New International Version Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD and said, ‘I will entice him.’ New Living Translation and finally a spirit approached the LORD and said, ‘I can do it!’ English Standard Version Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD, saying, ‘I will entice him.’ Berean Standard Bible Then a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will entice him.’ ‘By what means?’ asked the LORD. Berean Literal Bible And a spirit came forward and stood before the face of YHWH and said, ‘I will persuade him.’ And YHWH said to him, ‘By what?’ King James Bible And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will persuade him. New King James Version Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will persuade him.’ New American Standard Bible Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will entice him.’ NASB 1995 “Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD and said, ‘I will entice him.’ NASB 1977 “Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD and said, ‘I will entice him.’ Legacy Standard Bible Then a spirit came forward and stood before Yahweh and said, ‘I will entice him.’ Amplified Bible Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD and said, ‘I will entice him.’ Berean Annotated Bible Then a spirit {ruach} came forward, stood before the LORD {YHWH}, and said, ‘I will entice him. ‘By what means? asked the LORD. Christian Standard Bible “Then a spirit came forward, stood in the LORD’s presence, and said, ‘I will entice him.’ Holman Christian Standard Bible Then a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will entice him.’” American Standard Version And there came forth a spirit, and stood before Jehovah, and said, I will entice him. Contemporary English Version then finally a spirit came forward and said to the LORD, "I can trick Ahab." "How?" the LORD asked. English Revised Version And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will entice him. GOD'S WORD® Translation "Then the Spirit stepped forward, stood in front of the LORD, and said, 'I will deceive him.' " 'How?' the LORD asked. Good News Translation until a spirit stepped forward, approached the LORD, and said, 'I will deceive him.' International Standard Version "But then a spirit approached, stood in front of the LORD, and said, 'I will entice him.' NET Bible Then a spirit stepped forward and stood before the LORD. He said, 'I will deceive him.' The LORD asked him, 'How?' New Heart English Bible A spirit came out and stood before the LORD, and said, 'I will entice him.' Webster's Bible Translation And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will persuade him. Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleThen a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will entice him.’ ‘By what means?’ asked the LORD. World English Bible A spirit came out and stood before Yahweh, and said, ‘I will entice him.’ Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionAnd the spirit goes out and stands before YHWH, and says, I entice him; and YHWH says to him, By what? Berean Literal Bible And a spirit came forward and stood before the face of YHWH and said, ‘I will persuade him.’ And YHWH said to him, ‘By what?’ Young's Literal Translation 'And the spirit goeth out, and standeth before Jehovah, and saith, I -- I do entice him; and Jehovah saith unto him, By what? Smith's Literal Translation And the spirit will go forth and stand before Jehovah, and he will say, I will deceive him. And Jehovah will say, By what? Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleAnd there came forth a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said: I will deceive him. And the Lord said to him: By what means? Catholic Public Domain Version But then a spirit went out and stood before the Lord. And he said, ‘I will mislead him.’ And the Lord said to him, ‘By what means?’ New American Bible until this spirit came forth and stood before the LORD, saying, ‘I will deceive him.’ The LORD asked: How? New Revised Standard Version until a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD, saying, ‘I will entice him.’ Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleAnd there came forth a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will persuade him. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated And a spirit went out and stood before LORD JEHOVAH and said: “I will seduce him!” LORD JEHOVAH said to him: “With what?” OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917And there came forth the spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said: I will entice him. Brenton Septuagint Translation And there came forth a spirit and stood before the Lord, and said, I will deceive him. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible (Voice ▾ Musical ▾) Context Micaiah Prophesies Against Ahab…20And the LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab to march up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one suggested this, and another that. 21Then a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will entice him.’ ‘By what means?’ asked the LORD. 22And 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.’… Cross References Then a spirit came forward, Zechariah 6:5 And the angel told me, “These are the four spirits of heaven, going forth from their station before the Lord of all the earth. Job 1:6 One day the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. Daniel 7:10 A river of fire was flowing, coming out from His presence. Thousands upon thousands attended Him, and myriads upon myriads stood before Him. The court was convened, and the books were opened. stood before the LORD, Zechariah 3:1 Then the angel showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, with Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. Job 2:1 On another day the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them to present himself before Him. 1 Kings 18:15 Then Elijah said, “As surely as the LORD of Hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will present myself to Ahab today.” and said, ‘I will entice him.’ 2 Chronicles 18:20 Then a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will entice him.’ ‘By what means?’ asked the LORD. Deuteronomy 13:2-3 and if the sign or wonder he has spoken to you comes about, but he says, “Let us follow other gods (which you have not known) and let us worship them,” / you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. For the LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love Him with all your heart and with all your soul. 2 Thessalonians 2:11 For this reason God will send them a powerful delusion so that they believe the lie, ‘By what means?’ asked the LORD. 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.’ 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.” Isaiah 6:8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying: “Whom shall I send? Who will go for Us?” And I said: “Here am I. Send me!” Revelation 12:9-10 And the great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. / And I heard a loud voice in heaven saying: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of His Christ. For the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down—he who accuses them day and night before our God. Revelation 20:2-3 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. / And he threw him into the Abyss, shut it, and sealed it over him, so that he could not deceive the nations until the thousand years were complete. After that, he must be released for a brief period of time. Luke 22:31 Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you like wheat. Treasury of Scripture And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will persuade him. 1 Kings 22:23 Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee. Job 1:6,7 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them… Job 2:1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD. Jump to Previous Entice Finally Forth Forward Persuade Spirit Standeth Stood TrickJump to Next Entice Finally Forth Forward Persuade Spirit Standeth Stood Trick1 Kings 22 1. Ahab, seduced by false prophets, by Michaiah's word, is slain at Ramoth Gilead37. The dogs lick up his blood, and Ahaziah succeeds him 41. Jehoshaphat's good reign 45. His acts 46. Jehoram succeeds him 51. Ahaziah's evil reign Then a spirit came forward, A spirit among the heavenly host stepped forward to carry out the judgment decreed against Ahab. Zec 6:5 And the angel told me, “These are the four spirits of heaven… stood before the LORD, He appeared before the sovereign King, ready to receive and perform His command. Zec 3:1 Then the angel showed me Joshua the high priest… and said, ‘I will entice him.’ The spirit volunteered to entice Ahab toward the battle where he would make a decision aligning with God’s judgment and meet the death God had already pronounced because of his persistent rebellion. 2Ch 18:20 Then a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD… ‘By what means?’ asked the LORD. The LORD permitted the spirit to state his plan, showing that even hostile spiritual powers act only within the limits of His authority. 2Ch 18:21 And he replied, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit… Persons / Places / Events 1. AhabThe King of Israel, known for his idolatry and opposition to God's prophets. His reign is marked by conflict with the prophet Elijah and a tendency to follow false prophets. 2. Jehoshaphat The King of Judah, who seeks to align with Ahab through marriage and military alliance, yet desires to inquire of the LORD before going to battle. 3. Micaiah A true prophet of the LORD who is called upon to prophesy about the outcome of the battle against Ramoth-gilead. He is known for speaking the truth, regardless of the consequences. 4. The Spirit A spirit that volunteers to entice Ahab into going to battle, ultimately leading to his downfall. This spirit operates under God's sovereign permission. 5. The LORD The sovereign God who allows the spirit to carry out its plan, demonstrating His control over all events, even those involving deception. Teaching Points God's SovereigntyRecognize that God is in control of all events, including those involving spiritual beings. His purposes will ultimately prevail, even when human understanding is limited. Discernment in Prophecy Understand the importance of discerning true prophecy from false. Like Micaiah, believers are called to speak the truth of God's word, even when it is unpopular or leads to personal risk. The Reality of Spiritual Warfare Acknowledge the existence of spiritual forces that seek to influence human decisions. Believers must remain vigilant and rely on God's wisdom and guidance. The Consequences of Disobedience Ahab's account serves as a warning about the dangers of ignoring God's word and following false counsel. Obedience to God leads to life, while disobedience leads to destruction. Seeking God's Counsel Like Jehoshaphat, believers should seek God's guidance in all decisions, especially those involving alliances and major life choices. God's wisdom is available to those who ask. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of 1 Kings 22:21?2. How does 1 Kings 22:21 illustrate God's sovereignty over spiritual realms and decisions? 3. What role does the "spirit" play in God's plan in 1 Kings 22:21? 4. How can we discern truth when faced with deceptive spirits like in 1 Kings 22? 5. What scriptural connections exist between 1 Kings 22:21 and Ephesians 6:12? 6. How can believers apply the lesson of divine sovereignty from 1 Kings 22:21? 7. What is the significance of the spirit volunteering in 1 Kings 22:21? 8. How does 1 Kings 22:21 challenge the concept of divine truth? 9. Why would God allow a lying spirit as seen in 1 Kings 22:21? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from 1 Kings 22? (21) A spirit.--It should be the spirit. The definite article is explained by some, perhaps rather weakly, as simply anticipatory of the description which follows. Others take the phrase to signify "the spirit of prophecy," a kind of emanation from the Godhead, looked upon as the medium of the prophetic inspiration, which is an expression conceivable, but certainly unprecedented. Perhaps without introducing into this passage the distinct idea of "the Satan," i.e., the enemy, which we find in Job 1, 2; 1Chronicles 21:1; Zechariah 3:1-2. it may be best to interpret it by the conception, common to all religions recognising the terrible existence of evil in the world, of a spiritual power of evil (called euphemistically, "the spirit") overruled to work out the judgments of God. The absolute subordination of such spirits of evil in every notice of them in the Old Testament precludes all danger of the monstrous dualism of so many Eastern religions. The reference of the power of divination to such spirits is found in the New Testament also. (See Acts 16:16-18.)Verse 21. - And there came forth a spirit [Heb. the spirit. By some, especially of the earlier commentators, understood of the evil spirit. But the view now generally adopted (Thenius, Keil, Bahr) is that "the spirit of prophecy" is meant, "the power which, going forth from God and taking possession of a man, makes him a prophet (1 Samuel 10:6, 10; 1 Samuel 19:20, 23). The נָביא is the אִישׁ הָרוּחַ (Hosea 9:7)" Bahr. This power is here personified], and stood before the Lord, and said, I [emphatic in the Hebrew] will persuade [or entice] him. 1 Kings 22:21 pictures a real heavenly council where God sovereignly directs even deceptive spirits to accomplish righteous judgment on a stubborn king. The spirit’s offer, its submission before the LORD, and God’s probing question all highlight that every action—even those involving evil intentions—operates under God’s flawless authority, fulfilling His purposes while exposing and punishing unrepentant sin. Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew Then a spiritהָר֗וּחַ (hā·rū·aḥ) Article | Noun - common singular Strong's 7307: Wind, breath, exhalation, life, anger, unsubstantiality, a region of the sky, spirit came forward, וַיֵּצֵ֣א (way·yê·ṣê) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 3318: To go, bring, out, direct and proxim stood וַֽיַּעֲמֹד֙ (way·ya·‘ă·mōḏ) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 5975: To stand, in various relations before לִפְנֵ֣י (lip̄·nê) Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct Strong's 6440: The face the LORD, יְהוָ֔ה (Yah·weh) Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel and said, וַיֹּ֧אמֶר (way·yō·mer) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 559: To utter, say ‘I אֲנִ֣י (’ă·nî) Pronoun - first person common singular Strong's 589: I will entice him.’ אֲפַתֶּ֑נּוּ (’ă·p̄at·ten·nū) Verb - Piel - Imperfect - first person common singular | third person masculine singular Strong's 6601: To open, be, roomy, to be, simple, delude ‘By what means?’ בַּמָּֽה׃ (bam·māh) Preposition-b | Interrogative Strong's 3964: What asked אֵלָ֖יו (’ê·lāw) Preposition | third person masculine singular Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to the LORD. יְהוָ֛ה (Yah·weh) Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel Additonal Resources 1 Kings 22:21 Blue Letter Bible1 Kings 22:21 Bible Gateway 1 Kings 22:21 Bible.com 1 Kings 22:21 NIV |
    |