Commentaria in II Paralipomenon
Chapter 18
Synopsis of the chapter.
Josaphat gives his son Joram to wife the daughter of the impious king Achab, and goes with him to battle, in which, according to the oracle of Michaeas, Achab is slain.
1. Now Josaphat had great riches and much glory, and was joined in affinity with Achab.
2. And after some years he went down to him into Samaria: and at his coming Achab killed very many rams and oxen for him and for the people that came with him; and persuaded him to go up to Ramoth Galaad.
3. And Achab king of Israel said to Josaphat king of Juda: Come with me to Ramoth Galaad. And he answered him: As I am, so art thou: as thy people, so is my people: and we will be with thee in the war.
4. And Josaphat said to the king of Israel: Inquire, I beseech thee, at present the word of the Lord.
5. So the king of Israel gathered together four hundred men of the prophets, and said to them: Shall we go to Ramoth Galaad to fight, or be quiet? But they said: Go up, and God will deliver it into the king’s hand.
6. And Josaphat said: Is there not here some prophet of the Lord, that we may inquire also of him?
7. And the king of Israel said to Josaphat: There is one man of whom we may ask the will of the Lord; but I hate him, for he doth not prophesy me any good, but evil at all times: it is Michaeas the son of Jemla. And Josaphat said: Speak not so, O king.
8. So the king of Israel called one of the eunuchs, and said to him: Call quickly Michaeas the son of Jemla.
9. Now the king of Israel, and Josaphat king of Juda, both sat on their thrones, clothed in kingly robes: and they sat in the open space by the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets prophesied before them.
10. And Sedecias the son of Chanaana made himself horns of iron, and said: Thus saith the Lord: With these thou shalt push Syria, until thou destroy it.
11. And all the prophets prophesied in like manner, and said: Go up to Ramoth Galaad and thou shalt prosper, and the Lord shall deliver them into the king’s hand.
12. And the messenger that went to call Michaeas, said to him: Behold the words of all the prophets with one mouth declare good things to the king; I beseech thee therefore that thy word also may not differ from theirs, and that thou speak prosperous things.
13. And Michaeas answered him: As the Lord liveth, whatsoever my God shall say to me, that will I speak.
14. So he came to the king. And the king said to him: Michaeas, shall we go to Ramoth Galaad to fight, or be quiet? And he answered him: Go up; for all things shall prosper, and the enemies shall be delivered into your hands.
15. And the king said: Again and again I adjure thee, that thou say nothing to me but that which is true, in the name of the Lord.
16. Then he said: I saw all Israel scattered in the mountains, as sheep without a shepherd; and the Lord said: These have no masters; let every man return to his house in peace.
17. And the king of Israel said to Josaphat: Did I not tell thee that this man prophesieth me no good, but the things that are evil?
18. But he said: Therefore hear ye the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on the right hand and on the left.
19. And the Lord said: Who shall deceive Achab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth Galaad? And when one spoke after this manner, and another otherwise,
20. there came forth a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said: I will deceive him. And the Lord said to him: Wherewith wilt thou deceive him?
21. And he answered: I will go out, and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And the Lord said: Thou shalt deceive, and shalt prevail: go forth, and do so.
22. Now therefore, behold the Lord hath given a spirit of lying in the mouth of all thy prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil concerning thee.
23. And Sedecias the son of Chanaana came and struck Michaeas on the cheek, and said: Which way did the Spirit of the Lord pass from me to speak to thee?
24. And Michaeas said: Thou thyself shalt see it on that day, when thou shalt go from chamber to chamber to hide thee.
25. And the king of Israel commanded, saying: Take Michaeas, and carry him to Amon the governor of the city, and to Joas the king’s son.
26. And you shall say: Thus saith the king: Send this man into prison, and give him bread of affliction, and water of affliction, till I return in peace.
27. And Michaeas said: If thou return in peace, the Lord hath not spoken by me. And he said: Hear, all ye people.
28. So the king of Israel and Josaphat king of Juda went up to Ramoth Galaad.
29. And the king of Israel said to Josaphat: I will change my dress, and so go to the battle, but do thou put on thy own garments. And the king of Israel changing his dress, came to the battle.
30. Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of his horsemen, saying: Fight ye not against the little or the great, but against the king of Israel only.
31. So when the captains of the horsemen saw Josaphat, they said: It is the king of Israel. And they surrounded him to fight against him; but he cried to the Lord, and he helped him, and turned them away from him.
32. For when the captains of the horsemen saw that he was not the king of Israel, they left him.
33. And it happened that one of the people shot an arrow at a venture, and struck the king of Israel between the neck and the shoulders; and he said to his charioteer: Turn thy hand, and carry me out of the army, for I am wounded.
34. And the battle ended that day; and the king of Israel stood in his chariot against the Syrians until the evening, and died when the sun was going down.
I explained this chapter in 3 Kings, last chapter.
Verse 1. Was joined in affinity with Achab—by giving his daughter Athalia to wife to his son Joram, as is clear from chapter XXI, verse 6. This was the one sin of Josaphat, that he mingled fellowship and marriage with the impious Achab. For Athalia the daughter of Achab brought idolatry into Judea, and, all the king’s sons being slain, made herself queen.
Verse 20. There came forth a spirit—wicked, namely the devil. The Rabbis fable that this spirit was the soul of Naboth, unjustly stoned by Jezabel, as though it here avenged itself, and took care that Achab should be seduced by the false prophets to go to the battle in which he was to be slain.
Verse 25. And to Joas the son of Amelech: so also Pagninus. The Hebrew is ben hammelech, which the Septuagint properly render, the son of the king. Whence it seems that this Joas was the son of Achab, who, setting out to war against the Syrians, entrusted to this son of his the custody of Samaria,
Verse 27. Hear, all ye people—and mark each of the words of my oracle, that when a little after you shall see each fulfilled, you may know that I was sent by God and foretold these things; and therefore that the death of Achab befell him not by chance, but by God as avenger; that you may beware of his idols and crimes, and return to the God of Juda.
Verse 34. The king of Israel stood in his chariot against the Syrians until the evening—for although Achab was wounded, he nevertheless remained in his chariot, to give courage to his men in the fight against the Syrians, until the sun, with his blood, left him spirit and life.