Now Zedekiah son of Chenaanah had made for himself iron horns and declared, "This is what the LORD says: 'With these you shall gore the Arameans until they are finished off.'" Zedekiah son of ChenaanahZedekiah, whose name means "Yahweh is righteousness," is identified as the son of Chenaanah. In the context of ancient Israel, names often carried significant meaning, reflecting the character or destiny of the individual. Zedekiah, a false prophet, stands in contrast to the true prophets of God, highlighting the tension between true and false prophecy. His lineage, "son of Chenaanah," situates him within a specific family, possibly indicating a prophetic or priestly heritage, though in this case, it is misused for personal gain and deception. had made for himself iron horns
The act of making "iron horns" is symbolic and significant. In ancient Near Eastern culture, horns were often symbols of strength and power. Iron, being a strong metal, emphasizes the supposed strength and invincibility of the prophecy. Zedekiah's crafting of these horns is a dramatic, visual act meant to persuade and manipulate. This reflects the human tendency to rely on tangible symbols rather than the unseen power of God, a recurring theme in the Old Testament. and declared
The act of declaring in a prophetic context is significant. Prophets were seen as mouthpieces of the divine, and their declarations were expected to carry the weight of divine authority. However, Zedekiah's declaration is not from God, despite his claim. This highlights the importance of discernment and the need to test the spirits, as emphasized in 1 John 4:1, to ensure that what is declared truly aligns with God's will. This is what the LORD says
This phrase is a common prophetic formula used to assert divine authority. However, in this context, it is misused by Zedekiah to lend credibility to his false prophecy. The misuse of God's name for personal or political gain is a serious offense, violating the commandment against taking the Lord's name in vain (Exodus 20:7). It serves as a warning against the manipulation of spiritual authority for deceitful purposes. With these you will gore the Arameans
The imagery of goring with horns is vivid and aggressive, suggesting a decisive and violent victory. The Arameans were a significant military threat to Israel, and the promise of their destruction would have been appealing. However, this false assurance contrasts with the true prophetic word given by Micaiah, which foretold disaster. This serves as a reminder of the danger of listening to comforting lies rather than difficult truths. until they are destroyed
The promise of total destruction is absolute and final. In the context of ancient warfare, such a promise would have been seen as a guarantee of complete victory and security. However, the false nature of this prophecy underscores the futility of relying on human assurances rather than seeking God's true guidance. It highlights the ultimate sovereignty of God over nations and the futility of human plans that are not aligned with His will. Persons / Places / Events 1. Zedekiah son of ChenaanahA false prophet who made iron horns as a symbolic act to support his prophecy. He claimed to speak for the LORD, encouraging King Ahab to go to war against the Arameans. 2. Iron HornsSymbolic objects crafted by Zedekiah to visually represent his prophecy of victory over the Arameans. Horns in biblical symbolism often represent strength and power. 3. The LORDThe God of Israel, whom Zedekiah falsely claimed to represent in his prophecy. 4. ArameansThe people against whom King Ahab of Israel was planning to wage war. They were a frequent adversary of Israel during this period. 5. King AhabThe king of Israel who sought counsel from prophets regarding his military campaign against the Arameans. Teaching Points Discernment in ProphecyBelievers must exercise discernment when evaluating prophetic messages, ensuring they align with God's revealed Word and character. Symbolism and Its PowerSymbols can powerfully convey messages, but they must be grounded in truth. Christians should be cautious of symbolic acts that are not rooted in Scripture. The Danger of False AssuranceFalse prophets can provide a false sense of security. True assurance comes from God's promises, not human declarations. Accountability for LeadersLeaders, both spiritual and political, are accountable for the guidance they provide. They must seek God's truth earnestly and avoid misleading those they lead. The Role of True ProphetsTrue prophets speak God's truth, even when it is unpopular or challenging. Believers should value and seek out voices that faithfully represent God's Word. Bible Study Questions 1. How can we discern between true and false prophecies in our lives today, and what role does Scripture play in this discernment? 2. In what ways can symbols be used effectively in communicating God's truth, and how can we ensure they remain biblically grounded? 3. Reflect on a time when you received advice or assurance that later proved false. How did this experience shape your understanding of seeking God's guidance? 4. What responsibilities do leaders have in ensuring they provide truthful and godly counsel, and how can we support them in this role? 5. How can we cultivate a community that values and listens to true prophetic voices, and what steps can we take to encourage such voices within our church or fellowship? Connections to Other Scriptures Deuteronomy 33:17This verse uses the imagery of horns to describe strength and power, similar to Zedekiah's use of iron horns. Jeremiah 14:14This passage speaks about false prophets who claim to speak in the name of the LORD, paralleling Zedekiah's actions. Micah 3:5-7These verses discuss the consequences for false prophets who lead people astray, relevant to Zedekiah's misleading prophecy. People Ahab, Ahaziah, Amon, Aram, Asa, Azubah, Chenaanah, David, Geber, Imlah, Jehoram, Jehoshaphat, Jeroboam, Joash, Micah, Micaiah, Nebat, Ophir, Shilhi, Sodomites, Syrians, Tarshish, Tharshish, ZedekiahPlaces Edom, Ezion-geber, Jerusalem, Ophir, Ramoth-gilead, Samaria, Syria, TarshishTopics Aramaeans, Arameans, Chenaanah, Chena'anah, Completely, Consumed, Declared, Destroyed, Exterminated, Gore, Hast, Horns, Iron, Kenaanah, Maketh, Push, Pushing, Says, Syrians, Thus, Till, Zedekiah, Zedeki'ahDictionary of Bible Themes 1 Kings 22:11 1431 prophecy, OT methods
4336 iron
4654 horn 1 Kings 22:1-28 7774 prophets, false 1 Kings 22:1-38 8131 guidance, results 1 Kings 22:10-28 1469 visions Library Unpossessed Possessions
'And the king of Israel said unto his servants, Know ye that Ramoth in Gilead is ours, and we be still, and take it not out of the hand of the king of Syria?'--1 KINGS xxii. 3. This city of Ramoth in Gilead was an important fortified place on the eastern side of the Jordan, and had, many years before the date of our text, been captured by its northern neighbours in the kingdom of Syria. A treaty had subsequently been concluded and broken a war followed thereafter, in which Ben-hadad, King of Syria, …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy ScriptureAhab and Micaiah
'And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord besides, that we might enquire of him? 8. And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire of the Lord: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil.'--1 KINGS xxii. 7,8. An ill-omened alliance had been struck up between Ahab of Israel and Jehoshaphat of Judah. The latter, who would have been much better in Jerusalem, had come down to Samaria …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture The Prophet Micah.
PRELIMINARY REMARKS. Micah signifies: "Who is like Jehovah;" and by this name, the prophet is consecrated to the incomparable God, just as Hosea was to the helping God, and Nahum to the comforting God. He prophesied, according to the inscription, under Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. We are not, however, entitled, on this account, to dissever his prophecies, and to assign particular discourses to the reign of each of these kings. On the contrary, the entire collection forms only one whole. At …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament The Poetical Books (Including Also Ecclesiastes and Canticles).
1. The Hebrews reckon but three books as poetical, namely: Job, Psalms, and Proverbs, which are distinguished from the rest by a stricter rhythm--the rhythm not of feet, but of clauses (see below, No. 3)--and a peculiar system of accentuation. It is obvious to every reader that the poetry of the Old Testament, in the usual sense of the word, is not restricted to these three books. But they are called poetical in a special and technical sense. In any natural classification of the books of the …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible The Assyrian Revival and the Struggle for Syria
Assur-nazir-pal (885-860) and Shalmaneser III. (860-825)--The kingdom of Urartu and its conquering princes: Menuas and Argistis. Assyria was the first to reappear on the scene of action. Less hampered by an ancient past than Egypt and Chaldaea, she was the sooner able to recover her strength after any disastrous crisis, and to assume again the offensive along the whole of her frontier line. Image Drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from a bas-relief at Koyunjik of the time of Sennacherib. The initial cut, …
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 7 Use to be Made of the Doctrine of Providence.
Sections. 1. Summary of the doctrine of Divine Providence. 1. It embraces the future and the past. 2. It works by means, without means, and against means. 3. Mankind, and particularly the Church, the object of special care. 4. The mode of administration usually secret, but always just. This last point more fully considered. 2. The profane denial that the world is governed by the secret counsel of God, refuted by passages of Scripture. Salutary counsel. 3. This doctrine, as to the secret counsel of …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion The Shepherd of Our Souls.
"I am the good Shepherd: the good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep."--John x. 11. Our Lord here appropriates to Himself the title under which He had been foretold by the Prophets. "David My servant shall be king over them," says Almighty God by the mouth of Ezekiel: "and they all shall have one Shepherd." And in the book of Zechariah, "Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, and against the man that is My fellow, saith the Lord of Hosts; smite the Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered." …
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VIII Of Councils and their Authority.
1. The true nature of Councils. 2. Whence the authority of Councils is derived. What meant by assembling in the name of Christ. 3. Objection, that no truth remains in the Church if it be not in Pastors and Councils. Answer, showing by passages from the Old Testament that Pastors were often devoid of the spirit of knowledge and truth. 4. Passages from the New Testament showing that our times were to be subject to the same evil. This confirmed by the example of almost all ages. 5. All not Pastors who …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion That the Employing Of, and Associating with the Malignant Party, According as is Contained in the Public Resolutions, is Sinful and Unlawful.
That The Employing Of, And Associating With The Malignant Party, According As Is Contained In The Public Resolutions, Is Sinful And Unlawful. If there be in the land a malignant party of power and policy, and the exceptions contained in the Act of Levy do comprehend but few of that party, then there need be no more difficulty to prove, that the present public resolutions and proceedings do import an association and conjunction with a malignant party, than to gather a conclusion from clear premises. …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning Of Passages from the Holy Scriptures, and from the Apocrypha, which are Quoted, or Incidentally Illustrated, in the Institutes.
TO THE AUTHORS QUOTED IN THE INSTITUTES PREFATORY ADDRESS TO HIS MOST CHRISTIAN MAJESTY, THE MOST MIGHTY AND ILLUSTRIOUS MONARCH, FRANCIS, KING OF THE FRENCH, HIS SOVEREIGN; [1] JOHN CALVIN PRAYS PEACE AND SALVATION IN CHRIST. [2] Sire,--When I first engaged in this work, nothing was farther from my thoughts than to write what should afterwards be presented to your Majesty. My intention was only to furnish a kind of rudiments, by which those who feel some interest in religion might be trained to …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion He Does Battle for the Faith; He Restores Peace among those who were at Variance; He Takes in Hand to Build a Stone Church.
57. (32). There was a certain clerk in Lismore whose life, as it is said, was good, but his faith not so. He was a man of some knowledge in his own eyes, and dared to say that in the Eucharist there is only a sacrament and not the fact[718] of the sacrament, that is, mere sanctification and not the truth of the Body. On this subject he was often addressed by Malachy in secret, but in vain; and finally he was called before a public assembly, the laity however being excluded, in order that if it were …
H. J. Lawlor—St. Bernard of Clairvaux's Life of St. Malachy of Armagh Sovereignty of God in Administration
"The LORD hath prepared His Throne In the heavens; and His Kingdom ruleth over all" (Psa. 103:19). First, a word concerning the need for God to govern the material world. Suppose the opposite for a moment. For the sake of argument, let us say that God created the world, designed and fixed certain laws (which men term "the laws of Nature"), and that He then withdrew, leaving the world to its fortune and the out-working of these laws. In such a case, we should have a world over which there was no intelligent, …
Arthur W. Pink—The Sovereignty of God Tit. 2:06 Thoughts for Young Men
WHEN St. Paul wrote his Epistle to Titus about his duty as a minister, he mentioned young men as a class requiring peculiar attention. After speaking of aged men and aged women, and young women, he adds this pithy advice, "Young men likewise exhort to be sober-minded" (Tit. 2:6). I am going to follow the Apostle's advice. I propose to offer a few words of friendly exhortation to young men. I am growing old myself, but there are few things I remember so well as the days of my youth. I have a most …
John Charles Ryle—The Upper Room: Being a Few Truths for the Times General Principles of Interpretation. 1 Since the Bible Addresses Men in Human Language...
CHAPTER XXXIV. GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF INTERPRETATION. 1. Since the Bible addresses men in human language, and according to human modes of thinking and speaking, the interpreter's first work is to ascertain the meaning of the terms employed. Here he must proceed as in the case of other writings, seeking by the aid of grammars, lexicons, cognate languages, ancient versions, ancient interpreters, and whatever other outward helps are available, to gain a thorough knowledge of the language employed by …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible Commerce
The remarkable change which we have noticed in the views of Jewish authorities, from contempt to almost affectation of manual labour, could certainly not have been arbitrary. But as we fail to discover here any religious motive, we can only account for it on the score of altered political and social circumstances. So long as the people were, at least nominally, independent, and in possession of their own land, constant engagement in a trade would probably mark an inferior social stage, and imply …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life The Figurative Language of Scripture.
1. When the psalmist says: "The Lord God is a sun and shield" (Psa. 84:11), he means that God is to all his creatures the source of life and blessedness, and their almighty protector; but this meaning he conveys under the figure of a sun and a shield. When, again, the apostle James says that Moses is read in the synagogues every Sabbath-day (Acts 15:21), he signifies the writings of Moses under the figure of his name. In these examples the figure lies in particular words. But it may be embodied …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible Instruction for the Ignorant:
BEING A SALVE TO CURE THAT GREAT WANT OF KNOWLEDGE, WHICH SO MUCH REIGNS BOTH IN YOUNG AND OLD. PREPARED AND PRESENTED TO THEM IN A PLAIN AND EASY DIALOGUE, FITTED TO THE CAPACITY OF THE WEAKEST. 'My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.'--Hosea 4:6 ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. This little catechism is upon a plan perfectly new and unique. It was first published as a pocket volume in 1675, and has been republished in every collection of the author's works; and recently in a separate tract. …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 Kings
The book[1] of Kings is strikingly unlike any modern historical narrative. Its comparative brevity, its curious perspective, and-with some brilliant exceptions--its relative monotony, are obvious to the most cursory perusal, and to understand these things is, in large measure, to understand the book. It covers a period of no less than four centuries. Beginning with the death of David and the accession of Solomon (1 Kings i., ii.) it traverses his reign with considerable fulness (1 Kings iii.-xi.), …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links 1 Kings 22:11 NIV1 Kings 22:11 NLT1 Kings 22:11 ESV1 Kings 22:11 NASB1 Kings 22:11 KJV
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