2 Chronicles 18:6 kjv
But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD besides, that we might enquire of him?
2 Chronicles 18:6 nkjv
But Jehoshaphat said, "Is there not still a prophet of the LORD here, that we may inquire of Him?"
2 Chronicles 18:6 niv
But Jehoshaphat asked, "Is there no longer a prophet of the LORD here whom we can inquire of?"
2 Chronicles 18:6 esv
But Jehoshaphat said, "Is there not here another prophet of the LORD of whom we may inquire?"
2 Chronicles 18:6 nlt
But Jehoshaphat asked, "Is there not also a prophet of the LORD here? We should ask him the same question."
2 Chronicles 18 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Chr 18:7 | "But Jehoshaphat said, “There is still one other man, Micaiah... | Follow-up action: A true prophet exists. |
| 1 Ki 22:7 | "And Jehoshaphat said, 'Is there not here a prophet of the LORD besides...? | Parallel account in Kings. |
| Deut 13:1-5 | If a prophet...gives you a sign or wonder...but that prophet...speaks... | Test of true prophecy: Don't lead away from God. |
| Deut 18:20-22 | "But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name... | Test of true prophecy: Word does not come true. |
| Jer 14:14 | "The prophets are prophesying lies in my name... | Warning against false prophets' lies. |
| Jer 23:21-22 | "I did not send these prophets, yet they ran... | God's rejection of unsent prophets. |
| Jer 29:13 | "You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart." | Promise to those who genuinely seek the Lord. |
| Psa 27:8 | "You have said, 'Seek my face.' My heart says to you, 'Your face, LORD, I seek.'" | Deep desire to seek God's presence. |
| Psa 37:23 | "The steps of a man are established by the LORD... | God directs the paths of the righteous. |
| Prov 3:5-6 | "Trust in the LORD with all your heart...He will make straight your paths." | Importance of trusting God for guidance. |
| Prov 11:14 | "Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in abundance of counselors there is safety." | Need for good, godly counsel. |
| Prov 15:22 | "Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed." | Value of seeking multiple wise counsel. |
| Isa 30:1-3 | "Ah, stubborn children, declares the LORD, who carry out a plan, but not mine..." | Woe to those who rely on human alliance, not God. |
| Isa 55:6 | "Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near." | Urgency in seeking God's guidance. |
| Mt 6:33 | "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things..." | Priority of seeking God above all. |
| Mt 7:15-20 | "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing..." | Discernment by fruit, not appearance. |
| Lk 11:9-10 | "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened." | Assurance of God's response to seeking. |
| 1 Jn 4:1 | "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God." | Mandate for spiritual discernment. |
| 2 Pet 2:1-3 | "But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers..." | Future warning about deceptive teaching. |
| Jdg 20:27-28 | "And the people of Israel inquired of the LORD... | Example of Israel inquiring before battle. |
| 1 Sam 23:2 | "Therefore David inquired of the LORD, 'Shall I go and attack...?'" | David's pattern of seeking God for warfare. |
| 2 Chr 19:2 | "Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD?" | Reproach for Jehoshaphat's alliance with Ahab. |
| 2 Chr 20:35-37 | After this Jehoshaphat king of Judah joined with Ahaziah king of Israel... | Another instance of problematic alliance. |
2 Chronicles 18 verses
2 Chronicles 18 6 Meaning
King Jehoshaphat, despite forming an alliance with the wicked King Ahab, demonstrates his steadfast commitment to Yahweh by questioning the authenticity of Ahab's numerous prophets. He explicitly requests a genuine prophet of the LORD (Yahweh) to inquire of God's will regarding their planned military campaign. This verse highlights Jehoshaphat's discernment and his conviction that divine guidance, if sought, must come from the one true God, not from false or court-pleasing spiritual sources.
2 Chronicles 18 6 Context
Chapter 18 of 2 Chronicles details the ill-fated alliance between King Jehoshaphat of Judah and King Ahab of Israel. Ahab seeks Jehoshaphat's assistance in reclaiming Ramoth-gilead from the king of Syria. Before engaging in battle, Ahab gathers his four hundred prophets who unanimously affirm that the LORD will grant them victory. This context highlights the stark difference in spiritual allegiance and discernment between the two kings. Jehoshaphat, consistently seeking Yahweh throughout his reign, recognizes the inadequacy of Ahab's court prophets, leading to his critical question in verse 6, which then sets the stage for the true prophet Micaiah's appearance and his unpopular, yet divinely accurate, prophecy. The historical and cultural setting includes the prevalence of both true Yahwistic prophecy and widespread false or syncretistic prophecy, making the discernment of divine will a crucial and challenging task for kings and the people of God.
2 Chronicles 18 6 Word analysis
- But Jehoshaphat said: The particle "But" (וַיֹּאמֶר וַיֹּאמֶר - vayyō’mer) introduces a pivotal moment of discernment, a contrast to Ahab's immediate reliance on his own prophets. Jehoshaphat (Yehoshafat) means "Yahweh has judged" or "Yahweh judges," a fitting name for a king who consistently sought the Lord's judgment and guidance.
- 'Is there not still: The Hebrew
ha'êin(הַאֵין), combining an interrogative prefixha-(is there?) withêin(there is not), implies a rhetorical question expressing a subtle yet firm doubt and an expectation that a genuine prophet of the LORD should exist. It signals his lack of confidence in the previously assembled prophets. - a prophet: The term
nāvî'(נָבִיא) refers to a prophet, one who speaks for God. Its common understanding in the ancient Near East was a diviner or medium, but in Israel, it specifically designated a spokesperson for Yahweh. - of the LORD,: This phrase
laYahweh(לַיהוָה - lit. "to Yahweh" or "belonging to Yahweh") is crucial. It directly qualifies "prophet" and underscores the exclusive source of true prophecy: Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel. It explicitly distinguishes between true prophets inspired by Yahweh and other spiritual practitioners or false prophets (even if they invoked "Yahweh" in name, but without genuine divine commission). This stands as a polemic against the numerous state-controlled, politically motivated prophets who perhaps mingled Yahweh-worship with syncretistic practices. - that we may inquire: The verb
nidrĕshāh(נִדְרְשָׁה), derived fromdārash(דָרַשׁ), means to seek, consult, inquire, or require. It signifies a serious, intentional seeking of divine guidance or truth, implying reliance on God's wisdom before human strategy. - of him?': The personal pronoun highlights the specific need for a truly commissioned individual, whose word would genuinely reflect God's will.
Words-group by words-group analysis
- 'Is there not still a prophet of the LORD: This full phrase underscores Jehoshaphat's theological acumen and spiritual sensitivity. He implies that the 400 prophets just consulted were either not prophets of Yahweh at all, or they were corrupted and did not truly speak for Him. His emphasis on "still" suggests a knowledge or belief that somewhere there must be an uncompromised source of divine truth. This challenges Ahab's courtly reliance on sycophantic 'yes-men'.
- that we may inquire of him?: This concluding part specifies the purpose of seeking a prophet of Yahweh: to "inquire." This highlights the importance of divine guidance and discernment, particularly before making significant decisions like engaging in warfare. It shows Jehoshaphat's conviction that successful ventures stem from alignment with God's will, not merely military strength or human strategy. This sets up the confrontation between divine truth (Micaiah) and popular deception.
2 Chronicles 18 6 Bonus section
- The Chronicler uses Jehoshaphat's question to highlight the pervasive issue of false prophecy during the Divided Monarchy period, where kings often surrounded themselves with favorable advisors rather than challenging prophets.
- This scene, identical in 1 Kings 22, is one of the Bible's most explicit portrayals of the dramatic confrontation between true and false prophecy, and the high cost of rejecting divine truth.
- Jehoshaphat's willingness to "inquire of the LORD" is a recurring motif in the Chronicles account of his reign, even when he made regrettable alliances or military choices (cf. 2 Chr 17:3-4; 20:3-4). His underlying spiritual disposition was to seek God, making his question in verse 6 very characteristic of him.
2 Chronicles 18 6 Commentary
2 Chronicles 18:6 is a defining moment, revealing Jehoshaphat's consistent, though sometimes faltering, piety in a morally compromised situation. Despite an ill-advised alliance with Ahab, a king notorious for his idolatry, Jehoshaphat's character of seeking Yahweh shines through. The 400 prophets Ahab had gathered likely represented official "state prophets," perhaps even claiming to speak in Yahweh's name but delivering politically convenient messages rather than divine truth. Jehoshaphat’s critical question implies he saw through this charade. He understood that true prophecy came from a "prophet of the LORD" (Yahweh), indicating an uncompromised servant whose message would originate solely from the God of Israel. This discerning query sets the stage for the true prophet Micaiah, who fearlessly spoke God's unpopular truth, contrasting sharply with the comfortable lies of the other prophets. This verse therefore serves as a vital reminder for believers to always seek authentic divine guidance, to test spirits, and to not be swayed by popularity or political expediency when discerning God's will, especially in major decisions.