Skip to Content
Nach YomiI Kings · מלכים א׳Chapter 22

I Kings 22

מלכים א׳ פרק כ״ב

Section: נביאים · נביאים ראשונים | Book: I Kings | Chapter: 22 of 22 | Day: 122 of 742

Date: June 13, 2026

קלאוד על הנ״ך

The final chapter of I Kings brings the story of Achav to its long-foretold close, and it does so through one of Tanakh’s profoundest meditations on prophecy itself. After three years of quiet between Aram and Israel, Yehoshafat king of Yehuda comes down to visit the king of Israel, and Achav seizes the moment: Ramot Gilad is ours, he tells his courtiers, and we sit idle instead of taking it from the king of Aram. Radak explains the grievance — Ben-Hadad had promised after his defeat to return the cities his father took (I Kings 20:34), yet Ramot Gilad, captured in an earlier generation, was never restored, and the treaty Achav himself had granted tied his hands until a powerful ally appeared. Yehoshafat pledges himself without reservation, ‘I will do what you do; my troops shall be your troops’ (kamoni khamokha ke’ami khe’amekha), but adds the request that defines his character: first inquire of the word of Hashem.

What follows is a study in the difference between prophecy and its counterfeit. Achav gathers some four hundred prophets who answer with one voice: go up, and Hashem will deliver it into the king’s hand. Tzidkiyahu ben Kenaana even fashions iron horns, declaring that with these Israel will gore Aram to destruction. But Yehoshafat senses the hollowness — ‘Is there not another prophet of Hashem here, that we may inquire of him?’ — and Achav concedes that one remains: Michayhu ben Yimla, ‘but I hate him, for he never prophesies anything good for me, only misfortune.’ The messenger sent to fetch Michayhu urges him to match the unanimous chorus, and Michayhu answers with the prophet’s credo: as Hashem lives, whatever Hashem says to me, that I will speak. When he first arrives he mockingly parrots the court prophets — ‘March and triumph’ — and Achav himself detects the sarcasm, adjuring him to speak only truth in the name of Hashem. The truth, when it comes, is devastating: I saw all Israel scattered over the hills like sheep that have no shepherd, and Hashem said, these have no master; let everyone return home in peace.

Michayhu then unveils one of the most remarkable scenes in the prophetic literature: a vision of the heavenly court. He saw Hashem seated on His throne with the host of heaven standing at His right and left, and a question posed — who will entice Achav so that he will march and fall at Ramot Gilad? A spirit (haruach) steps forward and undertakes to be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. Rashi, following Chazal, identifies it as the spirit of Navot the Jezreelite, whose judicial murder in the previous chapter set Achav’s doom in motion; the measure-for-measure is exact, as the victim of false witnesses becomes the agent of false prophecy that lures his murderer to justice. The theological audacity of the scene — God sanctioning deception — is softened by its own transparency: Michayhu is openly telling Achav that the unanimous counsel urging him to war is a divinely permitted snare, so that the king walks into it with eyes informed. Tzidkiyahu strikes Michayhu on the cheek, demanding to know which way the spirit of Hashem passed from him; Michayhu answers that he will discover it on the day he flees to an inner chamber to hide. Achav orders the true prophet imprisoned on scant bread and scant water until his safe return, and Michayhu stakes prophecy’s credential on the outcome: if you return in peace, Hashem has not spoken through me.

The battle scene is taut with irony. Achav disguises himself while Yehoshafat alone wears royal robes — and the king of Aram has commanded his thirty-two chariot captains to fight no one small or great, only the king of Israel. The captains surround Yehoshafat, and he cries out; the commentators, following Divrei HaYamim (II Chronicles 18:31), understand that he cried out to Hashem and was answered, the verse there adding that God diverted his attackers. Disguise, however, is no shelter from providence: a man draws his bow letumo, in innocence, aiming at nothing in particular, and the arrow finds the seam between the plates of Achav’s armor. The wounded king asks to be turned out of the battle, yet he is propped upright in his chariot facing Aram until evening — the commentators see in this last act a kind of grim royal dignity, holding the line so that his army would not break — and at sunset he dies, the cry going through the camp, every man to his city and every man to his land. When the chariot is washed in the pool of Shomron, the dogs lick his blood, and Scripture pointedly notes the fulfillment of the word of Hashem spoken through Eliyahu at Navot’s vineyard.

The book closes with two reign summaries that look in opposite directions. Yehoshafat walked in all the way of Asa his father, doing what was right in the eyes of Hashem, purging the last of the cult prostitution from the land; yet his fleet of Tarshish ships, built to sail to Ofir for gold, was wrecked at Etzyon Gever — Divrei HaYamim (II Chronicles 20:35-37) attributes the wreck to his partnership with the wicked Achazyahu, which explains why, in our chapter, he refuses Achazyahu’s offer of a joint crew the second time. Achazyahu son of Achav then ascends in Shomron for a brief two years, doing evil in the eyes of Hashem, walking in the way of his father and his mother and of Yarovam ben Nevat, serving the Baal. On that deliberately unresolved note — a son replaying his parents’ sins — Sefer Melachim divides, and the narrative flows without pause into II Kings, where Achazyahu’s fall through a lattice and Eliyahu’s fiery ascent await.

פרק כ״ב · Chapter 22

פסוק א׳ · Verse 1

Hebrew:

וַיֵּשְׁב֖וּ שָׁלֹ֣שׁ שָׁנִ֑ים אֵ֚ין מִלְחָמָ֔ה בֵּ֥ין אֲרָ֖ם וּבֵ֥ין יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ {פ}

English:

There was a lull ofaThere was a lull of Lit. “They remained.” three years, with no war between Aram and Israel.

Three quiet years pass between Aram and Israel — the uneasy peace purchased by Achav's treaty with Ben-Hadad after the battle of Afek. Metzudat David renders 'they sat' as 'they sat in tranquility,' a calm that this chapter will shatter. The lull sets the stage for Achav's fatal decision to reopen hostilities.

פסוק ב׳ · Verse 2

Hebrew:

וַיְהִ֖י בַּ��ָּׁנָ֣ה הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֑ית וַיֵּ֛רֶד יְהוֹשָׁפָ֥ט מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָ֖ה אֶל־מֶ֥לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

English:

In the third year, King Jehoshaphat of Judah came to visit the king of Israel.

Yehoshafat king of Yehuda comes down to visit the king of Israel — a rare moment of warmth between the two kingdoms, sealed by the marriage alliance between their houses. Rashi anchors the date: 'the third year' counts from Achav's release of Ben-Hadad, the very act for which a prophet had condemned him to die. The visit hands Achav the military ally he has been waiting for.
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
בַּשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁלִישִׁית. שֶׁשָּׁלַח אֶת בֶּן הֲדַד.
In the third year. Since he had released Ben-Hadad.1See above 20:34.

פסוק ג׳ · Verse 3

Hebrew:

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר מֶֽלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אֶל־עֲבָדָ֔יו הַיְדַעְתֶּ֕ם כִּי־לָ֖נוּ רָמֹ֣ת גִּלְעָ֑ד וַאֲנַ֣חְנוּ מַחְשִׁ֔ים מִקַּ֣חַת אֹתָ֔הּ מִיַּ֖ד מֶ֥לֶךְ אֲרָֽם׃

English:

The king of Israel said to his courtiers, “You know that Ramoth-gilead belongs to us, and yet we do nothing to recover it from the hands of the king of Aram.”

Achav rouses his courtiers: Ramot Gilad is rightfully ours, yet we sit idle instead of taking it from the king of Aram. Radak unpacks the grievance at length — Ben-Hadad had promised to return the cities his father seized, but Ramot Gilad, taken in an earlier generation, was never restored, and Achav's own treaty tied his hands until a strong ally appeared. Rashi explains 'machshim' as laziness — the king shames his court into war.
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
וַאֲנַחְנוּ מַחְשִׁים. מִתְעַצְּלִים, סיאמ"ו פיגר"י בְּלַעַ"ז (לְהַחֲרִישׁ).
We have been quiet. We are lazy.2Alternatively, "we have been quiet [=מחשים]" as in, "a time to be quiet [לחשות]," in Koheles 3:7—Metzudas Tzion Siamo figre, in O.F.

פסוק ד׳ · Verse 4

Hebrew:

וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֶל־יְה֣וֹשָׁפָ֔ט הֲתֵלֵ֥ךְ אִתִּ֛י לַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה רָמֹ֣ת גִּלְעָ֑ד וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהֽוֹשָׁפָט֙ אֶל־מֶ֣לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל כָּמ֧וֹנִי כָמ֛וֹךָ כְּעַמִּ֥י כְעַמֶּ֖ךָ כְּסוּסַ֥י כְּסוּסֶֽיךָ׃

English:

And he said to Jehoshaphat, “Will you come with me to battle at Ramoth-gilead?” Jehoshaphat answered the king of Israel, “I will do what you do; my troops shall be your troops, my horses shall be your horses.”

Achav pops the question directly, and Yehoshafat answers with total solidarity: 'I will do what you do; my troops shall be your troops, my horses shall be your horses.' Metzudat David reads it simply: as you go, so will I. The unreserved pledge will nearly cost Yehoshafat his life when the Aramean captains mistake him for Achav.

פסוק ה׳ · Verse 5

Hebrew:

וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְהוֹשָׁפָ֖ט אֶל־מֶ֣לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל דְּרׇשׁ־נָ֥א כַיּ֖וֹם אֶת־דְּבַ֥ר יְהֹוָֽה׃

English:

But Jehoshaphat said further to the king of Israel, “Please, first inquire of GOD.”

Having committed himself, Yehoshafat adds the request that defines his piety: first inquire of the word of Hashem. Metzudat David hears a gentle rebuke in 'derash na khayom' — even if you are not accustomed to seeking Hashem's word, do so now. This single condition triggers the entire prophetic drama of the chapter.

פסוק ו׳ · Verse 6

Hebrew:

וַיִּקְבֹּ֨ץ מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵ֥ל אֶֽת־הַנְּבִיאִים֮ כְּאַרְבַּ֣ע מֵא֣וֹת אִישׁ֒ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֗ם הַאֵלֵ֞ךְ עַל־רָמֹ֥ת גִּלְעָ֛ד לַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה אִם־אֶחְדָּ֑ל וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ עֲלֵ֔ה ��ְיִתֵּ֥ן אֲדֹנָ֖י בְּיַ֥ד הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃

English:

So the king of Israel gathered the prophets, about four hundred of them, and asked them, “Shall I march upon Ramoth-gilead for battle, or shall I not?” “March,” they said, “and the Sovereign will deliver it into Your Majesty’s hands.”

Achav assembles some four hundred prophets, who answer in perfect unison: march, and the Lord will deliver it into the king's hand. Metzudat David identifies them as prophets of the Baal who deliberately invoked Hashem's name in front of Yehoshafat so he would mistake them for true prophets. The stage is set for the contest between the chorus and the lone voice of truth.

פסוק ז׳ · Verse 7

Hebrew:

וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ יְה֣וֹשָׁפָ֔ט הַאֵ֨ין פֹּ֥ה נָבִ֛יא לַֽיהֹוָ֖ה ע֑וֹד וְנִדְרְשָׁ֖ה מֵאֹתֽוֹ׃

English:

Then Jehoshaphat asked, “Isn’t there another prophet of GOD here through whom we can inquire?”

Yehoshafat is not fooled: 'Is there not another prophet of Hashem here, that we may inquire of him?' Rashi cites the tradition (Sanhedrin 89a) that no two true prophets prophesy in the identical style — and these four hundred all spoke with one voice, betraying themselves. Radak adds that Yehoshafat phrased his doubt delicately, out of respect for Achav, rather than calling them frauds outright.
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
הַאֵין פֹּה נָבִיא לַה' עוֹד. מְקֻבְּלַנִי אֵין שְׁנֵי נְבִיאִים מִתְנַבְּאִים בְּלָשׁוֹן אֶחָד, וְאֵלֶּה כֻּלָּם לָשׁוֹן אֶחָד אוֹמְרִים.
Is there no other prophet of Adonoy? I have a tradition that no two prophets prophesy with the same expression, and these are all saying the same expression.3See Maseches Sanhedrin 89a.4Yehoshofot did not accuse them directly of not being God's prophets out of respect for Achov.—Radak

פסוק ח׳ · Verse 8

Hebrew:

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל ׀ אֶֽל־יְהוֹשָׁפָ֡ט ע֣וֹד אִישׁ־אֶחָ֡ד לִדְרֹשׁ֩ אֶת־יְהֹוָ֨ה מֵאֹת֜וֹ וַאֲנִ֣י שְׂנֵאתִ֗יו כִּ֠י לֹא־יִתְנַבֵּ֨א עָלַ֥י טוֹב֙ כִּ֣י אִם־רָ֔ע מִיכָ֖יְהוּ בֶּן־יִמְלָ֑ה וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ יְה֣וֹשָׁפָ֔ט אַל־יֹאמַ֥ר הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ כֵּֽן׃

English:

And the king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, “There is one more through whom we can inquire of GOD; but I hate him, because he never prophesies anything good for me, but only misfortune—Micaiah son of Imlah.” But King Jehoshaphat said, “Don’t say that, Your Majesty.”

Achav admits one true prophet remains — Michayhu ben Yimla — 'but I hate him, for he never prophesies anything good for me, only misfortune.' Rashi pinpoints the grudge: Michayhu had told Achav 'because you released the man I condemned' after the Ben-Hadad affair, decreeing his life for Ben-Hadad's life. The king's confessed hatred of truth-telling is the moral core of the chapter; Yehoshafat protests, 'Let the king not say so.'
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
כִּי אִם רָע. לְפִי שֶׁאָמַר: יַעַן שִׁלַּחְתָּ אֶת אִישׁ חֶרְמִי וְגוֹ'.
But only evil. For he said to me, "Because you released the man whom I condemned, etc."5Above 20:42.

פסוק ט׳ · Verse 9

Hebrew:

וַיִּקְרָא֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֶל־סָרִ֖יס אֶחָ֑ד וַיֹּ֕אמֶר מַהֲרָ֖ה מִיכָ֥יְהוּ בֶן־יִמְלָֽה׃

English:

So the king of Israel summoned an officer and said, “Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once.”

Achav yields to his ally and dispatches an officer with the order: hurry, fetch Michayhu ben Yimla. Radak cites Targum Yonatan's rendering, 'summon Michayhu' — the king who hates the prophet must now hear him. The speed of the summons contrasts with Achav's years of avoiding this voice.

פסוק י׳ · Verse 10

Hebrew:

וּמֶ֣לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֡ל וִיהוֹשָׁפָ֣ט מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָ֡ה יֹשְׁבִים֩ אִ֨ישׁ עַל־כִּסְא֜וֹ מְלֻבָּשִׁ֤ים בְּגָדִים֙ בְּגֹ֔רֶן פֶּ֖תַח שַׁ֣עַר שֹׁמְר֑וֹן וְכׇ֨ל־הַנְּבִיאִ֔ים מִֽתְנַבְּאִ֖ים לִפְנֵיהֶֽם׃

English:

The king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah were seated on their thrones, arrayed in their robes, on the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets were prophesying before them.

A theatrical tableau: the two kings sit enthroned in royal robes at a threshing floor by the gate of Shomron, with all the prophets performing before them. Radak cites Chazal's observation that the Sanhedrin sat 'like a half threshing floor,' a semicircle in which all could see each other — and notes that these prophets spoke from their own spirit, not the spirit of Hashem, while dressing their words in His name. The grandeur of the scene only heightens the hollowness of the prophecy.

פסוק י״א · Verse 11

Hebrew:

וַיַּ֥עַשׂ ל֛וֹ צִדְקִיָּ֥ה בֶֽן־כְּנַעֲנָ֖ה קַרְנֵ֣י בַרְזֶ֑ל וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ כֹּה־אָמַ֣ר יְהֹוָ֔ה בְּאֵ֛לֶּה תְּנַגַּ֥ח אֶת־אֲרָ֖ם עַד־כַּלֹּתָֽם׃

English:

Zedekiah son of Chenaanah had provided himself with iron horns; and he said, “Thus said GOD: With these you shall gore the Arameans till you make an end of them.”

Tzidkiyahu ben Kenaana fashions iron horns and proclaims in Hashem's name: with these you will gore Aram to destruction. Metzudat David notes that he was one of the Baal prophets and that he was mimicking the symbolic-action style of true prophets — counterfeit prophecy borrowing authentic forms. His prop will be answered by Michayhu's vision of where this 'spirit' truly comes from.

פסוק י״ב · Verse 12

Hebrew:

וְכׇ֨ל־הַנְּבִאִ֔ים נִבְּאִ֥ים כֵּ֖ן לֵאמֹ֑ר עֲלֵ֞ה רָמֹ֤ת גִּלְעָד֙ וְהַצְלַ֔ח וְנָתַ֥ן יְהֹוָ֖ה בְּיַ֥ד הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃

English:

And all the other prophets were prophesying similarly, “March upon Ramoth-gilead and triumph! GOD will deliver it into Your Majesty’s hands.”

פסוק י״ג · Verse 13

Hebrew:

וְהַמַּלְאָ֞ךְ אֲשֶׁר־הָלַ֣ךְ ׀ לִקְרֹ֣א מִיכָ֗יְהוּ דִּבֶּ֤ר אֵלָיו֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר הִנֵּה־נָ֞א דִּבְרֵ֧י הַנְּבִיאִ֛ים פֶּה־אֶחָ֥ד ט֖וֹב אֶל־הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ יְהִי־נָ֣א (דבריך) [דְבָרְךָ֗] כִּדְבַ֛ר אַחַ֥ד מֵהֶ֖ם וְדִבַּ֥רְתָּ טּֽוֹב׃

English:

The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him: “Look, the words of the prophets are with one accord favorable to the king. Let your word be like that of the rest of them; speak a favorable word.”

The messenger sent to fetch Michayhu coaches him on the way: the prophets are unanimously favorable — let your word match theirs. Metzudat David explains the pressure: they speak with one accord ('peh echad') of good for the king, so prophesy good like them. The request perfectly inverts what prophecy is — a message from God, not a poll of the court.

פסוק י״ד · Verse 14

Hebrew:

וַיֹּ֖אמֶר מִיכָ֑יְהוּ חַי־יְהֹוָ֕ה כִּ֠י אֶת־אֲשֶׁ֨ר יֹאמַ֧ר יְהֹוָ֛ה אֵלַ֖י אֹת֥וֹ אֲדַבֵּֽר׃

English:

“As GOD lives,” Micaiah answered, “I will speak only what GOD tells me.”

פסוק ט״ו · Verse 15

Hebrew:

וַיָּבוֹא֮ אֶל־הַמֶּ֒לֶךְ֒ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ אֵלָ֗יו מִיכָ֙יְהוּ֙ הֲנֵלֵ֞ךְ אֶל־רָמֹ֥ת גִּלְעָ֛ד לַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה אִם־נֶחְדָּ֑ל וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלָיו֙ עֲלֵ֣ה וְהַצְלַ֔ח וְנָתַ֥ן יְהֹוָ֖ה בְּיַ֥ד הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃

English:

When he came before the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we march upon Ramoth-gilead for battle, or shall we not?” He answered him, “March and triumph! GOD will deliver [it] into Your Majesty’s hands.”

Michayhu arrives and, asked the same question put to the four hundred, parrots their slogan: 'March and triumph! Hashem will deliver it into the king's hand.' Rashi notes he pointedly did not say it in Hashem's name — it was mere well-wishing; Radak explains it was spoken in mockery, mimicking the false prophets' formula, and that Achav himself caught the sarcasm in his tone. The truth-teller's irony forces the king to demand the real answer.
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
עֲלֵה וְהַצְלַח. לֹא אָמַר לוֹ בְּשֵׁם ה'. וְנָתַן ה'. הַלְוַאי יִתֵּן בְּיַד הַמֶּלֶךְ.
Go up and be successful. He did not say [it] to him in God's Name.6He was merely wishing him good luck, or giving him a blessing that he succeed.—Metzudas Dovid And may Adonoy give. If only He deliver it into the king's hand.

פסוק ט״ז · Verse 16

Hebrew:

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלָיו֙ הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ עַד־כַּמֶּ֥ה פְעָמִ֖ים אֲנִ֣י מַשְׁבִּיעֶ֑ךָ אֲ֠שֶׁ֠ר לֹֽא־תְדַבֵּ֥ר אֵלַ֛י רַק־אֱמֶ֖ת בְּשֵׁ֥ם יְהֹוָֽה׃

English:

The king said to him, “How many times must I adjure you to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of GOD?”

Achav adjures Michayhu — 'how many times must I make you swear to tell me only truth in the name of Hashem?' Metzudat David observes the king's shrewdness: because Michayhu had omitted 'thus says Hashem,' Achav knew the favorable answer was not God's word, though he could not tell whether it was mockery or blessing. The irony is acute: the king who hates the truth now demands it under oath.

פסוק י״ז · Verse 17

Hebrew:

וַיֹּ֗אמֶר רָאִ֤יתִי אֶת־כׇּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ נְפֹצִ֣ים אֶל־הֶהָרִ֔ים כַּצֹּ֕אן אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֵין־לָהֶ֖ם רֹעֶ֑ה וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהֹוָה֙ לֹֽא־אֲדֹנִ֣ים לָאֵ֔לֶּה יָשׁ֥וּבוּ אִישׁ־לְבֵית֖וֹ בְּשָׁלֽוֹם׃

English:

Then he said, “I saw all Israel scattered over the hills like sheep without a shepherd; and GOD said, ‘These have no master; let everyone return home in safety.’”

The true prophecy lands: 'I saw all Israel scattered over the hills like sheep without a shepherd... let everyone return home in peace.' Rashi explains 'these have no master' — Achav alone will die in the battle, and the people will go home unharmed; Radak adds that the war's casualties were minimal, which is the 'peace' of the verse. The shepherdless flock image announces the king's death while sparing his nation.
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
לֹא אֲדֹנִים לָאֵלֶּה. אַתָּה לְבַדְּךָ תָּמוּת בַּמִּלְחָמָה, כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: לֹא תִּלָּחֲמוּ אֶת קָטֹן וְאֶת גָּדוֹל כִּי אִם אֶת מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְבַדּוֹ. וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְעַמְּךָ תַּחַת עַמּוֹ, טִפָּה שֶׁיָּצְאָה מֵאוֹתוֹ צַדִּיק מִיכָיְהוּ, שֶׁהִכָּהוּ חֲבֵרוֹ הַכֵּה וּפָצוֹעַ, הָיְתָה כַּפָּרָה עַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל. כָּךְ מְפֹרָשׁ בָּאַגָּדָה.
These have no masters. You alone will die in the war, as the matter is stated below, "Do not battle the small or the great, but only with the king of Yisroel himself."7Below v. 31. Even though it was stated, "and your people instead of his people,"8Above 20:42. the drop of blood that came out of the righteous man, Michoyhu, whose friend struck him, striking and wounding him, was an atonement for all Yisroel. So it is explained in the [Midrash] Aggadah.9Talmud Yerushalmi Maseches Sanhedrin 11:5.

פסוק י״ח · Verse 18

Hebrew:

וַיֹּ֥אמֶר מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל אֶל־יְהוֹשָׁפָ֑ט הֲלוֹא֙ אָמַ֣רְתִּי אֵלֶ֔יךָ לוֹא־יִתְנַבֵּ֥א עָלַ֛י ט֖וֹב כִּ֥י אִם־רָֽע׃ {ס}        

English:

“Didn’t I tell you,” said the king of Israel to Jehoshaphat, “that he would not prophesy good fortune for me, but only misfortune?”

Achav turns to Yehoshafat with bitter vindication: didn't I tell you he never prophesies good for me, only evil? Metzudat David spells out the king's logic — he dismisses the oracle as personal spite rather than the word of Hashem. The verse captures how Achav inoculates himself against the very truth he demanded under oath.

פסוק י״ט · Verse 19

Hebrew:

וַיֹּ֕אמֶר לָכֵ֖ן שְׁמַ֣ע דְּבַר־יְהֹוָ֑ה רָאִ֤יתִי אֶת־יְהֹוָה֙ יֹשֵׁ֣ב עַל־כִּסְא֔וֹ וְכׇל־צְבָ֤א הַשׁ��ָמַ֙יִם֙ עֹמֵ֣ד עָלָ֔יו מִֽימִינ֖וֹ וּמִשְּׂמֹאלֽוֹ׃

English:

But [Micaiah] said, “I call upon you to hear the word of GOD! I saw GOD seated upon a throne, with all the host of heaven standing in attendance to the right and to the left.

Michayhu answers the charge of bias by unveiling his credentials — a vision of the heavenly court: Hashem on His throne with the host of heaven standing at His right and left. Rashi and Radak both cite Chazal's reading: there is no literal left hand above; rather, those on the right argue for acquittal and those on the left for condemnation — Achav's case is being tried in heaven. Metzudat David notes Michayhu's purpose: since you suspect me, I will show you the origin of the decree.
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
מִימִינוֹ וּמִשְּׂמֹאלוֹ. וְכִי יֵשׁ שְׂמֹאל לְמַעְלָה, וַהֲלֹא נֶאֱמַר: יְמִין ה' רוֹמֵמָה יְמִין ה' עוֹשָׂה חָיִל: יְמִינְךָ ה' נֶאְדָּרִי בַכֹּחַ יְמִינְךָ ה' תִּרְעַץ אוֹיֵב, אֶלָּא אֵלּוּ מַיְמִינִים וְאֵלּוּ מַשְׂמְאִילִים, מַיְמִינִים מְלַמְּדִים זְכוּת, מַשְׂמְאִילִים מְלַמְּדִים חוֹבָה.
To His right and to His left. Is there "left" in Heaven? Is it not stated, "The right hand of Adonoy's is exalted, the right hand of Adonoy performs deeds of valor,"10Tehillim 118:16. [and,] "Your right hand, Adonoy, is adorned with power; Your right hand, Adonoy, crushes the enemy"11Shemos 15:6.? But rather, these are on the right and these are on the left. Those on the right present the case for the defense and those on the left present the case for the prosecution.

פסוק כ׳ · Verse 20

Hebrew:

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהֹוָ֗ה מִ֤י יְפַתֶּה֙ אֶת־אַחְאָ֔ב וְיַ֕עַל וְיִפֹּ֖ל בְּרָמֹ֣ת גִּלְעָ֑ד וַיֹּ֤אמֶר זֶה֙ בְּכֹ֔ה וְזֶ֥ה אֹמֵ֖ר בְּכֹֽה׃

English:

GOD asked, ‘Who will entice Ahab so that he will march and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ Then one said thus and another said thus,

In the vision, Hashem asks: who will entice Achav to march and fall at Ramot Gilad? Metzudat David stresses that the judgment was already sealed — the question is only how to bring the condemned king to the place of his punishment — and that the whole scene is a parable framed in human terms to make the decree intelligible. Radak grapples with the theological puzzle of God sanctioning enticement, explaining that Hashem stirred the spirit of the false prophets because Achav had already incurred death.

פסוק כ״א · Verse 21

Hebrew:

וַיֵּצֵ֣א הָר֗וּחַ וַֽיַּעֲמֹד֙ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהֹוָ֔ה וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אֲנִ֣י אֲפַתֶּ֑נּוּ וַיֹּ֧אמֶר יְהֹוָ֛ה אֵלָ֖יו בַּמָּֽה׃

English:

until a certain spirit came forward and stood before GOD and said, ‘I will entice him.’ ‘How?’ GOD asked him.

A spirit (haruach) steps forward before Hashem and volunteers: 'I will entice him.' Rashi, citing Sanhedrin 89a, identifies it as the spirit of Navot the Yizraeli — the man whose judicial murder by Achav and Izevel in chapter 21 set this decree in motion; Metzudat David records the same tradition. The measure-for-measure is exact: the victim of false witnesses becomes the agent of the false prophecy that lures his murderer to justice.
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
וַיֵּצֵא הָרוּחַ. רוּחוֹ שֶׁל נָבוֹת.
And a spirit came forth. The spirit of Navos.12Maseches Sanhedrin 89a. See also Maseches Shabbos 149b.

פסוק כ״ב · Verse 22

Hebrew:

וַיֹּ֗אמֶר אֵצֵא֙ וְהָיִ֙יתִי֙ ר֣וּחַ שֶׁ֔קֶר בְּפִ֖י כׇּל־נְבִיאָ֑יו וַיֹּ֗אמֶר תְּפַתֶּה֙ וְגַם־תּוּכָ֔ל צֵ֖א וַעֲשֵׂה־כֵֽן׃

English:

And he replied, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ Then [God] said, ‘You will entice and you will prevail. Go out and do it.‘

The spirit's plan: 'I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets' — and Hashem responds, 'You will entice and you will prevail; go out and do so.' Metzudat David explains the assurance: Achav will be persuaded and march to war. The unanimous chorus of verse 6 is thus unmasked as a divinely permitted snare — yet one openly disclosed to its target.

פסוק כ״ג · Verse 23

Hebrew:

וְעַתָּ֗ה הִנֵּ֨ה נָתַ֤ן יְהֹוָה֙ ר֣וּחַ שֶׁ֔קֶר בְּפִ֖י כׇּל־נְבִיאֶ֣יךָ אֵ֑לֶּה וַֽיהֹוָ֔ה דִּבֶּ֥ר עָלֶ֖יךָ רָעָֽה׃

English:

So GOD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these prophets of yours; for GOD has decreed disaster upon you.”

Michayhu draws the conclusion for Achav with total transparency: Hashem has placed a lying spirit in the mouth of all these prophets of yours, for Hashem has decreed evil upon you. Metzudat David underlines both points — the false prophecy itself came by providence, while the true word of Hashem is the disaster Michayhu now speaks. The king walks toward Ramot Gilad with eyes fully informed; the choice to believe the lie is his own.

פסוק כ״ד · Verse 24

Hebrew:

וַיִּגַּשׁ֙ צִדְקִיָּ֣הוּ בֶֽן־כְּנַעֲנָ֔ה וַיַּכֶּ֥ה אֶת־מִיכָ֖יְהוּ עַל־הַלֶּ֑חִי וַיֹּ֕אמֶר אֵי־זֶ֨ה עָבַ֧ר רֽוּחַ־יְהֹוָ֛ה מֵאִתִּ֖י לְדַבֵּ֥ר אוֹתָֽךְ׃

English:

Thereupon Zedekiah son of Chenaanah stepped up and struck Micaiah on the cheek, and demanded, “Which way did the spirit of GOD pass from me to speak with you?”

Tzidkiyahu ben Kenaana strikes Michayhu on the cheek, sneering: which way did the spirit of Hashem pass from me to speak with you? Rashi notes the verse is elliptical — the parallel in Divrei HaYamim supplies the missing word 'derekh,' which way. The slap is the false prophet's only rebuttal: violence where argument fails.
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
אֵי זֶה עָבַר רוּחַ ה'. אֵי זֶה הַדֶּרֶךְ עָבַר, וַהֲרֵי זֶה מִקְרָא קָצָר, בְּדִבְרֵי הַיָּמִים כְּתִיב: אֵי זֶה הַדֶּרֶךְ עָבַר וְגוֹ'.
When did the spirit of Adonoy pass? [I.e.,] which way did it pass? This is an abbreviated verse.13I.e., the word דרך [=way] is missing. In Divrei Hayomim it is written, "In what way did [Adonoy's spirit] pass."14II Divrei Hayomim 18:23.

פסוק כ״ה · Verse 25

Hebrew:

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מִיכָ֔יְהוּ הִנְּךָ֥ רֹאֶ֖ה בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֑וּא אֲשֶׁ֥ר תָּבֹ֛א חֶ֥דֶר בְּחֶ֖דֶר לְהֵחָבֵֽה׃

English:

And Micaiah replied, “You’ll find out on the day when you try to hide in the innermost room.”

Michayhu answers the slap with a prophecy aimed at his assailant: you will find out on the day you flee into an inner chamber to hide. Metzudat David explains that on the day of battle Tzidkiyahu will see the truth confirmed and will hide for fear of being killed as the one who caused the disaster. The man who claimed the spirit of Hashem will end up cowering from the consequences of his counterfeit.

פסוק כ״ו · Verse 26

Hebrew:

וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל קַ֚ח אֶת־מִיכָ֔יְהוּ וַהֲשִׁיבֵ֖הוּ אֶל־אָמֹ֣ן שַׂר־הָעִ֑יר וְאֶל־יוֹאָ֖שׁ בֶּן־הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃

English:

Then the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah and turn him over to Amon, the city’s governor, and to Prince Joash,

Achav orders Michayhu seized and returned to Amon the city governor and Yoash the king's son. Both Metzudat David and Radak note the telling word 'return him' — Michayhu had apparently been imprisoned there before, a veteran of the king's displeasure. Achav answers true prophecy the only way he knows: with custody.

פסוק כ״ז · Verse 27

Hebrew:

וְאָמַרְתָּ֗ כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ שִׂ֥ימוּ אֶת־זֶ֖ה בֵּ֣ית הַכֶּ֑לֶא וְהַאֲכִלֻ֜הוּ לֶ֤חֶם לַ֙חַץ֙ וּמַ֣יִם לַ֔חַץ עַ֖ד בֹּאִ֥י בְשָׁלֽוֹם׃

English:

and say, ‘The king’s orders are: Put this fellow in prison, and let his fare be scant bread and scant water until I come home safe.’”

The king's sentence: put this fellow in prison on scant bread and scant water 'until I come home safe.' Metzudat David explains 'lechem lachatz' — rations squeezed to the bare minimum needed to keep him alive. The condition Achav attaches to the sentence is the very thing Michayhu has prophesied will never happen.

פסוק כ״ח · Verse 28

Hebrew:

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מִיכָ֔יְהוּ אִם־שׁ֤וֹב תָּשׁוּב֙ בְּשָׁל֔וֹם לֹא־דִבֶּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה בִּ֑י וַיֹּ֕אמֶר שִׁמְע֖וּ עַמִּ֥ים כֻּלָּֽם׃

English:

To which Micaiah retorted, “If you ever come home safe, GOD has not spoken through me.” He said further, “Listen, all you peoples!“bHe said further, “Listen, all you peoples!” Perhaps a notation suggesting that Micaiah was identical with Micah, whose prophecies begin, “Listen, all you peoples,” Mic. 1.2.

Michayhu stakes prophecy's entire credential on the outcome: 'If you ever return in peace, Hashem has not spoken through me' — and he calls all the peoples to witness. Radak compares this to Moshe's challenge regarding Korach: if these men die a natural death, Hashem has not sent me; Metzudat David reads 'amim' as the tribes of Israel, all summoned to hear and judge. The test of a true prophet (Devarim 18) is now formally invoked.

פסוק כ״ט · Verse 29

Hebrew:

וַיַּ֧עַל מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל וִיהוֹשָׁפָ֥ט מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָ֖ה רָמֹ֥ת גִּלְעָֽד׃

English:

So the king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah marched upon Ramoth-gilead.

פסוק ל׳ · Verse 30

Hebrew:

וַיֹּ֩אמֶר֩ מֶ֨לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל אֶל־יְהוֹשָׁפָ֗ט הִתְחַפֵּשׂ֙ וָבֹ֣א בַמִּלְחָמָ֔ה וְאַתָּ֖ה לְבַ֣שׁ בְּגָדֶ֑יךָ וַיִּתְחַפֵּשׂ֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ יִשׂ��רָאֵ֔ל וַיָּב֖וֹא בַּמִּלְחָמָֽה׃

English:

The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and gocI will disguise myself and go Infinitives used for finite verbs; so Targum and Septuagint. into the battle; but you, wear your robes.” So the king of Israel went into the battle disguised.

Achav tells Yehoshafat: I will disguise myself, but you wear your royal robes. Rashi explains the calculation — the Arameans have a score to settle with the king of Israel, not the king of Yehuda, so Achav strips his royal identity while leaving his ally conspicuously dressed. Radak adds the chapter's verdict in advance: no stratagem avails against the will of God, for the man who drew his bow 'letumo' killed him anyway.
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
וַיֹּאמֶר מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל יְהוֹשָׁפָט הִתְחַפֵּשׂ וָבֹא בַמִּלְחָמָה. לְהִתְחַפֵּשׂ וְלָבֹא, אֲנִי אֶתְחַפֵּשׂ, אֲשַׁנֶּה בִגְדֵי מַלְכוּתִי שֶׁלֹּא יַכִּירוּנִי, שֶׁאִם יַכִּירוּנִי יָסוּרוּ אֵלַי לְהִלָּחֵם. וְאַתָּה לְבַשׁ בְּגָדֶיךָ. שֶׁעָלֶיךָ, שֶׁלֹּא מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל אָתָּה, אֶלָּא מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה, וְעִמְּךָ אֵין לָהֶם תְּגָר.
The king of Yisroel said to Yehoshofot, I will disguise myself and go into battle. To disguise himself and go [into battle]. I will disguise myself, [i.e.,] I will change my royal garments, so that they will not recognize me, for if they recognize me, they will turn toward me to attack. But you wear your own [royal] garments. That you are wearing, for you are not the king of Yisroel, but the king of Yehudah, and they have no conflict with you.

פסוק ל״א · Verse 31

Hebrew:

וּמֶ֣לֶךְ אֲרָ֡ם צִוָּ֣ה אֶת־שָׂרֵי֩ הָרֶ֨כֶב אֲשֶׁר־ל֜וֹ שְׁלֹשִׁ֤ים וּשְׁנַ֙יִם֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר לֹ֚א תִּלָּ֣חֲמ֔וּ אֶת־קָטֹ֖ן וְאֶת־גָּד֑וֹל כִּ֛י אִֽם־אֶת־מֶ֥לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לְבַדּֽוֹ׃

English:

Now the king of Aram had instructed his thirty-two chariot officers: “Don’t attack anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel.”

The king of Aram orders his thirty-two chariot captains: fight no one, small or great, only the king of Israel. Radak strips the command of any mercy — Ben-Hadad reasoned that fighting the whole army would let the king slip away in the chaos, so all force should converge on Achav first, with the rest of the army to follow. Heaven's decree and Aram's strategy converge on a single target — the man hiding in a soldier's clothes.

פסוק ל״ב · Verse 32

Hebrew:

וַיְהִ֡י כִּרְאוֹת֩ שָׂרֵ֨י הָרֶ֜כֶב אֶת־יְהוֹשָׁפָ֗ט וְהֵ֤מָּה אָֽמְרוּ֙ אַ֣ךְ מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל ה֔וּא וַיָּסֻ֥רוּ עָלָ֖יו לְהִלָּחֵ֑ם וַיִּזְעַ֖ק יְהוֹשָׁפָֽט׃

English:

So when the chariot officers saw Jehoshaphat, whom they took for the king of Israel, they turned upon him to attack him, and Jehoshaphat cried out.

The trap closes on the wrong man: seeing the one figure in royal robes, the captains conclude 'surely this is the king of Israel' and wheel on Yehoshafat, who cries out. Rashi says he cried out to the Holy One, blessed be He — the reading drawn from Divrei HaYamim, where Hashem answers and diverts his attackers; Metzudat David reads it as a cry to his own men, and Radak notes the Arameans recognized his voice and realized their mistake. The righteous king is delivered at the very brink.
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
וַיִּזְעַק יְהוֹשָׁפָט. לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא.
And Yehoshofot cried out. To the Holy One Blessed Is He.

פסוק ל״ג · Verse 33

Hebrew:

וַיְהִ֗י כִּרְאוֹת֙ שָׂרֵ֣י הָרֶ֔כֶב כִּי־לֹא־מֶ֥לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל ה֑וּא וַיָּשׁ֖וּבוּ מֵאַחֲרָֽיו׃

English:

And when the chariot officers became aware that he was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.

Realizing this is not the king of Israel, the chariot captains turn back from pursuing him. Metzudat David explains how they knew: only men of Yehuda rallied to his aid, betraying that he was the southern king. Achav's disguise has worked perfectly — against everyone except providence.

פסוק ל״ד · Verse 34

Hebrew:

וְאִ֗ישׁ מָשַׁ֤ךְ בַּקֶּ֙שֶׁת֙ לְתֻמּ֔וֹ וַיַּכֶּה֙ אֶת־מֶ֣לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בֵּ֥ין הַדְּבָקִ֖ים וּבֵ֣ין הַשִּׁרְיָ֑ן וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לְרַכָּב֗וֹ הֲפֹ֥ךְ יָדְךָ֛ וְהוֹצִיאֵ֥נִי מִן־הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֖ה כִּ֥י הׇחֳלֵֽיתִי׃

English:

Then another man drew his bow at random and he hit the king of Israel between the plates ofdthe plates of Meaning of Heb. uncertain. the armor; and he said to his charioteer, “Turn the horsesethe horses Lit. “your hand,” because horses are guided by a pull on the appropriate rein; cf. 2 Kings 9.23. around and get me behind the lines;fbehind the lines Lit. “outside the camp.” I’m wounded.”

A man draws his bow 'letumo' — in innocence, aiming at no one in particular — and the arrow finds the seam between the plates of Achav's armor. Rashi identifies the archer as Naaman the Aramean and details how the arrow slipped between the overlapping scales; Radak records the derash that 'letumo' hints that two visions 'were completed' (tamu) — Eliyahu's and Michayhu's — with this shot. The random arrow is the chapter's verdict on the disguise: no one aimed at Achav, yet the decree did.
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
וְאִישׁ מָשַׁךְ. זֶה נַעֲמָן. לְתֻמּוֹ. לֹא יָדַע שֶׁהוּא מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל. בֵּין הַדְּבָקִים וּבֵין הַשִּׁרְיָן. יֵשׁ שִׁרְיוֹנוֹת שֶׁהֵם עֲשׂוּיִין קְלִפִּים קְלִפִּים, כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְשִׁרְיוֹן קַשְׂקַשִּׂים, וְהַקְּלִפִּים נוֹפְלִים עַל נִקְבֵי הַשִּׁרְיוֹן וְסוֹתְמִין אוֹתָן, וְהֵם קְרוּיִין דְּבָקִים.
A man drew. This was Naaman.15Who would later be cured from leprosy by Elisha. See II Melochim 5:1-15. Innocently [without aiming]. He was not aware that he was the king of Yisroel.16Alternatively, לתמו means "to complete it," i.e., the prophecies of Michoyhu and Eliyahu were completed with the death of Achov. See Maseches Sanhedrin 39b. Between the plates of armor. Some coats of mail are made of layers of scales, in the manner it is stated, "and a coat of mail,"17I Shmuel 17:5. and the scales fall on the holes of the coat and close them, and they are called "דבקים" [=attached].

פסוק ל״ה · Verse 35

Hebrew:

וַתַּעֲלֶ֤ה הַמִּלְחָמָ��֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא וְהַמֶּ֗לֶךְ הָיָ֧ה מׇעֳמָ֛ד בַּמֶּרְכָּבָ֖ה נֹ֣כַח אֲרָ֑ם וַיָּ֣מׇת בָּעֶ֔רֶב וַיִּ֥צֶק דַּֽם־הַמַּכָּ֖ה אֶל־חֵ֥יק הָרָֽכֶב׃

English:

The battle raged all day long,graged all day long Meaning of Heb. uncertain. and the king remained propped up in the chariot facing Aram; the blood from the wound ran down into the hollow of the chariot, and at dusk he died.

Wounded, Achav has himself propped upright in his chariot facing Aram all day, his blood pooling in the chariot's hollow, until he dies at evening. Rashi explains the final act: he forced himself to stand so Israel would not see his wound and flee, 'for flight is the beginning of defeat' — Metzudat David and Radak likewise see him holding the line so his army's heart would not melt. Even the commentators grant Israel's worst king a death of grim royal courage.
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
מַעֳמָד בַּמֶּרְכָּבָה. מִתְחַזֵּק וְעוֹמֵד, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יַכִּירוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּמַכָּתוֹ וְיִבְרְחוּ, וּתְחִלַּת נְפִילָה נִיסָה.
Stood up in the chariot. He exerted himself and stood so that the [Bnei] Yisroel would not become aware of his wound and flee, for flight is the beginning of defeat.

פסוק ל״ו · Verse 36

Hebrew:

וַיַּעֲבֹ֤ר הָֽרִנָּה֙ בַּֽמַּחֲנֶ֔ה כְּבֹ֥א הַשֶּׁ֖מֶשׁ לֵאמֹ֑ר אִ֥ישׁ אֶל־עִיר֖וֹ וְאִ֥ישׁ אֶל־אַרְצֽוֹ׃

English:

As the sun was going down, a shout went through the army: “Every man to his own town! Every man to his own district.”

At sunset the cry goes through the camp: every man to his city, every man to his land. Metzudat David explains — the king is dead, so the war is over; Radak adds the derash hearing in 'harina' an echo of 'when the wicked perish there is song,' and notes that the army's quiet dispersal fulfills Michayhu's vision of the flock returning home in peace. The shepherdless sheep go home, exactly as the prophet saw.

פסוק ל״ז · Verse 37

Hebrew:

וַיָּ֣מׇת הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וַיָּב֖וֹא שֹׁמְר֑וֹן וַיִּקְבְּר֥וּ אֶת־הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ בְּשֹׁמְרֽוֹן׃

English:

So the king died and was broughthand was brought Lit. “he came.” to Samaria. They buried the king in Samaria,

פסוק ל״ח · Verse 38

Hebrew:

וַיִּשְׁטֹ֨ף אֶת־הָרֶ֜כֶב עַ֣ל ׀ בְּרֵכַ֣ת שֹׁמְר֗וֹן וַיָּלֹ֤קּוּ הַכְּלָבִים֙ אֶת־דָּמ֔וֹ וְהַזֹּנ֖וֹת רָחָ֑צוּ כִּדְבַ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבֵּֽר׃

English:

and they flushed out the chariot at the pool of Samaria. Thus the dogs lapped up his blood and the whores bathed [in it], in accordance with the word that GOD had spoken.ithe word that GOD had spoken Cf. 21.19.

When the chariot is rinsed at the pool of Shomron, the dogs lick Achav's blood — 'according to the word of Hashem' spoken by Eliyahu at Navot's vineyard (21:19). Rashi and Radak both wrestle with the geography, since Navot died in Yizreel; Radak suggests the pool's waters ran toward Yizreel, carrying the blood to the very place of the crime, and cites Chazal's readings of 'the zonot' — from Izevel's images in the chariot to a play on 'chezyonot,' the two visions of Eliyahu and Michayhu now fulfilled. The measure-for-measure that began in chapter 21 closes here to the letter.
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
וַיָּלֹקּוּ הַכְּלָבִים אֶת דָּמוֹ. וְאוֹמֵר אֲנִי, שֶׁשָּׁם נֶהֱרַג נָבוֹת, שֶׁהֲרֵי אָמַר הַנָּבִיא בַּמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר לָקְקוּ הַכְּלָבִים אֶת דַּם נָבוֹת וְגוֹ'. וְהַזֹּנוֹת רָחָצוּ. וּכְלֵי הַזַּיִן רָחֲצּוּ שָׁם מִן הַדָּם, כָּךְ תִּרְגֵּם יוֹנָתָן. וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ אָמְרוּ אַחְאָב מְצֻנָּן הָיָה, וְעָשְׂתָה לּוֹ אִיזֶבֶל דְּמוּת שְׁתֵּי זוֹנוֹת בְּמֶרְכַּבְתּוֹ.
And the dogs licked his blood. I say that Novos was killed there, for the prophet said, "In the place where the dogs licked the blood of Navos, etc."18Above 21:19.19But how is this possible, Navos was killed in Yizreel while Achov was killed in Shomron? Radak suggests that Yizreel was near Shomron and the water of the pool in Shomron flowed to Yizreel where dogs licked Achov's blood which was mixed in the water. And they washed the weapons [there]. And they washed off blood from the weapons there, [Targum] Yonoson rendered it in this manner. But our Rabbis said, "Achov was a cold person, so Ezevel made for him the image of two prostitutes in his chariot.20Maseches Sanhedrin 39b and Rashi there. 21Alternatively, "the prostitutes bathed there," in the pool of Shomron, which was now mixed with Achov's blood.—Metzudas Dovid

פסוק ל״ט · Verse 39

Hebrew:

וְיֶ֩תֶר֩ דִּבְרֵ֨י אַחְאָ֜ב וְכׇל־אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֗ה וּבֵ֤ית הַשֵּׁן֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בָּנָ֔ה וְכׇל־הֶעָרִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר בָּנָ֑ה הֲלוֹא־הֵ֣ם כְּתוּבִ֗ים עַל־סֵ֛פֶר דִּבְרֵ֥י הַיָּמִ֖ים לְמַלְכֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

English:

The other events of Ahab’s reign, and all his actions—the ivory palace that he built and all the towns that he fortified—are all recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Israel.

The standard closing formula for a reign: the rest of Achav's deeds — including the ivory palace he built and the cities he fortified — are recorded in the annals of the kings of Israel. Rashi glosses 'beit hashen' as a house of elephant tooth, ivory; Radak compares Amos's prophecy that 'the houses of ivory shall perish.' The wealth and building projects that defined Achav's outward success are reduced to a footnote after the manner of his death.
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
וּבֵית הַשֵּׁן. שֵׁן דְּפִיל.
The ivory palace. [Made of] elephant tooth [i.e., ivory].

פסוק מ׳ · Verse 40

Hebrew:

וַיִּשְׁכַּ֥ב אַחְאָ֖ב עִם־אֲבֹתָ֑יו וַיִּמְלֹ֛ךְ אֲחַזְיָ֥הוּ בְנ֖וֹ תַּחְתָּֽיו׃ {פ}

English:

Ahab rested with his ancestors, and his son Ahaziah succeeded him as king.

פסוק מ״א · Verse 41

Hebrew:

וִיהֽוֹשָׁפָט֙ בֶּן־אָסָ֔א מָלַ֖ךְ עַל־יְהוּדָ֑ה בִּשְׁנַ֣ת אַרְבַּ֔ע לְאַחְאָ֖ב מֶ֥לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

English:

Jehoshaphat son of Asa had become king of Judah in the fourth year of King Ahab of Israel.

The narrative pivots south: Yehoshafat ben Asa became king over Yehuda in the fourth year of Achav. Metzudat David works through the synchronism — the fourth year had already passed, since Achav rose in Asa's thirty-eighth year and Asa died in his forty-first. This formal reign summary will weigh Yehoshafat very differently from the king just buried.

פסוק מ״ב · Verse 42

Hebrew:

יְהוֹשָׁפָ֗ט בֶּן־שְׁלֹשִׁ֨ים וְחָמֵ֤שׁ שָׁנָה֙ בְּמׇלְכ֔וֹ וְעֶשְׂרִ֤ים וְחָמֵשׁ֙ שָׁנָ֔ה מָלַ֖ךְ בִּירוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם וְשֵׁ֣ם אִמּ֔וֹ עֲזוּבָ֖ה בַּת־שִׁלְחִֽי׃

English:

Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for twenty-five years. His mother’s name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi.

Yehoshafat took the throne at thirty-five and reigned twenty-five years in Yerushalayim; his mother was Azuva bat Shilchi. Metzudat David notes that the twenty-five years were partial, not complete — the kind of rounding that explains the apparent contradictions in the synchronized chronologies of the two kingdoms. The long reign itself testifies to the stability his righteousness brought Yehuda.

פסוק מ״ג · Verse 43

Hebrew:

וַיֵּ֗לֶךְ בְּכׇל־דֶּ֛רֶךְ אָסָ֥א אָבִ֖יו לֹא־סָ֣ר מִמֶּ֑נּוּ לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת הַיָּשָׁ֖ר בְּעֵינֵ֥י יְהֹוָֽה׃

English:

He followed closely the course of his father Asa and did not deviate from it, doing what was pleasing to GOD.

פסוק מ״ד · Verse 44

Hebrew:

אַ֥ךְ הַבָּמ֖וֹת לֹא־סָ֑רוּ ע֥וֹד הָעָ֛ם מְזַבְּחִ֥ים וּֽמְקַטְּרִ֖ים בַּבָּמֽוֹת׃

English:

However, the shrines did not cease to function; the people still sacrificed and offered at the shrines.

The one qualification on Yehoshafat's righteousness: the bamot did not cease, and the people still sacrificed and burned offerings at them. Metzudat David specifies that these were private altars to Hashem Himself — permitted before the Temple but forbidden once it was built. Even a righteous king could not uproot the people's entrenched habit of decentralized worship, a refrain that recurs for nearly every good king of Yehuda.

פסוק מ״ה · Verse 45

Hebrew:

וַיַּשְׁלֵ֥ם יְהוֹשָׁפָ֖ט עִם־מֶ֥לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

English:

And further, Jehoshaphat submitted to the king of Israel.

Yehoshafat made peace with the king of Israel. Rashi explains why Scripture bothers to say so: his father Asa had been at war with Basha king of Israel, so the reconciliation was news. Radak hears a critique in the verse's placement right after the bamot — this too was a fault, for the prophet would rebuke him (II Chronicles 19:2), 'Should you help the wicked and love those who hate Hashem?' The alliance that opened this chapter is thus the shadow on an otherwise bright reign.
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
וַיַּשְׁלֵם יְהוֹשָׁפָט עִם מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל. לְפִי שֶׁמִּלְחָמָה הָיְתָה בֵּין אָסָא אָבִיו וּבֵין בַּעְשָׁא מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל, הֻזְקַק לוֹמַר כֵּן.
Yehoshofot made peace with the king of Yisroel. Since there was war between Asa his father and Basha the king of Yisroel, it was necessary to say this.

פסוק מ״ו · Verse 46

Hebrew:

וְיֶ֨תֶר דִּבְרֵ֧י יְהוֹשָׁפָ֛ט וּגְבוּרָת֥וֹ אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֖ה וַאֲשֶׁ֣ר נִלְחָ֑ם הֲלֹא־הֵ֣ם כְּתוּבִ֗ים עַל־סֵ֛פֶר דִּבְרֵ֥י הַיָּמִ֖ים לְמַלְכֵ֥י יְהוּדָֽה׃

English:

As for the other events of Jehoshaphat’s reign and the valor he displayed in battle, they are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Judah.

פסוק מ״ז · Verse 47

Hebrew:

וְיֶ֙תֶר֙ הַקָּדֵ֔שׁ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נִשְׁאַ֔ר בִּימֵ֖י אָסָ֣א אָבִ֑יו בִּעֵ֖ר מִן־הָאָֽרֶץ׃

English:

(He also stamped out the remaining consecrated workersjconsecrated workers Or “retainers”; meaning of Heb. qadesh uncertain. who had survived in the land from the time of his father Asa.)

Yehoshafat purged from the land the remnant of the kadesh — cult prostitution — that had survived from his father Asa's days. Rashi describes them as those who practiced immorality publicly; Radak cites Targum Yonatan's rendering as a general term covering both male and female cult prostitutes. Finishing what Asa began, Yehoshafat completes a purification project spanning two righteous generations.
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
וְיֶתֶר הַקָּדֵשׁ. נוֹהֲגִין נִאוּף בְּפַרְהֶסְיָא.
The remainder of the prostitution. Who acted lasciviously in public.

פסוק מ״ח · Verse 48

Hebrew:

וּמֶ֥לֶךְ אֵ֛ין בֶּאֱד֖וֹם נִצָּ֥ב מֶֽלֶךְ׃

English:

There was no king in Edom; a viceroy acted as king.

A parenthetical note: there was no king in Edom; a viceroy (nitzav) ruled as king. Rashi explains why this matters here — Edom had been subject to Yehuda since David, governed by appointed deputies, and it would only break free and crown its own king under Yehoshafat's sinful son Yehoram; Metzudat David and Radak make the same point. The verse quietly credits Yehoshafat's righteousness with holding the empire David built.
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
וּמֶלֶךְ אֵין בֶּאֱדוֹם. בִּימֵי דָוִד, הַנָּצִיב הוּא הַמֶּלֶךְ, וְכָאן נִכְתַּב, לְפִי שֶׁבִּימֵי יְהוֹרָם בְּנוֹ שֶׁקִּלְקֵל, בְּיָמָיו פָּשַׁע אֱדוֹם וַיַּמְלִיכוּ לָהֶם מֶלֶךְ, אֲבָל בִּימֵי יְהוֹשָׁפָט עֲדַיִן הָיוּ כְּפוּפִין לוֹ.
There was no king in Edom. [Beginning with] the time of Dovid, the governor22I.e., the governor that was appointed by the king of Yehudah.—Radak was the king. This was written here because in the days of Yehorom his son who sinned, in his days Edom rebelled and crowned a king for themselves, but in the time of Yehoshofot they were still subordinate to him.

פסוק מ״ט · Verse 49

Hebrew:

יְהוֹשָׁפָ֡ט (עשר) [עָשָׂה֩] אֳנִיּ֨וֹת תַּרְשִׁ֜ישׁ לָלֶ֧כֶת אֹפִ֛ירָה לַזָּהָ֖ב וְלֹ֣א הָלָ֑ךְ כִּֽי־[נִשְׁבְּר֥וּ] (נשברה) אֳנִיּ֖וֹת בְּעֶצְי֥וֹן גָּֽבֶר׃

English:

Jehoshaphatka viceroy acted as king. Jehoshaphat Emendation yields “the viceroy of King Jehoshaphat.” constructed Tarshish shipslTarshish ships See note at 10.22. to sail to Ophir for gold. But he did not sail because the ships were wrecked at Ezion-geber.

Yehoshafat built Tarshish-style ships to sail to Ofir for gold, but they were wrecked at Etzyon Gever before ever sailing. Rashi supplies the cause from Divrei HaYamim: because he had partnered with the wicked Achazyahu, the prophet told him, 'Hashem has wrecked your works' (II Chronicles 20:37). Radak notes the ketiv 'eser' — ten ships — and that each broke apart separately; even a righteous king's ventures founder when yoked to the house of Achav.
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
כִּי נִשְׁבְּרוּ אֳנִיּוֹת. לְפִי שֶׁנִּתְחַבֵּר עִם אֲחַזְיָהוּ בָּזֹאת, לְכָךְ נִשְׁבְּרוּ. וְכֵן אָמַר לוֹ הַנָּבִיא בְּדִבְרֵי הַיָּמִים: בְּהִתְחַבֶּרְךָ עִם אֲחַזְיָהוּ פָּרַץ ה' אֶת מַעֲשֶׂיךָ.
For they [the ships] were broken. Since he joined Achazyahu in this [undertaking], therefore, they were broken. And so did the prophet say to him in Divrei Hayomim, "Because you have allied yourself with a Achazyahu, Adonoy has wrecked your undertakings."23II Divrei Hayomim 20:37.

פסוק נ׳ · Verse 50

Hebrew:

אָ֠ז אָמַ֞ר אֲחַזְיָ֤הוּ בֶן־אַחְאָב֙ אֶל־יְה֣וֹשָׁפָ֔ט יֵלְכ֧וּ עֲבָדַ֛י עִם־עֲבָדֶ֖יךָ בׇּאֳנִיּ֑וֹת וְלֹ֥א אָבָ֖ה יְהוֹשָׁפָֽט׃

English:

Then Ahaziah son of Ahab proposed to Jehoshaphat, “Let my servants sail on the ships with your servants”; but Jehoshaphat would not agree.

Achazyahu ben Achav proposes a second joint venture — 'let my servants sail with yours' — and this time Yehoshafat refuses. Metzudat David explains the refusal: the first fleet, sent in partnership with Achazyahu, was wrecked, and the prophet had rebuked him for the alliance, so he would not repeat the mistake. The lesson of the broken ships, unlike the lesson of Ramot Gilad, was learned.

פסוק נ״א · Verse 51

Hebrew:

וַיִּשְׁכַּ֤ב יְהוֹשָׁפָט֙ עִם־אֲבֹתָ֔יו וַיִּקָּבֵר֙ עִם־אֲבֹתָ֔יו בְּעִ֖יר דָּוִ֣ד אָבִ֑יו וַיִּמְלֹ֛ךְ יְהוֹרָ֥ם בְּנ֖וֹ תַּחְתָּֽיו׃ {ס}        

English:

Jehoshaphat rested with his ancestors and was buried with his ancestors in the city of his forefather David, and his son Jehoram succeeded him as king.

Yehoshafat rests with his ancestors and is buried in the city of David his father, and his son Yehoram succeeds him. Radak notes the pointed word 'his father' — Scripture calls David his father because Yehoshafat walked in his ways. It is a burial notice that doubles as a final verdict of righteousness.

פסוק נ״ב · Verse 52

Hebrew:

אֲחַזְיָ֣הוּ בֶן־אַחְאָ֗ב מָלַ֤ךְ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ בְּשֹׁ֣מְר֔וֹן בִּשְׁנַת֙ שְׁבַ֣ע עֶשְׂרֵ֔ה לִיהוֹשָׁפָ֖ט מֶ֣לֶךְ יְהוּדָ֑ה וַיִּמְלֹ֥ךְ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל שְׁנָתָֽיִם׃

English:

[Meanwhile,] Ahaziah son of Ahab had become king of Israel, in Samaria, in the seventeenth year of King Jehoshaphat of Judah; he reigned over Israel two years.

The book's final reign begins: Achazyahu ben Achav becomes king over Israel in Shomron in Yehoshafat's seventeenth year, reigning two years. Rashi works through the apparent chronological contradiction with Achav's twenty-two years, concluding that Scripture rounds partial years in counting the kings of Israel; Metzudat David and Radak agree the two years were incomplete. The brevity of the reign is itself the message — the house of Achav is running out of time.
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
בִּשְׁנַת שְׁבַע עֶשְׂרֵה לִיהוֹשָׁפָט. יֵשׁ מַתְמִיהִים עַל הַמִּקְרָא הַזֶּה, לְפִי שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בְּאַחְאָב שֶׁמָּלַךְ עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁתַּיִם, וּבִיהוֹשָׁפָט נֶאֱמַר שֶׁעָמַד בִּשְׁנַת אַרְבַּע לְאַחְאָב, נִמְצָא שֶׁכָּלוּ יְמֵי אַחְאָב בִּשְׁנַת תְּשַׁע עֶשְׂרֵה לִיהוֹשָׁפָט, וְכָאן הוּא אוֹמֵר שֶׁמָּלַךְ אֲחַזְיָה בִּשְׁנַת שְׁבַע עֶשְׂרֵה לִיהוֹשָׁפָט. אַךְ בָּדַקְתִּי וּמָצָאתִי בְּדִבְרֵי הַיָּמִים לְמַלְכֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְדַקְדֵּק בְּמִנְיַן שְׁנוֹתֵיהֶם, וְאִם עָמַד בְּסוֹף שָׁנָה, מוֹנֶה אוֹתָהּ לוֹ בִּתְחִלָּתוֹ, וְאֵינוֹ מוֹנֶה אוֹתָהּ לוֹ בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר, לְכָךְ אֲנִי אוֹמֵר, בִּשְׁנַת אַרְבַּע לְאַחְאָב שֶׁאָמַר בַּעֲמִידָתוֹ שֶׁל יְהוֹשָׁפָט, לֹא נִמְנֵית עִמּוֹ שָׁנָה רִאשׁוֹנָה שֶׁל אַחְאָב, וְכֵן אַתָּה מוֹצֵא בְּרֻבָּם, וְגַם שָׁנָה שֶׁעָמַד יְהוֹשָׁפָט, לֹא נִמְנֵית בִּשְׁנַת שְׁבַע עֶשְׂרֵה הַלָּלוּ.
In the seventeenth year of Yehoshofot. Some wonder about this verse, because it is stated concerning Achov that he reigned twenty-two [years],24Above 16:29. and concerning Yehoshofot it is stated, that he became king "in the fourth year of Achov,"25Above v. 41. thus resulting that Achov's [rule] ended in the nineteenth year of Yehoshofot['s rule], but here it states that Achazyahu became king in the seventeenth year of Yehoshofot['s rule]. However, I searched and found in Divrei Hayomim concerning the kings of Yisroel, that [Scripture] is not exact in the number of their years, and if one became king at the end of a year, he counts it at the beginning, but he does not count it elsewhere. Therefore I say that, "in the fourth year of Achov," that is mentioned in reference to when Yehoshofot became king, does not count with it Achov's first year [of kingship]. And so you find in the majority [of cases]. Also, the year in which Yehoshofot became king is not included in these seventeen years.

פסוק נ״ג · Verse 53

Hebrew:

וַיַּ֥עַשׂ הָרַ֖ע בְּעֵינֵ֣י יְהֹוָ֑ה וַיֵּ֗לֶךְ בְּדֶ֤רֶךְ אָבִיו֙ וּבְדֶ֣רֶךְ אִמּ֔וֹ וּבְדֶ֙רֶךְ֙ יָרׇבְעָ֣ם בֶּן־נְבָ֔ט אֲשֶׁ֥ר הֶחֱטִ֖יא אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

English:

He did what was displeasing to GOD, following in the footsteps of his father and his mother, and in those of Jeroboam son of Nebat who had caused Israel to sin.

פסוק נ״ד · Verse 54

Hebrew:

וַֽיַּעֲבֹד֙ אֶת־הַבַּ֔עַל וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֖ה ל֑וֹ וַיַּכְעֵ֗ס אֶת־יְהֹוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל כְּכֹ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֖ה אָבִֽיו׃

English:

He worshiped Baal and bowed down to him; he provoked the anger of the ETERNAL, the God of Israel, just as his father had done.

← I Kings 21 | II Kings 1 →

Back to I Kings | Back to Nach Yomi

Last updated on
Chapter 21I Kings · מלכים א׳