2 Chronicles 18:5
in 2 Chronicles 18So 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.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for God will deliver it into the hand of the king.
KJV
Therefore the king of Israel gathered together of prophets four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall we go to Ramoth–gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for God will deliver it into the king’s hand.
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This verse in 2 Chronicles 18
Commentary
2 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
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on 2 Chronicles 18:4-6
Jehoshaphat asks for the word of the LORD before any battle plan. Ahab brings four hundred prophets, and they answer with one voice, “Go up”, promising that God will hand the city to the king. Jehoshaphat still asks whether there is “a prophet of the LORD” they can consult.
This site's exposition
assembled the prophets, four hundred men
Ahab gathers four hundred prophets, and their answer is unanimous. Henry asks with what face Ahab, whose title to the crown was usurped, could ask the heir of David to help him recover the city. By right, Henry holds, it belonged to Jehoshaphat.
The words behind it
23 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּקְבֹּ֨ץ | vaiyikbotz | and he assembled | H6908 → | 127 times |
| מֶֽלֶךְ־ | melekh- | [the] king of | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֥ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| אֶֽת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַנְּבִאִים֮ | haneviim | the prophets | H5030 → | 314 times |
| אַרְבַּ֣ע | ʾarba' | four | H702 → | 318 times |
| מֵא֣וֹת | meot | hundred<s> | H3967 → | 581 times |
| אִישׁ֒ | ʾish | man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| וַיֹּ֣אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֲלֵהֶ֗ם | ʾalehem | to them | H413 → | 5510 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 |
| אֶחְדָּ֑ל | ʾechdal | will I desist | H2308 → | 58 times |
| וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ | vaiyomeru | and they said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| עֲלֵ֔ה | ʾaleh | go up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| וְיִתֵּ֥ן | veyiten | so he may give [it] | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים | haelohim | <the> God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| בְּיַ֥ד | beyad | in [the] hand of | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
וַיִּקְבֹּ֨ץand he assembled
vaiyikbotzH6908 →127 times
מֶֽלֶךְ־[the] king of
melekh-H4428 →2525 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֥לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
אֶֽת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַנְּבִאִים֮the prophets
haneviimH5030 →314 times
אַרְבַּ֣עfour
ʾarba'H702 →318 times
מֵא֣וֹתhundred<s>
meotH3967 →581 times
אִישׁ֒man
ʾishH376 →1663 times
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
אֲלֵהֶ֗םto them
ʾalehemH413 →5510 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
אֶחְדָּ֑לwill I desist
ʾechdalH2308 →58 times
וַיֹּאמְר֣וּand they said
vaiyomeruH559 →5305 times
עֲלֵ֔הgo up
ʾalehH5927 →890 times
וְיִתֵּ֥ןso he may give [it]
veyitenH5414 →2011 times
הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים<the> God
haelohimH430 →2601 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
2 Timothy 4:3For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires.
it leads to
- 2 Peter 2:1–3
Now there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction on…
- 2 Timothy 3:1–6
But understand this: In the last days terrible times will come.
- 1 Timothy 4:1–3
Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons,
- 1 Timothy 1:10
for the sexually immoral, for homosexuals, for slave traders and liars and perjurers, and for anyone else who is averse to sound teaching
- Galatians 4:16
Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?
- 2 Peter 2:1–3
Through
Revelation 19:20But the beast was captured along with the false prophet, who on its behalf had performed signs deceiving those who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. Both the beast and…
it leads to
- Revelation 20:10
And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, into which the beast and the false prophet had already been thrown. There they will be tormented day…
- Revelation 21:8
But to the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This…
- 2 Thessalonians 2:8–11
And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will slay with the breath of His mouth and annihilate by the majesty of His arrival.
- Revelation 20:10
About 2 Chronicles

This page draws on John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
