1 Raja-raja 22:5

22:5 Then Jehoshaphat added, ¹  “First seek an oracle from the Lord.” ² 

1 Raja-raja 22:7

22:7 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not a prophet of the Lord still here, that we may ask him?”

1 Raja-raja 20:14

20:14 Ahab asked, “By whom will this be accomplished?” ³  He answered, “This is what the Lord says, ‘By the servants of the district governors.’” Ahab ⁴  asked, “Who will launch the attack?” He answered, “You will.”

1 Raja-raja 2:13

2:13 Haggith’s son Adonijah visited Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. She asked, “Do you come in peace?” He answered, “Yes.” ⁵ 

1 Raja-raja 22:21

22:21 Then a spirit ⁶  stepped forward and stood before the Lord. He said, ‘I will deceive him.’ The Lord asked him, ‘How?’

1 Raja-raja 13:12

13:12 Their father asked them, “Which road did he take?” His sons showed him ⁷  the road the prophet ⁸  from Judah had taken.

1 Raja-raja 12:9

12:9 He asked them, “How do you advise me ⁹  to respond to these people who said to me, ‘Lessen the demands your father placed on us’?” ¹⁰ 

1 Raja-raja 14:5

14:5 But the Lord had told Ahijah, “Look, Jeroboam’s wife is coming to find out from you what will happen to her son, for he is sick. Tell her so-and-so. ¹¹  When she comes, she will be in a disguise.”

1 Raja-raja 22:20

22:20 The Lord said, ‘Who will deceive Ahab, so he will attack Ramoth Gilead and die ¹²  there?’ One said this and another that.

1 Raja-raja 1:41

1:41 Now Adonijah and all his guests heard the commotion just as they had finished eating. ¹³  When Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he asked, “Why is there such a noisy commotion in the city?” ¹⁴ 

1 Raja-raja 12:6

12:6 King Rehoboam consulted with the older advisers who had served ¹⁵  his father Solomon when he had been alive. He asked them, ¹⁶  “How do you advise me to answer these people?”

1 Raja-raja 22:6

22:6 So the king of Israel assembled about four hundred prophets and asked them, “Should I attack Ramoth Gilead or not?” ¹⁷  They said, “Attack! The sovereign one ¹⁸  will hand it over to the king.”

1 Raja-raja 9:8

9:8 This temple will become a heap of ruins; ¹⁹  everyone who passes by it will be shocked and will hiss out their scorn, ²⁰  saying, ‘Why did the Lord do this to this land and this temple?’

1 Raja-raja 22:8

22:8 The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man through whom we can seek the Lord’s will. ²¹  But I despise ²²  him because he does not prophesy prosperity for me, but disaster. His name is Micaiah son of Imlah. ²³  Jehoshaphat said, “The king should not say such things.”

1 Raja-raja 22:15

22:15 When he came before the king, the king asked him, “Micaiah, should we attack Ramoth Gilead or not?” He answered him, “Attack! You will succeed; the Lord will hand it over to the king.” ²⁴ 

1 Raja-raja 22:4

22:4 Then he said to Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to attack Ramoth Gilead?” Jehoshaphat replied to the king of Israel, “I will support you; my army and horses are at your disposal.” ²⁵ 

1 Raja-raja 2:16

2:16 Now I’d like to ask you for just one thing. Please don’t refuse me.” ²⁶  She said, “Go ahead and ask.” ²⁷ 

1 Raja-raja 20:32

20:32 So they put sackcloth around their waists and ropes on their heads and went to the king of Israel. They said, “Your servant ²⁸  Ben Hadad says, ‘Please let me live!’” Ahab ²⁹  replied, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.” ³⁰ 

1 Raja-raja 1:16

1:16 Bathsheba bowed down on the floor before ³¹  the king. The king said, “What do you want?”

1 Raja-raja 21:5

21:5 Then his wife Jezebel came in and said to him, “Why do you have a bitter attitude and refuse to eat?”

1 Raja-raja 10:3

10:3 Solomon answered all her questions; there was no question too complex for the king. ³² 

1 Raja-raja 18:7

18:7 As Obadiah was traveling along, Elijah met him. ³³  When he recognized him, he fell facedown to the ground and said, “Is it really you, my master, Elijah?”

1 Raja-raja 11:22

11:22 Pharaoh said to him, “What do you lack here that makes you want to go to your homeland?” ³⁴  Hadad replied, ³⁵  “Nothing, but please give me permission to leave.” ³⁶ 

1 Raja-raja 13:14

13:14 and took off after the prophet, ³⁷  whom he found sitting under an oak tree. He asked him, “Are you the prophet ³⁸  from Judah?” He answered, “Yes, I am.”

1 Raja-raja 10:1

Solomon Entertains a Queen

10:1 When the queen of Sheba heard about Solomon, ³⁹  she came to challenge ⁴⁰  him with difficult questions. ⁴¹ 

1 Raja-raja 2:20

2:20 She said, “I would like to ask you for just one small favor. ⁴²  Please don’t refuse me.” ⁴³  He said, ⁴⁴  “Go ahead and ask, my mother, for I would not refuse you.”

1 Raja-raja 14:3

14:3 Take ⁴⁵  ten loaves of bread, some small cakes, and a container of honey and visit him. He will tell you what will happen to the boy.”

1 Raja-raja 22:22

22:22 He replied, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ The Lord ⁴⁶  said, ‘Deceive and overpower him. ⁴⁷  Go out and do as you have proposed.’

1 Raja-raja 2:14

2:14 He added, ⁴⁸  “I have something to say to you.” She replied, “Speak.”

1 Raja-raja 10:2

10:2 She arrived in Jerusalem ⁴⁹  with a great display of pomp, ⁵⁰  bringing with her camels carrying spices, ⁵¹  a very large quantity of gold, and precious gems. She visited Solomon and discussed with him everything that was on her mind.

1 Raja-raja 2:17

2:17 He said, “Please ask King Solomon if he would give me Abishag the Shunammite as a wife, for he won’t refuse you.” ⁵² 

1 Raja-raja 9:13

9:13 Hiram asked, ⁵³  “Why did you give me these cities, my friend ⁵⁴ ?” He called that area the region of Cabul, a name which it has retained to this day. ⁵⁵ 

1 Raja-raja 2:22

2:22 King Solomon answered his mother, “Why just request Abishag the Shunammite for him? ⁵⁶  Since he is my older brother, you should also request the kingdom for him, for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab son of Zeruiah!”

[22:5]  ¹ tn Heb “and Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel.”

[22:5]  ² tn Heb “the word of the Lord.” Jehoshaphat is requesting a prophetic oracle revealing the Lord’s will in the matter and their prospects for success. For examples of such oracles, see 2 Sam 5:19, 23-24.

[20:14]  ³ tn The words “will this be accomplished” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[20:14]  ⁴ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Ahab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[2:13]  ⁵ tn Heb “[in] peace.”

[22:21]  ⁶ tn Heb “the spirit.” The significance of the article prefixed to רוּחַ (ruakh) is uncertain, but it could contain a clue as to this spirit’s identity, especially when interpreted in light of v. 24. It is certainly possible, and probably even likely, that the article is used in a generic or dramatic sense and should be translated, “a spirit.” In the latter case it would show that this spirit was vivid and definite in the mind of Micaiah the storyteller. However, if one insists that the article indicates a well-known or universally known spirit, the following context provides a likely referent. Verse 24 tells how Zedekiah slapped Micaiah in the face and then asked sarcastically, “Which way did the spirit from the Lord (רוּחַ־יְהוָה, [ruakh-Yahweh], Heb “the spirit of the Lord”) go when he went from me to speak to you?” When the phrase “the spirit of the Lord” refers to the divine spirit (rather than the divine breath or mind, Isa 40:7, 13) elsewhere, the spirit energizes an individual or group for special tasks or moves one to prophesy. This raises the possibility that the deceiving spirit of vv. 20-23 is the same as the divine spirit mentioned by Zedekiah in v. 24. This would explain why the article is used on רוּחַ; he can be called “the spirit” because he is the well-known spirit who energizes the prophets.

[13:12]  ⁷ tn The Hebrew text has “and his sons saw” (וַיִּרְאוּ [vayyir’u], Qal from רָאָה [ra’ah]). In this case the verbal construction (vav consecutive + prefixed verbal form) would have to be understood as pluperfect, “his sons had seen.” Such uses of this construction are rare at best. Consequently many, following the lead of the ancient versions, prefer to emend the verbal form to a Hiphil with pronominal suffix (וַיַּרְאֻהוּ [vayyar’uhu], “and they showed him”).

[13:12]  ⁸ tn Heb “the man of God.”

[12:9]  ⁹ tn In the Hebrew text the verb “we will respond” is plural, although it can be understood as an editorial “we.” The ancient versions have the singular here.

[12:9]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “Lighten the yoke which your father placed on us.”

[14:5]  ¹¹ sn Tell her so-and-so. Certainly the Lord gave Ahijah a specific message to give to Jeroboam’s wife (see vv. 6-16), but the author of Kings here condenses the Lord’s message with the words “so-and-so.” For dramatic effect he prefers to have us hear the message from Ahijah’s lips as he speaks to the king’s wife.

[22:20]  ¹² tn Heb “and fall.”

[1:41]  ¹³ tn Heb “And Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard, now they had finished eating.”

[1:41]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “Why is the city’s sound noisy?”

[12:6]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “stood before.”

[12:6]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “saying.”

[22:6]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “Should I go against Ramoth Gilead for war or should I refrain?”

[22:6]  ¹⁸ tn Though Jehoshaphat requested an oracle from “the Lord” (יְהוָה, Yahweh), they stop short of actually using this name and substitute the title אֲדֹנָי (’adonai, “lord; master”). This ambiguity may explain in part Jehoshaphat’s hesitancy and caution (vv. 7-8). He seems to doubt that the four hundred are genuine prophets of the Lord.

[9:8]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “and this house will be high [or elevated].” The statement makes little sense in this context, which predicts the desolation that judgment will bring. Some treat the clause as concessive, “Even though this temple is lofty [now].” Others, following the lead of several ancient versions, emend the text to, “this temple will become a heap of ruins.”

[9:8]  ²⁰ tn Heb “hiss,” or perhaps “whistle.” This refers to a derisive sound one would make when taunting an object of ridicule.

[22:8]  ²¹ tn Heb “to seek the Lord from him.”

[22:8]  ²² tn Or “hate.”

[22:8]  ²³ tn The words “his name is” are supplied for stylistic reasons.

[22:15]  ²⁴ sn “Attack! You will succeed; the Lord will hand it over to the king.” One does not expect Micaiah, having just vowed to speak only what the Lord tells him, to agree with the other prophets and give the king an inaccurate prophecy. Micaiah’s actions became understandable later, when it is revealed that the Lord desires to deceive the king and lead him to his demise. The Lord even dispatches a lying spirit to deceive Ahab’s prophets. Micaiah can lie to the king because he realizes this lie is from the Lord. It is important to note that in v. 14 Micaiah only vows to speak the word of the Lord; he does not necessarily say he will tell the truth. In this case the Lord’s word itself is deceptive. Only when the king adjures him to tell the truth (v. 16), does Micaiah do so.

[22:4]  ²⁵ tn Heb “Like me, like you; like my people, like your people; like my horses; like your horses.”

[2:16]  ²⁶ tn Heb “Do not turn back my face.”

[2:16]  ²⁷ tn Heb “She said, ‘Speak!’”

[20:32]  ²⁸ sn Your servant. By referring to Ben Hadad as Ahab’s servant, they are suggesting that Ahab make him a subject in a vassal treaty arrangement.

[20:32]  ²⁹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Ahab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[20:32]  ³⁰ sn He is my brother. Ahab’s response indicates that he wants to make a parity treaty and treat Ben Hadad as an equal partner.

[1:16]  ³¹ tn Heb “bowed low and bowed down to.”

[10:3]  ³² tn Heb “Solomon declared to her all her words; there was not a word hidden from the king which he did not declare to her.” If riddles are specifically in view (see v. 1), then one might translate, “Solomon explained to her all her riddles; there was no riddle too complex for the king.”

[18:7]  ³³ tn Heb “look, Elijah [came] to meet him.”

[11:22]  ³⁴ tn Heb “Indeed what do you lack with me, that now you are seeking to go to your land?”

[11:22]  ³⁵ tn Heb “and he said.”

[11:22]  ³⁶ sn So Hadad asked Pharaoh… This lengthy description of Hadad’s exile in Egypt explains why Hadad wanted to oppose Solomon and supports the author’s thesis that his hostility to Solomon found its ultimate source in divine providence. Though Hadad enjoyed a comfortable life in Egypt, when the Lord raised him up (apparently stirring up his desire for vengeance) he decided to leave the comforts of Egypt and return to Edom.

[13:14]  ³⁷ tn Heb “the man of God.”

[13:14]  ³⁸ tn Heb “the man of God.”

[10:1]  ³⁹ tn Heb “the report about Solomon.” The Hebrew text also has, “to the name of the Lord,” which fits very awkwardly in the sentence. If retained, perhaps it should be translated, “because of the reputation of the Lord.” The phrase, which is omitted in the parallel passage in 2 Chr 9:1, may be an addition based on the queen’s declaration of praise to the Lord in v. 9.

[10:1]  ⁴⁰ tn Or “test.”

[10:1]  ⁴¹ tn Or “riddles.”

[2:20]  ⁴² tn Or “I’d like to make just one request of you.”

[2:20]  ⁴³ tn Heb “Do not turn back my face.”

[2:20]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “and the king said to her.”

[14:3]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “take in your hand.”

[22:22]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:22]  ⁴⁷ tn The Hebrew text has two imperfects connected by וְגַם (vÿgam). These verbs could be translated as specific futures, “you will deceive and also you will prevail,” in which case the Lord is assuring the spirit of success on his mission. However, in a commissioning context (note the following imperatives) such as this, it is more likely that the imperfects are injunctive, in which case one could translate, “Deceive, and also overpower.”

[2:14]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “and he said.”

[10:2]  ⁴⁹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[10:2]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “with very great strength.” The Hebrew term חַיִל (khayil, “strength”) may refer here to the size of her retinue (cf. NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV) or to the great wealth she brought with her.

[10:2]  ⁵¹ tn Or “balsam oil.”

[2:17]  ⁵² tn Heb “Say to Solomon the king, for he will not turn back your face, that he might give to me Abishag the Shunammite for a wife.”

[9:13]  ⁵³ tn Heb “and he said.”

[9:13]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “my brother.” Kings allied through a parity treaty would sometimes address each other as “my brother.” See 1 Kgs 20:32-33.

[9:13]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “he called them the land of Cabul to this day.” The significance of the name is unclear, though it appears to be disparaging. The name may be derived from a root, attested in Akkadian and Arabic, meaning “bound” or “restricted.” Some propose a wordplay, pointing out that the name “Cabul” sounds like a Hebrew phrase meaning, “like not,” or “as good as nothing.”

[2:22]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “for Adonijah.”