(14) Shall I forbear.--Kings, shall we forbear. (See Note on 2Chronicles 18:5.)

And he said, Go ye up . . . and they shall be delivered.--Kings repeats the words of 2Chronicles 18:11, "Go thou up, and prosper thou, and the Lord," &c. The chronicler has substituted a reply, which states quite definitely that they (i.e., the Syrians) shall be delivered into the hands of the allied sovereigns. In 2Chronicles 18:11 the object of the verb "deliver" was not expressed. This rather reminds us of the Delphic oracle: "If Cr?sus pass the Halys, a mighty empire will be overthrown," though the words of Zedekiah in the preceding verse are plain enough.

Verse 14. - This first reply of Micaiah, given in the latter haft of the verse, does not stand for untruth or deceit, but for very thinly veiled, very thinly disguised, very keen taunt and reproof. It has been well described as the ironical echo of the language of the unreal prophets. Micaiah begins by answering a fool according to his folly, i.e. according to his own heart's desire. He had just come from some place of imprisonment or punishment (ver. 25). And he so spoke or so looked that the king should know he had not spoken his last word in answer to the inquiry addressed to him.

18:1-34 Jehoshaphat's alliance with Ahab. - This history we read in 1Ki 22. Abundant riches and honour give large opportunities of doing good, but they are attended with many snares and temptations. Men do not know much of the artifices of Satan and the deceitfulness of their own hearts, when they covet riches with the idea of being able to do good with them. What can hurt those whom God will protect? What can shelter those whom God will destroy? Jehoshaphat is safe in his robes, Ahab killed in his armour; for the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong. We should be cautious of entangling ourselves in the worldly undertakings of evil men; and still more we should avoid engaging in their sinful projects. But, when they call upon him, God can and will bring his faithful people out of the difficulties and dangers into which they have sinfully run themselves. He has all hearts in his hand, so that he easily rescues them. Blessed is the man that putteth his trust in the Lord.And after certain years,.... Two years, according to the Syriac and Arabic versions, or in the third year after the affinity was contracted, see 1 Kings 22:2,

he went down to Ahab to Samaria; to pay him a visit upon the alliance, civil and matrimonial, contracted between them:

and Ahab killed sheep and oxen for him in abundance, and for the people that he had with him; entertained him and his retinue in a very grand and liberal manner:

and persuaded him to go up with him to Ramothgilead; from hence, to the end of the chapter, it is the same with 1 Kings 22:4.