Ch. 2 Chronicles 18:1-3 (cp. 1 Kings 22:1-4). The Alliance between Jehoshaphat and Ahab

1. joined affinity] Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat married Athaliah the daughter of Ahab (2 Kings 8:16; 2 Kings 8:18; 2 Kings 8:26). Athaliah though called “daughter” of Omri in 2 Kings 8:26 was really his grand-daughter.

2. killed sheep and oxen] This phrase implies a feast, for flesh is eaten in the East only on festal occasions. The phrase used for supplying necessary food is to set bread and water before one.

that he had with him] R.V. that were with him.

and persuaded him] R.V. and moved him. The meaning of both phrases is the same, for in old English to persuade means to use persuasion without reference to the success of the action.

Ramoth-gilead] Deuteronomy 4:43; 1 Kings 4:13; 1 Kings 22:3; 2 Kings 8:28; 2 Kings 9:1; 2 Kings 9:14. Ramoth was a city of refuge and (under Solomon) the seat of the governor of a province. Probably it was the most important Israelite city east of Jordan. It has been identified—but not beyond doubt—with the modern es-Salṭ. Bädeker, p. 177.

3. and we will be with thee in the war] In 1 Kin. the corresponding phrase is, my horses as thy horses. The Chronicler makes the words of Jehoshaphat a definite promise. The phrases In 1 Kin. need not be more than the expression of oriental politeness. At the present day the Arab says to his guest, My house is thy house, but he generally means very little by the words.

4–27 (1 Kings 22:5-28). The Prophecy of Micaiah

4. Jehoshaphat] Cp. 2 Kings 3:11.

Inquire … at the word] Cp. Daniel 2:10 (A.V.), “no king … asked such things at any magician.” The use of “at” after verbs of asking is obsolete.

5. Therefore the king of Israel gathered together of prophets] R.V. Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together. These no doubt were prophets of Jehovah (not of Baal); cp. 2 Chronicles 18:4 and note on 2 Chronicles 18:6.

Shall we go … or shall I forbear?] in 1 Kin., “Shall I go … or shall I forbear?” (so LXX., but not Pesh., of Chron.).

will deliver it into the king’s hand] R.V. shall deliver it into the hand of the king (as 1 Kin.).

6. Is there not here a prophet of the Lord besides] Or, Hath not the LORD here yet another prophet. The unanimity of the four hundred prophets aroused the suspicion of Jehoshaphat.

7. prophesied good unto me] R.V. prophesieth good concerning me (similarly 1 Kin.).

8. called for one of his officers] R.V. called an officer. The Heb. word means “eunuch.” From 1 Samuel 8:15 we may perhaps conclude that such officers were known in Israel from the very beginning of the monarchy. Cp. 1 Chronicles 28:1, note.

9. either of them … clothed] R.V. each … arrayed.

in a void place at the entering in] Render, in a threshingfloor at the entrance. The threshingfloor was convenient as being a large flat open space; cp. Genesis 50:10; 1 Chronicles 13:9; 1 Chronicles 21:18 ff.

10. made him horns of iron] For a similar use of symbolic action by a prophet cp. Jeremiah 27:2 (also 2 Chronicles 28:10). For the meaning of the phrase cp. Amos 6:13, “Have we not taken to us horns?” i.e. “Have we not acquired military power?”

thou shalt push] Cp. Deuteronomy 33:17. So Rameses II is described in an Egyptian psalm as “the strong bull against the Ethiopians; his horn pushes them.” (Erman, Ancient Egypt, Eng. Tr., p. 57.)

Syria] R.V. the Syrians.

12. with one assent] R.V. with one mouth (so Heb. here and 1 Kin.).

13. even what my God saith] Render, surely, what my God shall say. The divine message has not yet come to the prophet.

14. Go ye up … into your hand] Micaiah addresses both kings. In 1 Kin. Ahab only is addressed, Go and prosper, for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king. Micaiah repeats in mocking tones the utterance of the other prophets.

15. that thou say nothing but the truth to me] R.V. that thou speak unto me nothing but the truth. The tone of scorn in Micaiah’s voice was noticed by the king.

16. Then he said, I did see] Render, And he said, I see.

the Lord said, These have no master] Render, The LORD hath said, These have a master who is no master. Ahab was no shepherd, but a spoiler of his people. To translate as A.V. and R.V. translate, is to strain the meaning of the Heb., and to refer “in peace” to the blood-stained retreat of Israel from Ramoth is to defy the plainest meaning of language. 2 Chronicles 18:16 means that the man who has misgoverned will not be permitted to lead to victory.

18. Again he said] R.V. And he said. There are three stages in the prophet’s dealings with the king, (1) irony in 2 Chronicles 18:14, (2) serious advice in 2 Chronicles 18:16, (3) denunciation of death in 2 Chronicles 18:18-22.

I saw] Render, I see. The vision comes to the prophet as he stands before the two kings; cp. 2 Chronicles 18:13 and Mark 13:11.

19. Who shall entice Ahab] So 1 Kin. (R.V.). The same Heb. word is used in Jeremiah 20:7, “thou hast deceived (mg. ‘enticed’) me,” where Jeremiah complains that he has been called to the fruitless labour of a hated prophet. For the underlying thought that delusion is sometimes a preliminary part of Divine punishment cp. 2 Thessalonians 2:11 (cp. 2 Thessalonians 2:9). It should be noted however that the “lying spirit” in the month of the 400 prophets played only a subordinate part in Ahab’s fall, and indeed could have played no part at all, but for the fact that the king was more than willing to be enticed. Ahab had already made up his mind; he consulted the 400 only as an afterthought to satisfy Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 18:4), he excluded the plain-speaking Micaiah until Jehoshaphat insisted on his presence (2 Chronicles 18:6-7), and he scorned the true prophet’s warning of the falseness of the 400 (2 Chronicles 18:26). Delusion as a Divine punishment comes only upon the man who is willing to be deluded.

20. Then there came out] R.V. And there came forth.

a spirit] Heb. the spirit, but the definite art. simply singles out one spirit from the rest. The Evil Spirit (Heb. “the Satan”) is not meant here.

21. go out] R.V. go forth.

23. Zedekiah] He takes the lead as in 2 Chronicles 18:10.

smote … upon the cheek] This phrase is tantamount to “gave an insulting blow”; cp. Micah 5:1; Matthew 5:39.

24. Behold, thou shalt see] Micaiah answers Zedekiah’s gibe with the verb “see” (rather than “know”) because of its double meaning, “Behold, thou shalt be a seer, thou shalt possess the power of vision” when it is too late.

go into an inner chamber] “Seek safety in hiding from enemies”; cp. 1 Kings 20:30 (same Heb. phrase).

25. carry him back] Micaiah is not to accompany the expedition, having foretold its failure.

26. bread of affliction … water of affliction] Cp. Ezekiel 4:9-11.

27. If thou certainly return in peace] R.V. If thou return at all in peace (so 1 Kin.).

Hearken, all ye people] R.V. Hear, ye peoples, all of you. The “peoples” represented at this gathering were probably, Israel, Judah, Edom, and Moab. The phrase occurs in Micah 1:2.

28–34 (= 1 Kings 22:29-37). The Death of Ahab at Ramoth-Gilead

29. I will disguise myself] Ahab’s proposal is that he himself (disguised) should take part in the fighting, and that Jehoshaphat in royal robes should remain in the rear. Thus Ahab would be doubly protected, i.e. by his disguise and by the chance that Jehoshaphat would be mistaken for him, while Jehoshaphat In the rear would run no risk.

put thou on thy robes] Render, be clothed in thy robes, i.e. do not put on thy armour, but keep out of the fighting.

and they went to the battle] 1 Kin. (more correctly) and he (Ahab) went into the battle (so LXX. here).

30. the captains of the chariots that were with him] R.V. the captains of his chariots. Thirty-two in number (1 Kin.). While the rest of the Syrian army met the Israelite attack, the chariots were to act as an independent force, whose primary task should be to kill or capture Ahab. The king of Syria felt himself overmatched and thought that the only chance of victory lay in the fall of the Israelite commander. Cp. 2 Kings 3:26 (the king of Moab tries to break through to the king off Edom).

Fight ye not with small or great] R.V. Fight neither with small nor great (so in 1 Kin.).

31. saw Jehoshaphat … to fight] Render, saw Jehoshaphat, (now they said, It is the king of Israel!) that they turned about against him to fight. The captains of the chariots obeying the orders given them made a circuit in order to reach the rear of the Israelite army where Jehoshaphat was stationed. The same fact is described in 1 Kin. by the phrase, they turned aside. The A.V. of Chronicles they compassed about him (i.e. “surrounded him”; cp. 2 Chronicles 21:9) is a possible, but less probable, interpretation.

and God moved them to depart from him] These words anticipate 2 Chronicles 18:32 and are not found in 1 Kin. Probably a panic fell on the Syrian charioteers when they found themselves far from the rest of the Syrian army and yet not near the king of Israel.

33. And a certain man drew a bow] Render, But a certain man had drawn a bow. God had already brought about that which the Syrians were labouring to perform.

at a venture] Better, as mg., in his simplicity, i.e. without knowing that he was aiming at Ahab. Cp. 2 Samuel 15:11.

between the joints of the harness] Probably between the breastplate (or coat of mail) and the appendages to it; the wound would be in the lower part of the body.

that thou mayest carry me] R.V. and carry me (so 1 Kin.).

wounded] R.V. sore wounded (so 1 Kin., R.V.).

34. stayed himself up in his chariot] 1 Kin. was stayed up. The expression in Chron. probably means that Ahab by his continued presence on the field stayed his army from retreat until sundown. Ahab sustained his reputation as a good soldier (cp. 1 Kings 20:14; 1 Kings 22:31) to the last; his death caused the failure of the attack on Ramoth (1 Kings 22:36).

of the sun going down] R.V. of the going down of the sun.