2 Chronicles 18

ENGWEBEnglish34 verses

1Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance; and he joined affinity with Ahab.

2After certain years he went down to Ahab to Samaria. Ahab killed sheep and cattle for him in abundance, and for the people who were with him, and moved him to go up with him to Ramoth Gilead.

3Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me to Ramoth Gilead?” He answered him, “I am as you are, and my people as your people. We will be with you in the war.”

4Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire first for Yahweh’s word.”

5Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall we go to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall I forbear?” They said, “Go up; for God will deliver it into the hand of the king.”

6But Jehoshaphat said, “Isn’t there here a prophet of Yahweh besides, that we may inquire of him?”

7The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of Yahweh; but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil. He is Micaiah the son of Imla.” Jehoshaphat said, “Don’t let the king say so.”

8Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said, “Get Micaiah the son of Imla quickly.”

9Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah sat each on his throne, arrayed in their robes, and they were sitting in an open place at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets were prophesying before them.

10Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron, and said, “Yahweh says, ‘With these you shall push the Syrians, until they are consumed.’”

11All the prophets prophesied so, saying, “Go up to Ramoth Gilead, and prosper; for Yahweh will deliver it into the hand of the king.”

12The messenger who went to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, “Behold, the words of the prophets declare good to the king with one mouth. Let your word therefore, please be like one of theirs, and speak good.”

13Micaiah said, “As Yahweh lives, what my God says, that will I speak.”

14When he had come to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall I forbear?” He said, “Go up, and prosper. They shall be delivered into your hand.”

15The king said to him, “How many times shall I adjure you that you speak to me nothing but the truth in Yahweh’s name?”

16He said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. Yahweh said, ‘These have no master. Let them return every man to his house in peace.’”

17The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?”

18Micaiah said, “Therefore hear Yahweh’s word: I saw Yahweh sitting on his throne, and all the army of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left.

19Yahweh said, ‘Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth Gilead?’ One spoke saying in this way, and another saying in that way.

20A spirit came out, stood before Yahweh, and said, ‘I will entice him.’ “Yahweh said to him, ‘How?’

21“He said, ‘I will go, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ “He said, ‘You will entice him, and will prevail also. Go and do so.’

22“Now therefore, behold, Yahweh has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these your prophets; and Yahweh has spoken evil concerning you.”

23Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near, and struck Micaiah on the cheek, and said, “Which way did Yahweh’s Spirit go from me to speak to you?”

24Micaiah said, “Behold, you shall see on that day, when you shall go into an inner room to hide yourself.”

25The king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah, and carry him back to Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king’s son;

26and say, ‘Thus says the king, “Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I return in peace.”’”

27Micaiah said, “If you return at all in peace, Yahweh has not spoken by me.” He said, “Listen, you peoples, all of you!”

28So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead.

29The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself, and go into the battle; but you put on your robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself; and they went into the battle.

30Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of his chariots, saying, “Fight neither with small nor great, except only with the king of Israel.”

31When the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “It is the king of Israel!” Therefore they turned around to fight against him. But Jehoshaphat cried out, and Yahweh helped him; and God moved them to depart from him.

32When the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.

33A certain man drew his bow at random, and struck the king of Israel between the joints of the armor. Therefore he said to the driver of the chariot, “Turn your hand, and carry me out of the army; for I am severely wounded.”

34The battle increased that day. However the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot against the Syrians until the evening; and about the time of the going down of the sun, he died.

Commentary

Chapter 18 The story of this chapter we had just as it is here related in the story of the reign of Ahab king of Israel, 1 Ki. 22. There it looks more creditable to Ahab than any thing else recorded of him that he was in league with so good a man as Jehoshaphat; here it is a great blemish in the reign of Jehoshaphat that he thus connected himself with so bad a man as Ahab. Here is, I. The alliance he contracted himself with Ahab (v. 1). II. His consent to join with him in his expedition for the recovery of Remoth—Gilead out of the hands of the Syrians (v. 2, 3). III. Their consulting with the prophets, false and true, before they went (v. 4–27). IV. The success of their expedition. Jehoshaphat hardly escaped (v. 28–32) and Ahab received his death’s wound (v. 33, 34).Verses 1-3 Here is, I. Jehoshaphat growing greater. It was said before (ch. 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, v. 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 (Ps. 26:5), nor desired to eat of their dainties, Ps. 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, v. 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.

Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honour in abundance,.... Still more and more, see 2Ch 17:5, and which moved Ahab to desire friendship and affinity with him, to which Jehoshaphat agreed:

and joined affinity with Ahab; king of Israel, married his son Joram to Athaliah, a daughter of Ahab by Jezebel of Zidon; which marriage proved of bad consequence to Jehoshaphat and his family.

18:1-34 Jehoshaphat's alliance with Ahab. - This history we read in 1Ki 22. Abundant riches and honour give large opportunities of doing good, but they are attended with many snares and temptations. Men do not know much of the artifices of Satan and the deceitfulness of their own hearts, when they covet riches with the idea of being able to do good with them. What can hurt those whom God will protect? 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. We should be cautious of entangling ourselves in the worldly undertakings of evil men; and still more we should avoid engaging in their sinful projects. But, when they call upon him, God can and will bring his faithful people out of the difficulties and dangers into which they have sinfully run themselves. He has all hearts in his hand, so that he easily rescues them. Blessed is the man that putteth his trust in the Lord.

And after certain years,....

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Translations8 · 6

AMHEVG ለኢዮሣፍጥም ብዙ ብልጥግናና ክብር ነበረው፤ ለአክዓብም ጋብቻ ሆነ። አማርኛ ENGNIV Now Jehoshaphat had great wealth and honor, and he allied himself with Ahab by marriage. English BCV ኢዮሳፍጥ ድማ ብዙሕ ሃብትን ክብርን ነበሮ። ምስ ኣክኣብ ከዓ መውስቦ ገበረ። ትግርኛ GAZBIB Yoshaafaax mootichi badhaadhummaa guddaa fi ulfina guddaa qaba ture; kanaaf inni fuudhaa fi heerumaan Ahaab mootichatti… Afaan Oromoo BCV GIZ ወኮኖ ለዮሳፍጥ ፈድፋደ ብዕል ወስብሐት፤ ወአውሰበ ዮሳፍጥ ብእሲተ እምቤተ አከዐብ። giz GAZGAZ Yoshaafaax mootichi badhaadhummaa guddaa fi ulfina guddaa qaba ture; kanaaf inni fuudhaa fi heerumaan Ahaab mootichatti… Afaan Oromoo AMHNIV ኢዮሣፍጥ ታላቅ ሀብትና ክብር ባገኘ ጊዜ ከአክዓብ ጋር በጋብቻ ተሳሰረ። አማርኛ SWAHSUV Basi, Yehoshafati alikuwa na mali na heshima tele, tena akafanya ujamaa na Ahabu. Kiswahili