⁵Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for God shall deliver it into the hand of the king.
5. the prophets] These no doubt were prophets of Jehovah (not of Baal); compare verse 4 and note on verse 6.
Shall we go ... or shall I forbear?] In 1 Kings, “Shall I go ... or shall I forbear?” (so LXX., but not Peshitṭa, of Chronicles).
⁶But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here besides a prophet of the Lord, that we might inquire of him? ⁷And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord: but I hate him; for he never prophesieth good concerning me, but always evil: the same is Micaiah the son of Imla. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.
6. But Jehoshaphat said] The insertion of this lengthy account of an event which principally concerns the Northern Kingdom is remarkable, seeing that the Chronicler nowhere else inserts a narrative dealing with the affairs of north Israel. Some commentators find the chief motive for its insertion in this verse which credits Jehoshaphat with an honourable desire to ascertain Jehovah’s real will. A secondary motive may be that the story shows very clearly the obstinate wickedness of Ahab, as the Chronicler would regard it, and so lends point to the censure which is subsequently passed on Jehoshaphat (xix. 2) for his alliance with the northern king.
Is there not here besides a prophet of the Lord] Or, Hath not the Lord here yet another prophet. The unanimity of the four hundred prophets aroused the suspicion of Jehoshaphat.
⁸Then the king of Israel called an officer[¹], and said, Fetch quickly Micaiah the son of Imla.
[¹] Or, eunuch.
8. called an officer] The Hebrew word means “eunuch.” From 1 Samuel viii. 15 we may perhaps conclude that such officers were known in Israel from the very beginning of the monarchy. Compare 1 Chronicles xxviii. 1, note.
⁹Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah sat each on his throne, arrayed in their robes, and they sat in an open place[¹] at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.