1st Kings Chapter 22

From The Open Bible Project

22:1 They continued three years without war between Syria and Israel.

• (a) Ben-hadad the king of Syria, and Ahab made a peace which endured three years.

22:2 It happened in the third year, that Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel.

• (b) To see and visit him.

22:3 The king of Israel said to his servants, "You know that Ramoth Gilead is ours, and we are still, and don't take it out of the hand of the king of Syria?"

• (c) The kings of Syria kept Ramoth before this league was made by Benhadad: therefore he did not think he was bound by it to restore it.

22:4 He said to Jehoshaphat, "Will you go with me to battle to Ramoth Gilead?" Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, "I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses."

• (d) I am ready to join and go with you , and all of mine is at your command.

22:5 Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, "Please inquire first for the word of Yahweh."

• (e) He seemed that he would not go to war unless God approved it, yet when Michaiah advised the opposite he would not obey.

22:6 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, "Shall I go against Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall I forbear?" They said, "Go up; for the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the king."

• (f) Meaning the false prophets, who were liars and served for money whom Jezebel had assembled and kept after the death of those whom Elijah slew.

22:7 But Jehoshaphat said, "Isn't there here a prophet of Yahweh, that we may inquire of him?"

• (g) Jehoshaphat did not acknowledge the false prophets to be God’s ministers, but contemned them.

22:8 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of Yahweh, Micaiah the son of Imlah; but I hate him; for he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil." Jehoshaphat said, "Don't let the king say so."

• (h) By which we see that the wicked cannot abide to hear the truth, but hate the prophets of God and molest them.

22:9 Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said, "Quickly get Micaiah the son of Imlah."

• (i) Read (Genesis 37:36).

22:10 Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting each on his throne, arrayed in their robes, in an open place at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets were prophesying before them.

• (k) In their kingly apparel.

22:11 Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron, and said, "Thus says Yahweh, 'With these you shall push the Syrians, until they are consumed.'"

• (i) The true prophets of God were accustomed to use signs for the confirmation of their doctrine, (Isaiah 20:2; Jeremiah 7:2) in which the false prophets imitated them, thinking by it to make their doctrine more believable.

22:12 All the prophets prophesied so, saying, "Go up to Ramoth Gilead, and prosper; for Yahweh will deliver it into the hand of the king."

22:13 The messenger who went to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, "See now, the the prophets declare good to the king with one mouth. Please let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak good."

• (m) This is the common argument of the wicked, who think that no one should speak against anything if the majority approves of it, be they ever so ungodly.

22:14 Micaiah said, "As Yahweh lives, what Yahweh says to me, that I will speak."

22:15 When he had come to the king, the king said to him, "Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall we forbear?" He answered him, "Go up and prosper; and Yahweh will deliver it into the hand of the king."

• (n) He speaks this in derision, because the king attributed so much to the false prophets, meaning that by experience he should discern that they were liars.

22:16 The king said to him, "How many times do I have to adjure you that you speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of Yahweh?"

22:17 He said, "I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. Yahweh said, 'These have no master. Let them each return to his house in peace.'"

• (o) It is better for them to return home than to be punished and scattered because they go to war without God’s counsel and approval.

22:18 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Didn't I tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?"

22:19 Micaiah said, "Therefore hear the word of Yahweh. I saw Yahweh sitting on his throne, and all the army of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left.

• (p) Meaning, his angels.

22:20 Yahweh said, 'Who shall entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth Gilead?' One said one thing; and another said another.

22:21 A spirit came out and stood before Yahweh, and said, 'I will entice him.'

• (q) Here we see that though the devil is always ready to bring us to destruction, yet he has no more power than God gives him.

22:22 Yahweh said to him, 'How?' He said, 'I will go out and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.' He said, 'You will entice him, and will also prevail. Go out and do so.'

• (r) I will cause all his prophets to tell lies.

22:23 Now therefore, behold, Yahweh has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; and Yahweh has spoken evil concerning you."

22:24 Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near, and struck Micaiah on the cheek, and said, "Which way did the Spirit of Yahweh go from me to speak to you?"

• (s) Thus the wicked would that none were in the favour of God but they, and that God has given his graces to none so much as to them.

22:25 Micaiah said, "Behold, you will see on that day, when you go into an inner chamber to hide yourself."

22:26 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.

22:27 Say, 'Thus says the king, "Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I come in peace."'"

• (t) Let him waste away with hunger and be fed with a small portion of bread and water.

22:28 Micaiah said, "If you return at all in peace, Yahweh has not spoken by me." He said, "Listen, all you people!"

• (v) That when you see these things come to pass you may give God the glory, and know that I am his true prophet.

22:29 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead.

22:30 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "I will disguise myself, and go into the battle; but you put on your robes." The king of Israel disguised himself, and went into the battle.

22:31 Now the king of Syria had commanded the thirty-two captains of his chariots, saying, Fight neither with small nor great, except only with the king of Israel.

22:32 It happened, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, "Surely that is the king of Israel!" and they turned aside to fight against him. Jehoshaphat cried out.

• (x) That is, to the Lord for help.

22:33 It happened, when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him.

22:34 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 his chariot, "Turn your hand, and carry me out of the battle; for I am severely wounded."

22:35 The battle increased that day. The king was propped up in his chariot facing the Syrians, and died at evening. The blood ran out of the wound into the bottom of the chariot.

• (y) That is, Ahab, king of Israel.

22:36 A cry went throughout the army about the going down of the sun, saying, "Every man to his city, and every man to his country!"

• (z) Of the Israelites.

22:37 So the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria.

22:38 They washed the chariot by the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood where the prostitutes washed themselves; according to the word of Yahweh which he spoke.

22:39 Now the rest of the acts of Ahab, and all that he did, and the ivory house which he built, and all the cities that he built, aren't they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

22:40 So Ahab slept with his fathers; and Ahaziah his son reigned in his place.

22:41 Jehoshaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel.

22:42 Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.

22:43 He walked in all the way of Asa his father; He didn't turn aside from it, doing that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh: however the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.

• (a) Meaning, that he was led with an error, thinking that they might still sacrifice to the Lord in those places, as they did before the temple was built.

22:44 Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel.

22:45 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might that he showed, and how he warred, aren't they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

22:46 The remnant of the sodomites, that remained in the days of his father Asa, he put away out of the land.

22:47 There was no king in Edom: a deputy was king.

• (b) In the time of this king, Idumea was subject to Judah, and was governed by whom they of Judah appointed.

22:48 Jehoshaphat made ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold: but they didn't go; for the ships were broken at Ezion Geber.

• (c) By Tharshish the scripture means Cilicia and all the Mediterranean Sea.
• (d) Josephus writes that Ophir is in India, where the Egyptians and Arabians traffic for gold.

22:49 Then Ahaziah the son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, "Let my servants go with your servants in the ships." But Jehoshaphat would not.

22:50 Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father; Jehoram his son reigned in his place.

22:51 Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned two years over Israel.

22:52 He did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, in which he made Israel to sin.

22:53 He served Baal, and worshiped him, and provoked to anger Yahweh, the God of Israel, according to all that his father had done.