2 Chronicles 18:21

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.’

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — A spirit addresses the LORD, responding to the divine inquiry about how to influence King Ahab. The LORD grants permission for the deception and issues a direct command to proceed.

The words — The Hebrew phrase לְר֣וּחַ שֶׁ֔קֶר (le./Ru.ach She.ker) literally renders "a spirit of falsehood." This term directly identifies the deceptive nature of the prophecy the spirit will deliver.

The thread — This narrative runs parallel to 1 Kings 22:21, where the identical spirit makes the same proposal before the LORD. The pattern of spiritual deception is later referenced in John 8:44 and prefigured in the serpent’s denial in Genesis 3:4.

Why it lands — The text states that the LORD sovereignly authorizes a lying spirit to speak through prophets, establishing that prophetic claims require verification. Readers must examine spiritual messages against established truth rather than accepting authority based on title alone.

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

וַיֹּ֗אמֶרva/i.Yo.merand/ it said אֵצֵא֙'e.Tze'I will go out וְהָיִ֙יתִי֙ve./ha.Yi.tiand/ I will become לְר֣וּחַle./Ru.ach<into>/ a spirit of שֶׁ֔קֶרShe.kerfalsehood בְּפִ֖יbe./Fiin/ [the] mouth of כָּל־kol-all נְבִיאָ֑יוne.vi.'A/vprophets/ his וַיֹּ֗אמֶרva/i.Yo.merand/ he said תְּפַתֶּה֙te.fa.Tehyou will deceive וְגַם־ve./gam-and/ also תּוּכָ֔לtu.Khalyou will prevail צֵ֖אtze'go out וַעֲשֵׂה־va./'a.seh-and/ do כֵֽן׃Khenthus

King James Version

And he said, I will go out, and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And the Lord said, Thou shalt entice him, and thou shalt also prevail: go out, and do even so.

Cross-references

John 8:44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out his desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, refusing to uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, because he is a liar and the father of lies.
1 Kings 22:21 Then a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will entice him.’ ‘By what means?’ asked the LORD.
Genesis 3:4 “You will not surely die,” the serpent told the woman.
Judges 9:23 God sent a spirit of animosity between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem and caused them to treat Abimelech deceitfully,
2 Chronicles 18:19 And the LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel to march up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one suggested this, and another that.
2 Chronicles 18:22 So you see, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of these prophets of yours, and the LORD has pronounced disaster against you.”
Job 1:12 “Very well,” said the LORD to Satan. “Everything he has is in your hands, but you must not lay a hand on the man himself.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.
Job 2:6 “Very well,” said the LORD to Satan. “He is in your hands, but you must spare his life.”
Psalms 109:17 The cursing that he loved, may it fall on him; the blessing in which he refused to delight, may it be far from him.
1 John 4:6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. That is how we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception.