1 Kings 22:21

Then a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will entice him.’ ‘By what means?’ asked the LORD.

BSB

Parallel translations

4 additional translations

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KJV

And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said, I will persuade him.

ASV

And there came forth a spirit, and stood before Jehovah, and said, I will entice him.

YLT

`And the spirit goeth out, and standeth before Jehovah, and saith, I--I do entice him; and Jehovah saith unto him, By what?

DBT

And there came forth a spirit, and stood before Jehovah, and said, I will entice him.

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Commentary voices

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Voices4

On this verse

I think every evil and deceitful spirit is a lie, and whenever anyone of these speaks, it speaks from its own resources and by no means from the resources of God. And the father of these [spirits] is the liar, the devil. We will now present what moved us to say that every inferior spirit is false.

Origen of Alexandria· COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 20.257-62, 253patristic

Related commentary

And there came forth a spirit,.... Not from the heavenly host on the right hand or the left, for they are pure and holy spirits, and impeccable, and cannot lie or deceive; but the evil spirit, Satan, the father of lies, the old deceiver, who came forth from his own place and his own company: and stood before the Lord presented himself before him, as Satan did, Job 1:6, and said, l will persuade him; or prevail upon him; evil spirits love to be employed in doing harm to men, they go about seeking whom they may devour.

John Gill· Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763)reformed

A spirit - The spirit - which some explain as the evil spirit - i. e. Satan; others as simply the spirit who should persuade.

Albert Barnes· Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)evangelical

Did I not tell thee that he would prophesy no good concerning me, but evil?--Since Ahab was disposed to trace this unwelcome truth to personal enmity, Micaiah proceeded fearlessly to tell the incensed monarch in full detail what had been revealed to him. The Hebrew prophets, borrowing their symbolic pictures from earthly scenes, described God in heaven as a king in His kingdom.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown· Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, 1871reformed

Voices on this verse

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Rabbinic commentary

How the Hebraic tradition has read this verse — and Marcus Brown’s own reading of it.

Cross-references

10 linked verses

The verses this one reaches10

2 Chronicles 18:21
And he replied, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ ‘You will surely entice him and prevail,’ said the LORD. ‘Go and do it.’
Psalms 78:49
He unleashed His fury against them, wrath, indignation, and calamity— a band of destroying angels.
Micah 2:11
If a man of wind were to come and say falsely, “I will preach to you of wine and strong drink,” he would be just the preacher for this people!
Revelation 22:15
But outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
Job 1:6–7
One day the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them.
1 Kings 22:23
So you see, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours, and the LORD has pronounced disaster against you.”
Job 2:1
On another day the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them to present himself before Him.
Acts 19:15
Eventually, one of the evil spirits answered them, “Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?”
2 Samuel 16:10
But the king replied, “What have I to do with you, O sons of Zeruiah? If he curses me because the LORD told him, ‘Curse David,’ who can ask, ‘Why did you do this?’”
Acts 5:3
Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and withhold some of the proceeds from the land?

Cross-references

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The quotation web

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Original language

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Around this verse

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread — the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

The Death of Ahab — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866) — public domain

1 Kings — From Solomon's glory to the divided kingdom — then Elijah's confrontation with Ahab and Jezebel dominating the second half. The promise of the Davidic covenant unfolding through temple glory, then beginning to unravel as idolatry and political fragmentation take hold.

Canon: Old Testament
Author: Compiler anonymous; Jewish tradition attributes to Jeremiah (Bava Batra 15a). The book draws on court annals and prophetic records cited by name.
Date: Events c. 970–852 BC; compilation during the late Judahite monarchy or exile

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first — the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
Job 2:1
On another day the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them to present himself before Him.
leads to
- Job 1:6
  One day the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them.
- Hebrews 1:14
  Are not the angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?
- Luke 1:19
  “I am Gabriel,” replied the angel. “I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.
Through
1 Kings 22:23
So you see, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours, and the LORD has pronounced disaster against you.”
leads to
- Ezekiel 14:9
  But if the prophet is enticed to speak a message, then it was I the LORD who enticed him, and I will stretch out My hand against him and destroy him from among My…
- Isaiah 6:9–10
  And He replied: “Go and tell this people, ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’
- Matthew 24:24–25
  For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that were possible.
- Isaiah 44:20
  He feeds on ashes. His deluded heart has led him astray, and he cannot deliver himself or say, “Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?”
- 2 Chronicles 25:16

The whole web at once: see the Arc.

Where the connections lead

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