5 And Jehojhaphac faid umo the king of iſrael, En quire f I pray tee, at the word of the LORD to day:
f By ſome Prophet; that we may know the mind of God in it, and «hat ſucceſs we may expect. This was the practiſe of the - God!y. See Juag- 1. 1: and 20; 28. 154m. 23, 2.
o Then the king of Iſ{caei gathered the prophets g to- gether, abour tuur hundred men, and ſaid unto them, Shall I go againſt Ramocth-gil.ad to battel,or ſhall I for- bear ? And they ſaid, Go up: for the LOKD ſhall deliver zt unto the hand of the king.
£ Which doubtleſs were his own faiſe Prophets or the Prieſts of Baal ; probably thole very 400 Men whom jcz-b-! preſcrved from that great ſlaughter, Chap: \8 whe yet gave in their Anſwer in the Name of Jehovah, nor of Baal ; either. in con pliance with Jehoſha-
phat ; or rather, by Ahabs direction, that good j hojhaphat might be deceived by them, into a good opinion of the War.
7 And Jenoſhaphar 1id,1s rhere not here a Prophet of the LORD beſides b, that we might enquire of him?
. h Bcſides theſe, who may ſeem to be ſuch by your Opinion,
and their own profefſion : but I defire further ſatisfaction from {ome other Prophet.
> And the king of Ifrael ſaid unto Jehoſhaphat, There
;s yet one i man (Micaiah & the fon of Imlah) by whom we may enquire of the LORD ; but 1 hate him, for he dorh not piopheſie good concerning me, but evii /, And Jeholvaphat 1aid, Let not the king fay fo m. # To wit, in this place for ws th I can ſpeedily ſend : for there
I ' WcTrg
| |
WV
—> wv: a . £© [
were a'ſo other Prophets elſewhere in the Kingdom as E!ijah,Flijha, - and others ; but theſe were mot at hand for'the preſent occaſion. þ Nor one of the 1:2 Prophets, who lived: abour .15o Years after this time, bur another of that'name.. / He is always, a meſſenger of. evil tidings ! Which was true, but no ſufficient reafon why he thould hate him, becauſe Mainh was purely Gods Tnftrumeat in all his Mcſages :' ind whatfoever'evil he threatned, hab himſclf was the- cauſe and procurer. of it. #,Do.not preſage ewitto our enterprize: lef us nexhey-hare his perſon, nor diſpil "his meffage ; bur firſt | hear it, and;then doias-We\ſce thuſe. 33 ed. bh. 2 | Or, Ez= 9 Then the king of Ifracl calledan{] Officer,and laid, h, Haſtenibizber Micaiah;, che fon of-Inahe- © v1 To And the king of I{rael,and Jehoſhaphat the, king | of Jud%}; ſac -each'on his'throne,” having pur on their T Heb. es * in a || void;place ov in the ebtranice of the gate . of Samaria, 'and alt che propticts prophetied betore OO 2400 CY OE PRANY = # Their Royal Rohes, and;/Enfigns of Majeſty. 8 In the place of Tallicarore whieh was in, or nigh the Gate of the Ciry, and in the front of ſome void plac?, Wer either Pcople ſtood to kear and ſee Juſtice: adntiniſtred: 3 or Souldicrs were placed for the defence of the Ciry in timg oEWar,, 11, And Zedskiah thsifon of Chenaanah made him
» Lap.
z$ >
nn}
- With theſe thalt; thou: puſh the Syrians, until thou have conſumed them 51 6/ £3 & Eee -{,p Fir emblems'of the power and Viftory of theſe two Kings. The Dex ilis-Gods Ape; and thefafſe Prophers ſomerimes imitating the Etus:iwhp her they Uttlared Gods mind by words,did alſo often- times confirm it by ſenfible Fgns - Sec 7/2. 20.2. Jer. 27. 2. 4 Heb. Jehwvab ; whoſe Name'he pretends, ro gain the more credit and counttmance to- his words.* See on v. 7. © o -.\ 42 And alt the prophets propheſied fo ſaying,Goupt
R2mothcgilead, and proſper : for the LORD hail deli-
Ver. 7.1pro the kings hand. |
-::13 And.the'Meitenger that was gone to call Micaiah,
Fpake urto hin} faying,Beho!ld now, the words, of the
prophers declare 'go0d unto the king with one mouth :
let thy. word, .I pray thee, be like the word of one ©
then, and ſpeak.rber which is good r. . \...y This. he.deſigns,. .not out of any Love to Micaiah ( whom he * pexſuades-to debauch his" Conſcience, ) but meerly out of a defirc bt to gratify, his Kings humour. | 14 And Micaiah faid, 4s the LORD liveth, what the LOR D' faith 'unto'me /, that will I ſpeak. 2 J/WBitanſwer God {ſhalPpur into my mind and mouth ; which, it ſeems, was not yet done... Thy « . .* x5: $::So he came to the king,and the king ſaid'unto him; Micaiah, hall we go againſt Ramoth-gilead to | bitte or ſhall' we forbear ? And he anſwered him 7, C-.. 'Go, "and proſper::, for the LORD ſhall deliver it into the. hand of the king. | C ".. 3,, &, Nat ſeriouſly,bur.ironically, ufing the very words of the falſe _ 'Prophets,in way of deriſion : As appears,Firſt,from his omiſſion of _ that. tolemn Freface, Thus ſaith the Lord ; or, this is the word of the ; IM Lord," Lich the prophets generally uſed, and which himſelf uſeth Þ "when he'comes to his ſerious anſwer, v. 19, Secondly, From Ahabs bs. reply, ver, 16. which ſhews that he ſuſpeted Micaiahs ſincerity in Ir, "that Arſwer,& gathered by his geſture or manner ofſpeaking,that Lc.” , he ipake only mimically, as repreſenting and traducing the falſe Wo Prophcts for their anſwer. Sce the Like Ironical paſſages, Ger. 3. Oc 10: 14. 1K-ngs 18:27. Eccleſ. 11:9. Exck.20:39. Ames 4. 4,5. | All which expreſſions are not uſed to lead Men into miſtakes; bur ba ro bring them to the ſight of their fin and dury;which may be done - ſometimes molt efficaciouſly in this way. So Mica/ahs meaning is plainly this, Becauſe rhou doſt not ſeck to know the truth, but only to pleaſe thy ſelf, go to the battle, as all thy prophets ad- viſe thee, and expe the ſucceſs which rhey promiſe thee, and try the truth of their Prediction by thy own coſtly experience.
16 And the king ſaid unto him, How many times ſhall T adjure thee #,that chou tell me nothing, bur :ha; which 3s true in the Name of the LORD ?
u I adjure thee again and again,that thou give over this mockery, and ſeriouſly tell me the mind of God in this matter.
17 And he ſaid,l ſaw x all Iſrael* ſcattered upon the
hills y, as ſbeep that have not a ſhepherd x: And the LORD faid, Theſe have no maſter, let them return
every man to his houſe in peace 4.
x In the Spirit, or ina Viſion. y Upon the Mountains of Gilead, nigh Ramoeth : either, where they lay ercamped by 4habs order : or, to which they fled from the Enemy,eſteeming that the ſafeſt place. See Matth, 24: 16. t As people who have loſt their King, See Num. 27:17. 1[a- 40» 11. and 44: 28. Ezck. 34. 23- @ Diſcharged from the War : which was fulfilled, wer, 26.
18 And the king of Iſrael ſaid unto Jehoſhaphat, Did