2 Chronicles 18:19
in 2 Chronicles 18And 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Jehovah said, Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? And one spake saying after this manner, and another saying after that manner.
KJV
And the Lord said, Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth–gilead? And one spake saying after this manner, and another saying after that manner.
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This verse in 2 Chronicles 18
Commentary
3 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
I saw the LORD sitting
on 2 Chronicles 18:18-22
Micaiah's second vision shows “the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing on His right and on His left”. A spirit offers to be “a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets”. Chronicles keeps the scene nearly identical to 1 Kings 22:19-23.
This site's exposition
Who will entice Ahab
The question put to the heavenly council names Ahab and the place of his death, Ramoth-gilead. Chrysostom counts it among the lowly expressions God allows to be said of himself for the salvation of the hearers. Such words, he says, become worthy of God through his lovingkindness.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
For He also endured that many lowly things should be said concerning Him for the salvation of the hearers. ... In the case of Ahab it is said, "Who shall entice Ahab for Me?" And the continually preferring Himself to the gods of the heathen in the way of comparison, all these things are unworthy of God. Yet in another way they are made worthy of Him, for He is so kind, that for our salvation He careth not for expressions which become His dignity. Indeed, the becoming man is unworthy of Him, and the taking the form of a servant, and the speaking humble words, and the being clothed in humble garments, unworthy if one looks to His dignity, but worthy if one consider the unspeakable riches of His lovingkindness.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
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
19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֣אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יְהוָ֗ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| מִ֤י | mi | who? | H4310 → | 423 times |
| יְפַתֶּה֙ | yefateh | will he deceive | H6601 → | 28 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אַחְאָ֣ב | ʾachav | Ahab | H256 → | 92 times |
| מֶֽלֶךְ־ | melekh- | [the] king of | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| וְיַ֕עַל | veyaal | so he may go up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| וְיִפֹּ֖ל | veyipol | and he may fall | H5307 → | 435 times |
| בְּרָמ֣וֹת | beramot | at Ramoth | H7418 → | 22 times |
| גִּלְעָ֑ד | gilad | Gilead | H1568 → | 134 times |
| וַיֹּ֕אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| זֶ֚ה | zeh | this one | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| אֹמֵ֣ר | ʾomer | [was] saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| כָּ֔כָה | kakhah | thus | H3602 → | 37 times |
| וְזֶ֖ה | vezeh | and this one | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| אֹמֵ֥ר | ʾomer | [was] saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| כָּֽכָה׃ | kakhah | thus | H3602 → | 37 times |
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
יְהוָ֗הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
מִ֤יwho?
miH4310 →423 times
יְפַתֶּה֙will he deceive
yefatehH6601 →28 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אַחְאָ֣בAhab
ʾachavH256 →92 times
מֶֽלֶךְ־[the] king of
melekh-H4428 →2525 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
וְיַ֕עַלso he may go up
veyaalH5927 →890 times
וְיִפֹּ֖לand he may fall
veyipolH5307 →435 times
בְּרָמ֣וֹתat Ramoth
beramotH7418 →22 times
גִּלְעָ֑דGilead
giladH1568 →134 times
וַיֹּ֕אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
זֶ֚הthis one
zehH2088 →1180 times
אֹמֵ֣ר[was] saying
ʾomerH559 →5305 times
כָּ֔כָהthus
kakhahH3602 →37 times
וְזֶ֖הand this one
vezehH2088 →1180 times
אֹמֵ֥ר[was] saying
ʾomerH559 →5305 times
כָּֽכָה׃thus
kakhahH3602 →37 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
Ezekiel 14:9But if the prophet is enticed to speak a message, then it was I the LORD who enticed him, and I will stretch out My hand against him and destroy him from among My…
it leads to
- Ezekiel 20:25
I also gave them over to statutes that were not good and ordinances by which they could not live.
- Jeremiah 4:10
Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD, how completely You have deceived this people and Jerusalem by saying, ‘You will have peace,’ while a sword is at our throats.”
- Isaiah 63:16
Yet You are our Father, though Abraham does not know us and Israel does not acknowledge us. You, O LORD, are our Father; our Redeemer from Everlasting is Your name.
- 2 Thessalonians 2:9–12
The coming of the lawless one will be accompanied by the working of Satan, with every kind of power, sign, and false wonder,
- Isaiah 9:17
Therefore the Lord takes no pleasure in their young men; He has no compassion on their fatherless and widows. For every one of them is godless and wicked, and every mouth speaks folly. Despite…
- Ezekiel 20:25
Through
2 Chronicles 25:19You have said, ‘Look, I have defeated Edom,’ and your heart has become proud and boastful. Now stay at home. Why should you stir up trouble so that you fall—you and Judah with you?”
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 26:16
But when Uzziah grew powerful, his arrogance led to his own destruction. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God, for he entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar…
- 2 Chronicles 32:25
But because his heart was proud, Hezekiah did not repay the favor shown to him. Therefore wrath came upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem.
- 2 Chronicles 26:16
Through
Job 12:16True wisdom and power belong to Him. The deceived and the deceiver are His.
it leads to
- 1 Kings 22:22–23
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.’
- 1 Kings 22:22–23
About 2 Chronicles

Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Jamieson Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on John 64 and Keil, The Books of the Chronicles.
