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Texts -- 2 Chronicles 18:1--19:3 (NET)

Context
Jehoshaphat Allies with Ahab
18:1 Jehoshaphat was very wealthy and greatly respected . He made an alliance by marriage with Ahab , 18:2 and after several years went down to visit Ahab in Samaria . Ahab slaughtered many sheep and cattle to honor Jehoshaphat and those who came with him. He persuaded him to join in an attack against Ramoth Gilead . 18:3 King Ahab of Israel said to Jehoshaphat , “Will you go with me to attack Ramoth Gilead ?” Jehoshaphat replied to the king of Israel, “I will support you; my army is at your disposal and will support you in battle .” 18:4 Then Jehoshaphat added , “First seek an oracle from the Lord .” 18:5 So the king of Israel assembled 400 prophets and asked them, “Should we attack Ramoth Gilead or not ?” They said , “Attack ! God will hand it over to the king .” 18:6 But Jehoshaphat asked , “Is there not a prophet of the Lord still here , that we may ask him?” 18:7 The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat , “There is still one man through whom we can seek the Lord’s will. But I despise him because he does not prophesy prosperity for me, but always disaster . His name is Micaiah son of Imlah . Jehoshaphat said , “The king should not say such things !” 18:8 The king of Israel summoned an officer and said , “Quickly bring Micaiah son of Imlah .” 18:9 Now the king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah were sitting on their respective thrones , dressed in their royal robes , at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria . All the prophets were prophesying before them. 18:10 Zedekiah son of Kenaanah made iron horns and said , “This is what the Lord says , ‘With these you will gore Syria until they are destroyed !’” 18:11 All the prophets were prophesying the same , saying , “Attack Ramoth Gilead ! You will succeed ; the Lord will hand it over to the king !” 18:12 Now the messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, “Look , the prophets are in complete agreement that the king will succeed . Your words must agree with theirs ; you must predict success !” 18:13 But Micaiah said , “As certainly as the Lord lives , I will say what my God tells me to say !” 18:14 Micaiah came before the king and the king asked him, “Micaiah , should we attack Ramoth Gilead or not ?” He answered him, “Attack ! You will succeed ; they will be handed over to you.” 18:15 The king said to him, “How many times must I make you solemnly promise in the name of the Lord to tell me only the truth ?” 18:16 Micaiah replied , “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains like sheep that have no shepherd . Then the Lord said , ‘They have no master . They should go home in peace .’” 18:17 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat , “Didn’t I tell you he does not prophesy prosperity for me, but disaster ?” 18:18 Micaiah said , “That being the case , hear the word of the Lord : I saw the Lord sitting on his throne , with all the heavenly assembly standing on his right and on his left . 18:19 The Lord said , ‘Who will deceive King Ahab of Israel , so he will attack Ramoth Gilead and die there?’ One said this and another that . 18:20 Then a spirit stepped forward and stood before the Lord . He said , ‘I will deceive him.’ The Lord asked him, ‘How ?’ 18:21 He replied , ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets .’ The Lord said , ‘Deceive and overpower him. Go out and do as you have proposed.’ 18:22 So now , look , the Lord has placed a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours; but the Lord has decreed disaster for you.” 18:23 Zedekiah son of Kenaanah approached , hit Micaiah on the jaw , and said , “Which way did the Lord’s spirit go when he went from me to speak to you?” 18:24 Micaiah replied , “Look , you will see in the day when you go into an inner room to hide .” 18:25 Then the king of Israel said , “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the city official and Joash the king’s son . 18:26 Say , ‘This is what the king says : “Put this man in prison . Give him only a little bread and water until I return safely .”’” 18:27 Micaiah said , “If you really do return safely , then the Lord has not spoken through me!” Then he added , “Take note , all you people .” 18:28 The king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah attacked Ramoth Gilead . 18:29 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat , “I will disguise myself and then enter the battle ; but you wear your royal attire .” So the king of Israel disguised himself and they entered the battle . 18:30 Now the king of Syria had ordered his chariot commanders , “Do not fight common soldiers or high ranking officers ; fight only the king of Israel !” 18:31 When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat , they said , “He must be the king of Israel !” So they turned and attacked him, but Jehoshaphat cried out. The Lord helped him; God lured them away from him. 18:32 When the chariot commanders realized he was not the king of Israel , they turned away from him. 18:33 Now an archer shot an arrow at random and it struck the king of Israel between the plates of his armor . The king ordered his charioteer , “Turn around and take me from the battle line , for I am wounded .” 18:34 While the battle raged throughout the day , the king stood propped up in his chariot opposite the Syrians . He died in the evening as the sun was setting . 19:1 When King Jehoshaphat of Judah returned home safely to Jerusalem , 19:2 the prophet Jehu son of Hanani confronted him; he said to King Jehoshaphat , “Is it right to help the wicked and be an ally of those who oppose the Lord ? Because you have done this the Lord is angry with you! 19:3 Nevertheless you have done some good things; you removed the Asherah poles from the land and you were determined to follow the Lord .”

Pericope

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Bible Dictionary

  • ZEDEKIAH (1)

    [isbe] ZEDEKIAH (1) - zed-e-ki'-a (tsidhqiyahu, tsidhqiyah, "Yah my righteousness"; Sedekia, Sedekias): (1) The son of Chenaanah (1 Ki 22:11,24; 2 Ch 18:10,23). Zedekiah was apparently the leader and spokesman of the 400 prophets a...

  • War

    [nave] WAR Divine approval of, 2 Sam. 22:35. Civil, Judg. 12:1-6; 20; 2 Sam. 2:12-31; 3:1; 20; 1 Kin. 14:30; 16:21; Isa. 19:2; forbidden, 2 Chr. 11:4; averted, Josh. 22:11-34. Enemy harangued by general of opposing side, 2 Kin. 1...

  • Vision

    [nave] VISION, a mode of revelation, Num. 12:6; 1 Sam. 3:1; 2 Chr. 26:5; Psa. 89:19; Prov. 29:18; Jer. 14:14; 23:16; Dan. 1:17; Hos. 12:10; Joel 2:28; Obad. 1; Hab. 2:2; Acts 2:17. Of Abraham, concerning his descendants, Gen. 15:1-...

  • Ramoth-gilead

    [isbe] RAMOTH-GILEAD - ra'-moth-gil'-e-ad (ramoth gil'adh; Codex Vaticanus Rhemmath Galadd; Codex Alexandrinus Rhammoth, and other forms): A great and strong city East of the Jordan in the territory of Gad, which played an importan...
    [nave] RAMOTH-GILEAD Called also Ramah, 2 Kin. 8:29; 2 Chr. 22:6. A city of Gad, and a city of refuge, Deut. 4:43; Josh. 20:8; 1 Chr. 6:80. One of Solomon's commissaries at, 1 Kin. 4:13. In the possession of the Syrians, 1 Kin. ...

  • Preaching

    [nave] PREACHING, the act of exhorting, prophesying, reproving, teaching. Solomon called preacher, Eccl. 1:1, 12. Noah called preacher, 2 Pet. 2:5. Sitting while, Matt. 5:1; Luke 4:20; 5:3. Moses, slow of speech, Ex. 4:10-12. Re...

  • Micaiah

    [isbe] MICAIAH - mi-ka'-ya, mi-ki'-a (mikhayahu, "who is like Yah?"; Meichaias): A frequently occurring Old Testament name occasionally contracted to MICA or MICAH (which see). In the King James Version it is usually spelled "Micha...
    [smith] (who is like God?). Micahiah, the son of Imlah, was a prophet of Samaria, who in the last year of the reign of Ahab king of Israel predicted his defeat and death, B.C. 897. (1 Kings 22:1-35; 2 Chronicles 18:1) ...
    [nave] MICAIAH, a prophet who reproved King Ahab, 1 Kin. 22:8-28; 2 Chr. 18:4-27.

  • Lying

    [nave] LYING, lying spirit from God, 1 Kin. 22:21-23; 2 Chr. 18:20-22. See: Hypocrisy; Lies and Deceits.

  • Jehoshaphat

    [ebd] Jehovah-judged. (1.) One of David's body-guard (1 Chr. 11:43). (2.) One of the priests who accompanied the removal of the ark to Jerusalem (1 Chr. 15:24). (3.) Son of Ahilud, "recorder" or annalist under David and Solomon (2...
    [smith] (whom Jehovah judges.) King of Judah, son of Asa, succeeded to the throne B.C. 914, when he was 35 years old, and reigned 25 years. His history is to be found among the events recorded in (1 Kings 15:24; 2 Kings 8:16) ...
    [nave] JEHOSHAPHAT 1. David's recorder, 2 Sam. 8:16; 20:24; 1 Kin. 4:3; 1 Chr. 18:15. 2. One of Solomon's commissariat officers, 1 Kin. 4:17. 3. King of Judah. Succeeds Asa, 1 Kin. 15:24; 22:41; 1 Chr. 3:10; 2 Chr. 17:1; Matt. 1:...

  • JEHOSHAPHAT (2)

    [isbe] JEHOSHAPHAT (2) - je-hosh'-a-fat (yehoshaphaT, "Yahweh judges"): The 4th king of Judah, son of Asa. His mother was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi, of whom nothing further is known. He was 35 years of age at his accession, an...

  • Israel

    [nave] ISRAEL 1. A name given to Jacob, Gen. 32:24-32; 2 Kin. 17:34; Hos. 12:3, 4. 2. A name of the Christ in prophecy, Isa. 49:3. 3. A name given to the descendants of Jacob, a nation. Called also Israelites, and Hebrews, Gen. 4...

  • IMLA; IMLAH

    [isbe] IMLA; IMLAH - im'-la (yimlah, "fullness"?): Father of the prophet Micaiah (1 Ki 22:8,9; 2 Ch 18:7,8).

  • HOST OF HEAVEN

    [isbe] HOST OF HEAVEN - (tsebha' hashamayim): The expression is employed in the Old Testament to denote (1) the stars, frequently as objects of idolatry (Dt 4:19; 17:3; 2 Ki 17:16; 21:3,1; 23:4 f; Jer 8:2; 19:13; Zeph 1:5), but als...

  • HORN

    [isbe] HORN - horn (Hebrew and Aramaic qeren; keras; for the "ram's horn" (yobhel) of Josh 6 see MUSIC, and for the "inkhorn" of Ezek 9 (qeceth) see separate article): (1) Qeren and keras represent the English "horn" exactly, wheth...

  • HARNESS

    [ebd] (1.) Heb. 'asar, "to bind;" hence the act of fastening animals to a cart (1 Sam. 6:7, 10; Jer. 46:4, etc.). (2.) An Old English word for "armour;" Heb. neshek (2 Chr. 9:24). (3.) Heb. shiryan, a coat of mail (1 Kings 22:34; ...
    [isbe] HARNESS - har'-nes: A word of Celtic origin meaning "armour" in the King James Version; it is the translation of shiryan, "a coat of mail" (1 Ki 22:34; 2 Ch 18:33); of nesheq, "arms," "weapons" (2 Ch 9:24, the Revised Versio...

  • EUNUCH

    [isbe] EUNUCH - u'-nuk (caric; spadon; eunouchos): Primarily and literally, a eunuch is an emasculated man (Dt 23:1). The Hebrew word caric seems, however, to have acquired a figurative meaning, which is reflected in English Versio...

  • Ahab

    [nave] AHAB 1. King of Israel, 1 Kin. 16:29. Marries Jezebel, 1 Kin. 16:31. Idolatry of, 1 Kin. 16:30-33; 18:18, 19; 21:25, 26; other wickedness of, 2 Kin. 3:2; 2 Chr. 21:6; 22:3, 4; Mic. 6:16. Reproved by Elijah; assembles the ...

  • ASSENT

    [isbe] ASSENT - a-sent': Twice used in the King James Version as equivalent to "voice," and to "consent," and displaced in both instances in the Revised Version (British and American) by the literal rendering of the Hebrew peh, "mo...

  • AFFLICTION

    [isbe] AFFLICTION - a-flik'-shun: Represents no fewer than 11 Hebrew words in the Old Testament, and 3 Greek words in the New Testament, of which the most common are (oni), (thlipsis). It is used (1) actively = that which causes or...

  • AFFINITY

    [ebd] relationship by alliance (2 Chr. 18:1) or by marriage (1 Kings 3:1). Marriages are prohibited within certain degrees of affinity, enumerated Lev. 18:6-17. Consanguinity is relationship by blood.
    [isbe] AFFINITY - a-fin'-i-ti (chathan "to join one-self"): This term is used three times in the Old Testament: (1) in 1 Ki 3:1, where we read that "Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh King of Egypt", (2) in 2 Ch 18:1, where it is s...

  • ADJURATION

    [isbe] ADJURATION - ad-ju-ra'-shun: The act of requiring or taking a solemn oath. In a time of military peril Saul adjured the people ('alah, "to take oath") and they took oath by saying "Amen" (1 Sam 14:24). When Joshua pronounced...

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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • One writer called the Song of Moses "one of the most impressive religious poems in the entire Old Testament."336It contrasts the faithfulness and loyal love of God with the unfaithfulness and perversity of His people. As othe...
  • The Book of Samuel covers the period of Israel's history bracketed by Samuel's conception and the end of David's reign. David turned the kingdom over to Solomon in 971 B.C.3David reigned for 40 and one-half years (2 Sam. 2:11...
  • King Jehoshaphat of Judah made peace with King Ahab of Israel (22:44). He did so by contracting a marriage between his son, Jehoram, and Ahab's daughter, Athaliah (2 Chron. 18:1). This ended the first period of antagonism bet...
  • Another significant battle occurred between the battle of Ramoth-gilead that the writer recorded in chapter 22 (853 B.C.) and the battles he recorded in chapter 20. Ahab and his Aramean ally Ben-Hadad II (860-841 B.C.) defeat...
  • Jehoshaphat began ruling over Judah as coregent with his father Asa (873-870 B.C.). When Asa died, he reigned alone for 17 more years (870-853 B.C.). He concluded his 25-year reign with another period of coregency with his so...
  • Chronicles covers a broader period of history than any other Old Testament book. It begins with Adam and ends with Anani who lived eight generations after King Jehoiachin (1 Chron. 3:24). If we allow 25 years for each generat...
  • Even though 1 and 2 Chronicles give one continuous story the emphasis in 2 Chronicles is different from that in 1 Chronicles. In 1 Chronicles the emphasis is the importance of the temple in national life. However in 2 Chronic...
  • (Continued from notes on 1 Chronicles)III. The reign of Solomon chs. 1-9A. Solomon's wisdom and prosperity ch. 1B. The building of the temple 2:1-5:11. Preparations for building the temple ch. 22. The temple proper 3:1-93. Th...
  • This account of Jehoshaphat's rule reveals that God was then actively leading His people. These were the years of alliance with Israel. Ahab was on the throne of the Northern Kingdom.The Chronicler deliberately presented Jeho...
  • This chapter is very similar to 1 Kings 22. Jehoshaphat's concern for God's will guided his actions (vv. 4, 6).44The Chronicler undoubtedly wanted to encourage his audience toward repentance and restoration by showing them fi...
  • Even though God had spared Jehoshaphat's life in the battle, his close brush with death was the result of an unwise decision to help ungodly Ahab. A prophet rebuked him for this alliance (v. 2)."A Christian's attachment to Go...
  • Josiah died at Megiddo in 609 B.C. when he interrupted Pharaoh Neco's military advance against the Babylonians."Fearing the advance of the Babylonians, Pharaoh Neco and the Egyptian army were on their way to assist the Assyri...
  • This section summarizes the previous incidents that deal primarily with healing and prepares for Jesus' charge to His disciples. It is transitional providing a bridge from the condition of the people that chapter 9 revealed t...
  • Mark's account of this miracle plays an important role in his Gospel. The unusually long introduction provides the setting for this miracle. It stresses Jesus' humanity, and the miracle itself demonstrates His deity. Mark lat...

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

  • And Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead, and strengthened himself against Israel. 2. And he placed forces in all the fenced cities of Judah, and set garrisons in the land of Judah, and in the cities of Ephraim, which Asa...
  • And Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned to his house in peace to Jerusalem. 2. And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to king Jehoshaphat, Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hat...
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