2 Chronicles 18:14 kjv
And when he was come to the king, the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go to Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And he said, Go ye up, and prosper, and they shall be delivered into your hand.
2 Chronicles 18:14 nkjv
Then he came to the king; and the king said to him, "Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?" And he said, "Go and prosper, and they shall be delivered into your hand!"
2 Chronicles 18:14 niv
When he arrived, the king asked him, "Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I not?" "Attack and be victorious," he answered, "for they will be given into your hand."
2 Chronicles 18:14 esv
And when he had come to the king, the king said to him, "Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I refrain?" And he answered, "Go up and triumph; they will be given into your hand."
2 Chronicles 18:14 nlt
When Micaiah arrived before the king, Ahab asked him, "Micaiah, should we go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should I hold back?" Micaiah replied sarcastically, "Yes, go up and be victorious, for you will have victory over them!"
2 Chronicles 18 14 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Ki 22:8 | Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man through whom we may inquire of the Lord, Micaiah the son of Imlah, but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil.” | Ahab's long-standing animosity towards Micaiah for speaking truth. |
| 1 Ki 22:18 | Ahab said to Micaiah, “Did I not tell you that he would prophesy no good concerning me, but only evil?” | Ahab reiterates his complaint after Micaiah's true prophecy. |
| Jer 20:8 | For whenever I speak, I cry out, I proclaim violence and destruction, for the word of the Lord has become for me a reproach and derision all day long. | Jeremiah facing rejection and scorn for delivering unwelcome truth. |
| Jer 26:7-9 | The priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the Lord... and all the people gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the Lord, saying, "You shall surely die!" | Religious leaders opposing prophets who speak challenging words. |
| Amos 7:10 | Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land is not able to bear all his words.” | Priest trying to silence Amos, claiming his prophecies are treasonous. |
| Amos 7:16 | “Now therefore hear the word of the Lord: You say, ‘Do not prophesy against Israel, and do not preach against the house of Isaac.’” | Opposition to a prophet speaking against the nation. |
| Isa 30:10 | Who say to the seers, “Do not see visions!” and to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us what is right; speak to us smooth things; prophesy illusions,” | People preferring flattering prophecies over unvarnished truth. |
| Isa 5:20 | Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! | Perversion of truth; calling divine truth a "lie." |
| John 3:19 | And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. | Men prefer falsehood/darkness when it condones their evil deeds. |
| John 7:7 | The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil. | Jesus faced hatred for exposing evil, similar to true prophets. |
| John 8:45 | But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. | Jesus speaking to those who rejected His truth. |
| Ps 5:6 | You destroy those who speak lies; the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man. | God's judgment on those who spread or prefer falsehood. |
| Prov 14:12 | There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. | Human deception and self-deception, preferring lies that seem appealing. |
| Prov 28:23 | Whoever rebukes a man will afterward find more favor than he who flatters with his tongue. | Wisdom about receiving truth vs. flattery. |
| Luke 11:45 | One of the lawyers answered him, “Teacher, in saying these things you insult us also.” | Lawyers rejected Jesus' truth because it condemned them. |
| Luke 13:34 | O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were unwilling! | Jerusalem's consistent rejection and persecution of God's messengers. |
| 2 Tim 4:3-4 | For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. | Prophecy of people turning away from truth to hear what they desire. |
| Rom 1:25 | because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. | Trading divine truth for falsehood and idolatry. |
| Gal 4:16 | So have I become your enemy by telling you the truth? | Paul experienced rejection for speaking unwelcome truth. |
| Rev 22:15 | Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. | Exclusion for those who persist in loving and practicing lies. |
| Jer 14:14 | And the Lord said to me: “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them, nor have I commanded them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own mind.” | God condemns false prophets who speak "lies." |
| Matt 7:15 | “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” | Warning against those who appear good but deceive. |
2 Chronicles 18 verses
2 Chronicles 18 14 Meaning
2 Chronicles 18:14 records King Ahab's cynical response to the prophet Micaiah. After Micaiah, at Ahab's persistent urging, sarcastically gives a favorable prophecy, Ahab dismisses it. He retorts, "I will not; for you will certainly tell me lies." This statement reveals Ahab's deep-seated prejudice against Micaiah and his true God-given message, viewing any unfavorable truth as a "lie" simply because it does not align with his desires or the flattery of his 400 court prophets. He had pre-judged Micaiah to be a bearer of only bad news, which he refused to accept as truth.
2 Chronicles 18 14 Context
The verse occurs during a pivotal moment where King Ahab of Israel is planning to go to war against Ramoth-gilead, with King Jehoshaphat of Judah as his ally. Jehoshaphat, more pious, insists that they first "inquire of the word of the Lord." Ahab gathers 400 court prophets who unanimously affirm victory, promising success and safety. Jehoshaphat, still sensing something amiss, asks if there is "yet another prophet of the Lord" (2 Chr 18:6) beyond these compliant seers. Ahab reluctantly names Micaiah, whom he openly admits to hating because Micaiah "never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil" (2 Chr 18:7).
When Micaiah is finally brought before them, the messenger delivering him warns him to speak like the 400 prophets and give a favorable prophecy. Initially, Micaiah mockingly obliges, saying, "Go up and triumph; they will be delivered into your hand" (2 Chr 18:13). Ahab, who knew Micaiah's usual prophetic character and God's true nature, immediately saw through this sarcastic "yes." It's in response to this obvious sarcasm that Ahab, rather than earnestly seeking truth, defensively and cynically accuses Micaiah of habitually lying to him. This sets the stage for Micaiah's subsequent, full, and terrifying true prophecy that includes the vision of Israel scattered and the deceptive spirit influencing Ahab's other prophets. The historical context showcases the moral decline of the northern kingdom under Ahab, their pervasive idolatry, and their deep-seated rejection of inconvenient divine truth, contrasting sharply with Jehoshaphat's nominal piety and his eventual learning.
2 Chronicles 18 14 Word analysis
- וַיֹּאמֶר (vayyomer): "And he said" or "So he said." This is a common Hebrew conjunction with a verb, indicating immediate action following the previous event. Here, "he" refers to King Ahab, indicating his swift and emotional reaction to Micaiah's sarcastic initial "yes."
- לֹא (lo'): "No" or "I will not." In this context, Ahab is essentially saying, "Stop! Don't continue with this pretense." He immediately perceives Micaiah's initial agreeable prophecy as sarcasm, knowing Micaiah's history of always delivering "bad" news (from Ahab's perspective). Ahab rejects the false, superficial good word, not because he genuinely wants the truth, but because he expects the negative and views it as Micaiah's fixed pattern.
- כִּי־ (ki-): "For" or "because." This particle introduces the reason or explanation for Ahab's dismissal. He explains why he wants Micaiah to stop the charade.
- הַגֵּד תַּגִּיד (hagged taggid): This is an emphatic construction using the infinitive absolute (
הַגֵּד, haged) before the finite verb (תַּגִּיד, taggid), both from the root נג"ד (naggad), meaning "to tell" or "to declare." This emphasizes the certainty and repetitive nature of the action. It can be translated as "You will certainly tell," "You will surely tell," or "You always tell." Ahab is accusing Micaiah of a consistent pattern of behavior. - אֵלַי (elay): "to me." A direct object prepositional phrase, clearly indicating that the lies/deception are directed personally at Ahab.
- רְמִיּוֹת (r'miyyot): "lies," "deceptions," "falsehoods," "trickery." This noun (plural) is crucial. From Ahab's viewpoint, Micaiah always gives him prophecies that are contrary to his desires or good news, hence he considers them "lies" or "deceptions." Irony abounds here: Micaiah is the one speaking God's truth, which Ahab labels as "lies," while the 400 court prophets are the ones speaking actual lies inspired by a deceptive spirit (as Micaiah later reveals), yet their words are accepted as truth by Ahab until he is forced to confront Micaiah. Ahab’s use of "lies" doesn't mean Micaiah fabricated information, but that Micaiah's truths felt like deceptions to Ahab because they were negative and unpalatable.
2 Chronicles 18 14 Bonus section
- Ahab's Psychological State: This verse highlights Ahab's profound resistance to truth. He's so accustomed to Micaiah's consistent (and unpopular) true prophecies that he assumes any "good" word from Micaiah is sarcasm, and any "bad" word is a "lie." He has fundamentally inverted reality in his mind regarding Micaiah.
- Micaiah's Strategic Foresight: Micaiah's initial sarcastic prophecy was not pointless. It expertly forces Ahab's hand. By responding sarcastically first, Micaiah prompts Ahab to drop his guard and articulate his real conviction about Micaiah's messages. This then paved the way for Micaiah to deliver the genuine, devastating prophecy without Ahab claiming he was never given a "straight" answer or was taken by surprise.
- Foreshadowing Divine Judgment: Ahab's accusation of "lies" against Micaiah is a stark contrast to the revelation later in the chapter (v. 20-22) that God Himself sent a "lying spirit" to the other prophets. Ahab, in rejecting Micaiah's truth as lies, was unwittingly condemning himself by aligning with actual spiritual deception orchestrated by God to fulfill His judgment.
- Universal Principle of Reception: This dynamic is replicated throughout biblical history: when truth conflicts with personal desire or comfort, it is often dismissed, ridiculed, or demonized by those who refuse to humble themselves. The issue is rarely the truth itself, but the heart's posture towards it.
2 Chronicles 18 14 Commentary
2 Chronicles 18:14 is a sharp, ironic declaration that encapsulates the conflict between divine truth and human obstinacy. Ahab, the embodiment of a hardened heart, reveals his utter cynicism and contempt for the genuine prophetic word. He does not genuinely seek God's truth; he already assumes what Micaiah will say – bad news. He interprets any negative prophecy as a "lie" simply because it doesn't align with his self-serving desires or the consensus of his compliant court prophets. This verse demonstrates a spiritual blindness that redefines truth based on personal convenience. Ahab knows Micaiah is speaking sarcastically when he says, "Go up and triumph." Rather than taking the opportunity to genuinely seek the Lord, Ahab instead leverages this to justify his preconceived notion of Micaiah as a constant bearer of unpleasant tidings, accusing him of deceit. The tragic irony is that Ahab embraces the lies from 400 false prophets, but dismisses the actual truth from Micaiah as "lies." This moment is a precursor to his tragic downfall, showing that his mind was already closed off to divine warnings, preferring the soothing deception that ultimately led him to ruin. It's a powerful lesson that those who hate the truth will always find a way to discredit its messenger.