1 Kings 22:13-28

Micaiah Prophesies Against Ahab

13 And the messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, "Behold, the words of the prophets with one accord are favorable to the king. Let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak favorably."

14 But Micaiah said, ¹"As the LORD lives, ²what the LORD says to me, that I will speak."

15 And when he had come to the king, the king said to him, "Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we refrain?" And he answered him, "Go up and triumph; the LORD will give it into the hand of the king."

16 But the king said to him, "How many times shall I make you swear that you speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?"

17 And he said, "I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, ³as sheep that have no shepherd. And the LORD said, 'These have no master; let each return to his home in peace.'"

18 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, ⁴"Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?"

19 And Micaiah said, "Therefore hear the word of the LORD: ⁵I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, ⁶and all the host of heaven standing beside him on his right hand and on his left;

20 and the LORD said, 'Who will entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?' And one said one thing, and another said another.

21 Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD, saying, 'I will entice him.'

22 And the LORD said to him, 'By what means?' And he said, 'I will go out, and will be ⁷a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.' And he said, 'You are to entice him, and you shall succeed; go out and do so.'

23 Now therefore behold, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; the LORD has declared disaster for you."

24 Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near ⁸and struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, "How did the Spirit of the LORD go from me to speak to you?"

25 And Micaiah said, "Behold, you shall see on that day when you go ⁹into an inner chamber to hide yourself."

26 And the king of Israel said, "Seize Micaiah, and take him back to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king's son,

27 and say, 'Thus says the king, ¹⁰"Put this fellow in prison and feed him meager rations of bread and water, ¹¹until I come in peace."'"

28 And Micaiah said, "If you return in peace, ¹²the LORD has not spoken by me." And he said, ¹³"Hear, all you peoples!"

1 Kings 22:13-28 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 KINGS 22

This chapter relates, that after three years' peace with the king of Syria, Ahab was inclined to go to war with him, to take Ramothgilead out of his hands; and he drew in Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, to join him in it, 1Ki 22:1-4, but before they went into it, they took advice, Ahab of his four hundred prophets, which Jehoshaphat not being satisfied with, a true prophet of the Lord, Micahah, was sent for, 1Ki 22:5-14 who, when he came, jeered Ahab with what his prophets had said to him; intimated that he should be killed, and explained it to him how he came to be deceived by his prophets, 1Ki 22:15-23 upon which he was smitten on the cheek by Zedekiah, one of the false prophets, and imprisoned by the order of Ahab, 1Ki 22:24-28, after which the two kings went to the battle, and Jehoshaphat was in great danger of his life; but Ahab was wounded, and died, 1Ki 22:29-40, and the chapter is concluded with an account of the reign of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, 1Ki 22:41-50, and of Ahaziah king of Israel, 1Ki 22:51-53.

Cross References

• 1. See 1 Kings 17:1
• 2. Numbers 22:18; Numbers 24:13
• 3. Numbers 27:17; Matthew 9:36
• 4. ver. 8
• 5. Isaiah 6:1; Daniel 7:9; Revelation 4:2
• 6. [Deuteronomy 33:2; Job 1:6; Job 2:1; Psalms 103:21; Daniel 7:10; Hebrews 12:22]
• 7. [Judges 9:23; Ezekiel 14:9; 2 Thessalonians 2:11]
• 8. [Lamentations 3:30; Micah 5:1; Matthew 5:39; Acts 23:2]
• 9. 1 Kings 20:30
• 10. [2 Chronicles 16:10]
• 11. [Judges 8:9]
• 12. [Numbers 16:29; Deuteronomy 18:22]
• 13. Micah 1:2