20 and Jehovah saith, Who doth entice Ahab, and he doth go up and fall in Ramoth-Gilead? and this one saith thus, and that one is saying thus. 21 'And the spirit goeth out, and standeth before Jehovah, and saith, I—I do entice him; and Jehovah saith unto him, By what? 22 and he saith, I go out, and have been a spirit of falsehood in the mouth of all his prophets; and He saith, Thou dost entice, and also thou art able; go out and do so. 23 And now, lo, Jehovah hath put a spirit of falsehood in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and Jehovah hath spoken concerning thee—evil.' 24 And Zedekiah son of Chenaanah draweth nigh, and smiteth Micaiah on the cheek, and saith, 'Where 'is' this—he hath passed over—the Spirit of Jehovah—from me to speak with thee?' 25 And Micaiah saith, 'Lo, thou art seeing on that day, when thou goest in to the innermost chamber to be hidden.' 26 And the king of Israel saith, 'Take Micaiah, and turn him back unto Amon head of the city, and unto Joash son of the king, 27 and thou hast said, Thus said the king, Place ye this one in the house of restraint, and cause him to eat bread of oppression, and water of oppression, till my coming in peace.' 28 And Micaiah saith, 'If thou at all return in peace—Jehovah hath not spoken by me;' and he saith, 'Hear, O peoples, all of them.'
29 And the king of Israel goeth up, and Jehoshaphat king of Judah, to Ramoth-Gilead. 30 And the king of Israel saith unto Jehoshaphat to disguise himself, and to go into battle, 'And thou, put on thy garments.' And the king of Israel disguiseth himself, and goeth into battle. 31 And the king of Aram commanded the heads of the charioteers whom he hath—thirty and two—saying, 'Ye do not fight with small or with great, but with the king of Israel by himself.' 32 And it cometh to pass, at the heads of the charioteers seeing Jehoshaphat, that they said, 'He 'is' only the king of Israel;' and they turn aside to him to fight, and Jehoshaphat crieth out, 33 and it cometh to pass, at the heads of the charioteers seeing that he 'is' not the king of Israel, that they turn back from after him. 34 And a man hath drawn with a bow, in his simplicity, and smiteth the king of Israel between the joinings and the coat of mail, and he saith to his charioteer, 'Turn thy hand, and take me out from the camp, for I have become sick.' 35 And the battle increaseth on that day, and the king hath been caused to stand in the chariot, over-against Aram, and he dieth in the evening, and the blood of the wound runneth out unto the midst of the chariot, 36 and he causeth the cry to pass over through the camp, at the going in of the sun, saying, 'Each unto his city, and each unto his land.' 37 And the king dieth, and cometh into Samaria, and they bury the king in Samaria; 38 and 'one' rinseth the chariot by the pool of Samaria, and the dogs lick his blood—when the armour they had washed—according to the word of Jehovah that He spake. 39 And the rest of the matters of Ahab, and all that he did, and the house of ivory that he built, and all the cities that he built, are they not written on the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel? 40 And Ahab lieth with his fathers, and Ahaziah his son reigneth in his stead.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 1 Kings 22:20-40
Commentary on 1 Kings 22:15-28
(Read 1 Kings 22:15-28)
The greatest kindness we can do to one that is going in a dangerous way, is, to tell him of his danger. To leave the hardened criminal without excuse, and to give a useful lesson to others, Micaiah related his vision. This matter is represented after the manner of men: we are not to imagine that God is ever put upon new counsels; or that he needs to consult with angels, or any creature, about the methods he should take; or that he is the author of sin, or the cause of any man's telling or believing a lie. Micaiah returned not the blow of Zedekiah, yet, since he boasted of the Spirit, as those commonly do that know least of the Holy Spirit's operations, the true prophet left him to be convinced of his error by the event. Those that will not have their mistakes set right in time, by the word of God, will be undeceived, when it is too late, by the judgments of God. We should be ashamed of what we call trials, were we to consider what the servants of God have endured. Yet it will be well, if freedom from trouble prove not more hurtful to us; we are more easily allured and bribed into unfaithfulness and conformity to the world, than driven to them.
Commentary on 1 Kings 22:29-40
(Read 1 Kings 22:29-40)
Ahab basely intended to betray Johoshaphat to danger, that he might secure himself. See what they get that join with wicked men. How can it be expected that he should be true to his friend, who has been false to his God! He had said in compliment to Ahab, I am as thou art, and now he was indeed taken for him. Those that associate with evil-doers, are in danger of sharing in their plagues. By Jehoshaphat's deliverance, God let him know, that though he was displeased with him, yet he had not deserted him. God is a friend that will not fail us when other friends do. Let no man think to hide himself from God's judgment. God directed the arrow to hit Ahab; those cannot escape with life, whom God has doomed to death. Ahab lived long enough to see part of Micaiah's prophecy accomplished. He had time to feel himself die; with what horror must he have thought upon the wickedness he had committed!