1 Kings 22:8
And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire of the Lord: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.
Study Note
Study Note
Ahab's admission that he 'hates' Micaiah ben Imlah 'because he does not prophesy good concerning me but evil' is one of the most candid confessions of motivated rejection of prophetic truth in the Hebrew Bible. The scene exposes the structural corruption of court prophecy: the four hundred prophets (v. 6) represent institutionalized validation of royal policy, while Micaiah represents the minority tradition of prophetic independence that defines classical prophecy from Amos onward. Jehoshaphat's intervention — 'let not the king say so' — functions as a partial model of prophetic receptivity even while the narrative demonstrates that his coalition with Ahab compromises it. The passage is foundational for biblical theology's distinction between true and false prophecy and for understanding why genuine prophecy typically opposes rather than confirms institutional power.
Other Translations
And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of Jehovah, Micaiah the son of Imlah: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.
And the king of Israel saith unto Jehoshaphat, `Yet--one man to seek Jehovah by him, and I have hated him, for he doth not prophesy concerning me good, but evil--Micaiah son of Imlah;' and Jehoshaphat saith, `Let not the king say so.'
And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, There is still one man by whom we may get directions from the Lord, Micaiah, son of Imlah; but I have no love for him, for he is a prophet of evil to me and not of good. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.
Cross References
And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? …
For it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and …
And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: for the children of Israel have …
And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: because the children of Israel have …
And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said unto his neighbour in the word of the Lord, …
And the king of Israel went to his house heavy and displeased, and came to Samaria.
And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because …
And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his …
Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil …
And the messenger that was gone to call Micaiah spake unto him, saying, Behold now, the words of the prophets …