15 When he came to the king , the king said to him, "Micaiah , shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle , or shall we refrain ?" And he answered him, " Go up and succeed , and the Lord will give it into the hand of the king ." 16 Then the king said to him, "How e many e times must I adjure you to speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord ?" 17 So he said , "I saw all Israel Scattered on the mountains , Like sheep which have no shepherd . And the Lord said , 'These have no master . Let each of them return to his house in peace .' " 18 Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat , " Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil ?" 19 Micaiah said , "Therefore , hear the word of the Lord . I saw the Lord sitting on His throne , and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right and on His left . 20 "The Lord said , 'Who will entice Ahab to go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead ?' And one said this while another said that. 21 "Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord and said , 'I will entice him.' 22 "The Lord said to him, 'How ?' And he said , 'I will go out and be a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all his prophets .' Then He said , 'You are to entice him and also prevail . Go and do so .' 23 "Now therefore, behold , the Lord has put a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets ; and the Lord has proclaimed disaster against you." 24 Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near and struck Micaiah on the cheek and said , " How e did the Spirit of the Lord pass from me to speak to you?" 25 Micaiah said , "Behold , you shall see on that day when you enter an inner room to hide yourself." 26 Then the king of Israel said , "Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king's son ; 27 and say , 'Thus says the king , " Put this man in prison e and feed him sparingly with bread and water until I return safely .""' 28 Micaiah said , " If you indeed return safely the Lord has not spoken by me." And he said , " Listen , all you people ."
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 1 Kings 22:15-28
Commentary on 1 Kings 22:15-28
(Read 1 Kings 22:15-28)
The greatest kindness we can do to one that is going in a dangerous way, is, to tell him of his danger. To leave the hardened criminal without excuse, and to give a useful lesson to others, Micaiah related his vision. This matter is represented after the manner of men: we are not to imagine that God is ever put upon new counsels; or that he needs to consult with angels, or any creature, about the methods he should take; or that he is the author of sin, or the cause of any man's telling or believing a lie. Micaiah returned not the blow of Zedekiah, yet, since he boasted of the Spirit, as those commonly do that know least of the Holy Spirit's operations, the true prophet left him to be convinced of his error by the event. Those that will not have their mistakes set right in time, by the word of God, will be undeceived, when it is too late, by the judgments of God. We should be ashamed of what we call trials, were we to consider what the servants of God have endured. Yet it will be well, if freedom from trouble prove not more hurtful to us; we are more easily allured and bribed into unfaithfulness and conformity to the world, than driven to them.