2 Chronicles 18 9

2 Chronicles 18:9 kjv

And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah sat either of them on his throne, clothed in their robes, and they sat in a void place at the entering in of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.

2 Chronicles 18:9 nkjv

The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah, clothed in their robes, sat each on his throne; and they sat at a threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.

2 Chronicles 18:9 niv

Dressed in their royal robes, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor by the entrance of the gate of Samaria, with all the prophets prophesying before them.

2 Chronicles 18:9 esv

Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting on their thrones, arrayed in their robes. And they were sitting at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets were prophesying before them.

2 Chronicles 18:9 nlt

King Ahab of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah, dressed in their royal robes, were sitting on thrones at the threshing floor near the gate of Samaria. All of Ahab's prophets were prophesying there in front of them.

2 Chronicles 18 verses

2 Chronicles 18 9 Meaning

The verse describes King Ahab of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah seated on their royal thrones, dressed in their kingly robes. They were positioned at a threshing floor located at the entrance of the city gate of Samaria, where a multitude of prophets were performing their prophecies before them. This scene establishes a formal and public setting for the kings to receive divine counsel, though the immediate context reveals the "prophets" were numerous false prophets.

2 Chronicles 18 9 Context

This verse sets the scene for a pivotal encounter involving King Ahab of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah. Having allied himself with the wicked Ahab, Jehoshaphat is asked to join a military campaign to reclaim Ramoth-gilead. Although Jehoshaphat readily agrees to the alliance (2 Chr 18:3), he wisely requests that they "inquire first for the word of the LORD" (2 Chr 18:4). This leads to the elaborate display described in verse 9, where Ahab's 400 court prophets enthusiastically deliver a uniformly positive message, endorsing the war. The immediate context of the chapter quickly shifts to the prophetic confrontation that follows, as the lone true prophet Micaiah is later reluctantly brought before the kings and delivers a starkly different, unfavorable prophecy. This verse is critical in portraying the initial, carefully staged consensus of false prophecy against which Micaiah's true, uncomfortable word of God will be contrasted. Historically, Samaria was the idolatrous capital of the Northern Kingdom, established by Omri and continued by Ahab, consistently rebelling against the LORD.

2 Chronicles 18 9 Word analysis

• Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah: Refers specifically to Ahab, a notorious wicked king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat, generally a righteous king of Judah who nevertheless entered into an ill-advised alliance with Ahab. This immediately highlights a moral compromise.
• were sitting on their thrones: Denotes a formal, authoritative, and judicial setting. The thrones symbolize their royal power and the official nature of the inquiry about to take place. This is not a casual meeting but a display of supreme temporal authority.
• arrayed in their robes: This emphasizes their royal regalia, signifying dignity, majesty, and the solemnity of the occasion. It adds to the impression of a grand, ceremonial event, designed to impress and lend weight to the proceedings.
• and they were sitting at the threshing floor: A "threshing floor" (Hebrew: גֹּרֶן, goren) was typically an open, paved area used for threshing grain, separating wheat from chaff. It was an unusual, often mundane, outdoor location for royal court, in contrast to a palace or formal courtyard. Its choice here may emphasize the public and highly visible nature of the event, or ironically allude to future separation (judgment), given its agricultural purpose.
• at the entrance of the gate of Samaria: The city gate (Hebrew: שַׁ֙עַר֙, sha'ar) in ancient Near Eastern cities was the primary hub for public life, legal proceedings, business transactions, and judicial judgments. Positioning the thrones here combines a place of public display with traditional functions of justice and governance, lending a veneer of officiality to the "prophetic" consultation. Samaria was the capital of the northern kingdom, often associated with idolatry and moral corruption.
• and all the prophets were prophesying before them: This phrase reveals the key dynamic: a large, unanimous group of prophets giving their messages. The number 400 is mentioned in the parallel passage (1 Ki 22:6) and implies overwhelming consensus, creating an atmosphere that makes dissent extremely difficult. These were Ahab's court prophets, prophesying what the king desired to hear, rather than God's truth.

Word-group analysis:

• "King of Israel and Jehoshaphat...sitting on their thrones, arrayed in their robes": This detailed description underscores the high status and official formality of the royal presence. It establishes the gravity of the occasion and the presumed legitimacy of the ensuing prophetic pronouncements, setting a scene designed to compel belief.
• "at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria": The unique combination of a "threshing floor" (a place of agriculture and often symbolic judgment) with the "gate of Samaria" (a public forum for justice and civic life within an apostate city) is highly significant. It paints a picture of a publicly staged religious-political consultation, seemingly open and transparent, yet subtly highlighting the kings' secular power in choosing their venue, implying human orchestration rather than pure divine leading.
• "all the prophets were prophesying before them": This phrase emphasizes the collective, consensual, and performing aspect of these prophets. Their unanimous declaration contrasts sharply with the single, isolated voice of God's true prophet, Micaiah, later in the narrative. This mass prophetic "performance" reveals a concerted effort to manipulate truth for political ends.

2 Chronicles 18 9 Bonus section

The choice of a threshing floor might carry an ironic or foreshadowing nuance. Threshing floors are places where wheat is separated from chaff. In this context, it could symbolically point to the future "separation" or judgment that awaited Ahab and the exposure of the false prophecy. The public nature of the city gate ensured a wide audience, which also served to heighten the dramatic confrontation between the unified voice of the 400 false prophets and the singular, unpopular message of the true prophet, Micaiah, providing a stark theological and ethical dilemma.

2 Chronicles 18 9 Commentary

2 Chronicles 18:9 presents a vivid tableau of royal power seeking divine affirmation for a predetermined human agenda. The scene, with two kings regally arrayed and positioned at a public, symbolic location (the threshing floor at Samaria's gate), highlights the solemnity and official nature of the prophetic consultation. However, the numerous "prophets" who immediately follow in the narrative are revealed to be false, uttering words that flatter the kings' desires rather than conveying God's unvarnished truth. The physical setup serves to legitimate what is essentially a charade, an attempt by Ahab, possibly with Jehoshaphat's implied consent, to receive divine sanction for their military plans. The irony of seeking truth in such a setting, yet surrounded by so many compromised voices, sets the stage for the true prophetic word of Micaiah to cut through the elaborate deception. This verse powerfully illustrates the tension between human will and divine sovereignty, and the ever-present danger of seeking validation from sources that merely echo our own inclinations instead of challenging us with God's Word.