221 And they sit still three years, there is no war between Aram and Israel, 2 and it cometh to pass in the third year, that Jehoshaphat king of Judah cometh down unto the king of Israel, 3 and the king of Israel saith unto his servants, 'Have ye not known that ours 'is' Ramoth-Gilead? and we are keeping silent from taking it out of the hand of the king of Aram!' 4 And he saith unto Jehoshaphat, 'Dost thou go with me to battle 'to' Ramoth-Gilead?' and Jehoshaphat saith unto the king of Israel, 'As I am, so thou; as my people, so thy people; as my horses, so thy horses.' 5 And Jehoshaphat saith unto the king of Israel, 'Seek, I pray thee, to-day, the word of Jehovah;' 6 and the king of Israel gathereth the prophets, about four hundred men, and saith unto them, 'Do I go against Ramoth-Gilead to battle, or do I forbear?' and they say, 'Go up, and the Lord doth give 'it' into the hand of the king.' 7 And Jehoshaphat saith, 'Is there not here a prophet of Jehovah besides, and we seek by him?' 8 And the king of Israel saith unto Jehoshaphat, 'Yet—one man to seek Jehovah by him, and I have hated him, for he doth not prophesy concerning me good, but evil—Micaiah son of Imlah;' and Jehoshaphat saith, 'Let not the king say so.' 9 And the king of Israel calleth unto a certain eunuch, and saith, 'Hasten Micaiah son of Imlah.' 10 And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah are sitting, each on his throne, clothed with garments, in a threshing-floor, at the opening of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets are prophesying before them. 11 And Zedekiah son of Chenaanah maketh for himself horns of iron, and saith, 'Thus said Jehovah, By these thou dost push the Aramaeans till they are consumed;' 12 and all the prophets are prophesying so, saying, 'Go up to Ramoth-Gilead, and prosper, and Jehovah hath given 'it' into the hand of the king.' 13 And the messenger who hath gone to call Micaiah hath spoken unto him, saying, 'Lo, I pray thee, the words of the prophets, with one mouth, 'are' good towards the king; let it be, I pray thee, thy word as the word of one of them—and thou hast spoken good.' 14 And Micaiah saith, 'Jehovah liveth; surely that which Jehovah saith unto me—it I speak.'
15 And he cometh in unto the king, and the king saith unto him, 'Micaiah, do we go unto Ramoth-Gilead, to battle, or do we forbear?' and he saith unto him, 'Go up, and prosper, and Jehovah hath given 'it' into the hand of the king.' 16 And the king saith unto him, 'How many times am I adjuring thee that thou speak nothing unto me but truth in the name of Jehovah?' 17 And he saith, 'I have seen all Israel scattered on the hills as sheep that have no shepherd, and Jehovah saith, These have no master; they turn back each to his house in peace.' 18 And the king of Israel saith unto Jehoshaphat, 'Have I not said unto thee, He doth not prophesy of me good, but evil?' 19 And he saith, 'Therefore, hear a word of Jehovah; I have seen Jehovah sitting on His throne, and all the host of the heavens standing by Him, on His right and on His left; 20 and Jehovah saith, Who doth entice Ahab, and he doth go up and fall in Ramoth-Gilead? and this one saith thus, and that one is saying thus. 21 'And the spirit goeth out, and standeth before Jehovah, and saith, I—I do entice him; and Jehovah saith unto him, By what? 22 and he saith, I go out, and have been a spirit of falsehood in the mouth of all his prophets; and He saith, Thou dost entice, and also thou art able; go out and do so. 23 And now, lo, Jehovah hath put a spirit of falsehood in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and Jehovah hath spoken concerning thee—evil.' 24 And Zedekiah son of Chenaanah draweth nigh, and smiteth Micaiah on the cheek, and saith, 'Where 'is' this—he hath passed over—the Spirit of Jehovah—from me to speak with thee?' 25 And Micaiah saith, 'Lo, thou art seeing on that day, when thou goest in to the innermost chamber to be hidden.' 26 And the king of Israel saith, 'Take Micaiah, and turn him back unto Amon head of the city, and unto Joash son of the king, 27 and thou hast said, Thus said the king, Place ye this one in the house of restraint, and cause him to eat bread of oppression, and water of oppression, till my coming in peace.' 28 And Micaiah saith, 'If thou at all return in peace—Jehovah hath not spoken by me;' and he saith, 'Hear, O peoples, all of them.'
29 And the king of Israel goeth up, and Jehoshaphat king of Judah, to Ramoth-Gilead. 30 And the king of Israel saith unto Jehoshaphat to disguise himself, and to go into battle, 'And thou, put on thy garments.' And the king of Israel disguiseth himself, and goeth into battle. 31 And the king of Aram commanded the heads of the charioteers whom he hath—thirty and two—saying, 'Ye do not fight with small or with great, but with the king of Israel by himself.' 32 And it cometh to pass, at the heads of the charioteers seeing Jehoshaphat, that they said, 'He 'is' only the king of Israel;' and they turn aside to him to fight, and Jehoshaphat crieth out, 33 and it cometh to pass, at the heads of the charioteers seeing that he 'is' not the king of Israel, that they turn back from after him. 34 And a man hath drawn with a bow, in his simplicity, and smiteth the king of Israel between the joinings and the coat of mail, and he saith to his charioteer, 'Turn thy hand, and take me out from the camp, for I have become sick.' 35 And the battle increaseth on that day, and the king hath been caused to stand in the chariot, over-against Aram, and he dieth in the evening, and the blood of the wound runneth out unto the midst of the chariot, 36 and he causeth the cry to pass over through the camp, at the going in of the sun, saying, 'Each unto his city, and each unto his land.'
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 1 Kings 22:1-36
Commentary on 1 Kings 22:1-14
(Read 1 Kings 22:1-14)
The same easiness of temper, which betrays some godly persons into friendship with the declared enemies of religion, renders it very dangerous to them. They will be drawn to wink at and countenance such conduct and conversation as they ought to protest against with abhorrence. Whithersoever a good man goes, he ought to take his religion with him, and not be ashamed to own it when he is with those who have no regard for it. Jehoshaphat had not left behind him, at Jerusalem, his affection and reverence for the word of the Lord, but avowed it, and endeavoured to bring it into Ahab's court. And Ahab's prophets, to please Jehoshaphat, made use of the name of Jehovah: to please Ahab, they said, Go up. But the false prophets cannot so mimic the true, but that he who has spiritual senses exercised, can discern the fallacy. One faithful prophet of the Lord was worth them all. Wordly men have in all ages been alike absurd in their views of religion. They would have the preacher fit his doctrine to the fashion of the times, and the taste of the hearers, and yet to add. Thus saith the Lord, to words that men would put into their mouths. They are ready to cry out against a man as rude and foolish, who scruples thus to try to secure his own interests, and to deceive others.
Commentary on 1 Kings 22:15-28
(Read 1 Kings 22:15-28)
The greatest kindness we can do to one that is going in a dangerous way, is, to tell him of his danger. To leave the hardened criminal without excuse, and to give a useful lesson to others, Micaiah related his vision. This matter is represented after the manner of men: we are not to imagine that God is ever put upon new counsels; or that he needs to consult with angels, or any creature, about the methods he should take; or that he is the author of sin, or the cause of any man's telling or believing a lie. Micaiah returned not the blow of Zedekiah, yet, since he boasted of the Spirit, as those commonly do that know least of the Holy Spirit's operations, the true prophet left him to be convinced of his error by the event. Those that will not have their mistakes set right in time, by the word of God, will be undeceived, when it is too late, by the judgments of God. We should be ashamed of what we call trials, were we to consider what the servants of God have endured. Yet it will be well, if freedom from trouble prove not more hurtful to us; we are more easily allured and bribed into unfaithfulness and conformity to the world, than driven to them.
Commentary on 1 Kings 22:29-40
(Read 1 Kings 22:29-40)
Ahab basely intended to betray Johoshaphat to danger, that he might secure himself. See what they get that join with wicked men. How can it be expected that he should be true to his friend, who has been false to his God! He had said in compliment to Ahab, I am as thou art, and now he was indeed taken for him. Those that associate with evil-doers, are in danger of sharing in their plagues. By Jehoshaphat's deliverance, God let him know, that though he was displeased with him, yet he had not deserted him. God is a friend that will not fail us when other friends do. Let no man think to hide himself from God's judgment. God directed the arrow to hit Ahab; those cannot escape with life, whom God has doomed to death. Ahab lived long enough to see part of Micaiah's prophecy accomplished. He had time to feel himself die; with what horror must he have thought upon the wickedness he had committed!