The Meaning of 1 Kings 22:13 Explained

1 Kings 22:13

KJV: And the messenger that was gone to call Micaiah spake unto him, saying, Behold now, the words of the prophets declare good unto the king with one mouth: let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them, and speak that which is good.

YLT: And the messenger who hath gone to call Micaiah hath spoken unto him, saying, 'Lo, I pray thee, the words of the prophets, with one mouth, are good towards the king; let it be, I pray thee, thy word as the word of one of them -- and thou hast spoken good.'

Darby: And the messenger that went to call Micah spoke to him saying, Behold now, the words of the prophets declare good to the king with one assent: let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them, and speak good.

ASV: And the messenger that went to call Micaiah spake unto him, saying, Behold now, the words of the prophets declare good unto the king with one mouth: let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them, and speak thou good.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the messenger  that was gone  to call  Micaiah  spake  unto him, saying,  Behold now, the words  of the prophets  [declare] good  unto the king  with one  mouth:  let thy word,  I pray thee, be like the word  of one  of them, and speak  [that which is] good. 

What does 1 Kings 22:13 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 22:13 mean?

And the messenger who had gone to call Micaiah spoke to him saying behold now listen the words of the prophets with accord one encourage unto the king let be please - your word like the word of one of them and speak encouragement
וְהַמַּלְאָ֞ךְ אֲשֶׁר־ הָלַ֣ךְ ׀ לִקְרֹ֣א מִיכָ֗יְהוּ דִּבֶּ֤ר אֵלָיו֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר הִנֵּה־ נָ֞א דִּבְרֵ֧י הַנְּבִיאִ֛ים פֶּֽה־ אֶחָ֥ד ט֖וֹב אֶל־ הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ יְהִֽי־ נָ֣א [דבריך] (דְבָרְךָ֗) כִּדְבַ֛ר אַחַ֥ד מֵהֶ֖ם וְדִבַּ֥רְתָּ טּֽוֹב

וְהַמַּלְאָ֞ךְ  And  the  messenger 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מַלְאָךְ  
Sense: messenger, representative.
הָלַ֣ךְ ׀  had  gone 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
לִקְרֹ֣א  to  call 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
מִיכָ֗יְהוּ  Micaiah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִיכָיְהוּ  
Sense: an Ephraimite during the period of the judges.
דִּבֶּ֤ר  spoke 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
אֵלָיו֙  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
לֵאמֹ֔ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הִנֵּה־  behold 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
נָ֞א  now  listen 
Parse: Interjection
Root: נָא  
Sense: I (we) pray, now, please.
דִּבְרֵ֧י  the  words 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
הַנְּבִיאִ֛ים  of  the  prophets 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: נָבִיא  
Sense: spokesman, speaker, prophet.
פֶּֽה־  with  accord 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: פֶּה  
Sense: mouth.
אֶחָ֥ד  one 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: אֶחָד  
Sense: one (number).
ט֖וֹב  encourage 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: טָבַב 
Sense: good, pleasant, agreeable.
אֶל־  unto 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
יְהִֽי־  let  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect Jussive, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
נָ֣א  please 
Parse: Interjection
Root: נָא  
Sense: I (we) pray, now, please.
[דבריך]  - 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
(דְבָרְךָ֗)  your  word 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
כִּדְבַ֛ר  like  the  word 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
אַחַ֥ד  of  one 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: אֶחָד  
Sense: one (number).
מֵהֶ֖ם  of  them 
Parse: Preposition-m, Pronoun, third person masculine plural
Root: הֵם 
Sense: they, these, the same, who.
וְדִבַּ֥רְתָּ  and  speak 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
טּֽוֹב  encouragement 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: טָבַב 
Sense: good, pleasant, agreeable.