2 Chronicles
Chapter 18
Jehoshaphat, then, enjoyed great wealth and honor and allied himself by marriage to Ahab.
After some years, he visited Ahab in Samaria. Ahab slaughtered for him, and his entourage of many sheep and oxen urged him to attack Ramoth-Gilead.
He asked Jehoshaphat: “Will you come with me to Ramoth-Gilead?” Jehoshaphat answered the king of Israel: “I am with you; my men are yours, and we will fight together.”
Jehoshaphat, however, said to the king of Israel: “First, please consult the word of the Lord.”
So the king of Israel called the prophets, who were four hundred men, and asked them:“Should we march to attack Ramoth-Gilead, or should I refrain?” They replied: “Go because the Lord will deliver it into your power.”
But Jehoshaphat said: “Is there no other prophet of the Lord here for us to consult?”
The king of Israel answered: “There is one more man through whom we can consult the Lord, but I hate him because he never tells me good things, but only discouraging words. He is Micaiah, son of Imlah.”Jehoshaphat said: “The king should not say such things.”
Accordingly, the king of Israel summoned one of his officials and said: “Bring Micaiah, son of Imlah, immediately.”
The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat of Judah sat on their thrones in royal garments. They sat on the threshing floor outside the gate of Samaria, with all the prophets raving before them.
Zedekiah, son of Chenaanah, had made himself iron horns and said: “The Lord says this: You will gore the Arameans till you make an end of them.”
And all the prophets prophesied the same saying: “March to Ramoth-Gilead, for you will succeed. The Lord will deliver it into the power of the king.”
In the meantime, the messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him: “All the prophets as one man are foretelling victory to the king. Try to speak like one of them and foretell success.”
But Micaiah answered: “As the Lord lives, what my God says, that will I utter!”
When he came to the king, the king asked him: “Micaiah, should we go to attack Ramoth-Gilead, or should I refrain?” He answered: “Go, and you will succeed. They will be delivered into your power.”
The king said: “How often must I beg you to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?”
Then Micaiah said: “I have seen all Israel scattered on the mountains like sheep without a shepherd. And the Lord said, ‘These have no master; let each one go home in peace.’”
At this, the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat: “Did I not tell you that he never foretells me good things, but only what is discouraging?”
Micaiah went on: “Listen to the word of the Lord. I have seen the Lord seated on his throne; all the array of heaven stood to his right and left.
The Lord said, ‘Who will trick Ahab, king of Israel, so that he goes and falls at Ramoth-Gilead?’ Some answered one way, and some answered another.
Then a spirit stepped forward, approached the Lord, and said, ‘I will trick him.’ The Lord asked, ‘How?’
He replied, ‘I will go and become a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ The Lord said, ‘You shall trick him and succeed. Go and do it.’
So the Lord has put a lying spirit into your prophets’ mouths here because he wants you to meet with disaster!”
Then Zedekiah, son of Chenaanah, came up and slapped Micaiah’s face, asking: “When did the spirit of the Lord leave me to talk to you?”
Micaiah replied: “This is what you will find out the day you flee from house to house to hide.”
The king of Israel said: “Seize Micaiah and hand him over to Amon, governor of the city, and to Prince Joash,
and say: This is the king’s order: Put this man in prison and feed him on nothing but bread and water until I come back safe and sound.”
Micaiah said: “If you come back safe and sound, the Lord has not spoken through me.”
The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, went to attack the city of Ramoth in Gilead.
The king of Israel told Jehoshaphat: “I will disguise myself as we go into battle, but I want you to wear your royal clothes.”
The king of Aram had given his chariot commanders the following order: “Do not attack anyone of whatever rank except the king of Israel.”
When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they thought he was the king of Israel and wheeled to the attack. But Jehoshaphat shouted, and the Lord came to his help. God rescued him and turned the attack away from him.
The chariot commanders realized he was not Israel’s king and called off their pursuit.
By chance, however, one of the soldiers shot an arrow, which struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. The king told his charioteer: “Turn around and get me out of the battle; I have been hurt.”
But the battle grew fiercer, so they held the king upright in his chariot facing the Aramaeans until evening, and at sunset, he died.
Commentaries
The Kings of Judah Until the Exile.
The final section of the Chronicler’s work focuses on the history of the kingdom of Judah, covering from Solomon to the exile, with little mention of the Northern Kingdom. For the Chronicler, the kingdom of Judah represents the entire nation of Israel. The primary standard for judging each king is their loyalty to God. Four notable figures stand out as models of this loyalty: Asa, Jehoshaphat, Josiah, and especially Hezekiah. The prophets are also depicted alongside the kings, delivering messages that include warnings and sincere calls to stay loyal to the Lord. Ultimately, the Chronicler encourages the post-exilic community to seek God and remain faithful to the One who has remained true to his people despite their difficulties.
Positive Phase.
The reign begins by presenting Rehoboam as obedient to the Word of the Lord, who instructs him not to fight against Jeroboam. The list of cities (5-12) is likely authentic, although it is probable that they were only fortified after the invasion of Shishak, Pharaoh of Egypt (12:1-12). Through the removal of priests and Levites (13-17), the author emphasizes that the center of worship is in Jerusalem and that the Levites have been loyal to the Temple from the start.
The Faithfulness of Abijah.
Building on the account in 1 Kings 15:1-8, the Chronicler revises the story from a new perspective. Although he only reigned for three years, the Chronicler presents the king as faithful to God, a worthy successor to David and Solomon. The war against Jeroboam (3) is probably real and offers a chance to include a speech by Abijah to the northern tribes (4-12): those in the north (8.11) are not part of the Lord’s kingdom; they do not have a legitimate dynasty, only a usurper king; they worship idols instead of the true God, and they lack priests or proper worship. To fight against Judah (10) is to fight against the Lord (12). The logical result is Jeroboam’s defeat (13-18).
Jehoshaphat of Judah.
This account expands and alters 1 Kings 22:1-59, where the king’s role is less highlighted. The Chronicler develops Jehoshaphat’s character through four alternating scenes: religious and military reform (17), battle and victory (18), judicial reform (19), and a new triumph (20). The military efforts build on those of his father, Asa. Religious reform prepares the way for judicial reform, emphasizing obedience to Deuteronomy and heeding prophets’ warnings about judges (Dt 1:16ff). The military campaigns include one in Chapter 18, which aligns with 1 Kings 22, and another in Chapter 20, an addition by the author. The conclusion of Jehoshaphat’s reign (20:31-21:1) is based on 1 Kings 22:41-51, where his failure is connected to his alliance with the king of Israel.