2 Chronicles 18:16 kjv
Then he said, I did see all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd: and the LORD said, These have no master; let them return therefore every man to his house in peace.
2 Chronicles 18:16 nkjv
Then he said, "I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And the LORD said, 'These have no master. Let each return to his house in peace.' "
2 Chronicles 18:16 niv
Then Micaiah answered, "I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd, and the LORD said, 'These people have no master. Let each one go home in peace.'?"
2 Chronicles 18:16 esv
And he said, "I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And the LORD said, 'These have no master; let each return to his home in peace.'"
2 Chronicles 18:16 nlt
Then Micaiah told him, "In a vision I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, like sheep without a shepherd. And the LORD said, 'Their master has been killed. Send them home in peace.'"
2 Chronicles 18 16 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Num 27:17 | "that the congregation of the LORD be not as sheep which have no shepherd." | Prayer for a leader like a shepherd |
| 1 Ki 22:17 | "I saw all Israel scattered upon the mountains... no shepherd..." | Parallel account of Micaiah's prophecy |
| Ez 34:5 | "So they were scattered because there was no shepherd..." | Israel's scattering due to poor leadership |
| Mt 9:36 | "He saw the crowds, that they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." | Jesus' compassion for the leaderless people |
| Jer 23:1-2 | "Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!" | Condemnation of negligent shepherds (leaders) |
| Zec 13:7 | "Strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered..." | Prophecy of the Shepherd's demise and scattering |
| Isa 53:6 | "All we like sheep have gone astray..." | Humanity's spiritual lostness |
| Jer 14:14 | "They prophesy to you a lying vision, divination, a thing of nought..." | False prophecy of peace leading to scattering |
| Ez 13:8-9 | "Because you have spoken falsehood... therefore I will stretch out my hand upon you..." | Judgment on false prophets |
| 1 Ki 22:23 | "The LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets." | God's sovereignty over even lying spirits |
| Deut 18:20 | "But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name..." | Consequences of false prophecy |
| Hos 4:16 | "For Israel is stubborn like a stubborn heifer; can the LORD feed them like a lamb in a broad pasture?" | Israel's stubbornness and wandering |
| Job 12:23-24 | "He makes nations great, and He destroys them... takes understanding from the leaders..." | Divine control over national fortunes |
| Ps 23:1 | "The LORD is my shepherd..." | God as the ultimate Shepherd and provider |
| Isa 40:11 | "He will tend His flock like a shepherd..." | God's tender care for His people |
| Jer 6:14 | "They have healed the wound of my people slightly, saying, 'Peace, peace,' when there is no peace." | False assurances of peace |
| Lam 1:1 | "How lonely sits the city that was full of people! How like a widow is she, who was great among the nations! She who was a princess among the provinces has become a slave!" | Devastation and loss of leadership |
| 2 Ch 35:23 | "The archers shot King Josiah... and the king died..." | Consequence of ignoring prophecy (parallel leadership context) |
| Prov 29:18 | "Where there is no vision, the people perish..." | Lack of prophetic guidance leads to ruin |
| Ex 17:4 | "What shall I do to this people? They are almost ready to stone me!" | People in distress, looking for leadership |
| Jud 2:16 | "Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges who saved them..." | God's provision for His scattered people |
| Num 14:34 | "Forty years, a year for each day, you shall bear your iniquities..." | Scattering and consequences of disobedience |
| 1 Sa 13:14 | "The LORD has sought out a man after his own heart..." | God's choice of true leadership |
2 Chronicles 18 verses
2 Chronicles 18 16 Meaning
This verse records Micaiah's stark and authentic prophetic vision concerning King Ahab's impending battle. It portrays all of Israel as a flock of sheep, scattered and without a shepherd, signifying their defeat, disarray, and vulnerability following the death of their king, Ahab. The second part of the prophecy is presented as the Lord's decree: that this scattered people, now masterless, should return safely to their homes in peace, implicitly confirming Ahab's demise and Israel's dispersion without a king.
2 Chronicles 18 16 Context
This verse is Micaiah's authentic prophecy, delivered to King Ahab of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah. The immediate context (2 Chr 18:13-15) shows Ahab, irritated by Micaiah's initial sarcastic agreement with the 400 false prophets, binding him to tell the truth "in the name of the LORD." In response, Micaiah describes a vision of God's heavenly court, revealing that a lying spirit was sent to entice Ahab's 400 prophets to assure him of victory, so that he would go to his death in Ramoth-Gilead. Verse 16 specifically articulates the consequences of this decision, using a vivid metaphor to describe Israel's future. The historical setting is the uneasy alliance between the Northern (Israel) and Southern (Judah) Kingdoms. Ahab, a wicked king deeply entrenched in Baal worship, seeks to reclaim Ramoth-Gilead from Aram. Jehoshaphat, a righteous king, agrees to help but insists on consulting a prophet of the Lord. The scene serves as a dramatic confrontation between true divine revelation, represented by Micaiah, and human presumption fueled by false prophets catering to the king's desires. The polemic is against state-sponsored cultic prophecy that prioritizes political expediency and popular approval over truth and the direct word of Yahweh. It highlights the spiritual bankruptcy of a leadership that rejects God's warnings.
2 Chronicles 18 16 Word analysis
And he said: Refers to Micaiah. This signifies the delivery of the true word from God, contrasting with the prior pronouncements of the 400 false prophets.
I saw: This indicates a genuine prophetic vision, a direct revelation from God to Micaiah, distinct from human conjecture or manipulative prophecy. It emphasizes the seer's firsthand witness to a divine reality.
all Israel: Not just Ahab's immediate army, but the entire nation of Israel. This broad scope implies that Ahab's fate has repercussions for the whole Northern Kingdom, and even beyond, impacting the relationship between the two kingdoms.
scattered: (Hebrew: פּוּץ, puts) This verb denotes being dispersed, strewn, or put to flight. It conveys images of disorganization, helplessness, and defeat. In a military context, it signifies a routed army. In a national sense, it indicates a lack of central authority and a populace adrift.
upon the mountains: Symbolizes desolation, exposure, and isolation. Mountains were places of refuge for the desperate but also places of vulnerability when scattered, without a leader to guide them down to safety.
as sheep that have no shepherd: This is a classic biblical metaphor for people who are leaderless, lost, and vulnerable to destruction. Sheep without a shepherd are easily preyed upon and cannot find their way. In this context, the "shepherd" is explicitly Ahab, whose death would leave the people leaderless.
and the LORD said: (Hebrew: וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה, vayomer YHWH) This phrase introduces a divine oracle, an absolute and unchangeable decree directly from Yahweh. It contrasts with the "lying spirit" previously discussed, reinforcing the authority of Micaiah's message.
These have no master: "These" refers to the scattered "sheep"—all Israel. "Master" (Hebrew: אָדוֹן, 'adon) refers specifically to King Ahab. The phrase declares Ahab's inevitable demise, leaving the nation without its king and military leader.
let them return: This is a divine command or permission, indicating a state of being allowed to return.
every man to his house: Signifies the dismantling of the army and the dissolution of the military effort. It emphasizes the complete failure of the campaign and the safe, though inglorious, dispersal of the surviving soldiers.
in peace: This term is laden with irony. While suggesting a peaceful return to their homes without further harm, it contrasts sharply with the war-mongering "peace" declared by the false prophets. This "peace" is the peace of defeat, not triumph, and implies that the purpose of their gathering—war—has ended in utter failure and the loss of their leader.
"I saw all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd": This phrase dramatically encapsulates the outcome of Ahab's fatal decision: military defeat, the king's demise, and the ensuing leaderlessness and disarray of the nation. It highlights the vulnerability of a people without righteous, God-ordained leadership.
"and the LORD said, 'These have no master; let them return every man to his house in peace.'": This powerful divine decree not only prophesies Ahab's death (he has "no master") but also pronounces a type of 'peaceful' judgment—the army will disperse rather than continue fighting leaderless, avoiding further unnecessary slaughter for the ordinary soldier. This "peace" is the bitter fruit of defeat, yet it shows a divine boundary to the judgment on the common people.
2 Chronicles 18 16 Bonus section
The vision in 2 Chronicles 18:16, seen by Micaiah, reflects a recurring divine motif: God allows an evil deed to happen to bring about His perfect will (cf. 1 Ki 22:20-23, 2 Ch 18:19-22). The "lying spirit" mentioned earlier in the chapter, while morally problematic for human actors, operates within the parameters of divine permission to accomplish a pre-ordained judgment against Ahab. Micaiah, despite his difficult position as a prophet delivering an unwelcome message, remained steadfast, echoing the courage of many true prophets who stood against popular opinion and royal pressure. His prophecy is ultimately about YHWH's absolute control over kings and nations, regardless of human schemes or prophetic lies.
2 Chronicles 18 16 Commentary
Micaiah's prophecy in 2 Chronicles 18:16 stands as a powerful testament to the clarity and authority of true prophetic word over human political will and manipulative religious practice. The image of "sheep without a shepherd" vividly depicts a nation doomed to disarray and defeat because its leader, Ahab, has rejected divine counsel and chosen a path leading to his own demise. This metaphor highlights not only military failure but also spiritual leadership vacuum, a recurrent theme in the Bible concerning wayward Israel. The Lord's subsequent decree, that the scattered people return "every man to his house in peace," underscores the precision of divine judgment; while the king falls, God mercifully allows the common people to avoid continued slaughter by retreating. This verse confronts the superficial "peace" promised by false prophets with the hard truth of divine consequences. It teaches that following unrighteous leadership leads to confusion and ultimately, scattering, and that true peace comes not from human plans, but from God's sovereign decree, even if that decree brings humbling.