The Meaning of 1 Kings 22:27 Explained

1 Kings 22:27

KJV: And say, Thus saith the king, Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I come in peace.

YLT: and thou hast said, Thus said the king, Place ye this one in the house of restraint, and cause him to eat bread of oppression, and water of oppression, till my coming in peace.'

Darby: and thou shalt say, Thus says the king: Put this man in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I come in peace.

ASV: and say, Thus saith the king, Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I come in peace.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And say,  Thus saith  the king,  Put  this [fellow] in the prison,  and feed  him with bread  of affliction  and with water  of affliction,  until I come  in peace. 

What does 1 Kings 22:27 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Kings 22:13-28 - What Jehovah Saith… That Will I Speak
Ramoth was one of the cities of refuge, situated across the Jordan. The false prophets spake as they knew would please the king and gain the popular ear. But Micaiah did not scruple to say that the spirit of a demon was making use of their lips for the utterance of beguiling falsehood. He was evidently speaking metaphorically. By an ironical method of speech he suggested that the voices of such prophets were not to be accepted as truth. He knew well enough God's living voice. In the silence and solitude of his prison, shut away from all the world besides, he had learned to detect the accent of truth, and could easily discriminate between it and the lying boasts of the false prophets. We must try the spirits, whether they are of God, 1 John 4:1. Beware of being beguiled by every voice that speaks in your heart. God's voice almost always calls you to take up the cross and stand alone against the crowd. It summons to the straight gate and the narrow way.
"Carry him back!" cried the king. He hated the man of God, as the thief dreads a watch-dog. But better a thousand times be in that dungeon with Micaiah than faring sumptuously at Ahab's table. Do not hide yourself from the truth. Let it search, though it hurt you. It will save you from the unerring arrow.
1 Kings 22:1-53 - A Prosperous Nation
What a picture is here given of national contentment and prosperity! We can almost hear the gladsome voice of the myriad-peopled land, teeming with young life and laden with golden harvests. It was the summer of their national existence. The sacred scribe enumerates first the high officials of the court, then the daily provision of the king, his studies, and his fame. Abundant proof was yielded by all these circumstances to the manner in which God kept the pledges which had been made to David, his father.
Here is Solomon "in all his glory," but as we turn from him to the lowly Carpenter of Nazareth, who had nowhere to lay His head; who found His friends among the poor; and who ultimately laid down His life a ransom for many, we realize that, even apart from His divine nature, His was the nobler ideal and the richer existence. "A greater than Solomon is here." Who can measure His empire or resources? What tongue can recount His wisdom? Happy and safe are they that sit at His table, hear His words, and are joint-heirs with Him in His Kingdom! Romans 8:17. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Kings 22

1  Ahab, seduced by false prophets, by Michaiah's word, is slain at Ramoth Gilead
37  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

What do the individual words in 1 Kings 22:27 mean?

And say thus says the king Put - this [fellow] in the prison in prison and feed him with bread of affliction and water of affliction until I come in peace
וְאָמַרְתָּ֗ כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ שִׂ֥ימוּ אֶת־ זֶ֖ה בֵּ֣ית הַכֶּ֑לֶא וְהַאֲכִילֻ֨הוּ לֶ֤חֶם לַ֙חַץ֙ וּמַ֣יִם לַ֔חַץ עַ֖ד בֹּאִ֥י בְשָׁלֽוֹם

וְאָמַרְתָּ֗  And  say 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
כֹּ֚ה  thus 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֹּה  
Sense: thus, here, in this manner.
אָמַ֣ר  says 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
שִׂ֥ימוּ  Put 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
זֶ֖ה  this  [fellow] 
Parse: Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
בֵּ֣ית  in  the  prison 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
הַכֶּ֑לֶא  in  prison 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֶּלֶא  
Sense: imprisonment, confinement, restraint.
וְהַאֲכִילֻ֨הוּ  and  feed  him 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine plural, third person masculine singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
לֶ֤חֶם  with  bread 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֶחֶם  
Sense: bread, food, grain.
לַ֙חַץ֙  of  affliction 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לַחַץ  
Sense: oppression, distress, pressure.
וּמַ֣יִם  and  water 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
לַ֔חַץ  of  affliction 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לַחַץ  
Sense: oppression, distress, pressure.
עַ֖ד  until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
בֹּאִ֥י  I  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, first person common singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
בְשָׁלֽוֹם  in  peace 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁלֹום  
Sense: completeness, soundness, welfare, peace.