The Second Book of the Chronicles
2 Chronicles 18
Chapter XVIII · Vol. II, pp. 864–866
1 Jehoshaphat, joined in affinity with Ahab, is persuaded to go with him against Ramoth-gilead. 4 Ahab, seduced by false prophets, according to the word of Micaiah, is slain there.
2 Andc after certain years2 he went down to Ahab to Samaria: and Ahab killed sheep and oxen for him in abundance, and for the people that he had with him, and persuaded him to go up with him to Ramoth-gilead.
3 And Ahab king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat king of Judah, dWilt thou go with me to Ramoth-gilead? And he answered him, I am as thou art, and my people as thy people; and we will be with thee in the war.
d 1 Ki.22.4-35. ch.19.2. 2 Ki.3.7.
4 And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, eInquire, I pray thee, at the word of the LORD to-day.
5 Therefore the king of Israel gathered together of prophets ffour hundred men,3 and said unto them, Shall we go to Ramoth-Gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Gog up; for God4 will deliver it into the king's hand.
f 1 Ki.18.19; 22.6.
3 That is, of those called prophets, from pretending to foretell future events. The word it, fixing the meaning of the response to Ramoth-gilead, is not in the original: so that, like other false oracles, these prophets could have defended their answer, whatever the event had been. Neither is any king specified, so that the delivery might have been to the king of Syria as readily as to the king of Israel.—C.
g Eze.13.3-10,19,22. Je.23.17. Is.30.10. Mi.2.11; 3.11.
4 In 1 Ki. 22. 6 it is Adonai, i.e. the Lord, a name used with greater latitude than Jehovah. Perhaps Jehoshaphat suspected their character from their using that word, which might apply to Baal, or any heathen god. and therefore in the rest of the interview Zedekiah and the others employ the name Jehovah.—I.
6 But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD hbesides, that we might inquire of him?
h Heb. yet, or more, 1 Ki.22.7-27.
7 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet ione man, by whom we may inquire of the LORD: but I hate him; kfor he never prophesieth good unto me, but always evil: the same is Micaiah the son of Imla. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.
8 And the king of Israel called for one of his officers,5 and said, lFetch quickly Micaiah the son of Imla.
5 Or, eunuchs.
l Heb. Hasten, 1 Ki.22.9.
9 And the king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat king of Judah, sat either of them on his throne, clothed in their robes, and they sat in a mvoid place at the entering in of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.
A.M. 3107. B.C. 897.
m Or, floor, 1 Ki.22.10-12. Is.14.9. Eze.26.16. Da.7.9. Mat.19.28,29. The thrashing-floors among the ancient Jews were only, as they are to this day in the East, round level plats of ground in the open air, where the corn was trodden out by oxen. Such was the floor of Araunah the Jebusite, where David erected the altar. Hence a floor might well be near the entrance of Samaria, which was built on a hill, and might afford no improper place for the kings of Israel and Judah to hear the prophets in.—I.
10 And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah had made him nhorns of iron, and said, Thus saith the LORD, With these thou shalt push Syria until they be consumed.
n Je.27.2. Is.20.2-4. Eze.iv.v. 1 Ki.22.11.
11 And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, oGo up to Ramoth-gilead, and prosper; for the LORD shall deliver it into the hand of the king.
o 1 Ki.22.12. Pr.24.24,25. ver.32-34. 2 Pe.2.1. Jude 16. Re.16.13,14; 22.8.
12 And the messenger that went to call Micaiah spake to him, saying, Behold, the words of the prophets declare good to the king pwith one assent; let thy word therefore, I pray thee, be like one of theirs, and speak thou good.
p Heb. with one mouth, 1 Ki.22.13.
14 And when he was come to the king, the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And he said, rGo ye up, and prosper, and they shall be delivered into your hand.6
r La.4.21. Am.4.4,5. Ec.11.9. 1 Ki.18.27; 22.15.
6 Micaiah does not speak in the name of the Lord, but pointing to the false prophets, he repeats their words, as if he had said, Why ask me since these your chosen oracles have so spoken? Besides, he does not say, 'Go ye up' and ye shall 'prosper;' but, 'go ye up and prosper,' and, in that event, 'they shall be delivered;' but that event he does not foretell. The sentence merely requires to be read with the emphasis on prosper, and the prophet stands clear either from using irony or speaking untruth.—C.
15 And the king said to him, How many times shall I sadjure thee that thou say nothing but the truth to me in the name of the LORD?
s 1 Sa.14.24; 3.17. Mat.26.63.
16 Then he said, I did see all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as tsheep that have no shepherd: and the LORD said, These have no master; let them return therefore every man to his house in peace.
t Zec.13.7; 10.2. ver.33,34. 1 Ki.22.17,36. Je.23.1-3.
17 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee that he would not prophesy good unto me, but evil?7
7 Or, but for evil.
18 Again he said, Therefore hear the word of the LORD; I saw uthe LORD sitting upon his throne,8 and all the host of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left.
u Da.7.9,10. Ps.103.20,21. Is.6.1-4. Job 1.6; 2.1. 1 Ki.22.19-22.
8 This prophecy is an emblematic vision, such as is common in other prophecies, for example, in Nebuchadnezzar's vision of the empires, under the emblem of a compound image (Da. 2. 31-45), or Daniel's vision of the beasts (Da. vii.), or the still more complicated, because more particular, visions of John in the Apocalypse.—C.
19 And the LORD said, Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? And one spake saying after this manner, and another saying after that manner.
20 Then there came out a xspirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will entice him. And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith?
x Job 1.6; 2.1. 2 Co.12.7; 2.11. 2 Th.2.9,11.
21 And he said, I will go out, and be ya lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And the LORD said, Thou shalt entice him, and thou shalt also prevail: zgo out, and do even 9so.
y Re.20.8; 12.9. Ho.4.12. Zec.13.2. Jn.8.44.
9 Not a permission, but a command, to inflict a judicial and deserved punishment upon a king who hated truth and loved lies. This does not, however, excuse the lying spirit, or make God the author of his lie: that lying spirit is himself judicially punished when given over, like wicked men, to follow his own wicked inclinations. See Ps.81.12. Ro.1.24,26,28. 2 Th.2.7-12.—C.
22 Now therefore, behold, the LORD ahath put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil against thee.
23 Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near, and bsmote Micaiah upon the cheek, and said, Which way went the Spirit of the LORD from me to speak unto thee?
A.M. 3107. B.C. 897.
b Je.20.2. Mar.14.65. Ac.23.2. 2 Co.12.7. 1 Ki.22.24.
24 And Micaiah said, Behold, cthou shalt see on that day when thou shalt go into dan inner chamber to hide thyself.9
c Is.26.11. 2 Ki.7.2. Je.28.15.
d Heb. a chamber in a chamber, 1 Ki.20.30; 22.25.
9 The prophet meekly answered that the event would determine which of them spake by the Spirit of God, and he would not need information on that head when he should have to conceal himself in the closest recess, 'a chamber or closet within a chamber,' for fear of those who sought his life, in order to punish him as a false prophet, and the cause of Ahab's death.—Scott.
25 Then the king of Israel said, eTake ye Micaiah, and carry him back to Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king's son;
e 1 Ki.19.10; 22.26. Re.2.10. ch.25.16.
26 And say, Thus saith the king, Put this fellow in the fprison, and gfeed him with bread of affliction, and with water of affliction, until I return in peace.
g 1 Ki.22.27. Is.30.20. Ps.80.6.
27 And Micaiah said, hIf thou certainly return in peace, then hath not the LORD spoken by me. And he said, iHearken, all ye people.1
h Nu.16.29. Is.44.26. ch.25.16.
i Mi.1.2. Re.2.7,11,29. Je.22.29. 1 Ki.22.28.
1 That is, the prophet said hearken; thus putting his prophetical character to the test of public and undeniable failure or fulfilment of his prediction.—C.
28 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead.
29 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, kI will disguise2 myself, and will go to the battle; but put thou on thy robes.3 So the king of Israel disguised himself; and they went to the battle.
k 1 Ki.22.30; 14.2; 20.38. ch.35.22; ver.30,31. Ps.12.2; 55.21. Pr.29.5.
2 The Hebrew text has, 'change thy garments and come;' but our translation is countenanced by all the ancient versions and is required by the context. The Sept. and Josephus say that Jehoshaphat wore the royal robes of Ahab, and ver. 31 countenances this, for he was taken for Ahab.—J.
3 See note on 1 Ki. 22.30.—C.
30 Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of the chariots that were with him, saying, Fight ye not with small or great, lsave only with the king of Israel.4
l Horrid ingratitude, 1 Ki. 20. 32-34. Mat.6.6. Pr.12.10.
4 Thus does the wicked king seek to destroy the man that had spared his life, and restored him to liberty and a kingdom, 1 Ki. 20. 31, 34, 42. But ingratitude to man is inseparable from ingratitude to God, Ro.1.21.—C.
31 And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, It is the king of Israel; therefore they mcompassed about him to fight: but Jehoshaphat criedn out,5 and the LORD helped him; and God omoved them to depart from him.
32 For it came to pass, that, when the captains of the chariots perceived that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back again from pursuing him.6
6 Heb. from after him.
33 And a certain man drew a bow pat a venture,7 and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness:8 therefore he said to his chariot-man, Turn thine hand, that thou mayest carry me out of the host; for I am wounded.9
p Heb. in his simplicity, 2 Sa.15.11. Pr.16.9,33.
7 See note on 1 Ki. 22.34.—C.
8 Heb. between the joints and between the breastplate.
9 Heb. made sick.
34 Andq the battle increased that day: howbeit the king of Israel stayed1 himself up in his chariot against the Syrians until the even: and about the time of the sun going down he died.2
q 1 Ki.22.35.
1 See note on 1 Ki. 22.35.—C.
2 This graphic narrative is given almost verbatim as here in 1 Ki. 22.1-35. In Kings a few more particulars are added in reference to the kingdom of Israel. In this place the historian confines himself almost exclusively to what concerns the kingdom of Judah.—P.
Notes
Reflections.—Marriages founded on pride and worldly-mindedness bring dreadful miseries along with them: and the strongest expressions of friendship from wicked men are to be suspected as methods of serving themselves. Their feasts as well as their kisses are deceitful: and even the best men are apt to be ensnared by their caresses and flattery. Often, while such men ought, and profess to consult the Lord, they do but really consult the devil and his agents. And they who are once become familiar with the wicked, must involve themselves in great guilt and pollution; must often join in a patient hearing of the devil's preachers, and witness the injuries done to those who are faithful to Christ. But unhappy are those princes who are surrounded with flatterers and profane clergy! no plague is more ruinous. Let us therefore always encourage friends and ministers to deal faithfully with us. What astonishing power hath Satan, when God once gives up men to his awful delusions! Great multitudes, particularly of the clergy, he carries before him with great unanimity. But hard is the fate of God's faithful servants under rulers who are apostates from God, to be hated, reviled, buffeted, imprisoned, starved, or the like. Suffering for the truth is the hereditary portion of the honest servants of Christ. Yea, those godly persons who cultivate friendship with the wicked, must not wonder if their lives are sought or endangered by their means, and their flatterers lay snares for their life. But righteous are the judgments of God, and exact his fulfilment of his predictions and threatenings.—Men in vain contrive to escape when they have sinned against God.