1 Kings 22:21

21 And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said: I will deceive him. And the Lord said to him: By what means?

1 Kings 22:21 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 22:21

And there came forth a spirit
Not from the heavenly host on the right hand or the left, for they are pure and holy spirits, and impeccable, and cannot lie or deceive; but the evil spirit, Satan, the father of lies, the old deceiver, who came forth from his own place and his own company:

and stood before the Lord
presented himself before him, as Satan did, ( Job 1:6 ) ,

and said, l will persuade him;
or prevail upon him; evil spirits love to be employed in doing harm to men, they go about seeking whom they may devour. This could not be the spirit of Naboth, as the Jews say {q}, seeking revenge on Ahab; that was in a state of happiness, could not move from thence, and be capable of sinning.

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FOOTNOTES:

F17 T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 89. 1. & 102. 2. Targum in 2 Chron. xviii. 20.

1 Kings 22:21 In-Context

19 And he added and said: Hear thou, therefore, the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the army of heaven standing by him on the right hand and on the left:

20 And the Lord said: Who shall deceive Achab, king of Israel, that he may go up, and fall at Ramoth Galaad? And one spoke words of this manner, and another otherwise.

21 And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said: I will deceive him. And the Lord said to him: By what means?

22 And he said: I will go forth, and be a lying spirit, in the mouth of all his prophets. And the Lord said: Thou shalt deceive him, and shalt prevail: go forth, and do so.

23 Now, therefore, behold the Lord hath given a lying spirit in the mouth of all thy prophets that are here, and the Lord hath spoken evil against thee.