The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Kings — Section 519

trenched, wa.s bnt forty miles distant from Baal bore the same name (oh. xvili. 19, 22, Jerusalem. Bahr holds that horses a.re &c.), and appo.rently pretended to similar specially mentioned " beoause they formed powers. "No e.noient people considered e.n esseutial part of the military power" any cultus complete without a cle.~s of men (Psa. xx.xiii. 16, 17; Prov. xxi. 31). It is through whom the god might be ques- true that in e. campaign age.inst the Syrians tioned" (Biihr). The existence of so le.rge they would be especially useful (see on eh. a number of prophets of the ea.Ives proves xx. 1.); but they receive no mention at the that the inroads of idolatry had by no hands of the chronicler, who reads instead means destroyed the on.If-worship. If its of this last clause, "And we (or I) will be priests were so many, its worshippers cannot with thee in the war."] have been few], and saJd unto them, Shall Ver. 5.-And Jehoshaphat said unto the I go against Ramoth-Gllead to battle, or king of Israel, Inquire, I pray thee, at Bha.I.l I forb~ar ? .And they saJd, Go up ; for [This word is redunda.nt] the word of the the Lord [ 1~i~ It is very significant that Lord to-day. [i:li 1~ hardly conveys that at first they hesitate to use the ineffable "he asks to have the prophets called in at name. It was probably this circumstance once," "lest Ahab should consent in word excited Jehoshaphe.t's suspicions. It has and put off the inquiry in a.et" (Rawlinson); been said that the reason why he was dis~ but rather means, "at this crisis," " under satisfied with this answer is unexplained; these circumstances." This request agrees but when we remember how careful the well with what we learn elsewhere as to true prophet was to speak in the name of Jehoshaphat's piety (2 Chron. xvii. 4--9; Jehovah (chs. xiv. 7; xvii. 1, 14; xx. 13, 14, xix. 5-7, &c.) And, remembering how 28), we can hardly doubt that it was their Ahab's late victories had been foretold by a mention of "Adonai" occasioned his mis- prophet, and had been won by the help of givings. The chronicler gives the word .:.e Jehovah, Jehoshaphat might well suppose Elohim] shall deliver it [LXX. oioovr: that his new ally would be eager to know ow,m, shall surely give it] into the hand of the word of the Lord.] the king. Ver. 6.-Then the king of Israel gathered Ver. 7.-And Jehosha.phat said, Is there the prophets [Called by Micaiah " his not here a prophet of the Lord [Heh. prophets" (ver. 22), and "thy prophets" Jehovah] besides [i.e., in addition to these (ver. 23)] together, about four hundred soi-disant prophets. He hardly likes to say men [From the number (cf. eh. xviii. 19) bluntly that he cannot regard them as it has been concluded that these were " the inspired, but at the same time hints clearly prophets of the groves," i.e., of Aste.rte, that he cannot be satisfied as to their who escaped the ma.see.ere of the Be.a.I mission and authority], that we might in- prophets (eh. xviii. 40). Others have sup- quire of him ? posed that they were prophets of Be.al. But Ver. 8.-.And the king of Israel saJd unto both these suppositions are negatived (1) Jehoshaphat, There 1B yet one man [Cf. eh. by the fact that Jehoshaphat asks Ahab to xviii. 22] , MicaJah [The name (=Who is "inquire at the word of Jehovah," and (2) like Jehovah?) is as appropriate to the man that these prophets profess to speak in the who bore it as Elijah's name was to him name and by the Spirit of Jehovah (vers. (eh. xvii. 1; cf. xviii. 39). But it is not an 11, 12, 24). Moreover (3) Ahab would uncommon name in the Old Testament-it hardly have insulted Jehoshaphat by bring- is borne by eight different persons. Compare ing the prophets of Be.al or Aste.rte before Michael, "Who is like God?"] the son of him (Waterland in Wordsworth). And yet Imla.h [The chronicler writes the name that they were not true prophets of the Lord, Imla, N71"!] , by whom we may inquire of or of the "sons of the prophets," appears (1) from ver. 7, where Jehoshaphat asks for a the Lord [Ahab evidently had wished Jo. "prophet of the Lord;" and (2), from ver. hoshaphat to understand that the prophets 20 sqq., where Micaiah disclaims them, and already consulted were prophets of Jeho- is found in direct opposition to them. The vah, as no doubt they ole.imeu to be. One only conclusion open to us, conse 1uently- of them bore a name in which the saorlld and it is now generally adopted-is that they Jah formed e. part]: but I hate [1J:lN.~lp (of, were the priests of the high places of Bethel odi), have learned to hate] him [Ahab had e.nd Dan, the successors of those whom good reasons for not caring to oonsult 11 Jeroboam had introduced into the priestly man whom he had put into prison (see ver. office. It need cause us no surprise to find 26, and compare Matt. xiv. S), because of hil these priests here described as •' prophets " reproofs or unwelcome predictions. Jose- (cf. Jer. xxii. 13; Ezek. xiii 1), and as phus, and Jewish writers genere.lly, iden- claiming prophetic gifts, for the priests of tify Mice.ie.h with the nameless prophet of os. xx.n. 1-68.) THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS. 638