1 Kings 22:6

6 Therefore the king of Israel gathered together [the] prophets, about four hundred men, and he said to them, Ought I to go into Ramoth of Gilead to fight, either ought I to rest? Which answered, Go thou up, and the Lord shall give it in(to) the hand of the king.

1 Kings 22:6 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 22:6

Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about
four hundred men
False prophets, as the Targum and Arabic version; and they are called Ahab's prophets, and not the Lord's, ( 1 Kings 22:23 ) perhaps these were the prophets of the groves, that ate at Jezebel's table, and were preserved when the prophets of Baal were destroyed, since the number agrees with them, see ( 1 Kings 18:19 )

and said unto them, shall I go against Ramothgilead to battle, or
shall I forbear?
which would you advise to? signifying he should take their advice:

and they said, go up; for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of
the king:
which words are very ambiguous, like the oracles of the Heathens; for they do not express who or what should be delivered up, for the word it is a supplement, nor to what king the delivery should be made; whether the Syrians, and the place they held should be given up to king Ahab, which they would have understood; or whether the Israelites should be delivered up to king Benhadad; so that, whichever had been the case, the credit of their prophecy would be secured. They used the word "Lord", and not Baal, in complaisance to Jehoshaphat, and perhaps as directed by Ahab.

1 Kings 22:6 In-Context

4 And he said to Jehoshaphat, Whether thou shalt come with me to fight in Ramoth of Gilead? And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, As I am, so and thou (I am ready when thou art/What is mine is yours); my people and thy people be one; and my knights and thy knights be one.
5 And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I pray thee, ask thou today the word of the Lord.
6 Therefore the king of Israel gathered together [the] prophets, about four hundred men, and he said to them, Ought I to go into Ramoth of Gilead to fight, either ought I to rest? Which answered, Go thou up, and the Lord shall give it in(to) the hand of the king.
7 Forsooth Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here any (other) prophet of the Lord, that we (may) ask by him?
8 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, One man, Micaiah, the son of Imlah, is left, by whom we may ask the Lord; but I hate him, for he prophesieth not good to me, but evil. To whom Jehoshaphat said, King, speak thou not so. (And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, There is one man left, Micaiah, the son of Imlah, by whom we can ask the Lord; but I hate him, for he never prophesieth good things for me, but only evil. To whom Jehoshaphat said, O king, do not thou say such things!)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.