TWO KINGDOMS

Zedekiah son of Chenaanah. He made horns of iron, promised victory over Syria and struck Micaiah on the cheek.

SCRIPTURE SAYS

One of Ahab's four hundred prophets, of whom Micaiah said “the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets” (1 Kings 22:23)

ERA

Two kingdoms 930–586 BC

IN THE DAYS OF

Ahab · Jehoshaphat

BOOK

None bears the name

HOW HE SPOKE

He spoke with “Thus saith the LORD” and acted it out with a sign, the horns of iron.

THE CALL

How he spoke

  • He spoke with “Thus saith the LORD” and acted it out with a sign, the horns of iron. 1 Kings 22:11
  • He claimed the Spirit: “Which way went the Spirit of the LORD from me to speak unto thee?” 1 Kings 22:24
  • From the textKings and Chronicles side by side: Kings has “With these shalt thou push the Syrians, until thou have consumed them” and “smote Micaiah on the cheek”; Chronicles has “With these thou shalt push Syria until they be consumed” and “smote Micaiah upon the cheek”. His question about the Spirit is the same in both. 1 Kings 22:11 1 Kings 22:24 2 Chronicles 18:10 2 Chronicles 18:23

BEFORE THE KINGS

Before two kings

KING OF ISRAEL

Ahab

“Thus saith the LORD, With these shalt thou push the Syrians, until thou have consumed them.”

1 Kings 22:11 (KJV) →

KING OF JUDAH

Jehoshaphat

THE WORD GIVEN

What he prophesied

Victory over Syria

“Go up to Ramoth-gilead, and prosper: for the LORD shall deliver it into the king’s hand.”

1 Kings 22:12 (KJV) →

THE WORD TO …

To whom the word was spoken

TO AHAB

“With these shalt thou push the Syrians, until thou have consumed them.”

1 Kings 22:11 (KJV) →

TO MICAIAH

“Which way went the Spirit of the LORD from me to speak unto thee?”

1 Kings 22:24 (KJV) →

SIGNS

The word acted out

SIGN-ACT

Horns of iron

COMPANIONS AND OPPONENTS

Who stood with him, and against him

Chenaanah

His father

The four hundred prophets

Micaiah son of Imlah

Opponent

HOW THE STORY ENDS

Scripture says, tradition says

SCRIPTURE SAYS

  • Micaiah answered him: “thou shalt see in that day, when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide thyself.” 1 Kings 22:25
  • The king went up to Ramoth-gilead, was struck by an arrow and died at even. 1 Kings 22:29–37
  • From the textScripture does not mention Zedekiah again, and does not say whether he hid in an inner chamber. 1 Kings 22:25–40

TRADITION SAYS

No tradition is recorded here.

OPEN QUESTIONS

Where readers have differed

Prophets of the LORD under the calf worship

C. F. Keil (tr. 1872), p. 274

Keil calls them prophets of the LORD “worshipped under the image of an ox”, who “practised prophesying as a trade without any call from God”. 1 Kings 22:6–7 [1]

True prophets of the LORD

J. Le Clerc and O. Thenius (as reported, and rejected, by Keil, p. 274)

Keil reports that these took them to be “true prophets of Jehovah and disciples of the prophets”. 1 Kings 22:6 [1]

Prophets of Baal or of the groves

“Some of the earlier commentators” (as reported, and rejected, by Keil, p. 274)

Keil reports that some identified them with the prophets of Baal or the four hundred prophets of the groves of 1 Kings 18:19, and answers that Ahab could not have enquired of the LORD through them. 1 Kings 18:19 1 Kings 22:5–6 [1]

IN SCRIPTURE

Every passage

CHAPTERS · 2

1 Kings 22 2 Chronicles 18

PASSAGES · 2

1 Kings 22:5–28 2 Chronicles 18:4–27

WHAT SCRIPTURE DOES NOT SAY

  • Scripture does not say who sent Zedekiah or whom he served besides the king, and gives no other word of his.
  • Neither Kings nor Chronicles says what happened to Zedekiah after the scene at the gate.
  • The text does not call him a “false prophet”; it reports Micaiah's word about a lying spirit in the mouth of all the king's prophets.

SOURCES

Where this page comes from

  • C. F. Keil, tr. J. Martin, Biblical Commentary on the Books of the Kings (Keil and Delitzsch) (1872), pp. 234–235 (Tishbe), 240–241 (the third year), 260–261 (Horeb; Elisha's call), 272–281 (Naboth; 1 Kings 22), 292–293 (the double portion), 299–300 (Bethel), 334–335 (2 Kings 8:10), 343 (2 Kings 9:25–26); read in the archive.org scan text.
  • C. F. Keil, tr. A. Harper, The Books of the Chronicles (Keil and Delitzsch) (1872), pp. 396–398 (2 Chronicles 21:12–15); read in the archive.org scan text.
  • C. F. Keil, tr. J. Martin, The Twelve Minor Prophets, vol. 1 (Keil and Delitzsch; translation first published 1868, this printing 1878) (1868), Introduction to Jonah, pp. 379–388; read in the archive.org scan text.
  • E. B. Pusey, The Minor Prophets, with a Commentary (first issued in parts from 1860; printing of 1869) (1869), Introduction to Jonah, pp. 248 and 255; read in the archive.org scan text.
  • S. R. Driver, An Introduction to the Literature of the Old Testament (1891), ch. VI, §5 (Jonah), pp. 300–304; read in the archive.org scan text.
  • George Adam Smith, The Book of the Twelve Prophets, vol. 2 (The Expositor's Bible) (1898), ch. XXXIV, The Book of Jonah, pp. 497–500 and 507–509; read in the archive.org scan text.
  • John Richard Sampey, “Jonah” and “Jonah, The Book of”, International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, vol. 3 (1915), pp. 1727–1729; read in the archive.org scan text.
  • F. K. Farr, “Elijah”, International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, vol. 2 (1915), p. 930; read in the archive.org scan text.
  • T. Witton Davies, “Sirach (Book of)”, International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, vol. 4 (1915), §VIII, Date (Davies: the Hebrew work about 200 BC; “scholars differ”); read in the archive.org scan text.
  • Justin Martyr, tr. M. Dods and G. Reith, Dialogue with Trypho, Ante-Nicene Fathers vol. 1 (1885), ch. 49, pp. 219–220; checked in the archive.org scan text.
  • Tertullian, tr. P. Holmes, A Treatise on the Soul, Ante-Nicene Fathers vol. 3 (1885), chs. 35 and 50, pp. 217 and 227; checked in the archive.org scan text.
  • Hippolytus, tr. S. D. F. Salmond, Treatise on Christ and Antichrist, Ante-Nicene Fathers vol. 5 (1886), §43, p. 213; checked in the archive.org scan text.
  • Augustine, tr. M. Dods, The City of God, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers series 1, vol. 2 (1887), 20.29, p. 448; Schaff's preface for the dates 413–426; checked in the archive.org scan text.
  • Jerome, tr. W. H. Fremantle, Letters and Select Works, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers series 2, vol. 6 (1893), Letter 108.13, p. 202; prolegomena chronology (Paula's death, 404; the commentary on Jonah, given as 395 in the notes on the prefaces and 397 in the table); checked in the archive.org scan text.
  • John Calvin, tr. William Pringle, Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists, vol. 2 (1845), on Matthew 11:14, Matthew 14:1–2 and Matthew 17:10–11 (CCEL transcription).
  • Rodger C. Young, Chronological tables: Table 1, Chronology of the Kings of Israel (Thiele's system as revised by McFall and Young; dates cited as facts only) (undated web tables, read 2026-10-07), Table 1 (Ahab, Jeroboam II), as used on the rulers-israel pages.
  • H. D. M. Spence and J. S. Exell (eds.), The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1897), note on 2 Chr 21:12 (read on Bible Hub).
  • John Gill, An Exposition of the Old Testament (1748–1763), note on 2 Chr 21:12 (read on Bible Hub).
  • Joseph Benson, Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818), note on 2 Chr 21:12 (read on Bible Hub).
  • Matthew Poole, Annotations upon the Holy Bible (1683–1685), note on 2 Chr 21:12 (read on Bible Hub).
  • R. Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and D. Brown, A Commentary, Critical and Explanatory, on the Whole Bible (1871), note on 2 Chr 21:12 (read on Bible Hub).
  • W. E. Barnes, The Books of Chronicles (Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges) (1899), note on 2 Chr 21:12 (read on Bible Hub).
  • W. E. Barnes, The Books of Chronicles (Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges) (1899), Introduction, §8.

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