1 Kings 22:19
in 1 Kings 22Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right and on His left.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Micaiah said, Therefore hear thou the word of Jehovah: I saw Jehovah sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left.
KJV
And he said, Hear thou therefore the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left.
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This verse in 1 Kings 22
Commentary
8 notes on this verseHow should we interpret the "throne of God" but as the angelic powers over whose minds the Lord presides from on high while he arranges everything below? And what does the "host of heaven" signify but the multitude of the attending angels? And what does …
This site's exposition
I saw the LORD sitting on His throne
on 1 Kings 22:19-20
Micaiah answers Ahab's contempt with a second vision: “I saw the LORD sitting on His throne”. The scene uses the imagery of a royal court. Readers differ on how far to press it: a true sight of the throne room, or a dramatic form for a judgment already settled.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Tell me, John, what do you mean when you say, "No one has ever seen God"? What shall we think about the prophets who say that they saw God? Isaiah said, "I saw the Lord sitting on a high and exalted throne." And, again, Daniel said, "I saw until the thrones were set, and the ancient of days sat." And Micah said, "I saw the God of Israel sitting on his throne." And, again, another prophet said, "I saw the Lord standing on the altar, and he said to me, 'strike the mercy seat.' " And I can gather together many similar passages to show you as witnesses of what I say. How is it, then, that John says, "No one has ever seen God"? He says this so that you may know that he is speaking of a clear knowledge and perfect comprehension of God. All the cases cited were instances of God's condescension and accommodation. That no one of those prophets saw God's essence in its pure state is clear from the fact that each one saw him in a different way. God is a simple being; he is not composed of parts; he is without form or figure. But all these prophets saw different forms and figures.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
I saw - By the eyes of my mind: for he could not see the Lord with bodily eyes. The Host - The angels, both good and bad, the one possibly on his right, the other on his left hand. Nor is it strange that the devils are called the host of heaven; if you consider, first, that their original seat was in heaven.
And he saith, hear thou therefore the word of the Lord,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
David’s Psalms had familiarised the Israelites with Yahweh sitting upon a throne in the heavens (Psa 9:7; Psa 11:4; Psa 45:6; Psa 103:19, etc.); but to be allowed to see in vision the ineffable glory of the Almighty thus seated, was a rare favor. It was granted to Isaiah, to Daniel (marginal references), to Ezekiel Eze 1:26, and in Christian times to Stephen Act 7:56, and John Rev 4:2.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Did I not tell thee that he would prophesy no good concerning me, but evil?--Since Ahab was disposed to trace this unwelcome truth to personal enmity, Micaiah proceeded fearlessly to tell the incensed monarch in full detail what had been revealed to him. The Hebrew prophets, borrowing their symbolic pictures from earthly scenes, described God in heaven as a king in His kingdom.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
I saw the Lord sitting on his throne - This is a mere parable, and only tells in figurative language, what was in the womb of providence, the events which were shortly to take place, the agents employed in them, and the permission on the part of God for these agents to act. Micaiah did not choose to say before this angry and impious king, “Thy prophets are all liars; and the devil, the father of lies, dwells in them;” but he represents the whole by this parable, and says the same truths in language as forcible, but less offensive.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
To His right and to His left. Is there “left” in Heaven? Is it not stated, “The right hand of Adonoy’s is exalted, the right hand of Adonoy performs deeds of valor,” 10 Tehillim:16.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
18 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֕אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לָכֵ֖ן | lakhen | <to> therefore | H3651 → | 771 times |
| שְׁמַ֣ע | shema' | hear | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| דְּבַר־ | devar- | [the] word of | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| יְהוָ֑ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| רָאִ֤יתִי | raiti | I saw | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יְהוָה֙ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| יֹשֵׁ֣ב | yoshev | sitting | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| כִּסְא֔וֹ | kiso | throne his | H3678 → | 135 times |
| וְכָל־ | vekhol | and all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| צְבָ֤א | tzeva' | [the] host of | H6635 → | 485 times |
| הַשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ | hashamayim | the heavens | H8064 → | 421 times |
| עֹמֵ֣ד | ʾomed | [was] standing | H5975 → | 521 times |
| עָלָ֔יו | ʾalav | at him | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| מִימִינ֖וֹ | mimino | from right his | H3225 → | 140 times |
| וּמִשְּׂמֹאלֽוֹ׃ | umisemolo | and from left his | H8040 → | 54 times |
וַיֹּ֕אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
לָכֵ֖ן<to> therefore
lakhenH3651 →771 times
שְׁמַ֣עhear
shema'H8085 →1159 times
דְּבַר־[the] word of
devar-H1697 →1440 times
יְהוָ֑הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
רָאִ֤יתִיI saw
raitiH7200 →1300 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יְהוָה֙Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
יֹשֵׁ֣בsitting
yoshevH3427 →1079 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
כִּסְא֔וֹthrone his
kisoH3678 →135 times
וְכָל־and all
vekholH3605 →5413 times
צְבָ֤א[the] host of
tzeva'H6635 →485 times
הַשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙the heavens
hashamayimH8064 →421 times
עֹמֵ֣ד[was] standing
ʾomedH5975 →521 times
עָלָ֔יוat him
ʾalavH5921 →5755 times
מִימִינ֖וֹfrom right his
miminoH3225 →140 times
וּמִשְּׂמֹאלֽוֹ׃and from left his
umisemoloH8040 →54 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Matthew 18:10See that you do not look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of My Father in heaven.
it leads to
- Hebrews 1:14
Are not the angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 91:11
For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.
- Psalms 34:7
The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and he delivers them.
- Luke 16:22
One day the beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. And the rich man also died and was buried.
- Hebrews 1:14
Through
Job 1:6One day the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them.
it leads to
- Job 2:1
On another day the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them to present himself before Him.
- Job 38:7
while the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
- Zechariah 3:1
Then the angel showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, with Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him.
- Revelation 12:9–10
And the great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
- Job 2:1
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 1 Kings
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, AGAINST THE ANOMOEANS 4:18-19; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil, The Books of the Kings; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Rabanus Maurus, COMMENTARY ON THE THIRD BOOK OF KINGS 22.