Bible Encyclopedia: Micaiah

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International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

MICAIAH

mi-ka'-ya, mi-ki'-a (mikhayahu, "who is like Yah?"; Meichaias): A frequently occurring Old Testament name occasionally contracted to MICA or MICAH (which see). In the King James Version it is usually spelled "Michaiah."

(1) The mother of Abijah (2 Chronicles 13:2, the King James Version "Michaiah"). The parallel passage (1 Kings 15:2; compare 2 Chronicles 11:20) indicates that Michaiah here is a corruption of MAACAH (which see) (so the Septuagint).

(2) The father of Achbor (2 Kings 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 (2 Chronicles 17:7, the King James Version "Michaiah").

(4) The son of Zaccur, a priestly processionist at the derivation of the wall (Nehemiah 12:35, the King James Version, "Michaiah").

(5) A priestly processionist at the dedication of the wall (Nehemiah 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 Kings 22:4-28 parallel 2 Chronicles 18:3-27). In the Hebrew, his name appears once in the contracted form "Micah" (2 Chronicles 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 (Jeremiah 23:9-40) and by Ezekiel (Ezekiel 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" (1 Kings 22:28 parallel 2 Chronicles 18:27), a quotation of Micah 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.

John A. Lees

Strong's Hebrew

4319. Mikahu -- Micaiah
... Mikahu. 4320 . Micaiah. Transliteration: Mikahu Phonetic Spelling: (me-kaw'-hoo)
Short Definition: Micaiah. Word Origin a contr. of Mikayehu, qv. Micaiah A contr ...
/hebrew/4319.htm - 5k

3229. Yimla -- father of the prophet Micaiah
... 3228, 3229. Yimla or Yimlah. 3230 . father of the prophet Micaiah. Transliteration:
Yimla or Yimlah Phonetic Spelling: (yeem-law') Short Definition: Imlah. ...
/hebrew/3229.htm - 6k

4321. Mikayehu -- "Who is like Yah?" three Israelites
... "Who is like Yah?" three Israelites. Transliteration: Mikayehu or Mikayehu Phonetic
Spelling: (me-kaw-yeh-hoo') Short Definition: Micaiah. ...
/hebrew/4321.htm - 6k

4318. Mikah -- the name of several Israelites
... NASB Word Usage Micah (28), Micah's (3), Micaiah (1). Micah, Micaiah, Michah. ... Of
Miykayah; Micah, the name of seven Israelites -- Micah, Micaiah, Michah. ...
/hebrew/4318.htm - 6k

4322. Mikayahu -- "Who is like Yah?" an Israelite, also an ...
... "Who is like Yah?" an Israelite, also an Israelite woman. Transliteration: Mikayahu
Phonetic Spelling: (me-kaw-yaw'-hoo) Short Definition: Micaiah. ...
/hebrew/4322.htm - 6k

4320. Mikayah -- "Who is like Yah?" the name of several Israelites
... Mikayah. 4321 . "Who is like Yah?" the name of several Israelites. Transliteration:
Mikayah Phonetic Spelling: (me-kaw-yaw') Short Definition: Micaiah. ...
/hebrew/4320.htm - 6k

Library

Ahab and Micaiah
... THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS AHAB AND MICAIAH. ... I suppose we all know what it is to treat
our consciences in the style in which Ahab treated Micaiah. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/ahab and micaiah.htm

Micaiah's Courage in Telling the Truth
... THE OLD TESTAMENT MICAIAH'S COURAGE IN TELLING THE TRUTH. For three years
there was no war between Aram and Israel. But in the third ...
/.../sherman/the childrens bible/micaiahs courage in telling the.htm

Concerning Jehoshaphat the King of Jerusalem and How Ahab Made an ...
... foretold that he should be overcome and slain by the king of Syria, and that for
this cause he had him now in prison, and that his name was Micaiah, the son of ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 15 concerning jehoshaphat the.htm

Self-Destruction
... of? Ahab told him that there was one, Micaiah the son of Imlah, but that
he hated him, because he only prophesied evil of him. What ...
/.../kingsley/twenty-five village sermons/sermon viii self-destruction.htm

Turn or Burn
... Ahab scoffed at Micaiah, when he said he should never come home alive; the men of
Noah's generation laughed at the foolish old man, (as they thought him), who ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 2 1856/turn or burn.htm

The King's Courts
... Let him come, by all means.". We are reminded of a similar scene in Old Testament
history, when, at the solicitation of Jehoshaphat, Ahab sent for Micaiah. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/meyer/john the baptist/x the kings courts.htm

Jehoshaphat
... "Is there not here a prophet of the Lord," he asked, "that we might inquire of him?"
Verse 6. "There is yet one man, Micaiah to son of Imlah, by whom we may ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 15 jehoshaphat.htm

How Hadad King of Damascus and of Syria, Made Two Expeditions ...
... 5. But a certain prophet, whose name was Micaiah, [40] came to one of the Israelites,
and bid him smite him on the head, for by so doing he would please God ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 14 how hadad king.htm

Book 8 Footnotes
... copy this prophet, whose severe denunciation of a disobedient person's slaughter
by a lion had lately come to pass, was no other than Micaiah, the son of Imlah ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/book 8 footnotes.htm

The Children's Bible
... THE PROPHET OF FIRE. GOD'S LOW WHISPER. AHAB THE THIEF. MICAIAH'S COURAGE IN TELLING
THE TRUTH. THE MANTLE OF ELIJAH. ELISHA HEALING THE SICK BOY. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/sherman/the childrens bible/

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

Micaiah

who is like to God?

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Micaiah

(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. (1 Kings 22:1-35; 2 Chronicles 18:1) ...

ATS Bible Dictionary

Micaiah

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, 1 Kings 22:8-38. Ahab's conduct in this matter displays the amazing folly of sins against light.

2. A prince of Judah, who seconded the efforts of Jehoshaphat to instruct and reform the people of Judah, 2 Kings 17:7-9.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Who is like Jehovah?, the son of Imlah, a faithful prophet of Samaria (1 Kings 22:8-28). Three years after the great battle with Ben-hadad (20:29-34), Ahab proposed to Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, that they should go up against Ramoth-Gilead to do battle again with Ben-hadad. Jehoshaphat agreed, but suggested that inquiry should be first made "at the word of Jehovah." Ahab's prophets approved of the expedition; but Jehoshaphat, still dissatisfied, asked if there was no other prophet besides the four hundred that had appeared, and was informed of this Micaiah. He was sent for from prison, where he had been confined, probably on account of some prediction disagreeable to Ahab; and he condemned the expedition, and prophesied that it would end, as it did, in disaster. We hear nothing further of this prophet. Some have supposed that he was the unnamed prophet referred to in 1 Kings 20:35-42.

Thesaurus

Micaiah (27 Occurrences)
... but Jehoshaphat, still dissatisfied, asked if there was no other prophet besides
the four hundred that had appeared, and was informed of this Micaiah. ...MICAIAH. ...
/m/micaiah.htm - 21k

Micai'ah (27 Occurrences)
Micai'ah. Micaiah, Micai'ah. Mice . ... 1 Kings 22:9 Then the king of Israel called
an officer, and said: 'Fetch quickly Micaiah the son of Imlah.' (See RSV). ...
/m/micai'ah.htm - 13k

Micah (54 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary A shortened form of Micaiah, who is like Jehovah?
(1.) A man of Mount Ephraim, whose history so far is ...
/m/micah.htm - 38k

Imla (2 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Replenisher, the father of Micaiah the prophet (2 Chronicles
18:7, 8). Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. IMLA; IMLAH. ...
/i/imla.htm - 7k

Amon (20 Occurrences)
... Builder. (1.) The governor of Samaria in the time of Ahab. The prophet Micaiah was
committed to his custody (1 Kings 22:26; 2 Chronicles 18:25). ...
/a/amon.htm - 18k

Imlah (4 Occurrences)
... IMLA; IMLAH. im'-la (yimlah, "fullness"?): Father of the prophet Micaiah (1 Kings
22:8, 9 2 Chronicles 18:7, 8). Multi-Version Concordance Imlah (4 Occurrences) ...
/i/imlah.htm - 8k

Chenaanah (5 Occurrences)
... (2) Father of the false prophet Zedekiah, who encouraged Ahab against Micaiah (1
Kings 22:11, 24 2 Chronicles 18:10, 23). Multi-Version Concordance ...
/c/chenaanah.htm - 9k

Shaphan (26 Occurrences)
... The Micaiah of Jeremiah 36:11, 12, and Gedaliah, the governor of Judea after
the captivity of 586 BC, were his grandsons (Jeremiah 39:14). ...
/s/shaphan.htm - 18k

Zechari'ah (51 Occurrences)
... 2 Chronicles 17:7 Also in the third year of his reign he sent his princes, even
Ben-hail, and Obadiah, and Zechariah, and Nethanel, and Micaiah, to teach in ...
/z/zechari'ah.htm - 20k

Ahab (85 Occurrences)
... years of peace, for some cause Ahab renewed war (1 Kings 22:3) with Ben-hadad by
assaulting the city of Ramoth-gilead, although the prophet Micaiah warned him ...
/a/ahab.htm - 52k

Bible Concordance

Micaiah (27 Occurrences)

1 Kings 22:8 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of Yahweh, Micaiah the son of Imlah; but I hate him; for he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil." Jehoshaphat said, "Don't let the king say so."
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS NIV)

1 Kings 22:9 Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said, "Quickly get Micaiah the son of Imlah."
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS NIV)

1 Kings 22:13 The messenger who went to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, "See now, the the prophets declare good to the king with one mouth. Please let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak good."
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS NIV)

1 Kings 22:14 Micaiah said, "As Yahweh lives, what Yahweh says to me, that I will speak."
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS NIV)

1 Kings 22:15 When he had come to the king, the king said to him, "Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall we forbear?" He answered him, "Go up and prosper; and Yahweh will deliver it into the hand of the king."
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS NIV)

1 Kings 22:19 Micaiah said, "Therefore hear the word of Yahweh. I saw Yahweh sitting on his throne, and all the army of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left.
(WEB ASV NAS NIV)

1 Kings 22:24 Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near, and struck Micaiah on the cheek, and said, "Which way did the Spirit of Yahweh go from me to speak to you?"
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS NIV)

1 Kings 22:25 Micaiah said, "Behold, you will see on that day, when you go into an inner chamber to hide yourself."
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS NIV)

1 Kings 22:26 The king of Israel said, "Take Micaiah, and carry him back to Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king's son.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS NIV)

1 Kings 22:28 Micaiah said, "If you return at all in peace, Yahweh has not spoken by me." He said, "Listen, all you people!"
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS NIV)

2 Kings 22:12 The king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Micaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king's servant, saying,
(WEB JPS ASV BBE DBY NAS NIV)

2 Chronicles 13:2 Three years reigned he in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Micaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.
(WEB JPS ASV NAS)

2 Chronicles 17:7 Also in the third year of his reign he sent his princes, even Ben Hail, and Obadiah, and Zechariah, and Nethanel, and Micaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah;
(WEB JPS ASV BBE NAS NIV)

2 Chronicles 18:7 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of Yahweh: but I hate him; for he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil: the same is Micaiah the son of Imla. Jehoshaphat said, Don't let the king say so.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS NIV)

2 Chronicles 18:8 Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said, Get quickly Micaiah the son of Imla.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS NIV)

2 Chronicles 18:12 The messenger who went to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, Behold, the words of the prophets declare good to the king with one mouth: let your word therefore, please be like one of theirs, and speak good.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS NIV)

2 Chronicles 18:13 Micaiah said, As Yahweh lives, what my God says, that will I speak.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS NIV)

2 Chronicles 18:14 When he was come to the king, the king said to him, Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? He said, Go up, and prosper; and they shall be delivered into your hand.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS NIV)

2 Chronicles 18:18 Micaiah said, "Therefore hear the word of Yahweh: I saw Yahweh sitting on his throne, and all the army of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left.
(WEB ASV NAS NIV)

2 Chronicles 18:23 Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near, and struck Micaiah on the cheek, and said, Which way went the Spirit of Yahweh from me to speak to you?
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS NIV)

2 Chronicles 18:24 Micaiah said, Behold, you shall see on that day, when you shall go into an inner chamber to hide yourself.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS NIV)

2 Chronicles 18:25 The king of Israel said, Take Micaiah, and carry him back to Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king's son;
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS NIV)

2 Chronicles 18:27 Micaiah said, If you return at all in peace, Yahweh has not spoken by me. He said, Hear, you peoples, all of you.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Nehemiah 12:35 and certain of the priests' sons with trumpets: Zechariah the son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph;
(WEB JPS ASV BBE DBY NAS NIV)

Nehemiah 12:41 and the priests, Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with trumpets;
(WEB JPS ASV BBE DBY NAS NIV)

Jeremiah 36:11 When Micaiah the son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, had heard out of the book all the words of Yahweh,
(WEB JPS ASV BBE NAS NIV)

Jeremiah 36:13 Then Micaiah declared to them all the words that he had heard, when Baruch read the book in the ears of the people.
(WEB JPS ASV BBE YLT NAS NIV)

Subtopics

Irony: Micaiah

Micaiah

Micaiah: A Prophet Who Reproved King Ahab

Related Terms

Micai'ah (27 Occurrences)

Micah (54 Occurrences)

Imla (2 Occurrences)

Amon (20 Occurrences)

Imlah (4 Occurrences)

Chenaanah (5 Occurrences)

Shaphan (26 Occurrences)