The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Chronicles — Section 214

rather than ~trengthcn Israel in its ungodly e.s, the_ godly counsellor of " the ungodly" in<lependenc.e. On the other hand, nothing (eh. x1x. 2). At any rate, his counsel ia could justif~, Jehoshaphat risking euch in- right, even to tho point of urging to-day, timacy of relntionship with euoh e. family, and significantly deprecating proorastino.tion. he<'dless of oonscquences, looking towards It is not, however, so clear that he was, in idolatry, which he should he.ve known were the first instance, as decided in respect of on•rwhelmingly proba.ble. the necessity of inquiring the will of the Ver. 2.-After certain yean he went Lord at the mouth of a true prophet in dis- down. In li<'u of the italic type ••certain" tinction from a prophet merely or' Israel, here, the Englieh idiom, "years after," would though they should be "four hundred" in e.ptly reproduce the f8.Cts of the case. Thie number I Compare the following two verses, iournev to Snme.rie. to see Ahab we.s ma.de however, which show as though he was in the l!eVenteenth year of Jehoshaphat's holding himself quite prepared and on the reign (1 Kings x.xii. 51 ; comp. eh. xx. 35 look-out for the expected occasion of having e.n<l 2 Kings iii. 1). Whe,t were the precise to rein Ahab up I antecedent circumstances of this visit of Ver. 5.-These four hundred prophets, e.a Jehoshaphat to Ahab it is interesting to Keil justly notes, were not prophets of Ashe- surmise-whether it were the frnit of an re.h, nor of Be.al, but strictly of Israel, i.e. of invitation direct from Ahab, who had his the images of the calf (1 Kings xii. 26-33). own designs, or whether it were for diplo- Their t.0ord speedily showed itself not th~ matic reasons, that worked in the mind of word of the Lord, but the word that was Jehosliaphat as well as of Ahab, in view of made up to order of the k:iog, and to suit Syria. It is evident that Ahab promptly his known wish at any time. determined to improve this conference of Ver. 6.-The Revised Version well ar- kings. Persuaded him ; i.e. he took steps to ranges the words of this verse, "Is there induce him. This is the uniform significa- not here besides a prophet of the Lord ? " tion of the word here used in the eighteen The conscience of Ahab successfully made times of its occurrence, and mostly in doubt- a coward of him, that he took so quietly ful, or worse than doubtful, matter. The this pronounced slight put on his kingdom's form is the hiph. of Mit>, in which conjugation prophets (prophetre vitulorum) by his brother- o:dv the verb occurs. The Revised Version king Jehoshaphat! renders "moved." The visiting and co- Ver. 7.-The same is Mica.ie.h. This true operating of Jehoshaphat and Ahab made a prophet of the Lord is 1.'Ilown only here in novel departure in the history of the rended recorded history, but it is evident be was kingdoms of Judah and Israel, and continued otherwise well known to his generation till the time of Jehu. Ra.moth-Gilead. This and to Ahab (ver. 25). The outspokenness important city of Gad (Josh. :u. 8; :ni 38), of Ahab and the sustained courtesy of Jeho- in Palestine beyond Jordan, comes into shaphat are alike agreeable to notice iu this question as one not surrendered to the king- verse. dom of Israel in good faith, according to Ver. 9.-The contents of this and the fol-· the promise of Benhadad (1 Kings xx. 34; lowing two verses narrate either what had comp. I, 4, 7, 11, 20, 30, 33), Benhadad's already te.keu ple.ce, or toe continuation of father having ta.ken it from Ornri, father of the scene that had not cc.:ne to its end, but Ahab. For "all the might that be showed," had been interrupted in order to carry out aud presumably in conflicts with Syria, fully the urgeot exhortation of Jehoshaphat Omri was evidently a heavy loser. Ra'TIWth- "to-day," so that Ahab sent at once there Gilead means'' the heights of Gilead." and then a messenger for Mil'Riah. Any Yer. 3.-I am as thou, etc. The so.me way, the unreal prophets have their full unqualified kind of language was used by opportunity and their say at least twice Jelioshaphat on another occasion (2 Kings over, as also Micaiah below (vers. 14, 16, iii. 7), two years later, when Jehore.m, son 18-22, 27). A void place; i.e. a level floor: of the deceased Ahab, alao asked his help Revised Version, an open pwce. 'l'he Hebrew against Moah. Whether on the one occasion word designates often just a " thresbing- ur the other, it is quite possible that Jeho- floor," j.~l ; hut quite possibly here, a recog- shaphat thought he was serving co=on nized court at the gate of the city, used for interests, e.ud the cau e of his own kingdom, 0 judgment, iJi intended. &.B well a,; of Israel; n••\'ertbeless "Jebu the Ver. 10.-Zedekiah (named son of Che- sou of H.e.ne.ni the seer" ignores the supposed ne.e.nah to distinguish him from some now j ustificalion ( eh. x:ix. 2). unknown contemporary, or, perhaps, berause Ver. 4.-The wording of this verse is the father was in some way distingufahed) irlentical with that of the parallel (I Kings was one of tliose who knew the truth, nor xxii. 5). Jehoshaphat, if even not quite feared to put it on his lips at the very time con~cious of it, is throwing some sop to his that hi~ life did not incorporato it ( Deut. couscic,uc.., in ~~Be ying tu l,c,come, and r,o,ing xxxiii. 17). J<'or other purticularij of him, OH. xvm.1-34.J 'l'HE SECOND BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. 215