1 Kings 22:23 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.
1 Kings 22:23 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."
1 Kings 22:23 niv
"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."
1 Kings 22:23 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."
1 Kings 22:23 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."
1 Kings 22 23 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Ki 16:30-33 | "Ahab... did more evil in the sight of the LORD than all who were before him..." | Ahab's deep rebellion prefaces this judgment. |
| Num 22:22-35 | Balaam's donkey speaks as God intervenes in a deceptive context. | God uses unusual means to convey His will or hinder. |
| Deut 13:1-5 | "If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you... and gives you a sign... saying, 'Let us go after other gods...' you shall not listen to the words of that prophet." | Warning against false prophets who lead astray. |
| Deut 18:20-22 | Criteria for distinguishing true prophets from false ones. | Micaiah is the true prophet; the 400 are false. |
| Judg 9:23 | "God sent a spirit of ill will between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem..." | God sends "evil" or "discord" to achieve His purposes. |
| 2 Sam 16:11 | "The LORD has told him to curse David..." | God uses others' actions to fulfill His will, even if those actions are evil in nature. |
| Ps 78:49 | "He let loose on them His burning anger, wrath, indignation, and trouble, a company of destroying angels." | God sending destructive agents. |
| Prov 16:4 | "The LORD has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble." | God's ultimate sovereignty over all, including the wicked's destiny. |
| Isa 6:9-10 | "Go, and say to this people: ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand...’ lest they see... and convert..." | God's hardening judgment prevents repentance when people refuse truth. |
| Isa 19:14 | "The LORD has mixed within her a spirit of confusion..." | God infuses confusion to bring judgment upon nations. |
| Isa 45:7 | "I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the LORD, who does all these things." | God is the ultimate source of all occurrences, good and bad. |
| Jer 14:14 | "The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them... they are prophesying to you a lying vision..." | False prophets operating, but here explicitly stated God has not sent them (unlike 1 Ki 22:23 where God puts the spirit). |
| Jer 28:15-17 | Jeremiah confronts the false prophet Hananiah, predicting his death. | Another case of a false prophet leading astray, resulting in divine judgment. |
| Ez 14:9 | "And if the prophet is enticed to speak a word, I the LORD have enticed that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him..." | God "entices" (allows to be enticed) prophets who seek deception. |
| Lam 3:38 | "Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and bad come?" | God's absolute sovereignty over all events. |
| Zech 13:2-3 | "I will remove from the land the false prophets and the unclean spirit..." | Future purging of lying spirits and false prophecy. |
| Mt 13:13-15 | "This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see..." | Echoes Isa 6:9-10; hardening judgment. |
| Mk 4:11-12 | Purpose of parables: "so that they may indeed see but not perceive..." | Hardening those unwilling to receive truth. |
| 2 Thess 2:11-12 | "Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth..." | Strongest parallel: God directly sends delusion for judicial condemnation. |
| 1 Jn 4:1 | "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God..." | Warns believers to discern spirits; reinforces the reality of different spirits. |
1 Kings 22 verses
1 Kings 22 23 Meaning
1 Kings 22:23 reveals God's sovereign control, even over deception, in enacting His judgment upon the rebellious King Ahab. Micaiah, the true prophet, explains that the unanimity of the false prophets' positive message is not from the Lord's truth but from a divinely permitted, orchestrating spirit of lies. This spirit was put into their mouths by God's design to lure Ahab to his predestined doom, a consequence of his persistent disobedience and rejection of God's ways. Ultimately, the verse states plainly that it is Yahweh Himself who has decreed disaster against Ahab, affirming divine justice.
1 Kings 22 23 Context
1 Kings chapter 22 recounts the final years and death of King Ahab of Israel, particularly focusing on his last military campaign against Ramoth-Gilead. Ahab, in alliance with King Jehoshaphat of Judah, seeks prophetic counsel before attacking the city. While Ahab's 400 prophets uniformly promise victory, Jehoshaphat rightly senses something is amiss and insists on consulting a prophet of the Lord. Reluctantly, Ahab sends for Micaiah, a prophet he detests because Micaiah never prophesies good concerning him, only evil. Micaiah initially gives an ironic affirmation mirroring the false prophets, but then, under duress, reveals a terrifying vision from God's heavenly court. This vision, climaxing in 1 Kings 22:23, depicts the Lord actively planning to lure Ahab to his demise through a lying spirit. The verse serves as the immediate divine explanation for the unanimous, yet false, prophecy that Ahab had received, laying bare God's judicial decree against the deeply wicked king.
1 Kings 22 23 Word analysis
- Now therefore, (וְעַתָּה, wəʿattâ) - A transitional conjunction meaning "and now," often used to draw a conclusion or introduce a new phase or a consequence based on what precedes. It signals that what follows is the summary or the divine explanation of the vision Micaiah just recounted.
- behold, (הִנֵּה, hinnēh) - An interjection calling for immediate attention, emphasizing the certainty and significance of the revelation. It invites the hearer to witness a direct disclosure from God.
- the Lord (יְהוָה, YHVH) - The personal, covenantal name of God. Its use here is highly significant, explicitly attributing this unusual action to the God of Israel, not a lesser deity or a demonic power acting independently. It highlights His absolute sovereignty.
- has put (נָתַן, nātan) - Hebrew verb meaning "to give," "to place," "to put," or "to allow." While it can mean direct action, in this theological context, it's understood as divine permission or orchestration. God isn't originating the lie, but strategically placing/allowing the lying spirit to fulfill His sovereign, righteous judgment against a rebellious king. This avoids implicating God in the essence of evil while maintaining His control.
- a lying spirit (רוּחַ שֶׁקֶר, rûaḥ šeqer) - Literally "spirit of falsehood/lie." This refers to a non-divine spirit entity predisposed to deception. It's not a part of God's Spirit, but an agent, perhaps a demonic entity, permitted or commissioned by God to carry out this specific deceptive purpose as an instrument of judgment. It highlights the spiritual nature of the conflict.
- in the mouth of all these your prophets; (בְּפִי כָּל־נְבִיאֶיךָ אֵלֶּה, bəp̱î kol-nəḇîʾeḵā ʾelleh) - Emphasizes the chosen vehicle for deception: prophets aligned with Ahab, not Yahweh's true messengers. The deceit came through those Ahab preferred to hear, illustrating how God gives people over to their chosen delusion when they refuse the truth. "Your prophets" suggests they served Ahab's desires, not God's truth.
- and the Lord (וַיהוָה, wayHVAH) - Again, emphasizing YHVH as the sovereign actor, confirming the second part of the statement comes directly from Him.
- has declared (דִּבֶּר, dibber) - Hebrew verb meaning "to speak," "to declare," "to command." This indicates a firm, intentional, and authoritative divine pronouncement.
- disaster against you. (רָעָה עָלֶיךָ, rāʿâ ʿālāyḵā) - "Disaster" or "evil" (ra'ah), meaning calamity, misfortune, or harm, but in this context clearly referring to the catastrophic defeat and death awaiting Ahab. God, the one who brings good, also orchestrates or permits calamitous "evil" as a just consequence of human wickedness, especially rejecting His truth.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "Now therefore, behold, the Lord has put a lying spirit": This phrase introduces the astonishing revelation of divine judgment through deception. It signals a critical theological point about God's sovereignty over spiritual forces and His means of bringing judgment. The use of "behold" underlines the gravity and certainty of this extraordinary divine action.
- "in the mouth of all these your prophets;": This clarifies how the deception will occur and who will be the instruments. It shows that the 400 prophets, though delivering "prophecy," are not speaking for God in truth, but are tools in His judgmental plan. The repetition of "your prophets" subtly distances them from Yahweh and emphasizes their allegiance to Ahab's preferences.
- "and the Lord has declared disaster against you.": This concluding declaration leaves no doubt about the ultimate outcome and the primary agent. It solidifies that the entire episode – the lying spirit and the false prophecy – is merely a means to execute a divine verdict. The disaster is directly decreed by Yahweh as a consequence of Ahab's consistent rebellion.
1 Kings 22 23 Bonus section
This verse highlights a crucial biblical principle concerning discerning spirits and prophets. Not all seemingly "prophetic" messages, even those appearing to fulfill a king's desires or confirm human plans, are from God. The discerning believer must "test the spirits" (1 Jn 4:1) by their alignment with God's character revealed in Scripture and the ultimate outcome they produce. God’s direct act here (putting the lying spirit) is not a random occurrence but a specific, judicial response to a long history of Ahab's determined rebellion against Yahweh's covenant and his persecution of true prophets. It’s a terrifying example of how God may confirm someone in their self-chosen path to destruction when all warnings have been ignored.
1 Kings 22 23 Commentary
1 Kings 22:23 is one of the Bible's most profound and challenging verses regarding God's sovereignty and justice. It portrays a startling scene where Yahweh Himself is depicted as instrumental in placing "a lying spirit" into the mouths of prophets to deceive King Ahab. This does not mean God directly produces or creates evil or falsehood as His intrinsic nature (Ps 5:4, Jam 1:13). Rather, it signifies His absolute authority and ability to orchestrate or permit existing evil agents (like a lying spirit) to serve His higher, righteous purposes of judgment.
Ahab, a king infamous for his idolatry and persistent wickedness (1 Ki 16:30-33), had hardened his heart against God's true prophets repeatedly. By consistently rejecting the truth, he had rendered himself ripe for deception (compare 2 Thes 2:11-12). In a display of divine abandonment and judicial hardening, God "gives him over" to the very deception he preferred over truth. The false prophets, willingly or unknowingly, become instruments in God's judgment against a wicked king. Micaiah's vision confirms that the uniform message of the 400 prophets, though seemingly positive, was a meticulously crafted lure from the divine throne room to lead Ahab to his death. This verse powerfully underscores God's total control over human history, even over wicked entities and deceptive events, to accomplish His redemptive and judgmental purposes. It serves as a stern warning against spiritual blindness and rejecting divine truth, as such persistent rejection can ultimately lead to being given over to a strong delusion.