2 Chronicles 18:17
in 2 Chronicles 18Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he never prophesies good for me, but only bad?”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?
KJV
And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee that he would not prophesy good unto me, but evil?
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This verse in 2 Chronicles 18
Commentary
1 note on this verseThis site's exposition
Go ye up, and prosper
on 2 Chronicles 18:14-17
Micaiah's first answer mimics the four hundred exactly, go ye up, and prosper, and they shall be delivered into your hand, and Ahab recognizes mockery rather than agreement and presses him again for the truth in the name of the Lord. The true vision follows, I did see all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd, an image Moses used pleading for a successor at Num 27:17 so the congregation would not be left without one. The New Testament returns to the same picture when Jesus sees the crowds and is moved with compassion, because they fainted and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd, at Matt 9:36. Chronicles keeps the oracle unchanged from 1 Ki 22:15-17.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
scattered over the mountains For when they flee from battle, they flee on the mountains to a refuge, like (Gen.:10): “and those who remained fled to the mountains.” In addition, the battle was on the heights of Gilead, a mountainous and hilly terrain.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
and all the host of heaven were standing on His right and His left These are the angels of destruction who stand before Him.
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. 4 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
15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֥אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| מֶֽלֶךְ־ | melekh- | [the] king of | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| יְהוֹשָׁפָ֑ט | yehoshafat | Jehoshaphat | H3092 → | 84 times |
| הֲלֹא֙ | halo' | ¿ not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| אָמַ֣רְתִּי | ʾamarti | did I say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֵלֶ֔יךָ | ʾeleikha | to you | H413 → | 5510 times |
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִתְנַבֵּ֥א | yitnabe' | he prophesies | H5012 → | 115 times |
| עָלַ֛י | ʾalai | on me | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| ט֖וֹב | tov | good | H2896 → | 538 times |
| כִּ֥י | ki | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | except | H518 → | 1069 times |
| לְרָֽע׃ ס | lera' | <to> evil | H7451 → | 662 times |
וַיֹּ֥אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
מֶֽלֶךְ־[the] king of
melekh-H4428 →2525 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
יְהוֹשָׁפָ֑טJehoshaphat
yehoshafatH3092 →84 times
הֲלֹא֙¿ not
halo'H3808 →5168 times
אָמַ֣רְתִּיdid I say
ʾamartiH559 →5305 times
אֵלֶ֔יךָto you
ʾeleikhaH413 →5510 times
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יִתְנַבֵּ֥אhe prophesies
yitnabe'H5012 →115 times
עָלַ֛יon me
ʾalaiH5921 →5755 times
ט֖וֹבgood
tovH2896 →538 times
כִּ֥יthat
kiH3588 →4482 times
אִם־except
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
לְרָֽע׃ ס<to> evil
lera'H7451 →662 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
Proverbs 29:1A man who remains stiff-necked after much reproof will suddenly be shattered beyond recovery.
it leads to
- Proverbs 6:15
Therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly; in an instant he will be shattered beyond recovery.
- 1 Samuel 2:25
If a man sins against another man, God can intercede for him; but if a man sins against the LORD, who can intercede for him?” But they would not listen to their father, since…
- Zechariah 7:11–14
But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder; they stopped up their ears from hearing.
- Proverbs 28:18
He who walks with integrity will be kept safe, but whoever is perverse in his ways will suddenly fall.
- Proverbs 1:24–31
Because you refused my call, and no one took my outstretched hand,
- Proverbs 6:15
Through
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…
it leads to
Through
1 Kings 22:18Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he never prophesies good for me, but only bad?”
it leads to
- 1 Kings 22:8
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…
- 1 Kings 22:8
About 2 Chronicles

This page draws on Keil, The Books of the Chronicles and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
