VERSE STUDY • KJV

1 Kings 22:8

And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, [There is] yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may inquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.

Read it in 5 translations

KJV King James Version

And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, [There is] yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may inquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.

BSB Berean Standard Bible

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

WEB World English Bible

The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of Yahweh, Micaiah the son of Imlah; but I hate him; for he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil.” Jehoshaphat said, “Don’t let the king say so.”

ASV American Standard Version

And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of Jehovah, Micaiah the son of Imlah: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.

YLT Young’s Literal Translation

And the king of Israel saith unto Jehoshaphat, ‘Yet—one man to seek Jehovah by him, and I have hated him, for he doth not prophesy concerning me good, but evil—Micaiah son of Imlah;’ and Jehoshaphat saith, ‘Let not the king say so.’

Surrounding context — 1 Kings 22

5 And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Inquire, I pray thee, at the word of the LORD to day.

6 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the Lord shall deliver [it] into the hand of the king.

7 And Jehoshaphat said, [Is there] not here a prophet of the LORD besides, that we might inquire of him?

8 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, [There is] yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may inquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.

9 Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said, Hasten [hither] Micaiah the son of Imlah.

10 And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah sat each on his throne, having put on their robes, in a void place in the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.

11 And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron: and he said, Thus saith the LORD, With these shalt thou push the Syrians, until thou have consumed them.

Read the whole chapter → · About 1 Kings →

Topics connected to this verse

Original-language word links

These Hebrew/Greek tokens are linked by Strong's number. Click one for its lexicon definition and other occurrences.

וַיֹּ֣אמֶרH559 · a.marto say מֶֽלֶךְ־H4428 · me.lekhking יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל׀H3478 · yis.ra.elIsrael אֶֽל־H413 · elto(wards)יְהוֹשָׁפָ֡טH3092 · ye.ho.sha.phatJehoshaphat ע֣וֹדH5750 · odstill אִישׁ־H376 · ishman אֶחָ֡דH259 · e.chadone לִדְרֹשׁ֩H1875 · da.rashto seek אֶת־H853 · et[Obj.]יְהוָ֨הH3068 · ye.ho.vahLORD מֵאֹת֜וֹH853 · et[Obj.]וַאֲנִ֣יH589 · a.niI שְׂנֵאתִ֗יוH8130 · sa.neto hate כִּ֠יH3588 · kifor לֹֽא־H3808 · lonot יִתְנַבֵּ֨אH5012 · na.vato prophesy עָלַ֥יH5921 · alupon טוֹב֙H2896 · tovpleasant כִּ֣יH3588 · kifor אִם־H518 · imif רָ֔עH7451 · rabad: harmful מִיכָ֖יְהוּH4321 · mi.kha.ye.huMicaiah בֶּן־H1121 · benson: child יִמְלָ֑הH3229 · yim.lahImlah וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙H559 · a.marto say יְה֣וֹשָׁפָ֔טH3092 · ye.ho.sha.phatJehoshaphat אַל־H408 · alnot יֹאמַ֥רH559 · a.marto say הַמֶּ֖לֶךְH4428 · me.lekhking כֵּֽן׃H3651 · kenright

Cross-references

John 3:19-21And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.John 17:14I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.John 7:7The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.Amos 5:10They hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly.Micah 2:7O [thou that art] named the house of Jacob, is the spirit of the LORD straitened? [are] these his doings? do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly?Jeremiah 38:4Therefore the princes said unto the king, We beseech thee, let this man be put to death: for thus he weakeneth the hands of the men of war that remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words unto them: for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people, but the hurt.Galatians 4:16Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?John 15:18-19If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before [it hated] you.2 Chronicles 36:16But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till [there was] no remedy.Isaiah 57:19-21I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to [him that is] far off, and to [him that is] near, saith the LORD; and I will heal him.Isaiah 3:11Woe unto the wicked! [it shall be] ill [with him]: for the reward of his hands shall be given him.1 Kings 18:4For it was [so], when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.)Proverbs 15:12A scorner loveth not one that reproveth him: neither will he go unto the wise.Zechariah 11:8Three shepherds also I cut off in one month; and my soul lothed them, and their soul also abhorred me.1 Kings 21:27-29And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.1 Kings 21:20And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found [thee]: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the LORD.1 Kings 22:27And say, Thus saith the king, Put this [fellow] in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I come in peace.Proverbs 9:8Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.

HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION

Compare classic commentaries on 1 Kings 22:8

Put Matthew Henry, Adam Clarke, Calvin, Wesley, Barnes, Jamieson–Fausset–Brown, Aquinas’ Catena and other public-domain sources beside the passage.

Compare commentaries →