2 Chronicleschapter 18

A.Joined by marriage to Ahab and drawn toward Ramoth-gileadvv. 1-11

1 Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance, and he allied himself with Ahab by marriage. 2 And some years later he went down to visit Ahab in Samaria, where Ahab sacrificed many sheep and cattle for him and the people with him, and urged him to march up to Ramoth-gilead. 3 Ahab king of Israel asked Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me against Ramoth-gilead?” And Jehoshaphat replied, “I am like you, and my people are your people; we will join you in the war.” 4 But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire first for the word of the LORD.” 5 So the king of Israel assembled the prophets, four hundred men, and asked them, “Should we go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should we refrain?” “Go up,” they replied, “and God will deliver it into the hand of the king.” 6 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not still a prophet of the LORD here of whom we can inquire?” 7 The king of Israel answered, “There is still one man who can ask the LORD, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good for me, but only bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.” “The king should not say that!” Jehoshaphat replied. 8 So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, “Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once.” 9 Dressed in royal attire, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor by the entrance of the gate of Samaria, with all the prophets prophesying before them. 10 Now Zedekiah son of Chenaanah had made for himself iron horns and declared, “This is what the LORD says: ‘With these you shall gore the Arameans until they are finished off.’” 11 And all the prophets were prophesying the same, saying, “Go up to Ramoth-gilead and prosper, for the LORD will deliver it into the hand of the king.”

B.Micaiah alone: sheep with no shepherd, and a lying spiritvv. 12-22

12 Then the messenger who had gone to call Micaiah instructed him, “Behold, with one accord the words of the prophets are favorable to the king. So please let your words be like theirs, and speak favorably.” 13 But Micaiah said, “As surely as the LORD lives, I will speak whatever my God tells me.” 14 When Micaiah arrived, the king asked him, “Micaiah, should we go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should we refrain?” “Go up and triumph,” Micaiah replied, “for they will be given into your hand.” 15 But the king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear not to tell me anything but the truth in the name of the LORD?” 16 So Micaiah declared: “I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd. And the LORD said, ‘These people have no master; let each one return home in peace.’” 17 Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he never prophesies good for me, but only bad?” 18 Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing on His right and on His left. 19 And the LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel to march up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one suggested this, and another that. 20 Then a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will entice him.’ ‘By what means?’ asked the LORD. 21 And he replied, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ ‘You will surely entice him and prevail,’ said the LORD. ‘Go and do it.’ 22 So you see, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of these prophets of yours, and the LORD has pronounced disaster against you.”

C.Struck on the cheek and fed the bread of afflictionvv. 23-27

23 Then Zedekiah son of Chenaanah went up, struck Micaiah in the face, and demanded, “Which way did the Spirit of the LORD go when He departed from me to speak with you?” 24 Micaiah replied, “You will soon see, on that day when you go and hide in an inner room.” 25 And the king of Israel declared, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king’s son, 26 and tell them that this is what the king says: ‘Put this man in prison and feed him only bread and water until I return safely.’” 27 But Micaiah replied, “If you ever return safely, the LORD has not spoken through me.” Then he added, “Take heed, all you people!”

D.A disguise cannot stop an arrow shot at a venturevv. 28-34

28 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead. 29 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you wear your royal robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle. 30 Now the king of Aram had ordered his chariot commanders, “Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel.” 31 When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “This is the king of Israel!” So they turned to fight against him, but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him. God drew them away from him. 32 And when the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him. 33 However, a certain man drew his bow without taking special aim, and he struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. So the king said to his charioteer, “Turn around and take me out of the battle, for I am badly wounded!” 34 The battle raged throughout that day, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot facing the Arameans until evening. And at sunset he died.

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Chapter summary

Jehoshaphat's one great mistake: he joins affinity with Ahab by marriage, and is drawn into the campaign for Ramoth-gilead.

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Jehoshaphat's one great mistake: he joins affinity with Ahab by marriage, and is drawn into the campaign for Ramoth-gilead. Four hundred prophets promise victory; Jehoshaphat asks for a prophet of Jehovah besides, and Micaiah son of Imlah is fetched with a coaching to agree. His answer: 'As Jehovah liveth, what my God saith, that will I speak.' He sees Israel scattered on the mountains as sheep that have no shepherd, and a lying spirit sent to fill the mouths of the prophets. Imprisoned on bread and water of affliction, he is vindicated within the day: Ahab goes in disguise, and 'a certain man drew his bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the armor.'

Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary and John Wesley, Notes on the Old Testament.

Context

History · Ezra — 2 Chronicles overview

A. 1–11 Joined by marriage to Ahab and drawn toward Ramoth-gilead
B. 12–22 Micaiah alone: sheep with no shepherd, and a lying spirit
C. 23–27 Struck on the cheek and fed the bread of affliction
D. 28–34 A disguise cannot stop an arrow shot at a venture

Top cross-references8 chapters ▾

1 Kings 227 verses
- 1 Kings 22:4So he asked Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to fight against Ramoth-gilead?” Jehoshaphat answered the king of Israel, “I am like you, my people are your people, and my horses are your horses.”
- 1 Kings 22:7But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not still a prophet of the LORD here of whom we can inquire?”
- 1 Kings 22:16But the king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear not to tell me anything but the truth in the name of the LORD?”
- 1 Kings 22:17So Micaiah declared: “I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd. And the LORD said, ‘These people have no master; let each one return home in peace.’”
- 1 Kings 22:21Then a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will entice him.’ ‘By what means?’ asked the LORD.
- 1 Kings 22:26And the king of Israel declared, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king’s son,
- Read 1 Kings 22: 1 more there →
1 Kings 203 verses
- 1 Kings 20:30The rest of them fled into the city of Aphek, where the wall fell on twenty-seven thousand of the remaining men. Ben-hadad also fled to the city and hid in an inner room.
- 1 Kings 20:33Now the men were looking for a sign of hope, and they quickly grasped at this word and replied, “Yes, your brother Ben-hadad.” “Go and get him!” said the king. Then Ben-hadad came out, and Ahab had him come up into his chariot.
- 1 Kings 20:42And the prophet said to the king, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Because you have let slip from your hand the man I had devoted to destruction, your life will be exchanged for his life, and your people for his people.’”
- Read 1 Kings 20 →
2 Kings 32 verses
- 2 Kings 3:7And he sent a message to Jehoshaphat king of Judah: “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to fight against Moab?” “I will go,” replied Jehoshaphat. “I am like you, my people are your people, and my horses are your horses.”
- 2 Kings 3:11But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of the LORD here? Let us inquire of the LORD through him.” And one of the servants of the king of Israel answered, “Elisha son of Shaphat is here. He used to pour water on the hands of Elijah.”
- Read 2 Kings 3 →
Jeremiah 422 verses
- Jeremiah 42:2Jeremiah the prophet and said, “May our petition come before you; pray to the LORD your God on behalf of this entire remnant. For few of us remain of the many, as you can see with your own eyes.
- Jeremiah 42:20For you have deceived yourselves by sending me to the LORD your God, saying, ‘Pray to the LORD our God on our behalf, and as for all that the LORD our God says, tell it to us and we will do it.’
- Read Jeremiah 42 →

4 more chapters this one speaks with

Micah 22 verses
- Micah 2:7Should it be said, O house of Jacob, “Is the Spirit of the LORD impatient? Are these the things He does?” Do not My words bring good to him who walks uprightly?
- Micah 2:11If a man of wind were to come and say falsely, “I will preach to you of wine and strong drink,” he would be just the preacher for this people!
- Read Micah 2 →
Jeremiah 282 verses
- Jeremiah 28:2“This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.
- Jeremiah 28:10Then the prophet Hananiah took the yoke off the neck of Jeremiah the prophet and broke it.
- Read Jeremiah 28 →
Numbers 222 verses
- Numbers 22:18But Balaam replied to the servants of Balak, “If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything small or great to go beyond the command of the LORD my God.
- Numbers 22:35But the angel of the LORD said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but you are to speak only what I tell you.” So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.
- Read Numbers 22 →
2 Chronicles 182 verses
- 2 Chronicles 18:7The king of Israel answered, “There is still one man who can ask the LORD, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good for me, but only bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.” “The king should not say that!” Jehoshaphat replied.
- 2 Chronicles 18:8So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, “Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once.”
- Read 2 Chronicles 18 →

Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.