1 Kings 22:15
in 1 Kings 22When 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 the LORD will give it into the hand of the king.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And when he was come to the king, the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we forbear? And he answered him, Go up and prosper; and Jehovah will deliver it into the hand of the king.
KJV
So he came to the king. And the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go against Ramoth–gilead to battle, or shall we forbear? And he answered him, Go, and prosper: for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king.
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This verse in 1 Kings 22
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
And he answered him ... - Micaiah speaks the exact words of the 400 in so mocking and ironical a tone, that the king cannot mistake his meaning, or regard his answer as serious. The king’s rejoinder implies that this mocking manner was familiar to Micaiah, who had used it in some former dealings with the Israelite monarch. Hence, in part, the king’s strong feeling of dislike (compare 1Ki 22:8).
This site's exposition
or should we refrain
Micaiah's first answer, “Go up and triumph”, “for the LORD will give it into the hand of the king”, repeats the four hundred. Ahab, who wanted this answer from anyone else, recognizes mimicry rather than agreement and presses him again in the next verse.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
They say, The Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king; but I do not tell thee that thus saith the Lord; no, he saith otherwise." Note, Those deserve to be bantered that love to be flattered; and it is just with God to give up those to their own counsels that give up themselves to their own lusts.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
Go - Using the very words of the false prophets, in way of derision. Micaiah's meaning is plainly this, because thou dost not seek to know the truth, but only to please thyself, go to the battle, as all thy prophets advise thee, and try the truth of their prediction by thy own experience.
So he came to the king,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
what the Lord saith unto me, that will I speak--On the way the messenger who conducted [Micaiah] to the royal presence informed him of the tenor of the prophecies already given and recommended him to agree with the rest, no doubt from the kindly motive of seeing him released from imprisonment.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
Go, and prosper - This was a strong irony; as if he had said, All your prophets have predicted success; you wish me to speak as they speak: Go, and prosper; for the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the king. These were the precise words of the false prophets, (see 1Ki 22:6, 1Ki 22:12), and were spoken by Micaiah in such a tone and manner as at once showed to Ahab that he did not believe them; hence the king adjures him, 1Ki 22:16, that he would speak to him nothing but truth; and on this the prophet immediately relates to him the prophetic vision which pointed out the disasters which ensued. It is worthy of remark that this prophecy of the king’s prophets is couched in the same ambiguous terms by which the false prophets in the heathen world endeavored to maintain their credit, while they deluded their votaries. The reader will observe that the word it is not in the original: The Lord will deliver It into the hand of the king; and the words are so artfully constructed that they may be interpreted for or against; so that, be the event whatever it might, the juggling prophet could save his credit by saying he meant what had happened. Thus then the prophecy might have been understood: The Lord will deliver (Ramoth-gilead) into the king’s (Ahab’s) hand; or, The Lord will deliver (Israel) into the king’s hand; i.e., into the hand of the king of Syria. And Micaiah repeats these words of uncertainty in order to ridicule them and expose their fallacy. The following oracles among the heathens were of this same dubious nature, in order that the priests’ credit might be saved, let the event turn out as it might. […]
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
Go up and be successful. He did not say [it] to him in God’s Name. 6 He was merely wishing him good luck, or giving him a blessing that he succeed.—Metzudas Dovid
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
22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיָּבוֹא֮ | vaiyavo' | and he came | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַמֶּלֶךְ֒ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| וַיֹּ֨אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| אֵלָ֗יו | ʾelav | to him | H413 → | 5510 times |
| מִיכָ֙יְהוּ֙ | mikhayehu | O Micaiah | H4321 → | 21 times |
| הֲנֵלֵ֞ךְ | hanelekh | ¿ will we go | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | against | H413 → | 5510 times |
| רָמֹ֥ת | ramot | Ramoth | H7418 → | 22 times |
| גִּלְעָ֛ד | gilad | Gilead | H1568 → | 134 times |
| לַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה | lamilchamah | for <the> battle | H4421 → | 320 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | or? | H518 → | 1069 times |
| נֶחְדָּ֑ל | nechdal | will we refrain | H2308 → | 58 times |
| וַיֹּ֤אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֵלָיו֙ | ʾelav | to him | H413 → | 5510 times |
| עֲלֵ֣ה | ʾaleh | go up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| וְהַצְלַ֔ח | vehatzlach | and succeed | H6743 → | |
| וְנָתַ֥ן | venatan | and he will give [it] | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| יְהוָ֖ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| בְּיַ֥ד | beyad | in [the] hand of | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
וַיָּבוֹא֮and he came
vaiyavo'H935 →2568 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הַמֶּלֶךְ֒the king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
וַיֹּ֨אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
הַמֶּ֜לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
אֵלָ֗יוto him
ʾelavH413 →5510 times
מִיכָ֙יְהוּ֙O Micaiah
mikhayehuH4321 →21 times
הֲנֵלֵ֞ךְ¿ will we go
hanelekhH1980 →1546 times
אֶל־against
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
רָמֹ֥תRamoth
ramotH7418 →22 times
גִּלְעָ֛דGilead
giladH1568 →134 times
לַמִּלְחָמָ֖הfor <the> battle
lamilchamahH4421 →320 times
אִם־or?
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
נֶחְדָּ֑לwill we refrain
nechdalH2308 →58 times
וַיֹּ֤אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
אֵלָיו֙to him
ʾelavH413 →5510 times
עֲלֵ֣הgo up
ʾalehH5927 →890 times
וְהַצְלַ֔חand succeed
vehatzlachH6743 →
וְנָתַ֥ןand he will give [it]
venatanH5414 →2011 times
יְהוָ֖הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
בְּיַ֥דin [the] hand of
beyadH3027 →1618 times
הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃the king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 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
Ecclesiastes 11:9Rejoice, O young man, while you are young, and let your heart be glad in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and in the sight of your eyes,…
it leads to
- Ecclesiastes 12:14
For God will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether good or evil.
- 1 John 2:15–16
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
- Ecclesiastes 12:1
Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of adversity come and the years approach of which you will say, “I find no pleasure in them,”
- Lamentations 3:27
It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is still young.
- Ecclesiastes 3:17
I said in my heart, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked, since there is a time for every activity and every deed.”
- Ecclesiastes 12:14
Through
Judges 10:14Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you in your time of trouble.”
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 32:37–38
He will say: “Where are their gods, the rock in which they took refuge,
- Jeremiah 2:28
But where are the gods you made for yourselves? Let them rise up in your time of trouble and save you if they can; for your gods are as numerous as your cities, O…
- Deuteronomy 32:37–38
Through
2 Kings 3:13Elisha, however, said to the king of Israel, “What have we to do with each other? Go to the prophets of your father and of your mother!” “No,” replied the king of Israel, “for…
it leads to
- 1 Kings 18:19
Now summon all Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel, along with the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah who eat at Jezebel’s table.”
- 1 Kings 18:19
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies4
On this verse
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About 1 Kings
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 Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil, The Books of the Kings and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.