The son of Imlah, whom Ahab hated, (1Ki 22:8.) His name is the same in derivation as the former. We meet with another Micaiah or Michaiah, son of Gemariah, in the days of Jeremiah. (See Jer. 36. 11, &c.)
Micaiah, 1
Micai´ah (who as Jehovah?), a prophet of the time of Ahab. He was absent from the mob of false prophets who incited the kings of Israel and Judah to march against the Syrians in Ramoth-gilead; for Ahab, having been offended by his sincerity and boldness, had not called for him on this occasion. But he was sent for at the special desire of Jehoshaphat; and as he declared against the enterprise, which the other prophets encouraged, Ahab commanded him to be imprisoned, and allowed only ’bread and water of affliction’ till he returned from the wars in peace. To which the prophet ominously answered, ’If thou return at all in peace, then the Lord hath not spoken by me’ (1Ki 22:8-28). The event corresponded with this intimation [AHAB]; but we have no further information concerning the prophet.
Micaiah, 2
One of the princes whom Jehoshaphat sent to ’teach in the cities of Judah’ (2Ch 17:7).
Michaiah, 3
Michaiah, son of Gemariah, who, after having heard Baruch read the terrible predictions of Jeremiah in his father’s hall, went, apparently with good intentions, to report to the king’s officers what he had heard (Jer 36:11-13).
1. A faithful and fearless prophet, consulted by King Ahab at the demand of Jehoshaphat as to the issue of their proposed campaign against the Syrians. He was imprisoned to abide the event, which coincided with his predictions and probably secured his release, 1Ki 22:8-38 . Ahab’s conduct in this matter displays the amazing folly of sins against light.\par 2. A prince of Judah, who seconded the efforts of Jehoshaphat to instruct and reform the people of Judah, 2Ki 17:7-9 .\par
Mica’iah. (who is like God?). Micahiah, the son of Imlah, was a prophet of Samaria, who in the last year, of the reign of Ahab, king of Israel, predicted his defeat and death, B.C. 897. 1Ki 22:1-35; 2Ch 18:1.
MICAIAH or MICHAIAH. Son of Imlah (1Ki 22:8). Consulted by Ahab at Jehoshaphat’s request when undertaking the joint expedition against Ramoth Gilead, which Benhadad had engaged to restore (1Ki 20:34). The 400 prophets whom Ahab gathered together to "inquire the word of Jehovah" (1Ki 22:5) were prophets of Jeroboam’s symbolic calf worship of Jehovah not of Baal.
Ahab had Micaiah already in prison, as 1Ki 22:26 implies, "carry him back ... prison." Josephus (Ant. 8:15, sec. 6) says that it was Micaiah who predicted ("in the word of Jehovah," Hag 1:13) death by a lion to the neighbor who would not smite him, and who, disguised with ashes, under the parable of one letting go a prisoner entrusted to him made Ahab in his hour of triumph, when the mortification would be the greater, condemn himself out of his own mouth, to lose his life for letting Benhadad escape (1Ki 20:35-43). Zedekiah, one of the 400, at the gate of Samaria where the two kings sat in state, symbolically putting horns or iron spikes on his head, foretold the transfer of Ephraim’s blessing (Deu 33:17) to Ahab; "with the horns of the buffalo (or wild ox,
So all the rest said, "go up and prosper." Micaiah, though prompted to imitate their prophecies of good, would say only what Jehovah said (Num 22:38). Ironically and in parody he repeated at first their parrot-like cry, "go and prosper," to show Ahab how easy such prophesying is if worldly interest were one’s aim. Then, being adjured in Jehovah’s name, Micaiah said "I saw all Israel scattered ... as sheep that have no shepherd (quoted by the Lord Jesus Himself, Mat 9:36, as it is previously the basis of Eze 34:5; Zec 10:2), and Jehovah said, these have no master (Ahab falling), let them return every man to his house." Instead of Moses’ blessing on Ephraim awaiting Ahab, as Zedekiah had said, Moses’ picture of what Israel would be at his death, "Jehovah’s congregation as sheep having no shepherd," if no successor were appointed, would be realized (Num 27:17). Ahab, though he had asked Micaiah to speak the truth, attributed it when spoken to Micaiah’s ill will.
Micaiah therefore revealed the source unseen of the 400 prophets’ falsehood; Jehovah, seen in real vision on His throne amidst His hosts, asked, who shall persuade Ahab to go up and fall at Ramoth Gilead? A lying spirit undertook to influence the 400 to Ahab’s ruin (Zec 13:2; 1Jn 4:6). The access of Satan to the heavenly court in Old Testament times appears here and Job 1:6; Job 2:1 (but compare Rev 12:7-10 as to the New Testament times). God said to the lying spirit, "go forth and do so." It was no invention of fancy, but a supernatural agency under Satan, by God’s overruling appointment, which in righteous retribution gives over to a lie those who love not the truth (Jdg 9:23; Job 12:16; Eze 14:9; 2Th 2:11-12).
God does not will or tempt to evil (Jas 1:13); but, as Ahab would not heed the true prophet, gives him over to the false (Rom 1:24-28; Rom 9:17-23; Exo 7:3; Exo 7:13; Exo 14:4; Exo 14:17; Exo 10:20; Exo 10:27). The words "thou shalt persuade and prevail also" show that the human will was left free; God makes one stage in the sinner’s downward course the sequel and punishment of the foregoing one; Ahab might have resisted the tempter. Zedekiah, conscious that he had not invented his lying prophecy, smote Micaiah on the cheek, asking "which way went the Spirit of Jehovah from me to speak unto thee? .... Thou shalt see in the day when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide," namely, from the vengeance of those misled by thee to their defeat.
Ahab commanded, "take Micaiah back unto Amon ... in the prison, feed him with bread and water of affliction (in more severe imprisonment than before) until I come in peace." Micaiah replied: "if thou return at all in peace Jehovah hath not spoken by me; hearken, O nations, every one of you"; appealing not only to Israel but to the Gentile world, to which Ahab had conformed, and which may heed, since Israel will not, so as when the event should come to pass to discern the truth of Jehovah (Mic 1:2).
Micaiah (mî-kâ’yah). The son of Imlah. A faithful prophet who predicted in vain to Ahab the fatal termination of his expedition against Ramoth-gilead. 1Ki 22:8-28; 2Ch 18:7-27. He delivered his warning in the form of a remarkable vision, in which the weighty lesson is conveyed that God blinds judicially those who have shut their eyes and ears to his monitions, letting them be deceived by lying spirits.
[Micai’ah]
Son of Imla. When Ahab was joined by Jehoshaphat, and all Ahab’s prophets foretold his success against Ramoth-gilead, Jehoshaphat asked if there was not yet another prophet of Jehovah of whom they could inquire. Then Micaiah was sent for, though Ahab said that he hated him, for he always prophesied evil unto him. At first Micaiah said, "Go ye up, and prosper, and they shall be delivered into your hand." The way in which this was said apparently convinced Ahab that it was spoken in irony, for he said, "How many times shall I adjure thee that thou say nothing but the truth to me in the name of the Lord?" Micaiah at once said that he saw all Israel scattered, having no shepherd. Jehovah said they had no master.
Then he relates that he had seen, probably in a vision, Jehovah sitting on His throne, and asking who would persuade Ahab to go to Ramoth-gilead and fall there. A spirit volunteered to accomplish it by being a lying spirit in the mouth of all Ahab’s prophets. This had come to pass. Zedekiah, one of Ahab’s prophets, struck Micaiah on the cheek, and said, "Which way went the Spirit of the Lord from me to speak unto thee?" Micaiah replied, "Behold, thou shalt see on that day when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide thyself." Ahab disguised himself, but was wounded by an arrow and died. Ahab’s four hundred prophets, and Jehovah’s one prophet are an instance of the conflict of spirits , which the Christian is now called upon to try. 1Ki 22:8-28; 2Ch 18:7-27.
MICAIAH.—See Micah.
(1) The mother of Abijah (2Ch 13:2, the King James Version “Michaiah”). The parallel passage (1Ki 15:2; compare 2Ch 11:20) indicates that Michaiah here is a corruption of MAACAH (which see) (so the Septuagint).
(2) The father of Achbor (2Ki 22:12, the King James Version “Michaiah”). See MICAH, (5).
(3) A prince of Judah sent by Jehoshaphat to teach in the cities of Judah (2Ch 17:7, the King James Version “Michaiah”).
(4) The son of Zaccur, a priestly processionist at the derivation of the wall (Neh 12:35, the King James Version, “Michaiah”).
(5) A priestly processionist at the dedication of the wall (Neh 12:41; wanting in the Septuagint (Septuagint)).
(6) The canonical prophet. See MICAH, (7), and special article.
(7) The son of Imlah, the chief character of an important episode near the end of the reign of Ahab (1 Ki 22:4-28 parallel 2 Ch 18:3-27). In the Hebrew, his name appears once in the contracted form “Micah” (2Ch 18:14). Ahab had suggested to his victor, Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, that they should undertake a joint campaign against Ramoth-gilead. Jehoshaphat politely acquiesced, but asked that the mind of Yahweh should first be ascertained. Ahab forthwith summoned the official prophets to the number of 400, into the royal presence. Obsequious to their master, they, both by oracular utterance and by the symbolic action of their leader, Zedekiah, the son of Chenaanah, gave the king a favorable answer. Their ready chorus of assent seems to have made Jehoshaphat suspicious, for he pleaded that further guidance be sought. Micaiah, for whom Ahab, then, with evident reluctance, sent, at first simply repeated the favorable response of the 400; but adjured by the king to speak the whole truth, he dropped his ironical tone, and in sad earnest described a vision of disaster. Ahab endeavored to lessen the effect of this oracle by pettishly complaining that Micaiah was always to him a prophet of evil. The latter thereupon related an impressive vision of the heavenly court, whence he had seen a lying spirit dispatched by Yahweh to the prophets in order to bring about Ahab’s delusion and downfall. In answer to a rude challenge from Zedekiah, who acted as spokesman for the 400, Micaiah confidently appealed to the issue for proof of the truth of his prediction, and was promptly commuted to prison by the king.
The narrative is exceedingly vivid and of the utmost interest to students of Issraelite prophecy. Several of its details have given rise to discussion, and the questions: How far were the prophet’s visions objective? How far did he admit the inspiration of his opponents? Is the Divine action described consistent with the holy character of Yahweh? have occasioned difficulty to many. But their difficulty arises largely either because of their Christian viewpoint, or because of their hard and mechanical theory of prophetic inspiration. Micaiah’s position was a delicate one. Foreboding or foreseeing disaster, he did his best to avert it. This he could do only by weaning the king from the influence of the 400 time-serving prophets. He sought to gain his end; first, by an ironical acquiescence in their favorable answer; then, by a short oracle forecasting disaster especially to Ahab; and, these means having failed, by discrediting in the most solemn manner the courtly prophets opposed to him. Thus regarded, his vision contains no admission of their equal inspiration; rather is it an emphatic declaration that these men were uttering falsehood in Yahweh’s name, thereby endangering their country’s safety and their king’s life. Their obsequious time-service made them fit forerunners of the false prophets denounced by Jeremiah (Jer 23:9-40) and by Ezekiel (Eze 13:1-15). The frank anthropomorphism of the vision need be no stumbling-block if allowed to drop into its proper place as the literary device of a prophet intensely conscious of his own inspiration and as whole-heartedly patriotic as those opposed to him.
The record ends very abruptly, giving no account of Micaiah’s vindication when at length the course of events brought about the fulfillment of his prediction. The closing words, “Hear, ye peoples, all of you” (1Ki 22:28 parallel 2Ch 18:27), a quotation of Mic 1:2, are an evident interpolation by some late scribe who confused the son of Imlah with the contemporary of Isaiah.
For fuller treatment see EB, HDB, and commentaries on Kings and Chronicles.