Commentaria in III Regum
20. AND THE LORD SAID: WHO SHALL DECEIVE ACHAB?—That inquiry of God, besides the demerits and crimes of Achab, by which he deserved to be deceived and to perish, signifies two things: First, that to deceive is foreign to God. Whence God here inquires about it as though He did not have it in Himself, nor is it found among divine things; but in the company of demons, who here among themselves were holding counsel about the manner of deceiving Achab: whence God is brought in questioning them in this vision, as if to say: Which of you, O demons, shall deceive Achab? for I know that you are deliberating on this matter.
Second, that this deceiving by the demons was exactly known and ordained by God for the punishment of Achab; for God wished to punish Achab, and therefore permitted him to consult the demon through his false prophets, and permitted the demon to lie and deceive Achab, by promising victory in the battle in which he was to be slain. So St. Augustine, Question 44 on the book of Judges. Whence Theodoret and Procopius teach that here it is signified that the divine will was the cause of the destruction of Achab; for He wished to punish the impiety of Achab, and therefore permitted some of his sins, which nevertheless are freely committed, namely that he should consult his magicians and believe them, and so be deceived and perish. These two things, says Cajetan, this inquiry of God signifies. For otherwise God properly inquires nothing, since He perfectly sees and knows all things. Scripture therefore speaks here anthropopathically, or in a human manner, as men do in a way suited to the thing to be done.
AND ONE SPOKE AFTER THIS MANNER, AND ANOTHER OTHERWISE.—The various ways of deceiving Achab, suggested to God in this symbolic vision by those standing by, not so much Angels as demons, are related, but are not recounted in particular, because God did not wish to use them. In general, however, they are reported, that it may be plain that all ways of deceiving are known to God, and ready at hand, that by them He may carry out the decree of His providence, and of vengeance in the slaying of the impious Achab. So Cajetan.
21. AND THERE CAME FORTH A SPIRIT,—as if to say: Some devil offered himself to the Lord to deceive Achab; for this is his office, to lie and deceive: this the good Angels cannot do, and are therefore truthful and faithful. “For neither,” as St. Gregory says, book 2 of the Morals, chapter 16, “is it right to believe that a good spirit wished to serve deceit, so as to say: I will go forth, and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets, but because Achab by his preceding sins was worthy to be condemned by such a deception, so that he who had often fallen willingly into guilt might at length be caught unwillingly to punishment. By a hidden justice licence is given to malignant spirits, that those whom they strangle willingly in the snare of sin they may drag even unwillingly to the punishment of sin.” St. Augustine teaches the same, book of 83 Questions, question 4, article 53.
22. I WILL GO FORTH, AND BE A LYING SPIRIT IN THE MOUTH OF ALL HIS PROPHETS,—as if to say: I will suggest a lie and a lying promise to all the false prophets of Achab, that they may with one mouth promise the king victory in the battle, when he himself is to be slain in it. Moreover Philastrius, in the book On Heresies, in the heresy concerning the Pythoness, adds this, whence uncertain: “And the unclean spirit said to the Lord: I will make myself as an Angel of light, and speak like words, and lead him to the battle, and there forsake him, and so he shall die. And the Lord said: Go, so shalt thou do.”
says, is as it were a breath in a pipe of error, rousing every fool in various ways against the truth; for the pipe itself is an imitation of the serpent, through which the devil spoke and deceived Eve.”
AND THE LORD SAID: THOU SHALT DECEIVE HIM, AND SHALT PREVAIL: GO FORTH, AND DO SO,—These are the words of God not commanding, but permitting to the devil, who is ready to deceive, to deceive Achab. So Christ says to Judas: “That which thou dost, do quickly,” John 13:27, that is, I permit thee at once to betray me.
23. NOW THEREFORE BEHOLD THE LORD HATH GIVEN A SPIRIT OF LYING IN THE MOUTH OF ALL THY PROPHETS.—“Hath given” by loosening the reins to the demon, not by hindering, but by permitting deception to one wishing to deceive. For the demon can deceive or tempt no one unless God positively permit it to him. Wherefore as he who holds a lion bound by a rope in his hand, if he loosen the rope so that the lion may attack and kill someone, is said to have killed him who loosed the rope, so also God is said to “give a spirit of lying,” when He loosens the rope to the devil and permits him, most ready to lie, to lie and deceive. By these phrases Scripture signifies that the most high providence of God so holds in its hand the wills of all men, both of the wicked and the good, that they can will or do absolutely nothing except what God has permitted.
24. AND STRUCK MICHEAS ON THE CHEEK,—which is an ignominious and shameful blow, as I said on Lamentations.
25. THOU SHALT SEE ON THAT DAY, WHEN THOU SHALT GO INTO A CHAMBER WITHIN A CHAMBER (that is the innermost, most hidden chamber, since thou wilt find no place in which thou canst be safe from fear of the Syrian enemies) TO HIDE THEE.
27. FEED HIM WITH THE BREAD OF AFFLICTION, AND THE WATER OF DISTRESS,—or of affliction. Vatablus: such as is wont to be given to the afflicted, as if to say: Feed him with scanty bread and scanty water. The Chaldee: bread that shall be in affliction, that is not to satiety, but only to necessity, that he may live, and not die of hunger or thirst.
28. HEAR YE, ALL YE PEOPLE,—this my oracle, and note it, that when you see it truly come to pass you may confess that I foretold the truth.
30. AND THE KING OF ISRAEL SAID TO JOSAPHAT, etc.: PUT ON THY OWN GARMENTS,—the royal ones and those usual to a leader of war, that thou mayest give courage to the soldiers to fight bravely.
BUT THE KING OF ISRAEL (Achab) CHANGED HIS DRESS,—and, laying aside the royal one, put on that of a common private soldier. Achab did this not to honour Josaphat, as though he were the commander and leader of the war (though he pretended this before Josaphat), but out of terror at the prophecy of Micheas. For although he did not wholly believe that he spoke the truth, namely that he was to be slain in the battle, yet he feared it, especially since the command of the king of Syria was added, by which he had ordered all his men to turn their arms against Achab alone. For this command seems to have become known to him. Moreover Josephus adds that he did this that he might more easily and surely elude the prophecy of Micheas, and show it false, when, with changed dress and placed in the last rank, he was far from the swords and blows of the enemy, so that nothing seemed to be feared for him of wound and death.
31. YOU SHALL NOT FIGHT, etc., BUT AGAINST THE KING OF ISRAEL ONLY,—namely against Achab, that you may slay or capture him alone; for he is the torch of the war. For Josaphat follows him as a companion his leader. Wherefore, he being removed, all war would be taken away. Again, the king of Syria commanded this by the instinct of God, as it seems, who wished to punish and slay the impious Achab. Whence Josephus adds that Achab alone fell in the battle, and that Micheas had foretold it.