New English Translation
1 Kings 22:5
5Then Jehoshaphat added, “First seek an oracle from the Lord.”
1 Kings 22:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Enquire, I pray thee, at the word of the Lord to day.
- New International Version (NIV)But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, “First seek the counsel of the Lord.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, "Inquire first for the word of the Lord."
- New King James Version (NKJV)Also Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire for the word of the Lord today.”
Context of 1 Kings 22:5
3The king of Israel said to his servants, “Surely you recognize that Ramoth Gilead belongs to us, though we are hesitant to reclaim it from the king of Syria.” 4Then he said to Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to attack Ramoth Gilead?” Jehoshaphat replied to the king of Israel, “I will support you; my army and horses are at your disposal.” Then Jehoshaphat added, “First seek an oracle from the Lord.” 6So the king of Israel assembled about four hundred prophets and asked them, “Should I attack Ramoth Gilead or not?” They said, “Attack! The sovereign one will hand it over to the king.” 7But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not a prophet of the Lord still here, that we may ask him?”
Read all of 1 Kings 221 Kings 22:5 word by word
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְהוֹשָׁפָ֖ט אֶל־מֶ֣לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל דְּרָשׁ־נָ֥א כַיּ֖וֹם אֶת־דְּבַ֥ר יְהוָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Jehoshaphatיְהוֹשָׁפָטyehôshâphâţ · JehoshaphatH3092
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- unto the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- Enquireדָּרַשׁdârash · to seekH1875
- I pray thee, at the wordדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
- of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- to dayיוֹםyôm · day: todayH3117
Cross-references for 1 Kings 22:5
- Numbers 27:21And he will stand before Eleazar the priest, who will seek counsel for him before the Lord by the decision of the Urim. At his command they will go out, and at his command they will come in, he and all the Israelites with him, the whole community.”
- Joshua 9:14The men examined some of their provisions, but they failed to ask the Lord’s advice.
- Judges 1:1After Joshua died, the Israelites asked the Lord, “Who should lead the invasion against the Canaanites and launch the attack?”
- Judges 20:18The Israelites went up to Bethel and asked God, “Who should lead the charge against the Benjaminites?” The Lord said, “Judah should lead.”
- 1 Samuel 14:18So Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring near the ephod,” for he was at that time wearing the ephod.
- 1 Samuel 23:2So David asked the Lord, “Should I go and strike down these Philistines?” The Lord said to David, “Go, strike down the Philistines and deliver Keilah.”
- 1 Samuel 30:8David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Should I pursue this raiding band? Will I overtake them?” He said to him, “Pursue, for you will certainly overtake them and carry out a rescue!”
- 2 Kings 1:3But the Lord’s angelic messenger told Elijah the Tishbite, “Get up, go to meet the messengers from the king of Samaria. Say this to them: ‘You must think there is no God in Israel! That explains why you are on your way to seek an oracle from Baal Zebub the god of Ekron.
- 2 Kings 3:11Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of the Lord here that we might seek the Lord’s direction?” One of the servants of the king of Israel answered, “Elisha son of Shapat is here; he used to be Elijah’s servant.”
- 1 Chronicles 10:13So Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord and did not obey the Lord’s instructions; he even tried to conjure up underworld spirits.
- 2 Chronicles 18:4Then Jehoshaphat added, “First seek an oracle from the Lord.”
- Proverbs 3:5Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding.
- Jeremiah 21:2“Please ask the Lord to come and help us, because King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon is attacking us. Maybe the Lord will perform one of his miracles as in times past and make him stop attacking us and leave.”
- Jeremiah 42:2They said to him, “Please grant our request and pray to the Lord your God for all those of us who are still left alive here. For, as you yourself can see, there are only a few of us left out of the many there were before.
- Ezekiel 14:3“Son of man, these men have erected their idols in their hearts and placed the obstacle leading to their iniquity right before their faces. Should I really allow them to seek me?
- Ezekiel 20:1In the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth of the month, some of the elders of Israel came to seek the Lord, and they sat down in front of me.
Commentaries on 1 Kings 22:5
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5Jehoshaphat, with characteristic piety 1 Kings 22:43 takes advantage of his position as Ahab‘s friend and ally, to suggest inquiry of the Lord (Yahweh) before the expedition is undertaken. Lest Ahab should consent in word and put off the inquiry in act, he asks to have the prophets called in at once: “today.”Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5-9Following ancient Near Eastern tradition, Jehoshaphat asked the two kings to seek God's will before battle. This tradition appears in Aramean, Moabite, and Assyrian writings, as well as in the Old Testament (1 Samuel 23:2–4; 2 Samuel 5:19–25). Despite Ahab's doubts, Jehoshaphat insisted on calling Micaiah, a true prophet of God.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3-83-8. Know ye that Ramoth in Gilead is ours--a Levitical and free town on the north border of Gad (De 4:43; Jos 21:38), on the site of the present Salt Lake, in the province of Belka. It lay within the territories of the Israelitish monarch, and was unjustly alienated; but whether it was one of the cities usurped by the first Ben-hadad, which his son had promised to restore, or was retained for some other reasons, the sacred historian has not mentioned. In…Read the comment
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Kings 22
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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