King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near, and smote Micaiah upon the cheek, and said, Which way went the Spirit of the LORD from me to speak unto thee?
Complete Jewish Bible:
Then Tzidkiyah the son of Kena'anah came up, slapped Mikhay'hu in the face and said, "And how did the Spirit of ADONAI leave me to speak to you?"
Berean Standard Bible:
Then Zedekiah son of Chenaanah went up, struck Micaiah in the face, and demanded, “Which way did the Spirit of the LORD go when He departed from me to speak with you?”
American Standard Version:
Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near, and smote Micaiah upon the cheek, and said, Which way went the Spirit of Jehovah from me to speak unto thee?
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
Then Zedekiah{H6667} the son{H1121} of Chenaanah{H3668} came near{H5066}, and smote{H5221} Micaiah{H4321} upon the cheek{H3895}, and said{H559}, Which{H335} way{H1870} went{H5674} the Spirit{H7307} of the LORD{H3068} from me to speak{H1696} unto thee?
Cross-References (KJV):
Mark 14:65
- And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him, Prophesy: and the servants did strike him with the palms of their hands.
Jeremiah 20:2
- Then Pashur smote Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that [were] in the high gate of Benjamin, which [was] by the house of the LORD.
Matthew 26:67
- Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote [him] with the palms of their hands,
Matthew 26:68
- Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?
2 Chronicles 18:10
- And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah had made him horns of iron, and said, Thus saith the LORD, With these thou shalt push Syria until they be consumed.
Jeremiah 29:26
- The LORD hath made thee priest in the stead of Jehoiada the priest, that ye should be officers in the house of the LORD, for every man [that is] mad, and maketh himself a prophet, that thou shouldest put him in prison, and in the stocks.
Jeremiah 29:27
- Now therefore why hast thou not reproved Jeremiah of Anathoth, which maketh himself a prophet to you?
Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:
Commentary for 2 Chronicles 18:23
2 Chronicles 18:23 is a part of the narrative concerning the prophet Micaiah and his interaction with King Ahab of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah. The historical context is set during a period when the northern kingdom of Israel, under Ahab, and the southern kingdom of Judah, under Jehoshaphat, were considering whether to go to war against the Arameans to reclaim the city of Ramoth-gilead.
In this verse, Zedekiah, a false prophet, physically assaults Micaiah by striking him on the cheek. Zedekiah's action is a response to Micaiah's prophecy, which foretells Ahab's defeat and death in the upcoming battle—a stark contrast to the favorable predictions given by Zedekiah and the other court prophets. Zedekiah's question, "Which way went the Spirit of the LORD from me to speak unto thee?" reflects his incredulity and anger. He is essentially challenging Micaiah's authenticity as a prophet, implying that the true Spirit of the Lord could not possibly have departed from him (Zedekiah) to inspire Micaiah with a contradictory message.
The themes present in this verse include the tension between true and false prophets, the physical persecution of a true prophet for speaking the truth, and the resistance of those in power to divine messages that contradict their desires. It also highlights the importance of discerning the authentic word of God amidst a multitude of voices, a challenge that remains relevant in various contexts throughout history. This event underscores the courage required of prophets to deliver unpopular messages, even in the face of hostility and violence. The narrative ultimately vindicates Micaiah, as the events unfold exactly as he predicted, demonstrating the fulfillment of the word of the Lord despite human resistance.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H6667
There are 62 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: צִדְקִיָּה
Transliteration: Tsidqîyâh
Pronunciation: tsid-kee-yaw'
Description: or צִדְקִיָּהוּ; from צֶדֶק and יָהּ; right of Jah; Tsidkijah, the name of six Israelites; Zedekiah, Zidkijah. - Strong's Number: H1121
There are 3654 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בֵּן
Transliteration: bên
Pronunciation: bane
Description: from בָּנָה; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.); [phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, [idiom] came up in, child, colt, [idiom] common, [idiom] corn, daughter, [idiom] of first, [phrase] firstborn, foal, [phrase] very fruitful, [phrase] postage, [idiom] in, [phrase] kid, [phrase] lamb, ([phrase]) man, meet, [phrase] mighty, [phrase] nephew, old, ([phrase]) people, [phrase] rebel, [phrase] robber, [idiom] servant born, [idiom] soldier, son, [phrase] spark, [phrase] steward, [phrase] stranger, [idiom] surely, them of, [phrase] tumultuous one, [phrase] valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth. - Strong's Number: H3668
There are 5 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: כְּנַעֲנָה
Transliteration: Kᵉnaʻănâh
Pronunciation: ken-ah-an-aw'
Description: feminine of כְּנַעַן; Kenaanah, the name of two Israelites; Chenaanah. - Strong's Number: H5066
There are 112 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: נָגַשׁ
Transliteration: nâgash
Pronunciation: naw-gash'
Description: a primitive root; to be or come (causatively, bring) near (for any purpose); euphemistically, to lie with a woman; as an enemy, to attack; religious to worship; causatively, to present; figuratively, to adduce an argument; by reversal, to stand back; (make to) approach (nigh), bring (forth, hither, near), (cause to) come (hither, near, nigh), give place, go hard (up), (be, draw, go) near (nigh), offer, overtake, present, put, stand. - Strong's Number: H5221
There are 460 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: נָכָה
Transliteration: nâkâh
Pronunciation: naw-kaw'
Description: a primitive root; to strike (lightly or severely, literally or figuratively); beat, cast forth, clap, give (wounds), [idiom] go forward, [idiom] indeed, kill, make (slaughter), murderer, punish, slaughter, slay(-er, -ing), smite(-r, -ing), strike, be stricken, (give) stripes, [idiom] surely, wound. - Strong's Number: H4321
There are 20 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מִיכָיְהוּ
Transliteration: Mîykâyᵉhûw
Pronunciation: me-kaw-yeh-hoo'
Description: or מִכָיְהוּ; (Jeremiah 36:11), abbreviated form for מִיכָיָהוּ; Mikajah, the name of three Israelites; Micah, Micaiah, Michaiah. - Strong's Number: H3895
There are 20 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: לְחִי
Transliteration: lᵉchîy
Pronunciation: lekh-ee'
Description: from an unused root meaning to be soft; the cheek (from its fleshiness); hence, the jaw-bone; cheek (bone), jaw (bone). - Strong's Number: H559
There are 4434 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אָמַר
Transliteration: ʼâmar
Pronunciation: aw-mar'
Description: a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude); answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [idiom] plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), [idiom] still, [idiom] suppose, talk, tell, term, [idiom] that is, [idiom] think, use (speech), utter, [idiom] verily, [idiom] yet. - Strong's Number: H335
There are 38 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אַי
Transliteration: ʼay
Pronunciation: ah'ee
Description: perhaps from אַיִן; where? hence how?; how, what, whence, where, whether, which (way). - Strong's Number: H1870
There are 627 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: דֶּרֶךְ
Transliteration: derek
Pronunciation: deh'-rek
Description: from דָּרַךְ; a road (as trodden); figuratively, a course of life or mode of action, often adverb; along, away, because of, [phrase] by, conversation, custom, (east-) ward, journey, manner, passenger, through, toward, (high-) (path-) way(-side), whither(-soever). - Strong's Number: H5674
There are 493 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עָבַר
Transliteration: ʻâbar
Pronunciation: aw-bar'
Description: a primitive root; to cross over; used very widely of any transition (literal or figurative; transitive, intransitive, intensive, causative); specifically, to cover (in copulation); alienate, alter, [idiom] at all, beyond, bring (over, through), carry over, (over-) come (on, over), conduct (over), convey over, current, deliver, do away, enter, escape, fail, gender, get over, (make) go (away, beyond, by, forth, his way, in, on, over, through), have away (more), lay, meddle, overrun, make partition, (cause to, give, make to, over) pass(-age, along, away, beyond, by, -enger, on, out, over, through), (cause to, make) [phrase] proclaim(-amation), perish, provoke to anger, put away, rage, [phrase] raiser of taxes, remove, send over, set apart, [phrase] shave, cause to (make) sound, [idiom] speedily, [idiom] sweet smelling, take (away), (make to) transgress(-or), translate, turn away, (way-) faring man, be wrath. - Strong's Number: H7307
There are 348 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: רוּחַ
Transliteration: rûwach
Pronunciation: roo'-akh
Description: from רוּחַ; wind; by resemblance breath, i.e. a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively, life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extension, a region of the sky; by resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being (including its expression and functions); air, anger, blast, breath, [idiom] cool, courage, mind, [idiom] quarter, [idiom] side, spirit(-ual), tempest, [idiom] vain, (whirl-) wind(-y). - Strong's Number: H3068
There are 5521 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יְהֹוָה
Transliteration: Yᵉhôvâh
Pronunciation: yeh-ho-vaw'
Description: from הָיָה; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God; Jehovah, the Lord. Compare יָהּ, יְהֹוִה. - Strong's Number: H1696
There are 1050 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: דָבַר
Transliteration: dâbar
Pronunciation: daw-bar'
Description: a primitive root; perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue; answer, appoint, bid, command, commune, declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse, say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think, use (entreaties), utter, [idiom] well, [idiom] work.