Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Kings 22:13
And the messenger that was gone to call Micaiah spoke unto him, saying, Behold now, the words of the prophets [declare] good unto the king with one mouth: let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them, and speak [that which is] good.
13 28. Micaiah’s prophecy. Ahab, in displeasure, sends him to prison (2Ch 18:12-27)
13. And the messenger that was gone [R.V. went ] to call Micaiah ] The tradition, which Josephus preserves, that the ‘son of the prophets’ mentioned in 1Ki 20:35, was Micaiah, and that Ahab put him in prison for his actions at that time (see notes on 1Ki 20:35; 1Ki 20:43) has been derived from the circumstance that Micaiah on this occasion was sent to prison, and the king uses the words (1Ki 22:26) ‘Take Micaiah and carry him back,’ &c. But there is nothing in this account of the message to him which proves that he was in prison when Ahab sent to call him; and ‘Put this fellow in prison’ (1Ki 22:27) is no evidence that he had been there before, but rather the reverse.
speak that which is good ] R.V. speak thou good. This is the A.V. in 2 Chronicles.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And the messenger spake unto him … – There seems to have been a widespread notion among the irreligious and the half-religious of the ancient world, that their prophets were not the mere mouth-pieces of the god, but that they were persons who had power with the god, and could compel, or at least induce, Him to work their will (compare Num 24:10; Isa 30:10). They saw that the prophets word was accomplished; they did not understand that if he falsified his message the accomplishment would no longer follow.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
1Ki 22:13-14
Behold now, the words of the prophets declare good unto the king with one mouth.
Prophets of smooth speech
I. A certain fear of God is made to serve the selfish ends of worldly men. Here is a wicked king, a pervert from the true faith, a patron of idolatry, a man whose actions were only evil continually, a man buckling on his armour for an unnecessary war, yet a man who will not move until he gets a sign that the gods will take his part. Ahab is a religious man, although a man of sin–a man who has his priests and prophets, as well as his warriors, and who in doing wrong likes to fortify himself by the assurance that the heavens are on his side. Shall I go against Ramoth-Gilead to battle, or shall I forbear said the king. In form that was an inquiry; in reality it was an attempt to blend religion with worldly designs, that thus he might the better compass their fulfilment. There is much of this incongruous mixture in the conduct of ungodly men among us now. There are few persons so worldly but that they have a vein of the religious running through them; and generally they are shrewd enough to somehow turn this element to their own advantage. Many persons going to church on Sunday is done to keep their conscience quiet through the week of questionable conduct. Religion is to some a refuge from uncomfortable thoughts, and as much a means of keeping a man in face with himself as with his neighbours. It is oftentimes a valuable auxiliary to a worldlings temporal progress, winning him the good opinion of his fellows as well as furnishing a basis of self-confidence.
II. The wide prevalence of the demand for smooth-speaking prophets. Ahab said to his assembled seers, Shall I go, or shall I forbear? There is always a demand for prophets who tell us what we like. There is a good deal of satisfaction to the man who all the week long is driving doubtful bargains, indulging in sharp practices, and living by the worlds smart maxims rather than the principles of Scripture–it is most gratifying to such a person when he comes to church to find a man in the pulpit who dwells only on the brighter side of human conduct, who seldom mentions peoples sins, who is too polite to speak of hell, and who in general seems in favour of a downgrade in morals as well as in theology. And this demand is always followed by an adequate supply. If the pew clamours for smooth-tongued prophets it will not have to wait many Sundays before one mounts the pulpit. The Christian Church has never been without such men. As a rule, they abound.
III. However much smooth-speaking may abound, we can never get away entirely from the intermingled voice of truth. Micaiah was not at first summoned into the royal presence. No; Ahab knew he had a rasping voice and an awkward honesty about him which would ill harmonise with the general concurrence he expected. But somehow Micaiah was fated to appear. This world of ours has never lacked true prophets, as it has never wanted false ones. Even in the most unfriendly times there have been more of them than the prophets themselves have thought. And, somehow, as in this case, bad men are obliged to hear the prophet of the Lord sometimes. The jarring note will break in upon the smooth current of man-pleasing doctrine. Despite mens evasions, the rousing voice makes itself heard above the sibilations of your religious parasites end sycophants; the pure light flashes convincingly into the dark places of the corrupt heart; and the word of the Lord moves right royally over mens cowering souls and crooked lives. In the providence of God it is always ordered that the truth shall speak to evil men, whether they will hear or whether they will forbear. If it speaks but seldom it makes up for it by compensating emphasis. (J. J. Ingram.)
Enmity to truth
I. A man may deliberately set himself against god. This may appear an improbable thing, as there must be an apprehension that the only clear issue to such conduct is the defeat of the man, and the triumph of God.
II. A man may turn the faithfulness of God into a personal. Grievance. This evidently Ahab did; and also the men of Christs day, who, resenting the plainness of His speech, became His bitter adversaries. To be reproved when wrong is meditated or pursued should be regarded as an advantage. Warning is an indication of interest in ones well-being when uttered by a friend, and ought never to be thought of other than as a kindness.
III. A may come to regard what is truth as evil instead of its being good. A man must have had his way for a long time before such a verdict may be announced; but selfishness is not long indulged before he is upon this track.
IV. A man may never be taught by experience, but ever rush on to destruction, well knowing what is before him. It was so with Ahab. No amount of teaching or experience–and his life had not been without instruction–sufficed to turn him from his set purpose and awaken him to the danger in which by his conduct he was placed. (Homiletic Magazine.)
Resisting conviction
John Wesley tells us in his famous Journal that when he was about twenty-two, before he knew by joyous experience the salvation of God, he read Thomas Kempis Christian Pattern, and he began to see that true religion was seated in the heart, and that Gods law extended to all our thoughts, as well as words and actions. He says with brave frankness, I was, however, very angry with Kempis for being so strict! This is an illuminating sentence. The sense of guilt recoils in anger from that which exposes our sin.
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 13. The words of the prophets declare good] What notion could these men have of prophecy, when they supposed it was in the power of the prophet to model the prediction as he pleased, and have the result accordingly?
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
This he designs, not out of any love to Micaiah, (whom he persuades to debauch his conscience,) but merely out of a desire to gratify his kings humour.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And the messenger that was gone to call Micaiah spake unto him,…. By the way, as they came along together, as Josephus p observes:
behold, now, the words of the prophets declare good unto the king with one mouth; they are unanimous that he shall prosper in his undertaking against the Syrians:
let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them, and speak that which is good; which, as an ignorant man, he might advise to from good will to the prophet, that he might not be branded with singularity, and a spirit of contradiction, and that he might have the favour of the king, and be released from prison, pitying his miserable condition in which he found him.
p Antiqu. l. 8. c. 15. sect. 4.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
1Ki 22:13-28 AND 2Ch 18:12-27
Prophet of Truth,
Ahab’s messenger to Micaiah evidently thought he would do the prophet a favor by letting him know how to please the king. He was told that all the other prophets had agreed that Ahab should go against Ramoth-gilead and that he would certainly prevail. So if Micaiah wished to please the king and be more popular with him he should also advise an assault. but Micaiah did not preach for the pleasure of men, he sought to please the Lord. He therefore swore to the messenger that he would speak only what the Lord told him to speak (Act 5:29).
So King Ahab put the question to Micaiah, “Shall we go against Ramoth-gilead or shall we forbear?” Immediately Micaiah responded, “Go, and prosper: for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king.” There was mockery and insincerity in the prophet’s words, and it was no attempt to deceive the king. Rather it seems it was intended to show Ahab that his mind was set and that he was willing to hear only that which agreed with his own predetermined will in the matter. In fact, the statement of Micaiah could be interpreted, “If you go and prosper the Lord will deliver Ramoth-gilead into your hands.” Micaiah knew Ahab would go and fall (Pro 12:20).
Ahab scolded Micaiah for his light answer and adjured him to render a true answer. So Micaiah told how he had seen the armies of Israel scattered on the hills and mountains, like sheep without a shepherd, and the word went out that all should return to his house in peace. Hearing this Ahab was distraught, for he was the master of Israel, and it was a forecast of doom for him personally, as well as defeat for Israel. Turning to Jehoshaphat he reminded the king of Judah how he had protested that Micaiah never had anything good to predict about him.
Micaiah had not finished revealing his vision from the Lord. He had also been in the throne room of the Lord Himself and beheld what went on there with regard to Ahab’s projected campaign. He had seen God on His throne, surrounded by the hosts of heaven on either side, and the Lord had asked who would go to Ahab and persuade him to go against Ramoth-gilead and there fall. There had been various proposals, then a spirit came before the Lord and said that he would do the job. When the Lord inquired how he would do it, he had proposed to do so by being a lying spirit in the mouth of all Ahab’s prophets. The Lord had agreed that this would be the method and that it would succeed. Therefore, said Micaiah, the Lord had put a lying spirit in the mouth of all Ahab’s prophets.
Upon this, the false prophet Zedekiah assaulted Micaiah, striking him, and asking how it was the Spirit of the Lord had departed from him to go to Micaiah. Micaiah replied that Zedekiah would understand on that day, when he was caught up in the defeat of the armies he had encouraged to go up, contrary to the will of God, to their own disaster. Then Zedekiah would seek a hiding place for himself to save his own life. It is not inconceivable that Zedekiah really thought he had spoken by the Spirit of the Lord, for many false preachers have been so deceived and continue to be (Mat 7:21-23).
Many have found it hard to explain the scene in heaven, described by Micaiah in his vision. That Satan and his spirits do come among the host of heaven is shown from Job 1:6; Job 2:1; Revelation ch. 12. Satan’s angels, or spirits, can as men allow them to do so in their lives, and then the Lord may prevent it, though He may also allow it by letting the person carry out his own will, as here in the case of Ahab Note such passages as 2Co 11:13-15; Eph 4:14; 2Ti 3:13; 2Jn 1:7; Rev. ch. 12; etc. In this case God allowed Ahab to be persuaded to do that he wished to do, according to his own callused heart, by which he had so many times rejected the Lord’s mercy.
Ahab thought to get even with Micaiah, by imprisoning him. He gave command to put him in prison and .give him only a meager ration. of bread and water until the kings returned in peace. He must have felt that he could compel the prophet to change his prediction to good in order to escape harsh judgment. But Micaiah knew his prediction was certain. If it should fail, then he said, it would be proof that the Lord had not spoken by him. He called the people there in attendance as witness to his words, “Hearken, 0 people, every one of you.” Thus when Micaiah’s prophecy came to pass, they should recall it. It is interesting to note the opening words of the prophet Micah (shortened from of the same name) centuries later to Judah, “Hear, all ye people; hearken, 0 earth, etc.” He seems to reissue the warning and reminder of the earlier Micah, perhaps intentionally.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
B. THE PROPHECY OF MICAIAH 22:1328
TRANSLATION
(13) Now the messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah had said unto him, saying, Behold now the words of the prophets are unanimously good toward the king; let your word, I pray you, be like the word of one of them, and speak good. (14) And Micaiah said, As the LORD lives, what the LORD has said unto me, that will I speak! (15) So he came unto the king and the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go up against Ramothgilead to make war or shall we refrain? And he said, Go up, and you will prosper, and the LORD will give it into the hand of the king. (16) And the king said unto him, How many times have I caused you to sware that you would not speak unto me anything except truth in the name of the LORD? (17) And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the mountains like sheep which had no shepherd; and the LORD said, These have no master; let them return each man to his house in peace. (18) And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, Did I not say unto you he would not prophesy concerning me good, but evil? (19) And he said, Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting upon His throne, and all the host of heaven standing beside Hun on His right hand and on His left. (20) And the LORD said, Who will entice Ahab that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? And one said this, and another that. (21) And the spirit went out and stood before the LORD, and said, I surely will entice him. And the LORD said unto him, How? (22) And he said, I will go out and become a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And He said, You shall entice him, and also you shall prevail; go out and do so. (23) And now behold the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets, and the LORD has spoken evil concerning you. (24) And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah drew near and smote Micaiah upon the cheek and said, Where did the spirit of the LORD pass over from me to speak to you? (25) And Micaiah said, Behold you shall see in that day when you shall go into an inner chamber to hide. (26) And the king of Israel said, Take Micaiah and cause him to return to Amon the governor of the city, and unto Joash the kings son. (27) And you shall say, Thus says the king: Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him bread of affliction and water of affliction until I come in peace. (28) And Micaiah said, If you surely return in peace, the LORD has not spoken by me. And he said, Hear, O people, all of you.
COMMENTS
It was very important to Ahab to secure from all the prophets a positive word about the proposed military campaign. Any negative note might cause the pious Jehoshaphat to withdraw from the venture. The messenger sent to fetch Micaiah knew this well, and so he pleaded with the man of God to join the four hundred court prophets by putting his stamp of approval on the campaign (1Ki. 22:13). Both the king and his messenger completely misunderstood this man of God. He could not be intimidated or bribed. He was not afraid to stand alone. He would speak only what the Lord revealed to him (1Ki. 22:14).
When Micaiah appeared before him, Ahab put to the prophet the identical question he had put to the four hundred. Just as his question is an echo of the earlier query, so also is Micaiahs response identical with the answer which the court prophets had unanimously and dramatically given[500] (1Ki. 22:15). Ahabs hollow tone had revealed the insincerity of his question. He really did not want to know the will of God; he wanted to be deceived. No doubt Micaiahs mocking tone showed that his words were sarcastic. In an effort to impress Jehoshaphat, Ahab pretended to be greatly distressed over the prophets manifest insincerity. Before he realized what he was saying, Ahab blurted out that what he wanted to hear was the word of the Lord[501] (1Ki. 22:16). Was this a tacit admission that what the four hundred had predicted was not the word of God?
[500] The absence of the usual introductory phrase, Thus says the Lord, in Micaiahs mocking caricature of the court prophets is to be noted.
[501] The form of Ahabs outburst (1Ki. 22:10) suggests that on previous occasions Micaiah had been accustomed to use sarcasm.
At this juncture the tone and demeanor of Micaiah suddenly changed, and the man of God became deadly serious. He had seen a vision of Israel scattered upon the hills with no shepherd; he heard the voice of God directing these scattered ones to return to their homes in peace (1Ki. 22:17). No one in the royal assembly failed to see that Micaiah was foretelling the dispersion of the Israelite army as a result of the death of the king of Israel. Ahab certainly understood the purport of those words. He had demanded the word of God and had received it. Lest Jehoshaphat be unduly influenced by this dire prediction, Ahab suggested that these words were but further evidence of the prophets prejudice toward the king (1Ki. 22:18).
The insinuation that Micaiah spoke out of malice brought forth a vigorous rebuttal from the man of God. At sometime in the past Micaiah had seen another vision relating to Ahab. In this vision[502] he had seen the Lord on His heavenly throne surrounded by all the hosts of heaven, i.e., the angels who inhabit the heaven of heavens (1Ki. 22:19). In the vision, the Lord asked for suggestions as to how Ahab might be enticed to go up to Ramoth-gilead that he might be slain there. Various schemes were suggested (1Ki. 22:20), but finally the spirit, i.e., the evil spirit or Satan, affirmed that he would be able to entice Ahab (1Ki. 22:21). The plan was that this spirit would take control of the mouths of Ahabs prophets and they would persuade the king that the Ramoth-gilead campaign should be undertaken. The Lord then granted to this spirit permission to so entice Ahab (1Ki. 22:22). Thus, declared Micaiah, the Lord had put a lying spirit in the mouths of all Ahabs prophets; they had spoken falsehood. Furthermore, it was not Micaiah alone (cf. 1Ki. 22:18) who had spoken evil against Ahab, but the Lord who had spoken through him (1Ki. 22:23).
[502] Some take the position that Micaiah in 1Ki. 22:19 continues to speak sarcasticallythat he actually had not seen a vision. According to this view, Micaiah was only trying to express the feeling that he alone was speaking the truth, even though the entire body of prophets had expressed a contrary opinion. If they were inspired at all, it must be by a lying spirit.
Several important questions remain to be answered concerning Micaiahs vision:
1. How can it be that the Lord of glory would find it necessary to take counsel of the angelic hosts? Prophetic visions are anthropomorphic and do not always correspond to reality. Such visions are the vehicle used to convey a cardinal truth to the mind of the prophet. In this case the truth is that Ahabs death in battle had been foreordained in the counsels of God, and that divine wisdom had devised a means for accomplishing His purpose.
2. Who was the spirit who volunteered to entice Ahab? Keil and others see the spirit as a personification of the spirit of prophecy which takes hold of a man and makes him a prophet. However, the older commentators were probably correct when they identified the spirit with Satan. That Satan has or at least did have access to the heavenly council chambers is suggested by the opening chapters of Job.
3. How can the all Holy One give His sanction to deceit and lying for the purpose of tempting Ahab to his death? Here one must distinguish between the permissive and the positive will of God. God permitted the evil spirit to do his evil work. The same thought is expressed in Eze. 14:9 If the prophet be deceived … I the Lord have deceived that prophet. Ahab wished to be guided by false prophets, and the justice of God permitted him to be so guided. Sin is punished by sin.
Zedekiah, one of the four hundred, bristled at the charge that he and his cohorts had been possessed by a spirit of lies. Without warning he stepped forward and smote Micaiah on the cheek, at the same time shouting, Where did the spirit of the Lord pass over from me to speak to you? Apparently Zedekiah was conscious of some force beyond himself which compelled him to speak his prophetic word. How is it that the Spirit of God had spoken one thing by Zedekiah and quite another through the mouth of Micaiah? Zedekiahs scoffing question was intended to counter the story Micaiah had related so dramatically. There is no more effective manner of meeting the argument of an opponent than by subjecting him to ridicule.
Micaiah was not intimidated by the bombastic Zedekiah. He did not answer directly the insolent question, but rather confidently affirmed that one day Zedekiah would see, i.e., perceive the truth.[503] Only then would Zedekiah have the prophetic vision to correctly assess the political situation. In that day when Micaiahs predictions concerning the defeat of the armies of Israel were fulfilled, Micaiah would hasten into hiding out of shame and perhaps fear of reprisals at the hand of the queen (1Ki. 22:25).
[503] Micaiah did not question Zedekiahs sincerity or accuse him of deliberately falsifying his prophecy, but rather of being a false prophet in the sense that he did not see or perceive the truth.
The two kings seem to have looked on the assault of Micaiah without protest or word of displeasure. When the brief prophetic confrontation was over, Ahab ordered Micaiah returned to his prison[504] cell. There he was to remain under the watchful eye of Amon the governor of the city and Joash, one of Ahabs own sons[505] (1Ki. 22:26). Instructions were given to those officials that Micaiah was to receive only the bread and water of affliction, i.e., the most meager provisions, until the king returned from his campaign in peace (1Ki. 22:27). It is probably owing to the presence of Jehoshaphat that Micaiah escaped with no more severe sentence. Still Micaiah was undaunted. He was willing to stake his prophetic reputation on the fulfillment of this one prediction. If Ahab returned in peace, then Yahweh truly had not spoken to him, and he was willing to face the capital punishment to which he was liable in that case. Before being dragged from the place, Micaiah shouted forth a call for all peoples to take note of the predictions which he had made (1Ki. 22:27).
[504] The Hebrews did not use prisons for punishment; the prison was a place where an individual under suspension was kept pending judgment and verdict (cf. Num. 15:34).
[505] Another interpretation is that son of the king is a title of an official rather than an actual son. See Gray, OTL, p. 453.
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(13) Behold now.In the whole history, as especially in the words of the officer, there is evidence of the strange confusion of idea, so common in superstition at all times, which in some sense believes in the inspiration of the prophets as coming from God, and yet fancies that they can direct it as they will, and that accordingly they can be bribed, or beguiled, or coerced, to prophesy smooth things. The extremest form of this infatuation is exemplified in Simon Magus, who believed that the Apostles were the medium for conferring the highest spiritual gifts from God, and yet madly persuaded himself that this power could be bought for money (Act. 8:18-19). The natural result is a mingled awe and contempt, such as Balak feels for Balaam. The delusion is, of course, silenced at once by such declarations as the stern reply of Micaiah, which even Balaam could convey (Num. 22:18). But, as all false religions and corruptions of true religion show, it is never rooted out, except by real spiritual knowledge of God and of His dealings with the soul.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
1Ki 22:13 And the messenger that was gone to call Micaiah spake unto him, saying, Behold now, the words of the prophets [declare] good unto the king with one mouth: let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them, and speak [that which is] good.
Ver. 13. The words of the prophets declare good. ] Nihil assentatione suavius, nihil veritate gravius. See 2Th 2:10-11 .
Let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
word. So to be read; but written “words”. In some codices, with three early printed editions, Syriac, and Vulgate, it is both written and read “word”. Compare 2Ch 18:12.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
What Jehovah Saith That Will I Speak
1Ki 22:13-28
Ramoth was one of the cities of refuge, situated across the Jordan. The false prophets spake as they knew would please the king and gain the popular ear. But Micaiah did not scruple to say that the spirit of a demon was making use of their lips for the utterance of beguiling falsehood. He was evidently speaking metaphorically. By an ironical method of speech he suggested that the voices of such prophets were not to be accepted as truth. He knew well enough Gods living voice. In the silence and solitude of his prison, shut away from all the world besides, he had learned to detect the accent of truth, and could easily discriminate between it and the lying boasts of the false prophets. We must try the spirits, whether they are of God, 1Jn 4:1. Beware of being beguiled by every voice that speaks in your heart. Gods voice almost always calls you to take up the cross and stand alone against the crowd. It summons to the straight gate and the narrow way.
Carry him back! cried the king. He hated the man of God, as the thief dreads a watch-dog. But better a thousand times be in that dungeon with Micaiah than faring sumptuously at Ahabs table. Do not hide yourself from the truth. Let it search, though it hurt you. It will save you from the unerring arrow.
Fuente: F.B. Meyer’s Through the Bible Commentary
Behold now: Psa 10:11, Psa 11:1, Psa 14:1, Psa 50:21, Isa 30:10, Isa 30:11, Hos 7:3, Amo 7:13-17, Mic 2:6, Mic 2:7, Mic 2:11, 1Co 2:14-16
Reciprocal: Num 22:6 – I wot 1Ki 22:8 – good Pro 27:14 – He that Jer 8:11 – they Mat 15:12 – Knowest Mat 16:22 – Be it far from thee Luk 6:26 – so Joh 7:4 – show 1Co 2:4 – not
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1Ki 22:13-14. Speak that which is good This was a most absurd request: for if Micaiah was a true prophet, he could say nothing but what was suggested to him by divine inspiration, and if he were not, why should he speak at all? Of what use could his prophesying be unless to deceive? What the Lord saith unto me, that will I speak What answer the Lord shall put into my mind and mouth. He resolves as became one who had an eye to a greater king than either of these. He seems, as yet, to have had no revelation about the matter. But when the question was put to him, God taught him what to answer.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
22:13 And the messenger that was gone to call Micaiah spake unto him, saying, Behold now, the words of the prophets [declare] good unto the king with {m} one mouth: let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them, and speak [that which is] good.
(m) This is the common argument of the wicked, who think that no one should speak against anything if the majority approves of it, be they ever so ungodly.