Introduction: Yehoshaphat at the Height of His Power - and the Marriage Alliance with Achav
Chapter 18 of Divrei HaYamim II opens at the pinnacle of Yehoshaphat's success, and immediately leads us toward his decline: the marriage alliance with the house of Achav, going down to Shomron, and setting out together for the war at Ramot Gilead. Everything we will learn here appears in greater detail in the Book of Melachim I, where we studied this chapter at length with Radak and Malbim. As is our custom in Divrei HaYamim, we will not repeat all of those details, but will keep it concise and adhere to what the commentators say here. Anyone wishing for the full elaboration is strongly encouraged to listen to the lessons on the Book of Melachim.
וַיְהִי לִיהוֹשָׁפָט עֹשֶׁר וְכָבוֹד לָרֹב וַיִּתְחַתֵּן לְאַחְאָב׃ - And Yehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance, and he allied himself by marriage with Achav.
"And he allied himself by marriage with Achav" - he took Achav's daughter for his son Yehoram. And why does Scripture mention the riches and honor first? It comes to teach you: after he built structures, amassed silver and gold and a vast army - all of which cause enormous expenses and usually lead to cash-flow shortages - here there was no such problem. After all these vast expenditures, he was neither impoverished nor reduced to hardship; rather, Yehoshaphat still possessed riches and honor in abundance.
Going Down to Shomron and the Enticement
וַיֵּרֶד לְקֵץ שָׁנִים אֶל אַחְאָב לְשֹׁמְרוֹן וַיִּזְבַּח לוֹ אַחְאָב צֹאן וּבָקָר לָרֹב וְלָעָם אֲשֶׁר עִמּוֹ וַיְסִיתֵהוּ לַעֲלוֹת אֶל רָמֹת גִּלְעָד׃ - And after some years he went down to Achav in Shomron, and Achav slaughtered for him sheep and cattle in abundance, and for the people who were with him, and enticed him to go up to Ramot Gilead.
Metzudat David notes that Scripture does not specify how many years had passed. But the Malbim explains: at that time, most of the years of his reign had already passed. Yehoshaphat reigned for twenty-five years, and here we are in the seventeenth year of his reign. It was then that he went down to his in-law Achav in Shomron.
"And Achav slaughtered for him sheep and cattle in abundance" - he honored him and the people who were with him. And let us emphasize once again what we have explained several times: zevicha does not necessarily mean a sacrifice, although many mistakenly think so. Zevicha simply means ritual slaughter. Many times slaughter is done for the purpose of a sacrificial offering, but when Scripture says zavach, the primary meaning is to slaughter. Here, he slaughtered sheep and cattle for them to eat, honoring them with a feast.
What is "Hasatah" (Enticement)? The Malbim's Explanation and the Gemara in Chullin
"And enticed him to go up to Ramot Gilead" - he tried to persuade him. The Malbim explains: as I have explained in several places, there is a distinction between hesit (enticed), pittah (seduced or persuaded), and hishi ("The serpent deceived me, and I ate"). An instigator (mesit) demonstrates a tangible benefit to the target: come, it is worth your while to steal, do you know how rich you will become? That is called lehasit - showing what you will gain from it. In contrast, verbal persuasion is called pitui, as in a seduced maiden (na'arah mefutah).
However, the Malbim notes that here this does not seem evident from the plain reading of the text, since Achav did not show Yehoshaphat any benefit that would accrue to him from the war. Therefore, Chazal say in the Gemara in Chullin (daf 4b): How did he entice him? Through the slaughtering. That is, the benefit did not stem from the action itself - from some strategic advantage in the war - but rather from the immediate pleasure he provided: the feast, the food, and the drink. Through this, he swayed him to do his will.
The Gemara asks: Perhaps it was through words - perhaps he enticed him merely through speech? And it answers: There is no enticement through words. According to the Malbim's words, this is wonderfully understood: verbal coaxing is not called hasatah but rather pitui, whereas hasatah always involves some concrete gain, whether monetary profit or physical pleasure.
The Gemara raises an objection: Is it not written, "If your brother, the son of your mother, entices you (yesitecha)," and there it says, "Let us go and worship other gods, whom you have not known" - so the one being incited knows nothing of their benefit, and yet the seducer is called a *meisit* (an instigator)? The Gemara answers: There too it involves eating and drinking - even there it refers to sitting him down to a feast, serving him fine food, and then attempting to entice him. The Gemara asks further: But is it not written, "and you incited Me (vatasiteini) against him, to swallow him up without cause," where the Holy One, Blessed be He, says to the Satan that he incited Him for nothing, without benefit? It answers: Above it is different - regarding the Holy One, Blessed be He, the concept of enticement does not apply, nor does any benefit from the matter apply to Him, for everything Hashem does is for an ultimate purpose, and therefore the term *hasatah* (incitement) applies there.
"I am as you are" - Yehoshaphat's Response
וַיֹּאמֶר אַחְאָב מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל יְהוֹשָׁפָט מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה הֲתֵלֵךְ עִמִּי רָמֹת גִּלְעָד וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ כָּמוֹנִי כָמוֹךָ וּכְעַמְּךָ עַמִּי וְעִמְּךָ בַּמִּלְחָמָה׃ - And Achav king of Israel said to Yehoshaphat king of Yehudah, "Will you go with me to Ramoth Gilead?" And he said to him, "I am as you are, and my people as your people, and I am with you in the war."
"I am as you are" - just as you go, so will I go. "And with you in the war" - my men will go up with you to battle. In the Book of Melachim it says "my horses as your horses," and here Ezra abridges and says: I am with you in the battle. Just as your horses go out to battle, so will mine, or in simple terms - I am with you in the war.
"Inquire, please, this day for the word of Hashem"
וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוֹשָׁפָט אֶל מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל דְּרָשׁ נָא כַיּוֹם אֶת דְּבַר יְהוָה׃ - And Yehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, "Inquire, please, this day for the word of Hashem."
Notice the precise wording: "the word of Hashem" - and not from the prophets of the Ba'al whom you are accustomed to follow and consult. And what is meant by "this day" (*kayom*)? The Metzudat David explains: Even if you are not accustomed to doing so every day, at least today let us act differently - please inquire today for the word of Hashem.
וַיִּקְבֹּץ מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת הַנְּבִאִים אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת אִישׁ וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם הֲנֵלֵךְ אֶל רָמֹת גִּלְעָד לַמִּלְחָמָה אִם אֶחְדָּל וַיֹּאמְרוּ עֲלֵה וְיִתֵּן הָאֱלֹהִים בְּיַד הַמֶּלֶךְ׃ - Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four hundred men, and said to them, "Shall we go to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall I refrain?" And they said, "Go up, and God will deliver it into the king's hand."
Who Were the Four Hundred "Prophets"?
The commentary attributed to Rashi here offers a strange explanation. It has already been noted previously that the commentary attributed to Rashi is not actually Rashi, and anyone who reads it immediately sees that it is not Rashi - neither in elegance of language, nor in comprehension, nor in organization, and it contains astonishing interpretations. One of them is here: he suggests that the four hundred prophets were true prophets, prophets of Hashem, for whatever Yehoshaphat asked of him, he assembled for him. Since Yehoshaphat had said, "Inquire, please, this day for the word of Hashem," how could he bring him prophets of Ba'al?
Yet this is no difficulty at all, for all the prophets of Ba'al claimed that they prophesied in the name of Hashem. In whose name does any prophet prophesy? In the name of Hashem. However, they were experts in all sorts of pyrotechnics, deceptions, and techniques with which they deceived the people. First, they wore a hairy mantle "to deceive" - dressing in the manner of a true prophet. Second, as we will see further on, they performed symbolic acts just as the prophets did: when the prophets wished to illustrate a message, they would perform a physical action as a sign, and the prophets of Ba'al did the same. Furthermore, their practice was to overhear the true prophet and steal his prophecy, as our Sages described: the true prophet's mat was laid out in the lower marketplace, and the false prophet would listen to him, go up to the upper marketplace, and proclaim the prophecy in his own name. When it came to pass, behold, he had predicted it! And try proving who spoke first, and who would even know - what media existed in those days? In truth, the false prophets were the media of their time. So when Achav was asked to produce prophets, he brought these impostors who posed as true prophets. And we will soon see how convenient they were for him: they prophesied whatever he wanted to hear, singing sweet tunes to his ears - what we would call today mouthpieces. Like media that says everything the government does is wonderful if it comes from the left, or everything is terrible if it comes from the right; Achav had his own loyal mouthpieces who applauded whatever he did with a resounding "Yasher ko'ach!" There is therefore no reason to conclude that these were true prophets.
The commentary attributed to Rashi also sought to prove this from what is stated later: "And the spirit came forward and said, 'I will entice him... and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets,'" and the Holy One, Blessed be He, agrees to this - seemingly indicating that they receive prophecy from Hashem. But this is no proof: here it was an act of enticement, and for the sake of enticement the Holy One, Blessed be He, conveyed a prophecy through false prophets. Indeed, we find a precedent for this: when Iddo the prophet came and transgressed the word of Hashem, the old false prophet hosted him and claimed that Hashem had commanded him to invite him to eat, in order to cause him to sin; yet in the end, that very false prophet received a true prophecy from Hashem to inform Iddo that he would die for having done so. Thus, when Hashem wills it, even a false prophet may utter a prophecy of truth for a specific purpose. Here, too, Hashem sent the spirit to utter a false prophecy through the mouths of these deceitful men in order to mislead Achav, so this offers no proof.
He also sought to prove this from what Yehoshaphat said subsequently, "Is there not here another prophet of Hashem?" - which implies that these were also prophets. But this is no proof at all: Achav presented them as prophets of Hashem, and therefore Yehoshaphat is saying: Bring me another one who is truly a prophet of Hashem, not like these. Furthermore, "I have received a tradition from the house of my father's father: No two prophets prophesy in the same style," yet here all of them prophesy in the exact same wording, "Go up and succeed." The commentary attributed to Rashi wished to suggest that Yehoshaphat merely had a difficulty with their prophecy, but this is not the plain meaning (peshat). The peshat is that they were indeed not prophets, and he proves it from this very fact: no two prophets prophesy in the same style, yet these suddenly chant the exact same tune - a clear sign they are not true prophets. And this is the straightforward understanding adopted by all the commentators, in the words of the Metzudat David: "The prophets" - the prophets of the Baal. And when they said, "and God will deliver it into the hand of the king" - they spoke, as it were, in the name of Hashem so he would think they were prophets of Hashem.
Regarding the number: In Sefer Melachim it says "about four hundred," while here the Malbim notes that there were exactly four hundred. As is well known, this matter was also mentioned in the teachings on gilgulim (reincarnation), that four hundred represents the Sitra Achra (the "other side") and its legions - the forces of the Sitra Achra, as is written regarding Eisav, "and four hundred men with him." Four hundred is the measure of the forces of the Sitra Achra, and therefore here too, there were exactly four hundred.
The Malbim also notes the precise phrasing, "Shall we go to Ramot-gilad?": The question was essentially about both of them. For Yehoshaphat had already agreed to go, and now Achav asks, "Shall we go" - referring to both of us.
וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוֹשָׁפָט הַאֵין פֹּה נָבִיא לַיהוָה עוֹד וְנִדְרְשָׁה מֵאֹתוֹ׃ - And Yehoshaphat said, "Is there not here another prophet of Hashem, that we may inquire of him?"
Because all of these, as we noted, were not prophets of Hashem but false prophets. In particular, there is another major difficulty with the commentary attributed to Rashi, as the Metzudat David writes on this verse: Did not Izevel kill them all, leaving not a single prophet of Hashem remaining? How could it be that after Izevel, Achav's wife, had killed all the prophets of Hashem, and Eliyahu declared, "and I alone am left," four hundred prophets of Hashem suddenly appear here? Moreover, these are official, recognized figures whom the king summons and convenes - people whom Izevel had hunted down and murdered, yet suddenly four hundred are found? All this proves, contrary to the commentary attributed to Rashi and in line with the other commentators, that these were indeed false prophets.
"And I Hate Him" - When One Refuses to Hear the Truth
וַיֹּאמֶר מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל יְהוֹשָׁפָט עוֹד אִישׁ אֶחָד לִדְרוֹשׁ אֶת יְהוָה מֵאֹתוֹ וַאֲנִי שְׂנֵאתִיהוּ כִּי אֵינֶנּוּ מִתְנַבֵּא עָלַי לְטוֹבָה כִּי כָל יָמָיו לְרָעָה הוּא מִיכָיְהוּ בֶן יִמְלָא וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוֹשָׁפָט אַל יֹאמַר הַמֶּלֶךְ כֵּן׃ - And the king of Israel said to Yehoshaphat, "There is still one man through whom to inquire of Hashem, but I hate him, because he never prophesies good concerning me, but all his days for evil; he is Michayehu the son of Yimla." And Yehoshaphat said, "Let not the king say so."
The Malbim notes: In Sefer Melachim it says, "for he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil," whereas here Scripture adds the explanation - that all his days he prophesied evil concerning him. And how absurd this is! After all, the prophet speaks the word of Hashem. If you mend your ways, he will tell you good things from Hashem; and if you do not mend your ways, he will tell you bad things from Hashem. What do you expect him to do - cover up, disguise, conceal? What does it mean, "he does not prophesy good concerning me, but all his days for evil"? He says what must be said; that is the truth.
It is like a person who goes to a doctor and says: "I am firing this doctor; all he ever tells me about is problems - you have high cholesterol, fatty liver, this in your blood, you have that... I am looking for a more sympathetic doctor." What utter foolishness! Sir, the doctor tells you what appears in the test results, and the prophet tells you the word of Hashem. What, then, does this show? It teaches you that he did not care about the word of Hashem. What mattered to him was being told that whatever he did was good, receiving praise and affirmation, being told how successful he was. That is why the four hundred prophets of the Baal suited him so well - like a PR team cheering him on - and he had no interest whatsoever in truly hearing the word of Hashem.
וַיִּקְרָא מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל סָרִיס אֶחָד וַיֹּאמֶר מַהֵר מִיכָיְהוּ בֶן יִמְלָא׃ - And the king of Israel called an officer and said, "Hurry Michayehu son of Yimla."
Notice that it is written (ketiv) "Michahu," but read (keri) "Michayehu." Why? Because to diminish his name, he called him "Michahu" - with a truncated name, for whenever a letter is omitted from a name it indicates a deficiency, as with "Efron" written without a vav, and so forth.
Sitting at the Threshing Floor at the Entrance of Samaria's Gate - and the Spies
וּמֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל וִיהוֹשָׁפָט מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה יוֹשְׁבִים אִישׁ עַל כִּסְאוֹ מְלֻבָּשִׁים בְּגָדִים וְיֹשְׁבִים בְּגֹרֶן פֶּתַח שַׁעַר שֹׁמְרוֹן וְכָל הַנְּבִיאִים מִתְנַבְּאִים לִפְנֵיהֶם׃ - "And the king of Israel and Yehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting each on his throne, dressed in robes, and sitting in a threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Shomron; and all the prophets were prophesying before them."
"Dressed in robes" - distinguished royal garments. And why did Scripture emphasize that they were sitting outside the city, at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Shomron? The commentary attributed to Rashi explains that this is an introduction to what follows: the king of Aram commanded his chariot commanders not to fight with small or great, but only with the king of Israel alone - to leave all the soldiers aside, search out the king of Israel, and assassinate him. And from where did he know this secret? He had spies. For Achav was not sitting in a hidden palace, not in a shielded room safe from surveillance - he was sitting at the gate of Shomron, in a public gathering place, with four hundred prophets prophesying and a vast crowd all around. In such a situation, it is very easy for people to draw near and listen; and if someone were caught as a spy, he could claim: "I saw a crowd, I was passing by, I wanted to see and hear what was going on." Those individuals relayed the message to the king of Aram and revealed to him that the prophet had said the king would die while all the people would be spared. Since that was so, the king said: Why should I expend great forces fighting against the people? Target the head of the king of Israel. If this is a received tradition, we accept it; but to assert that this is precisely what occurred requires proof from the words of Chazal, and in the words of Chazal there is no mention of this. Nevertheless, it seems to align nicely with the plain meaning of the verses.
The Iron Horns of Tzidkiyahu ben Kena'anah
וַיַּעַשׂ לוֹ צִדְקִיָּהוּ בֶן כְּנַעֲנָה קַרְנֵי בַרְזֶל וַיֹּאמֶר כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה בְּאֵלֶּה תְּנַגַּח אֶת אֲרָם עַד כַּלּוֹתָם׃ - "And Tzidkiyahu ben Kena'anah made for himself horns of iron, and said: 'So says Hashem: With these you shall gore Aram until they are consumed.'"
Tzidkiyahu was one of the prophets of Baal, and here is an example of what was noted earlier: that it is the way of prophets to perform a symbolic act and parable through a tangible medium. Just as a prophet was told, "Lie on your right side," and then on your left side; "take a scroll and cast it into the Euphrates River"; "take arrows and strike the ground" - all kinds of actions through which the prophetic message is made concrete. So too here: Tzidkiyahu ben Kena'anah wants to provide a demonstration, so he crafts horns of iron and says that Hashem told him, "With these you shall gore Aram until they are consumed." In doing so, he creates the complete impression of a true prophet, employing all the techniques used by genuine prophets.
וְכָל הַנְּבִאִים נִבְּאִים כֵּן לֵאמֹר עֲלֵה רָמֹת גִּלְעָד וְהַצְלַח וְנָתַן יְהוָה בְּיַד הַמֶּלֶךְ׃ - "And all the prophets prophesied so, saying: 'Go up to Ramot Gilead and prosper, and Hashem will deliver it into the king's hand.'"
All the prophets - the prophets of Baal - continue with the very same formula: "Go up to Ramot Gilead and prosper."
"Let Your Word Be Like One of Them" - The Pressure on the Prophet
וְהַמַּלְאָךְ אֲשֶׁר הָלַךְ לִקְרֹא לְמִיכָיְהוּ דִּבֶּר אֵלָיו לֵאמֹר הִנֵּה דִּבְרֵי הַנְּבִאִים פֶּה אֶחָד טוֹב אֶל הַמֶּלֶךְ וִיהִי נָא דְבָרְךָ כְּאַחַד מֵהֶם וְדִבַּרְתָּ טּוֹב׃ - "And the messenger who went to call Michayehu spoke to him, saying: 'Behold, the words of the prophets with one mouth are favorable to the king; let your word, please, be like one of theirs, and speak favorably.'"
When studying this previously, it was already pointed out how absurd this is. The messenger comes and says to Michayehu: Do us a favor, don't spoil the mood. There is euphoria here, everyone is saying that everything will be good, everything is wonderful. Why do you rabbis always love to bring everyone down - Gog and Magog, apocalyptic disasters? Come on, be nice for once, go with the flow. They said good - you say good too; why always crash the party, why always ruin it? "Let your word, please, be like one of theirs, and speak favorably." He thinks the prophet is just another media outlet; he does not understand that this is a genuine communication channel to the Master of the Universe.
וַיֹּאמֶר מִיכָיְהוּ חַי יְהוָה כִּי אֶת אֲשֶׁר יֹאמַר אֱלֹהַי אֹתוֹ אֲדַבֵּר׃ - "And Michayehu said: 'As Hashem lives, whatever my God says, that is what I will speak.'"
I am not influenced by requests, nor am I influenced by a massive crowd saying a particular thing. I speak the word of Hashem - and a prophet who fails to speak the word of Hashem is liable to the death penalty.
In summary: Yehoshaphat, who stood at the peak of his wealth and honor, forms a marriage alliance with Achav, goes down to Shomron, and there Achav entices him with a feast - for enticement, as the Malbim explains, involves showing a tangible benefit, and does not happen through words alone. Yehoshaphat asks to inquire of the word of Hashem, and Achav gathers four hundred prophets of Baal who disguise themselves as true prophets, all prophesying in a single style and performing symbolic signs in the manner of prophets, like Tzidkiyah ben Kena'anah with the horns of iron. Achav hates Michayehu ben Yimla solely because he speaks the truth, like a sick person who fires his doctor for disclosing the test results. And even though the messenger pressures Michayehu to join the chorus, the prophet stands his ground: "Whatever my God says, that is what I will speak" - this is the essence of a true prophet, and in this lies the entire difference between him and the four hundred mouthpieces.