2 Chronicles 18

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1Now Jehoshaphat had great wealth and honor, and he allied himself with Ahab by marriage.

2Some years later he went down to visit Ahab in Samaria. Ahab slaughtered many sheep and cattle for him and the people with him and urged him to attack Ramoth Gilead.

3Ahab king of Israel asked Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me against Ramoth Gilead?” Jehoshaphat replied, “I am as you are, and my people as your people; we will join you in the war.”

4But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, “First seek the counsel of the Lord.”

5So the king of Israel brought together the prophets–four hundred men–and asked them, “Shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?” “Go,” they answered, “for God will give it into the king's hand.”

6But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not a prophet of the Lord here whom we can inquire of?”

7The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man through whom we can inquire of the Lord, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.” “The king should not say that,” Jehoshaphat replied.

8So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, “Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once.”

9Dressed in their royal robes, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor by the entrance to the gate of Samaria, with all the prophets prophesying before them.

10Now Zedekiah son of Kenaanah had made iron horns, and he declared, “This is what the Lord says: ‘With these you will gore the Arameans until they are destroyed.’ ”

11All the other prophets were prophesying the same thing. “Attack Ramoth Gilead and be victorious,” they said, “for the Lord will give it into the king's hand.”

12The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, “Look, as one man the other prophets are predicting success for the king. Let your word agree with theirs, and speak favorably.”

13But Micaiah said, “As surely as the Lord lives, I can tell him only what my God says.”

14When he arrived, the king asked him, “Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?” “Attack and be victorious,” he answered, “for they will be given into your hand.”

15The king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?”

16Then Micaiah answered, “I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd, and the Lord said, ‘These people have no master. Let each one go home in peace.’ ”

17The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn't I tell you that he never prophesies anything good about me, but only bad?”

18Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne with all the host of heaven standing on his right and on his left.

19And the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?’ “One suggested this, and another that.

20Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the Lord and said, ‘I will entice him.’ “ ‘By what means?’ the Lord asked.

21“ ‘I will go and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,’ he said. “ ‘You will succeed in enticing him,’ said the Lord. ‘Go and do it.’

22“So now the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouths of these prophets of yours. The Lord has decreed disaster for you.”

23Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah went up and slapped Micaiah in the face. “Which way did the spirit from the Lord go when he went from me to speak to you?” he asked.

24Micaiah replied, “You will find out on the day you go to hide in an inner room.”

25The king of Israel then ordered, “Take Micaiah and send him back to Amon the ruler of the city and to Joash the king's son,

26and say, ‘This is what the king says: Put this fellow in prison and give him nothing but bread and water until I return safely.’ ”

27Micaiah declared, “If you ever return safely, the Lord has not spoken through me.” Then he added, “Mark my words, all you people!”

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

29The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will enter the battle in disguise, but you wear your royal robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle.

30Now the king of Aram had ordered his chariot commanders, “Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel.”

31When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they thought, “This is the king of Israel.” So they turned to attack him, but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him. God drew them away from him,

32for when the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel, they stopped pursuing him.

33But someone drew his bow at random and hit the king of Israel between the sections of his armor. The king told the chariot driver, “Wheel around and get me out of the fighting. I've been wounded.”

34All day long the battle raged, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot facing the Arameans until evening. Then at sunset 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 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 ENGESV Now Jehoshaphat had great riches and honor, and he made a marriage alliance with Ahab. English