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Text -- 2 Chronicles 18:1--19:3 (NET)
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Strongs On/Off
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 .”
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Names, People and Places, Dictionary Themes and Topics
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expand allCommentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes
NET Notes -> 2Ch 18:2; 2Ch 18:2; 2Ch 18:2; 2Ch 18:2; 2Ch 18:2; 2Ch 18:3; 2Ch 18:4; 2Ch 18:4; 2Ch 18:5; 2Ch 18:5; 2Ch 18:7; 2Ch 18:7; 2Ch 18:7; 2Ch 18:7; 2Ch 18:9; 2Ch 18:12; 2Ch 18:12; 2Ch 18:14; 2Ch 18:14; 2Ch 18:15; 2Ch 18:16; 2Ch 18:18; 2Ch 18:20; 2Ch 18:21; 2Ch 18:21; 2Ch 18:26; 2Ch 18:27; 2Ch 18:29; 2Ch 18:30; 2Ch 18:33; 2Ch 18:33; 2Ch 18:33; 2Ch 19:1; 2Ch 19:2; 2Ch 19:2; 2Ch 19:2; 2Ch 19:2; 2Ch 19:3; 2Ch 19:3; 2Ch 19:3
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NET Notes: 2Ch 18:3 Heb “Like me, like you; and like your people, my people; and with you in battle.”
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NET Notes: 2Ch 18:4 Heb “the word of the Lord.” Jehoshaphat is requesting a prophetic oracle revealing the Lord’s will in the matter and their prospects...
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NET Notes: 2Ch 18:5 Though Jehoshaphat had requested an oracle from “the Lord” (יְהוָה, yÿhvah, “Yahweh”)...
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NET Notes: 2Ch 18:14 One does not expect Micaiah, having just vowed to speak only what the Lord tells him, to agree with the other prophets and give the king an inaccurate...
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NET Notes: 2Ch 18:16 Heb “he”; the referent (Micaiah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
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NET Notes: 2Ch 18:18 Heb “he”; the referent (Micaiah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
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NET Notes: 2Ch 18:20 Heb “the spirit.” The significance of the article prefixed to רוּחַ (ruakh) is uncertain, but it could conta...
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NET Notes: 2Ch 18:21 The Hebrew text has two imperfects connected by וְגַם (vÿgam). These verbs could be translated as specific futures,...
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NET Notes: 2Ch 18:29 The Hebrew verbal forms could be imperatives (“Disguise yourself and enter”), but this would make no sense in light of the immediately fol...
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NET Notes: 2Ch 19:1 For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
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