1 Kings 22:23

1 Kings 22:23 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Now therefore, behold, the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil concerning thee.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Now therefore behold, the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; the Lord has declared disaster for you."
• New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore look! The Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these prophets of yours, and the Lord has declared disaster against you.”
• New Living Translation (NLT)“So you see, the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all your prophets. For the Lord has pronounced your doom.”

Context of 1 Kings 22:23

21Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the Lord and said, ‘I will entice him.’ 22“ ‘By what means?’ the Lord asked. “ ‘I will go out and be a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,’ he said. “ ‘You will succeed in enticing him,’ said the Lord. ‘Go and do it.’ “So now the Lord has put a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours. The Lord has decreed disaster for you.” 24Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah went up and slapped Micaiah in the face. “Which way did the spirit from the Lord go when he went from me to speak to you?” he asked. 25Micaiah replied, “You will find out on the day you go to hide in an inner room.”

1 Kings 22:23 word by word

וְעַתָּ֗ה הִנֵּ֨ה נָתַ֤ן יְהוָה֙ ר֣וּחַ שֶׁ֔קֶר בְּפִ֖י כָּל־נְבִיאֶ֣יךָ אֵ֑לֶּה וַֽיהוָ֔ה דִּבֶּ֥ר עָלֶ֖יךָ רָעָֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Now therefore, behold, the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• hath putנָתַןnâthan · to give: putH5414
• a lyingשֶׁ֫קֶרsheqer · deceptionH8267
• spiritרוּחַrûach · spiritH7307
• in the mouthפֶּהpeh · lipH6310
• of all these thy prophetsנָבִיאnâbîy' · prophetH5030
• hath spokenדָבַרdâbar · to speak: promiseH1696
• evilרָעָהra‛ râ‛âh · distress: harmH7451

Cross-references for 1 Kings 22:23

• Exodus 4:21The Lord said to Moses, “When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.
• Exodus 10:20But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let the Israelites go.
• Deuteronomy 2:30But Sihon king of Heshbon refused to let us pass through. For the Lord your God had made his spirit stubborn and his heart obstinate in order to give him into your hands, as he has now done.
• 2 Chronicles 25:16While he was still speaking, the king said to him, “Have we appointed you an adviser to the king? Stop! Why be struck down?” So the prophet stopped but said, “I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel.”
• Isaiah 6:9He said, “Go and tell this people: “ ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’
• Isaiah 44:20Such a person feeds on ashes; a deluded heart misleads him; he cannot save himself, or say, “Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?”
• Ezekiel 14:3“Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all?
• Matthew 13:13This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.
• Matthew 24:24For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
• 1 Kings 22:8The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, “There is still one prophet through whom we can inquire of the Lord, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.” “The king should not say such a thing,” Jehoshaphat replied.
• 1 Kings 20:42He said to the king, “This is what the Lord says: ‘You have set free a man I had determined should die. Therefore it is your life for his life, your people for his people.’ ”
• 1 Kings 21:19Say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Have you not murdered a man and seized his property?’ Then say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: In the place where dogs licked up Naboth’s blood, dogs will lick up your blood—yes, yours!’ ”
• Numbers 23:19God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?
• Numbers 24:13‘Even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not do anything of my own accord, good or bad, to go beyond the command of the Lord—and I must say only what the Lord says’?
• Isaiah 3:11Woe to the wicked! Disaster is upon them! They will be paid back for what their hands have done.

Commentaries on 1 Kings 22:23

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 23The Lord hath put a lying spirit - He hath permitted or suffered a lying spirit to influence thy prophets. Is it requisite again to remind the reader that the Scriptures repeatedly represent God as doing what, in the course of his providence, he only permits or suffers to be done? Nothing can be done in heaven, in earth, or hell, but either by his immediate energy or permission. This is the reason why the Scripture speaks as above.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-28Verses 15-28 The greatest kindness we can do to one that is going in a dangerous way, is, to tell him of his danger. To leave the hardened criminal without excuse, and to give a useful lesson to others, Micaiah related his vision. This matter is represented after the manner of men: we are not to imagine that God is ever put upon new counsels; or that he needs to consult with angels, or any creature, about the methods he should take; or that he is the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 19-23Micaiah said God let a lying spirit mislead Ahab to cause his death. God used Ahab's false prophets to fulfill His plan.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 18-2318-23. Did I not tell thee that he would prophesy no good concerning me, but evil?--Since Ahab was disposed to trace this unwelcome truth to personal enmity, Micaiah proceeded fearlessly to tell the incensed monarch in full detail what had been revealed to him. The Hebrew prophets, borrowing their symbolic pictures from earthly scenes, described God in heaven as a king in His kingdom. And as earthly princes do nothing of importance without asking the…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Kings 22:23

• Ahab
• Armies
• Demons
• Lying
• Micaiah
• Reproof
• Vision

In the dictionaries

• Ahab
• Forbear
• Jehoshaphat
• Micaiah
• Neither
• Nor
• Prophesy
• Ramothgilead
• Venture
• Void

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