Bible Strands
1 Kings 22:6
So the king of Israel assembled the prophets, about four hundred men, and asked them, “Should I go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should I refrain?” “Go up,” they replied, “and the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the king.”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The king of Israel gathers roughly four hundred prophets and asks whether he should march against Ramoth-gilead or hold back. This exchange follows Jehoshaphat’s instruction to first seek the Lord’s word.
The words — The Hebrew verb וַיִּקְבֹּץ (va-yikkōḇēṣ) means “he gathered,” describing the king’s action of assembling the group. The phrase כְּאַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת אִישׁ (kə-’arbā‘ mē’ôt ’îš) literally translates to “about four hundred men.”
The thread — The assembly of a large prophetic cohort parallels the summoning of the 450 prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel in 1 Kings 18:19. Warnings about deceptive prophecy later appear in Jeremiah 23:14 and Ezekiel 13:7.
Why it lands — The text records the king’s question and the prophets’ unanimous reply without validating their counsel. A reader must compare this majority voice with the immediate demand for a single prophet who speaks the Lord’s actual word.
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
Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramoth–gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king.
Cross-references
- 1 Kings 18:19 Now summon all Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel, along with the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah who eat at Jezebel’s table.”
- Jeremiah 23:14 And among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: They commit adultery and walk in lies. They strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns his back on wickedness. They are all like Sodom to Me; the people of Jerusalem are like Gomorrah.”
- Ezekiel 13:7 Haven’t you seen a false vision and spoken a lying divination when you proclaim, ‘Thus declares the LORD,’ even though I have not spoken?
- Ezekiel 13:22 Because you have disheartened the righteous with your lies, even though I have caused them no grief, and because you have encouraged the wicked not to turn from their evil ways to save their lives,
- 1 Kings 22:15 When Micaiah arrived, the king asked him, “Micaiah, should we go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should we refrain?” “Go up and triumph,” Micaiah replied, “for the LORD will deliver it into the hand of the king.”
- 1 Kings 22:22 And he replied, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ ‘You will surely entice him and prevail,’ said the LORD. ‘Go and do it.’
- 2 Chronicles 18:14 When Micaiah arrived, the king asked him, “Micaiah, should we go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should we refrain?” “Go up and triumph,” Micaiah replied, “for they will be delivered into your hand.”
- Jeremiah 5:31 The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority. My people love it so, but what will you do in the end?
- Jeremiah 8:10 Therefore I will give their wives to other men and their fields to new owners. For from the least of them to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; from prophet to priest, all practice deceit.
- Jeremiah 14:13 “Ah, Lord GOD!” I replied, “Look, the prophets are telling them, ‘You will not see the sword or suffer famine, but I will give you lasting peace in this place.’”