Tanach
Melachim I 22:2-18 מלכים א כ״ב:ב׳-י״ח
Part of: Chapter 22
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וַיְהִי בַּשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁלִישִׁית וַיֵּרֶד יְהוֹשָׁפָט מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה אֶל־מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
It was in the third year and Yehoshofat, king of Yehudah came down to the king of Yisroel.
It was in the third year and Yehoshofat, king of Yehudah came down to the king of Yisroel.
Rashi
וַיֹּאמֶר מֶֽלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל־עֲבָדָיו הַיְדַעְתֶּם כִּי־לָנוּ רָמֹת גִּלְעָד וַאֲנַחְנוּ מַחְשִׁים מִקַּחַת אֹתָהּ מִיַּד מֶלֶךְ אֲרָֽם׃
The king of Yisroel said to his servants, “Do you know that Ramot Gilad is ours? We have been quiet about taking it [back] from the hands of the king of Aram.”
The king of Yisroel said to his servants, “Do you know that Ramot Gilad is ours? We have been quiet about taking it [back] from the hands of the king of Aram.”
Rashi
ואנחנו מחשים. מתעצלים, סיאמ"ו פיגר"י בלע"ז
We have been quiet. We are lazy.2Alternatively, “we have been quiet [=מחשים]” as in, “a time to be quiet [לחשות],” in Koheles 3:7—Metzudas Tzion Siamo figre, in O.F.
וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל־יְהוֹשָׁפָט הֲתֵלֵךְ אִתִּי לַמִּלְחָמָה רָמֹת גִּלְעָד וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֽוֹשָׁפָט אֶל־מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל כָּמוֹנִי כָמוֹךָ כְּעַמִּי כְעַמֶּךָ כְּסוּסַי כְּסוּסֶֽיךָ׃
And he said to Yehoshofot, “Will you join me in battle in Ramot Gilad!” And Yehoshofat said to the king of Yisroel, “I am as you are, my people are like your people, my horses are like your horses.”
And he said to Yehoshofot, “Will you join me in battle in Ramot Gilad!” And Yehoshofat said to the king of Yisroel, “I am as you are, my people are like your people, my horses are like your horses.”
וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוֹשָׁפָט אֶל־מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל דְּרׇשׁ־נָא כַיּוֹם אֶת־דְּבַר יְהֹוָֽה׃
And Yehoshofot said to the king of Yisroel, “Please inquire the word of Adonoy today.”
And Yehoshofot said to the king of Yisroel, “Please inquire the word of Adonoy today.”
וַיִּקְבֹּץ מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶֽת־הַנְּבִיאִים כְּאַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת אִישׁ וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם הַאֵלֵךְ עַל־רָמֹת גִּלְעָד לַמִּלְחָמָה אִם־אֶחְדָּל וַיֹּאמְרוּ עֲלֵה וְיִתֵּן אֲדֹנָי בְּיַד הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃
And the king of Yisroel gathered about four hundred prophets and said to them, “Shall I go to Ramot Gilad for war or shall I refraim?” They said, “Go up and God will give it into the hands of the king.”
And the king of Yisroel gathered about four hundred prophets and said to them, “Shall I go to Ramot Gilad for war or shall I refraim?” They said, “Go up and God will give it into the hands of the king.”
וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוֹשָׁפָט הַאֵין פֹּה נָבִיא לַֽיהֹוָה עוֹד וְנִדְרְשָׁה מֵאֹתֽוֹ׃
And Yehoshofat said, “Is there no othe prophet of Adonoy here, that we might inquire of him?”
And Yehoshofat said, “Is there no othe prophet of Adonoy here, that we might inquire of him?”
Rashi
האין פה נביא לה' עוד. מקובלני אין שני נביאים מתנבאים בלשון אחד, ואלה כולם לשון אחד אומרים (סנהדרין פט א):
Is there no other prophet of Adonoy? I have a tradition that no two prophets prophesy with the same expression, and these are all saying the same expression.3See Maseches Sanhedrin 89a.4Yehoshofot did not accuse them directly of not being God’s prophets out of respect for Achov.—Radak
וַיֹּאמֶר מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל ׀ אֶֽל־יְהוֹשָׁפָט עוֹד אִישׁ־אֶחָד לִדְרֹשׁ אֶת־יְהֹוָה מֵאֹתוֹ וַאֲנִי שְׂנֵאתִיו כִּי לֹא־יִתְנַבֵּא עָלַי טוֹב כִּי אִם־רָע מִיכָיְהוּ בֶּן־יִמְלָה וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוֹשָׁפָט אַל־יֹאמַר הַמֶּלֶךְ כֵּֽן׃
And the king of Yisroel said to Yehoshofat, “There is another man from whom to ask of Adonoy, but I hate him for he will not prophecy good about me, but only evil; he is Michohyu ben Yimloh.” Yehoshofat said, “Let the king not say that.”
And the king of Yisroel said to Yehoshofat, “There is another man from whom to ask of Adonoy, but I hate him for he will not prophecy good about me, but only evil; he is Michohyu ben Yimloh.” Yehoshofat said, “Let the king not say that.”
Rashi
כי אם רע. לפי שאמר יען שלחת את איש חרמי וגו':
But only evil. For he said to me, “Because you released the man whom I condemned, etc.”5Above 20:42.
וַיִּקְרָא מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל־סָרִיס אֶחָד וַיֹּאמֶר מַהֲרָה מִיכָיְהוּ בֶן־יִמְלָֽה׃
And the king of Yisroel summoned one officer, and said, “Quick, bring Michohyu ben Yimloh.”
And the king of Yisroel summoned one officer, and said, “Quick, bring Michohyu ben Yimloh.”
וּמֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל וִיהוֹשָׁפָט מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה יֹשְׁבִים אִישׁ עַל־כִּסְאוֹ מְלֻבָּשִׁים בְּגָדִים בְּגֹרֶן פֶּתַח שַׁעַר שֹׁמְרוֹן וְכׇל־הַנְּבִיאִים מִֽתְנַבְּאִים לִפְנֵיהֶֽם׃
The king of Yisroel and Yehosofat, king of Yehudah, were sitting each on his throne, dressed in [royal] garments, on the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Shomron; and all the prophets were prophesying before them.
The king of Yisroel and Yehosofat, king of Yehudah, were sitting each on his throne, dressed in [royal] garments, on the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Shomron; and all the prophets were prophesying before them.
וַיַּעַשׂ לוֹ צִדְקִיָּה בֶֽן־כְּנַעֲנָה קַרְנֵי בַרְזֶל וַיֹּאמֶר כֹּה־אָמַר יְהֹוָה בְּאֵלֶּה תְּנַגַּח אֶת־אֲרָם עַד־כַּלֹּתָֽם׃
Tzidkiyahu ben Kenaanah made for himself iron horns, and said, thus said Adonoy, ‘With’ these you will gore Aram until you destroy them completely.’”
Tzidkiyahu ben Kenaanah made for himself iron horns, and said, thus said Adonoy, ‘With’ these you will gore Aram until you destroy them completely.’”
וְכׇל־הַנְּבִאִים נִבְּאִים כֵּן לֵאמֹר עֲלֵה רָמֹת גִּלְעָד וְהַצְלַח וְנָתַן יְהֹוָה בְּיַד הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃
All the prophets were prophesying the same, saying, “Go up to Ramot Gilad and succeed, and Adonoy will give into the hands of the king.
All the prophets were prophesying the same, saying, “Go up to Ramot Gilad and succeed, and Adonoy will give into the hands of the king.
וְהַמַּלְאָךְ אֲשֶׁר־הָלַךְ ׀ לִקְרֹא מִיכָיְהוּ דִּבֶּר אֵלָיו לֵאמֹר הִנֵּה־נָא דִּבְרֵי הַנְּבִיאִים פֶּה־אֶחָד טוֹב אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ יְהִי־נָא (דבריך) [דְבָרְךָ] כִּדְבַר אַחַד מֵהֶם וְדִבַּרְתָּ טּֽוֹב׃
The messenger that went to call Michohyu spoke to him saying, “Behold, please, the words of the prophets are one, and they are favorable for the king. Please let your words be like the words of one of them, and speak favorably.”
The messenger that went to call Michohyu spoke to him saying, “Behold, please, the words of the prophets are one, and they are favorable for the king. Please let your words be like the words of one of them, and speak favorably.”
וַיֹּאמֶר מִיכָיְהוּ חַי־יְהֹוָה כִּי אֶת־אֲשֶׁר יֹאמַר יְהֹוָה אֵלַי אֹתוֹ אֲדַבֵּֽר׃
And Michoyehu said, “As Adonoy lives, that which Adonoy will say to me that is what I will speak.”
And Michoyehu said, “As Adonoy lives, that which Adonoy will say to me that is what I will speak.”
וַיָּבוֹא אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ אֵלָיו מִיכָיְהוּ הֲנֵלֵךְ אֶל־רָמֹת גִּלְעָד לַמִּלְחָמָה אִם־נֶחְדָּל וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו עֲלֵה וְהַצְלַח וְנָתַן יְהֹוָה בְּיַד הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃
And he came to the king and the king said to him, “Michohyu should we go to Ramot Gilad for war, or should we refrain.” And he [Michohyu] said to him, “Go up and be successful and [may] Adonoy give it into the hand of the king.”
And he came to the king and the king said to him, “Michohyu should we go to Ramot Gilad for war, or should we refrain.” And he [Michohyu] said to him, “Go up and be successful and [may] Adonoy give it into the hand of the king.”
Rashi
עלה והצלח. לא אמר לו בשם ה':
Go up and be successful. He did not say [it] to him in God’s Name.6He was merely wishing him good luck, or giving him a blessing that he succeed.—Metzudas Dovid
ונתן ה'. הלואי יתן ביד המלך:
And may Adonoy give. If only He deliver it into the king’s hand.
וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו הַמֶּלֶךְ עַד־כַּמֶּה פְעָמִים אֲנִי מַשְׁבִּיעֶךָ אֲשֶׁר לֹֽא־תְדַבֵּר אֵלַי רַק־אֱמֶת בְּשֵׁם יְהֹוָֽה׃
And the king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear that you will not speak to me except the truth in the Name of Adonoy.”
And the king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear that you will not speak to me except the truth in the Name of Adonoy.”
וַיֹּאמֶר רָאִיתִי אֶת־כׇּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל נְפֹצִים אֶל־הֶהָרִים כַּצֹּאן אֲשֶׁר אֵין־לָהֶם רֹעֶה וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה לֹֽא־אֲדֹנִים לָאֵלֶּה יָשׁוּבוּ אִישׁ־לְבֵיתוֹ בְּשָׁלֽוֹם׃
And he [Michohyu] said, “I saw all of Yisroel scattered on the mountains like sheep who have no shepherd; and Adonoy said, ‘These have no masters. Let each man return to his house in peace.’”
And he [Michohyu] said, “I saw all of Yisroel scattered on the mountains like sheep who have no shepherd; and Adonoy said, ‘These have no masters. Let each man return to his house in peace.’”
Rashi
לא אדונים לאלה. אתה לבדך תמות במלחמה, כענין שנאמר (לקמן פסוק לא): לא תלחמו את קטן ואת גדול כי אם את מלך ישראל לבדו. ואף על פי שנאמר (לעיל כ מב): ועמך תחת עמו, טיפה שיצאה מאותו צדיק מיכיהו, שהכהו חברו הכה ופצוע, היתה כפרה על כל ישראל. כך מפורש באגדה (ירושלמי סנהדרין י ה):
These have no masters. You alone will die in the war, as the matter is stated below, “Do not battle the small or the great, but only with the king of Yisroel himself.”7Below v. 31. Even though it was stated, “and your people instead of his people,”8Above 20:42. the drop of blood that came out of the righteous man, Michoyhu, whose friend struck him, striking and wounding him, was an atonement for all Yisroel. So it is explained in the [Midrash] Aggadah.9Talmud Yerushalmi Maseches Sanhedrin 11:5.
וַיֹּאמֶר מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל־יְהוֹשָׁפָט הֲלוֹא אָמַרְתִּי אֵלֶיךָ לוֹא־יִתְנַבֵּא עָלַי טוֹב כִּי אִם־רָֽע׃ {ס}
And the king of Yisroel said to Yehoshofat, “Did I not say to you that he does not prophecy good for me but only bad?”
And the king of Yisroel said to Yehoshofat, “Did I not say to you that he does not prophecy good for me but only bad?”
בשנה השלישית. ששלח את בן הדד:
In the third year. Since he had released Ben-Hadad.1See above 20:34.