1 Kings 22:22

Contextual Overview

¹⁵So he went to the king, and the king asked him, “Micaiah, should we go to Ramoth-gilead for war, or should we refrain?” ¹⁵ When he was come to the king, the king said to him, Mikhayahu, shall we go to Ramot-Gil`ad to battle, or shall we forbear? He answered him, Go up and prosper; and the LORD will deliver it into the hand of the king. ¹⁵ So he came to the king. And the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall we forbear? And he answered him, Go, and prosper: for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king. ¹⁵ And when he had come to the king, the king said to him, "Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we refrain?" And he answered him, "Go up and triumph; the Lord will give it into the hand of the king." ¹⁵ When Micaiah came to Ahab, the king asked him, "Micaiah, should we attack Ramoth in Gilead or not?" Micaiah answered, "Attack and win! The Lord will hand them over to you." ¹⁵ When he came before the king, the king asked him, "Micaiah, should we attack Ramoth Gilead or not?" He answered him, "Attack! You will succeed; the Lord will hand it over to the king." ¹⁵So when he came to the king, the king said to him, "Micaiah, shall we go against Ramoth-gilead in battle, or shall we not?" And he answered him, "Go up and be successful, for the LORD will hand it over to the king." ¹⁵ When he came to the king, the king said to him, "Micaiah, should we go to battle against Ramoth-gilead, or should we refrain?" And he said, "Go up and succeed, for the LORD will hand it over to the king!" ¹⁵ So he came to the King, & the King said vnto him, Michaiah, shall we go against Ramoth Gilead to battel, or shall we leaue off? And he answered him, Goe vp, and prosper: and the Lord shall deliuer it into the hand of the King. ¹⁵Then he came to the king, and the king said to him, "Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we refrain?" And he said to him, "Go up and succeed, and Yahweh will give it into the hand of the king."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

a lying spirit: Job 1:8-11, Job 2:4-6, John 8:44, Acts 5:3, Acts 5:4, 2 Thessalonians 2:9, 2 Thessalonians 2:10, 1 Timothy 4:1, 1 John 4:6, Revelation 12:9, Revelation 12:10, Revelation 13:14, Revelation 16:13, Revelation 16:14, Revelation 20:3, Revelation 20:7, Revelation 20:10

Thou shalt: 1 Kings 22:20, Judges 9:23, Job 12:16, Psalms 109:17, 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12, Revelation 17:17

Reciprocal: Exodus 4:21 - I will harden 1 Samuel 16:14 - evil spirit 1 Samuel 26:19 - stirred 1 Kings 22:6 - Go up 2 Kings 3:13 - the prophets 2 Chronicles 18:21 - General 2 Chronicles 32:15 - persuade Nehemiah 6:14 - on the prophetess Job 2:7 - So went Psalms 78:49 - by sending Psalms 141:4 - Incline not Proverbs 19:27 - General Isaiah 9:15 - the prophet Isaiah 44:25 - frustrateth Jeremiah 27:14 - they Daniel 2:9 - for Hosea 9:8 - but Zechariah 13:2 - cause Matthew 8:32 - Go Mark 5:13 - gave Luke 8:32 - he suffered Acts 13:6 - a false 2 Corinthians 4:4 - blinded 1 Timothy 4:2 - lies 2 Timothy 3:8 - resist

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the Lord said unto him, wherewith?.... What way and method did he propose, to persuade Ahab to go up to Ramoth? the Lord is introduced in this visionary narrative as asking this question, not as ignorant of the scheme of the evil spirit, but in order to bring it out, and lead on to the following account:

and he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets; put them on encouraging Ahab to go up, and promising him success, as he had in former battles with the king of Syria, and which might both encourage them to give forth such a prediction, and him to believe it to be true; this proposal was quite agreeable to the character of the devil, as the father of lies:

and he said, thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also; not only make use of this artifice to persuade, but succeed also; the Lord knew that what he should suggest to the prophets, and they should deliver to Ahab, would be agreeable to his inclination, nor would he do anything in the course of his providence to hinder its taking effect:

go forth, and do so; which was giving leave to try his skill in the art of persuasion, in which he knew he would succeed, and bring on the righteous judgment of God upon Ahab; with this compare John 13:27.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The difficulties which attach to this passage are considerable. On the one hand, it is hard to suppose one of the holy Angels a “lying spirit;” on the other, hard to find Satan, or an evil spirit, included among “the host of heaven” 1 Kings 22:19 and acting as the minister of God. Still, Job 1:6; Job 2:1, lend countenance to the latter point, and 2 Thessalonians 2:11 to the former. But it may be doubted whether we ought to take literally, and seek to interpret exactly, each statement of the present narrative. Visions of the invisible world can only be a sort of parables; revelations, not of the truth as it actually is, but of so much of the truth as can be shown through such a medium. The details of a vision, therefore, cannot safely be pressed, anymore than the details of a parable. Portions of each must be accommodations to human modes of thought, and may very inadequately express the realities which they are employed to shadow forth to us.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Kings 22:22. Go forth, and do so. — This is no more than, "God has permitted the spirit of lying to influence the whole of thy prophets; and he now, by my mouth, apprises thee of this, that thou mayest not go and fall at Ramoth-gilead." Never was a man more circumstantially and fairly warned; he had counsels from the God of truth, and counsels from the spirit of falsity; he obstinately forsook the former and followed the latter. He was shown by this parable how every thing was going on, and that all was under the control and direction of God, and that still it was possible for him to make that God his friend whom by his continual transgressions he had made his enemy; but he would not: his blood was therefore upon his own head.