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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadPaul Kretzmann Commentary - 1 Kings 22:1 - 22:28
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The Campaign against the Syrians
v. 1. And they continued three years, literally, "they rested," they undertook no further campaigns, without war between Syria and Israel; so long the false friendship lasted.
v. 2. And it came to pass in the third year that Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, came down to the king of Israel; his son having married a daughter of Ahab, he made a formal visit and was entertained most lavishly, 2Ch_18:1 if.
v. 3. And the king of Israel said unto his servants, at some time during Jehoshaphat's visit, Know ye that Ramoth in Gilead, an important fortified city in the country east of Jordan, is ours, both by right of original possession and by covenant with Benhadad, 1Ki_20:34, and we be still, remain inactive in spite of this state of affairs, and take it not out of the hand of the king of Syria?
v. 4. And he said unto Jehoshaphat, whom he intended to gain for his side, Wilt thou go with me to battle to Ramoth-gilead? And Jehoshaphat, who should have kept out of this entangling alliance, said to the king of Israel, I am as thou art, my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses, he pledged himself and all his resources, his entire military power, to the support of Ahab's project.
v. 5. And Jehoshaphat, remembering at least some caution in time, said unto the king of Israel, Enquire, I pray thee, at the word of the Lord today; he wanted to he sure that the undertaking was in agreement with the will of Jehovah.
v. 6. Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, not true prophets of Jehovah, but men who presumed upon the office for the sake of filthy gain, about four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they, who seem to have been at the same time priests of the calf-worship introduced by Jeroboam and therefore were anxious to please the king, whose purpose was so evident, said, Go up; for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king.
v. 7. And Jehoshaphat, not at all satisfied with this farce, said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord besides, a true and genuine prophet of Jehovah, that we might enquire of him?
v. 8. And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah, the son of Imlah, he was immediately available, as some commentators think because he had delivered an unfavorable prophecy to Ahab and had thereupon been placed in prison, by whom we may enquire of the Lord; but I hate him, just as Ahab hated everything else connected with the true worship of Jehovah;for he doth not prophecy good concerning me, but evil. Ahab evidently held the heathen idea that the prophet had some influence over the God whom he served and could be held responsible with his person for an unfavorable oracle. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so; he rebuked Allah for his alleged hatred and his consequent unwillingness to listen to Micaiah.
v. 9. Then the king of Israel called an officer and said, Hasten hither Micaiah, the son of Imlah; he conceded this point for the sake of his scheme.
v. 10. And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, sat each on his throne, having put on their robes, clothed in all their royal finery, as was proper for such a solemn assembly, in a void place, in an open space which had been made level like a threshing-floor, in the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets, those whom Ahab had summoned at first, prophesied before them.
v. 11. And Zedekiah, the son of Chenaanah, made him horns of iron, probably in the form of large spikes which he held against his forehead, this being a symbolical action intended to remind his audience of Deu_33:17; and he said, Thus saith the Lord, With these shalt thou push the Syrians, like a strong wild ox, until thou have consumed them.
v. 12. And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramoth-gilead, and prosper, sure of the victory even in advance; for the Lord shall deliver it into the king's hand.
v. 13. And the messenger that was gone to call Micaiah spake unto him, in an effort to influence him and to shape his prophecy, saying, Behold now, the words of the prophets declare good unto the king with one mouth, there was perfect agreement among them; let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them, and speak that which is good.
v. 14. And Micaiah said, As the Lord liveth, what the Lord saith unto me, that will I speak; as a faithful prophet of Jehovah he would not deviate so much as one inch from the path of his duty.
v. 15. So he came to the king. And the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we forbear? And he answered him, Go and prosper; for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king. Either the prophet's tone of voice or his face must have shown that he was speaking in holy irony, rebuking the king for his hypocritical question, as though he had said: Why the formality? Your mind is made up. Go ahead; march out into the battle-field; for all I may say will not change your mind.
v. 16. And the king, in order to convince Jehoshaphat of a sincerity which he by no means felt, said unto him, How many times shall I adjure thee that thou tell me nothing but that which is true in the name of the Lord? It sounded like zeal for the truth, but was in reality another specimen of hypocrisy.
v. 17. And he, ready now to describe the vision which Jehovah gave him, said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd; and the Lord said, These have no master; let them return every man to his house in peace. The meaning was clear. Ahab would fall in battle, his soldiers would be scattered in the hills of Gilead, they would eventually return to their homes without being pursued.
v. 18. And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, in trying to blame this unfavorable prophecy on the personal enmity of Micaiah, Did I not tell thee that he would prophesy no good concerning me, but evil?
v. 19. And he, Micaiah, said, Hear thou therefore the word of the Lord, an account of a second vision, which explained the attitude of the four hundred prophets: I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right hand and on His left, God appearing here as the great, almighty Ruler of the world.
v. 20. And the Lord said, Who shall persuade Ahab, deceiving or seducing him, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? It is plain that the fall of Ahab was determined in the counsels of God. And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner.
v. 21. And there came forth a spirit and stood before the Lord, evidently the spirit of prophecy represented as a person, and said, I will persuade him.
v. 22. And the Lord said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets, causing them to prophesy falsehoods. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him and prevail also; go forth and do so. Since Ahab had sold himself into the service of sin and hardened his heart against all permanent good influences, therefore the Lord now deliberately gave him up to the destruction which he sought.
v. 23. Now, therefore, behold, the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil concerning thee. This explained the remarkable agreement among the false prophets of Ahab.
v. 24. But Zedekiab, the son of Chenaanah, who had heard this explanation, went near, and smote Micaiah on the cheek, and said, Which way went the Spirit of the Lord from me to speak unto thee? He challenged Micaiah for evidence, being certain that he did not invent the saying which he had so confidently spoken before the king, but overlooking, at the same time, that the application of brute force was no way of establishing his claim.
v. 25. And Micaiah, without resenting the blow inflicted by Zedekiah, said, Behold, thou shalt see In that day when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide thyself, running from one room to another in the excess of his terror over the fulfillment of Micaiah's prophecy.
v. 26. And the king ot Israel said, Take Micaiah and carry him back unto Amon, the governor of the city, in whose care he had therefore been before, and to Joash, the king's son, a prince of the blood, who, with the commandant of the city, had charge of the prisoners,
v. 27. and say, Thus saith the king, Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, with rough prison fare, until I come in peace, for he boldly thought that he would be successful in his campaign.
v. 28. And Micaiah, fully conscious of his divine office, said, If thou return at all in peace, the Lord hath not spoken by me. And he said, Hearken, O people, every one of you! He called upon those present to be witnesses of his word, knowing that his prophecy would surely be fulfilled. Though the godless children of the world are full of hatred against the true servants of the Lord, the latter never hesitate in announcing God's wrath and displeasure upon the children of unbelief, the purpose being to induce them to leave the path of unrighteousness.