Ahab, seduced by false prophets, according to the word of Micaiah, is slain at Ramoth-gilead, 1-36. The dogs lick up his blood, and Ahaziah succeeds him, 37-40. Jehoshaphat's good reign, 41-44. His acts, 45. Jehoram succeeds him, 46-50. Ahaziah's evil reign, 51-53.
1 And they continued three years without war between Syria and Israel. 2 And it came to pass in the third year, that Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel. 3 And the king of Israel said to his servants, "Do you know that Ramoth in Gilead is ours, and we are still and do not take it out of the hand of the king of Syria?" 4 And he said to Jehoshaphat, "Will you go with me to battle at Ramoth-gilead?" And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, "I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses."
5 And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, "Inquire, I pray you, at the word of the LORD today." 6 Then the king of Israel assembled the prophets, about four hundred men, and said to them, "Shall I go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear?" And they said, "Go up, for the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the king." 7 And Jehoshaphat said, "Is there not here a prophet of the LORD that we may inquire of him?" 8 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may inquire of the LORD, but I hate him, for he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil." And Jehoshaphat said, "Do not let the king say so." 9 Then the king of Israel called an officer and said, "Hasten here Micaiah the son of Imlah." 10 And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah sat each on his throne, having put on their robes, in a void place in the entrance of the gate of Samaria. And all the prophets prophesied before them. 11 And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron. And he said, "Thus says the LORD: 'With these you shall push the Syrians until you have consumed them.'" 12 And all the prophets similarly prophesied, saying, "Go up to Ramoth-gilead and prosper, for the LORD will deliver it into the king's hand."
13 And the messenger who went to call Micaiah, spoke to him, saying, "Behold now, the words of the prophets declare good to the king with one mouth. Let your word, I pray you, be like the word of one of them and speak that which is good." 14 And Micaiah said, "As the LORD lives, what the LORD says to me, that I will speak."
15 So he came to the king. And the king said to him, "Micaiah, shall we go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we forbear?" And he answered him, "Go and prosper, for the LORD will deliver it into the hand of the king." 16 And the king said to him, "How many times shall I adjure you that you tell me nothing but that which is true in the name of the LORD?"
17 And he said, "I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that do not have a shepherd. And the LORD said, 'These have no master. Let them each return to his house in peace.'"
18 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Did I not tell you that he would prophesy no good concerning me, but evil?"
19 And he said, "Hear 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. 20 And the LORD said, 'Who shall persuade Ahab that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?' And one said in this manner and another said in that manner. 21 And there came forth a spirit and stood before the LORD and said, 'I will persuade him.' 22 And the LORD said to him, 'With what?' And he said, 'I will go forth and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.' And he said, 'You shall persuade him and prevail also. Go forth and do so.' 23 Now therefore, behold, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these prophets of yours, and the LORD has spoken evil concerning you."
24 But Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near and smote Micaiah on the cheek and said, "Which way did the Spirit of the LORD go from me to speak to you?" 25 And Micaiah said, "Behold, you shall see in that day when you go into an inner chamber to hide yourself." 26 And the king of Israel said, "Take Micaiah and carry him back to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king's son, 27 And say, 'Thus says the king: "Put this man in the prison and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction until I come in peace."'" 28 And Micaiah said, "If you return at all in peace, the LORD has not spoken by me." And he said, "Listen, O people, every one of you."
29 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead. 30 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "I will disguise myself and enter into the battle, but you put on your robes." And the king of Israel disguised himself and went into the battle. 31 But the king of Syria commanded his thirty-two captains who had rule over his chariots, saying, "Fight neither with small nor great, but only with the king of Israel." 32 And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, "Surely it is the king of Israel." And they turned aside to fight against him. And Jehoshaphat cried out. 33 And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots perceived that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him.
34 And a certain man drew a bow at random and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness. Therefore, he said to the driver of his chariot, "Turn your hand and carry me out of the host, for I am wounded." 35 And the battle increased that day. And the king was stayed up in his chariot against the Syrians and died at evening. And the blood ran out of the wound into the midst of the chariot. 36 And there went a proclamation throughout the host at about the setting of the sun, saying, "Every man to his city and every man to his own country."
37 So the king died and was brought to Samaria, and they buried the king in Samaria. 38 And someone washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood, and they washed his armor, according to the word of the LORD which he spoke. 39 Now the rest of the acts of Ahab and all that he did, the ivory house which he made, and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 40 So Ahab slept with his fathers, and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead.
41 And Jehoshaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel. 42 Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi. 43 And he walked in all the way of Asa his father. He did not turn aside from it, doing that which was right in the eyes of the LORD. Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away, and the people still offered and burnt incense in the high places. 44 And Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel.
45 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat and his might that he showed and how he warred, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 46 And the remnant of the temple prostitutes, which remained in the days of his father Asa, he removed from the land.
47 There was then no king in Edom, for a deputy was king. 48 Jehoshaphat made ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they did not go, for the ships were broken at Ezion-geber. 49 Then Ahaziah the son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, "Let my servants go with your servants in the ships." But Jehoshaphat would not. 50 And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father. And Jehoram his son reigned in his stead.
51 Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned two years over Israel. 52 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of his father, in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. 53 For he served Baal and worshiped him and provoked to anger the LORD God of Israel, according to all that his father had done.
Matthew Henry Commentary - 1st Kings, Chapter 22[➚]