1 Kings 22:6

22:6 So the king of Israel assembled about four hundred prophets and asked them, “Should I attack Ramoth Gilead or not?” ¹  They said, “Attack! The sovereign one ²  will hand it over to the king.”

1 Kings 22:8

22:8 The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man through whom we can seek the Lord’s will. ³  But I despise ⁴  him because he does not prophesy prosperity for me, but disaster. His name is Micaiah son of Imlah. ⁵  Jehoshaphat said, “The king should not say such things.”

1 Kings 22:13

22:13 Now the messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, “Look, the prophets are in complete agreement that the king will succeed. ⁶  Your words must agree with theirs; you must predict success.” ⁷ 

¹ tn Heb “Should I go against Ramoth Gilead for war or should I refrain?”

² tn Though Jehoshaphat requested an oracle from “the Lord” (יְהוָה, Yahweh), they stop short of actually using this name and substitute the title אֲדֹנָי (’adonai, “lord; master”). This ambiguity may explain in part Jehoshaphat’s hesitancy and caution (vv. 7-8). He seems to doubt that the four hundred are genuine prophets of the Lord.

³ tn Heb “to seek the Lord from him.”

⁴ tn Or “hate.”

⁵ tn The words “his name is” are supplied for stylistic reasons.

⁶ tn Heb “the words of the prophets are [with] one mouth good for the king.”

⁷ tn Heb “let your words be like the word of each of them and speak good.”