Bible Strands
1 Kings 22:16
But the king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear not to tell me anything but the truth in the name of the LORD?”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — King Ahab addresses the prophet Micaiah after Micaiah’s initial compliant response, demanding absolute honesty before the battle at Ramoth-gilead. The king speaks in frustration over repeated prophetic consultations.
The words — The Hebrew phrase מַשְׁבִּיעֶךָ (mash.bi.'E./kha) translates literally to "make swear you," capturing the king’s insistence on a binding oath. It follows עַד־כַּמָּה פְעָמִים ('ad-kam.mah pe.'a.Mim), meaning "until how many times," which marks the king’s exasperation.
The thread — This demand for sworn truth appears in parallel form at 2 Chronicles 18:15. The motif of binding oaths in prophetic encounters also echoes Joshua 6:26 and 1 Samuel 14:24.
Why it lands — The text records a ruler forcing a prophet to abandon diplomatic speech and speak only under oath. It requires the reader to confront the tension between political convenience and uncompromised divine testimony.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And the king said unto him, How many times shall I adjure thee that thou tell me nothing but that which is true in the name of the Lord?
Cross-references
- Joshua 6:26 At that time Joshua invoked this solemn oath: “Cursed before the LORD is the man who rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho; at the cost of his firstborn he will lay its foundations; at the cost of his youngest he will set up its gates.”
- 1 Samuel 14:24 Now the men of Israel were in distress that day, for Saul had placed the troops under an oath, saying, “Cursed is the man who eats any food before evening, before I have taken vengeance on my enemies.” So none of the troops tasted any food.
- 2 Chronicles 18:15 But the king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear not to tell me anything but the truth in the name of the LORD?”
- Jeremiah 42:3 Pray that the LORD your God will tell us the way we should walk and the thing we should do.”
- Matthew 22:16 They sent their disciples to Him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that You are honest and that You teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You seek favor from no one, because You pay no attention to external appearance.
- Matthew 26:63 But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to Him, “I charge You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God.”
- Mark 5:7 And he shouted in a loud voice, “What do You want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You before God not to torture me!”
- Acts 19:13 Now there were some itinerant Jewish exorcists who tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those with evil spirits. They would say, “I command you by Jesus, whom Paul proclaims.”