1Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance; and allied himself with Ahab and became his son-in-law. 2At the end of some years he went down to visit Ahab in Samaria; and Ahab killed sheep and oxen in abundance for him and the people with him, and enticed him to go up with him to Ramoth Gilead. 3So Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Will you go with me against Ramoth Gilead? And he answered him, I am as you are, and my people as your people; also with you in the war. 4And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, Please inquire for the Word of Jehovah today. 5So the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four hundred men, and said to them, Shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain? And they said, Go up, for God will deliver it into the king's hand. 6But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not still a prophet of Jehovah here, that we may inquire of Him? 7And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, There is still one man by whom to inquire of Jehovah; but I hate him, because he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil. He is Micaiah the son of Imla. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so. 8So the king of Israel summoned one of his officers and said, Bring Micaiah the son of Imla quickly. 9The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah, clothed in their robes, were sitting each on his throne; and they were sitting at a threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets were prophesying before them. 10Now Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah had made horns of iron for himself; and he said, Thus says Jehovah: With these you shall thrust at the Syrians to finish them off. 11And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramoth Gilead and prosper, for Jehovah has delivered it into the king's hand. 12And the messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah spoke to him, saying, Behold, the words of the prophets with one accord are favorable to the king. Therefore please let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak of good things. 13And Micaiah said, As Jehovah lives, whatever my God says, that I will speak. 14And he came to the king; and the king said to him, Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain? And he said, Go and prosper, and they shall be delivered into your hand! 15And the king said to him, How many times shall I make you swear that you tell me nothing but the truth in the name of Jehovah? 16Then he said, I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And Jehovah said, These have no master. Let each return to his house in peace. 17And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell you he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil? 18Then Micaiah said, Therefore hear the Word of Jehovah: I have seen Jehovah sitting on His throne, and all the host of the heavens standing on His right hand and His left. 19And Jehovah said, Who will persuade Ahab king of Israel to go up, that he may fall at Ramoth Gilead? So one spoke in this manner, and another spoke in that manner. 20Then a spirit came forward and stood before Jehovah, and said, I will persuade him. Jehovah said to him, In what way? 21So he said, I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And the Lord said, You shall seduce him and also succeed; go out and do so. 22Therefore behold, Jehovah has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these prophets of yours, and Jehovah has spoken evil against you. 23Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near and struck Micaiah on the cheek, and said, Which way has the spirit from Jehovah gone from me to speak to you? 24And Micaiah said, Behold, you shall see on that day when you go into an inner chamber to hide. 25And the king of Israel said, Take Micaiah, and return him to Amon the ruler of the city and to Joash the king's son; 26and say, Thus says the king: Put this one in prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and water of affliction until I return in peace. 27And Micaiah said, If indeed you do return in peace, Jehovah has not spoken by me. And he said, Pay attention, all you people! 28So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead. 29And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself and go into battle; but you put on your robes. So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into battle. 30Now the king of Syria had commanded the commanders of the chariots who were with him, saying, Fight with no one small or great, but only with the king of Israel. 31So it was, when the commanders of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, It is the king of Israel! Therefore they surrounded him to engage in battle; but Jehoshaphat cried out, and Jehovah helped him, and God drew them away from him. 32For so it was, when the commanders of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him. 33Now a certain man drew a bow at random, and struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. So he said to the driver of his chariot, Turn your hand and bring me out of the battle, for I am wounded. 34The battle increased that day, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot in view of the Syrians until evening; and about the time of sunset he died.
Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary 1 Here is, I. Jehoshaphat growing greater. It was said before (
2Chr 17:5) that he had
riches and honour in abundance; and here it is said again that his wealth and honour increased upon him by piety and good management.
II. Not growing wiser, else he would not have joined with Ahab, that degenerate Israelite, who had sold himself to work wickedness. What good could he get by a man that was so bad? What good could he do to a man that was so obstinately wicked - an idolater, a persecutor? With him he joined in affinity, that is, married his son Jehoram to Ahab's daughter Athaliah.
1. This was the worst match that ever was made by any of the house of David. I wonder what Jehoshaphat could promise himself by it. (1.) Perhaps pride made the match, as it does many a one, which speeds accordingly. His religion forbade him to marry his son to a daughter of any of the heathen princes that were about him -
Thou shalt not take their daughters to thy sons; and, having riches and honour in abundance, he thought it a disparagement to marry him to a subject. A king's daughter it must be, and therefore Ahab's, little considering that Jezebel was her mother. (2.) Some think he did it in policy, hoping by this expedient to unite the kingdoms in his son, Ahab perhaps flattering him with hopes that he would make him his heir, when he intended no such thing.
2. This match drew Jehoshaphat, (1.) Into an intimate familiarity with Ahab. He paid him a visit at Samaria, and Ahab, proud of the honour which Jehoshaphat did him, gave him a very splendid entertainment, according to the splendour of those times: He
killed sheep and oxen for him, plain meat,
in abundance, 2Chr 18:2. In this Jehoshaphat did not walk so closely as he should have done in the ways of his father David, who
hated the congregation of evil-doers and would not sit with the wicked (
Pss 26:5), nor desired to
eat of their dainties, Pss 141:4. (2.) Into a league with Ahab against the Syrians. Ahab persuaded him to join forces with him in an expedition for the recovery of Ramoth-Gilead, a city in the tribe of Gad, on the other side Jordan. Did not Ahab know that that, and all the other cities of Israel, did of right belong to Jehoshaphat, as heir of the house of David? With what face then could he ask Jehoshaphat to assist him in recovering it for himself, whose title to the crown was usurped and precarious? Yet Jehoshaphat, an easy man, yields to go with him:
I am as thou art, 2Chr 18:3. Some men's kindnesses are dangerous, as well as their society infectious. The feast Ahab made for Jehoshaphat was designed only to wheedle him into the expedition. The
kisses of an enemy are deceitful. 4 This is almost word for word the same with what we had, 1 Kings 22. We will not repeat what was there said, nor have we much to add, but may take occasion to think, 1. Of the great duty of acknowledging God in all our ways
and enquiring at his word, whatever we undertake. Jehoshaphat was not willing to proceed till he had done this,
2Chr 18:4. By particular believing prayer, by an unbiased consultation of the scripture and our own consciences, and by an observant regard to the hints of providence, we may make such enquiries and very much to our satisfaction. 2. Of the great danger of bad company even to good men. Those that have more wisdom, grace, and resolution, cannot be sure that they can converse familiarly with wicked people and get no hurt by them. Jehoshaphat here, in complaisance to Ahab, sits in his robes, patiently hearing the false prophets speaking lies in the name of the Lord (
2Chr 18:9), can scarcely find in his heart to give him a too mild and gentle reproof for hating a prophet of the Lord (
2Chr 18:7), and dares not rebuke that false prophet who basely abused the faithful seer nor oppose Ahab who committed him to prison. Those who venture among the seats of the scornful cannot come off without a great deal of the guilt attaching to at least the omission of their duty, unless they have such measures of wisdom and courage as few can pretend to. 3. Of the unhappiness of those who are surrounded with flatterers, especially flattering prophets, who cry peace to them and prophesy nothing but smooth things. Thus was Ahab cheated into his ruin, and justly; for he hearkened to such, and preferred those that humoured him before a good prophet that gave him fair warning of his danger. Those do best for themselves that give their friends leave, and particularly their ministers, to deal plainly and faithfully with them, and take their reproofs not only patiently, but kindly. That counsel is not always best for us that is most pleasing to us. 4. Of the power of Satan, by the divine permission,
in the children of disobedience. One lying spirit can make 400 lying prophets and make use of them to deceive Ahab,
2Chr 18:21. The devil becomes a murderer by being a liar and destroys men by deceiving them. 5. Of the justice of God in giving those up to strong delusions, to believe a lie, who will not receive the love of the truth, but rebel against it,
2Chr 18:21. Let the
lying spirit prevail to entice those to their ruin that will not be persuaded to their duty and happiness. 6. Of the hard case of faithful ministers, whose lot it has often been to be hated, and persecuted, and ill-treated, for being true to their God and just and kind to the souls of men. Micaiah, for discharging a good conscience, was buffeted, imprisoned, and condemned to the bread and water of affliction. But he could with assurance appeal to the issue, as all those may do who are persecuted for their faithfulness,
2Chr 18:27. The day will declare who is in the right and who in the wrong, when Christ will appear, to the unspeakable consolation of his persecuted people and the everlasting confusion of their persecutors, who will be made
to see in that day (
2Chr 18:24) what they will not now believe.
28 We have here, 1. Good Jehoshaphat exposing himself in his robes, thereby endangered, and yet delivered. We have reason to think that Ahab, while he pretended friendship, really aimed at Jehoshaphat's life, to take him off, that he might have the management of his successor, who was his son-in-law, else he would never have advised him to enter into the battle with his robes on, which was but to make himself an easy mark to the enemy: and, if really he intended that, it was as unprincipled a piece of treachery as ever man was guilty of, and justly was he himself taken in the pit he digged for his friend. The enemy had soon an eye upon the robes, and vigorously attacked the unwary prince who now, when it was too late, wished himself in the habit of the poorest soldier, rather than in his princely raiment. he cried out, either to his friends to relieve him (but Ahab took no care of that), or to his enemies, to rectify their mistake, and let them know that he was not the king of Israel. Or perhaps he cried to God for succour and deliverance (to whom else should he cry?) and he found it was not in vain:
The Lord helped him out of his distress, by
moving the captains to depart from him, 2Chr 18:31. God has all men's hearts in his hand, and turns them as he pleases, contrary to their own first intentions, to serve his purposes. Many are moved unaccountably both to themselves and others, but an invisible power moves them. 2. Wicked Ahab disguising himself, arming himself thereby as he thought securing himself, and yet slain,
2Chr 18:33. No art, no arms, can save those whom God has appointed to ruin. What can hurt those whom God will protect? And what can shelter those whom God will destroy? Jehoshaphat is safe in his robes, Ahab killed in his armour; for the race is not to the swift nor the battle to the strong.