not a prophet of the Lord here, so that we may inquire of him as well?”

And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat: “There is one man, from whom we would be able to ask the will of the Lord. But I hate him, for he never prophesies good to me, but at all times evil. And it is Micaiah, the son of Imlah.” And Jehoshaphat said, “You should not speak in this manner, O king.”

Therefore, the king of Israel called one of the eunuchs, and said to him: “Quickly, summon Micaiah, the son of Imlah.”

Now the king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, were both sitting upon their thrones, clothed in royal vestments. And they were sitting in an open area, beside the gate of Samaria. And all the prophets were prophesying before them.

Truly, Zedekiah, the son of Chenaanah, made for himself horns of iron, and he said: “Thus says the Lord: With these, you shall threaten Syria, until you crush it.”

And all the prophets prophesied similarly, and they said: “Ascend against Ramoth Gilead, and you shall prosper, and the Lord will deliver them into the hand of the king.”

Micaiah Prophesies against Ahab

(1 Kings 22:13–28)

Then the messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him: “Lo, the words of all the prophets, with one mouth, announce good to the king. Therefore, I ask you that you not dissent from them in your word, and that you speak prosperity.”

And Micaiah responded to him, “As the Lord lives, whatever my God will say to me, the same shall I speak.”

Therefore, he went to the king. And the king said to him, “Micaiah, should we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or should we be quieted?” And he responded to him: “Ascend. For everything will come to prosperity, and the enemies will be delivered into your hands.”(c)

And the king said, “Again and again, I bind you by an oath, so that you will not speak to me except what is true in the name of the Lord!”

Then he said: “I saw all of Israel scattered amid the mountains, like sheep without a shepherd. And the Lord said: ‘These have no masters. Let each one return in peace to his own house.’ ”

And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat: “Did I not tell you that this one would not prophesy to me anything good, but only what is evil?”

Then he said: “Therefore, listen to the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting upon his throne, and the entire army of heaven was standing beside him, on the right and on the left.

And the Lord said: ‘Who will deceive Ahab, the king of Israel, so that he may ascend and fall at Ramoth Gilead?’ And when one spoke in one way, and another in another way,(d)

there came forward a spirit, and he stood before the Lord and said, ‘I will deceive him.’ And the Lord said to him, ‘In what way will you deceive him?’

And he responded, ‘I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And the Lord said: ‘You will deceive and prevail. Go forth and do so.’(e)

Therefore now, behold: the Lord gave a lying spirit to the mouth of all your prophets, and the Lord has spoken evil about you.”

Then Zedekiah, the son of Chenaanah, approached, and he struck Micaiah on the jaw, and he said: “In what way did the Spirit of the Lord depart from me, so that he would speak to you?”

And Micaiah said: “You yourself shall see it, in that day, when you will enter a room within a room, so that you may be hidden.”

Then the king of Israel instructed, saying: “Take Micaiah, and lead him to Amon, the leader of the city, and to Joash, the son of Amalech.

And you shall say: ‘Thus says the king: Send this man to prison, and give to him a little bread and a little water, until I return in peace.’ ”

And Micaiah said, “If you will have returned in peace, the Lord has not spoken by me.” And he said, “May all the people listen.”

Ahab’s Defeat and Death

(1 Kings 22:29–40)

And so, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, ascended against Ramoth Gilead.

And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat: “I will change my clothing, and in this way I will go into battle. But you should be clothed in your own garments.” And the king of Israel, having changed his clothing, went to war.(f)

Now the king of Syria had instructed the commanders of his horsemen, saying, “You shall not fight against the least or the greatest, but only against the king of Israel.”

And so, when the leaders of the horsemen had seen Jehoshaphat, they said, “This one is the king of Israel.” And while fighting, they surrounded him. But he cried out to the Lord, and he assisted him, and he turned them away from him.

For when the commanders of the horsemen had seen that he was not the king of Israel, they left him.

Then it happened that one of the people shot an arrow indiscriminately, and it struck the king of Israel between the neck and the shoulder. And so he said to his chariot driver: “Turn your hand, and lead me away from the battle line. For I have been wounded.”

And the fight ended on that day. But the king of Israel was standing in his chariot facing the Syrians, even until evening. And he died when the sun set.

Footnotes

(a)18:1 The term ‘joined by affinity’ refers to a relation by marriage, rather than by blood, so Jehoshaphat marriage a woman who was a blood relative of Ahab.(Conte)

(b)18:5 The truth is not found by observing the majority opinion. Often, a widespread belief is false, and a much less common belief is true.(Conte)

(c)18:14 Perhaps Micaiah was speaking in a sarcastic manner. For he states in a previous verse that he will only speak what the Lord says to him. And next the king immediately recognizes that the statement by Micaiah is lacking in some way. So I conclude that Micaiah was not lying, but was being sarcastic, in a way that was obvious to the king. This sarcasm was justified because the king was listening to hundreds of lying prophets.(Conte)

(d)18:19 Who shall deceive, etc:See the annotations, 3 Kings 22.(Challoner)

(e)18:21 The deceiving spirit was a fallen angel. God did not order him to lie and to deceive, but merely permitted him to do so because of the sins of Israel and of Judah and of their leaders.(Conte)

(f)18:29 The king of Israel was afraid that the prophet’s prophecy might be true. So while the king of Judah was dressed in royal garments, the king of Israel deceitfully changed his garments, intending that the other king be targeted by the enemy.(Conte)

(1 Kings 22:1–12)

Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance; and he allied himself with Ahab.

After some years, he went down to Ahab to Samaria. Ahab killed sheep and cattle for him in abundance, and for the people who were with him, and moved him to go up with him to Ramoth Gilead.

Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me to Ramoth Gilead?” He answered him, “I am as you are, and my people as your people. We will be with you in the war.”

Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire first for the LORD’s word.”

Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall we go to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall I forbear?” They said, “Go up, for God will deliver it into the hand of the king.”

But Jehoshaphat said, “Isn’t there here a prophet of the LORD besides, that we may inquire of him?”

The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD; but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil. He is Micaiah the son of Imla.” Jehoshaphat said, “Don’t let the king say so.”

Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said, “Get Micaiah the son of Imla quickly.”

Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah each sat on his throne, arrayed in their robes, and they were sitting in an open place at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets were prophesying before them.

Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made himself horns of iron and said, “The LORD says, ‘With these you shall push the Syrians, until they are consumed.’”

All the prophets prophesied so, saying, “Go up to Ramoth Gilead, and prosper; for the LORD will deliver it into the hand of the king.”

Micaiah Prophesies against Ahab

(1 Kings 22:13–28)

The messenger who went to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, “Behold, the words of the prophets declare good to the king with one mouth. Let your word therefore, please be like one of theirs, and speak good.”

Micaiah said, “As the LORD lives, I will say what my God says.”

When he had come to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall I forbear?” He said, “Go up, and prosper. They shall be delivered into your hand.”

The king said to him, “How many times shall I adjure you that you speak to me nothing but the truth in the LORD’s name?”

He said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. The LORD said, ‘These have no master. Let them each return to his house in peace.’”

The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?”

Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the LORD’s word: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the army of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left.

The LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth Gilead?’ One spoke saying in this way, and another saying in that way.

A spirit came out, stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will entice him.’ “The LORD said to him, ‘How?’

“He said, ‘I will go, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ “He said, ‘You will entice him, and will prevail also. Go and do so.’

“Now therefore, behold, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these your prophets; and the LORD has spoken evil concerning you.”

Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near, and struck Micaiah on the cheek, and said, “Which way did the LORD’s Spirit go from me to speak to you?”

Micaiah said, “Behold, you shall see on that day, when you go into an inner room to hide yourself.”

The king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah, and carry him back to Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king’s son;

and say, ‘The king says, “Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I return in peace.”’”

Micaiah said, “If you return at all in peace, the LORD has not spoken by me.” He said, “Listen, you people, all of you!”

Ahab’s Defeat and Death

(1 Kings 22:29–40)

So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead.

The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself, and go into the battle; but you put on your robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself; and they went into the battle.

Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of his chariots, saying, “Don’t fight with small nor great, except only with the king of Israel.”

When the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “It is the king of Israel!” Therefore they turned around to fight against him. But Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him; and God moved them to depart from him.

When the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.

A certain man drew his bow at random, and struck the king of Israel between the joints of the armor. Therefore he said to the driver of the chariot, “Turn around and carry me out of the battle, for I am severely wounded.”

The battle increased that day. However, the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot against the Syrians until the evening; and at about sunset, he died.