And the king said unto him, How many times shall I adjure thee that thou tell me nothing but that which is true in the name of the LORD?
Parallel translations
- WEB The king said to him, “How many times do I have to adjure you that you speak to me nothing but the truth in Yahweh’s name?”
- BSB But the king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear not to tell me anything but the truth in the name of the LORD?”
- NKJV So the king said to him, “How many times shall I make you swear that you tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?”
- NASB Then the king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear that you will tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?”
- NLT But the king replied sharply, “How many times must I demand that you speak only the truth to me when you speak for the Lord?”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Ahab demands the genuine truth in Yahweh's name, ironically insisting on honesty he has long resisted.
Overview
The king, sensing Micaiah's irony, adjures him to speak only truth in Yahweh's name. The moment is striking: Ahab knew Micaiah's flattery was false yet still preferred falsehood from the others. His demand exposes that he understood the difference between true and false prophecy all along.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Acts 19:13Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the LORD Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth.
- Josh 6:26And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the LORD, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it.
- Matt 22:16–17And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men.
- Jer 42:3–6That the LORD thy God may shew us the way wherein we may walk, and the thing that we may do.
- 2 Chr 18:15And the king said to him, How many times shall I adjure thee that thou say nothing but the truth to me in the name of the LORD?
- Mark 5:7And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not.
- 1 Sam 14:24And the men of Israel were distressed that day: for Saul had adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food until evening, that I may be avenged on mine enemies. So none of the people tasted any food.
- Matt 26:63But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Solomon's glory, wisdom, and temple where God's presence dwells are a shadow of the greater Son of David — 'one greater than Solomon is here' — and of the true Temple, Christ himself.
How 1 Kings 22:16 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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