John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 5. And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, inquire, I pray thee, at the word of the Lord today .] Being a pious and religious prince, he did not choose to go into a war at once, without consulting the Lord by his prophets, whether it was his will and pleasure they should engage in it, and should prosper; and he was desirous of having this done immediately, before they proceeded any further.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-14 - The same easiness of temper, which betrays some godly persons int friendship with the declared enemies of religion, renders it very dangerous to them. They will be drawn to wink at and countenance suc conduct and conversation as they ought to protest against with abhorrence. Whithersoever a good man goes, he ought to take his religion with him, and not be ashamed to own it when he is with thos who have no regard for it. Jehoshaphat had not left behind him, a Jerusalem, his affection and reverence for the word of the Lord, but avowed it, and endeavoured to bring it into Ahab's court. And Ahab' prophets, to please Jehoshaphat, made use of the name of Jehovah: to please Ahab, they said, God up. But the false prophets cannot so mimi the true, but that he who has spiritual senses exercised, can discer the fallacy. One faithful prophet of the Lord was worth them all Wordly men have in all ages been alike absurd in their views of religion. They would have the preacher fit his doctrine to the fashio of the times, and the taste of the hearers, and yet to add. Thus sait the Lord, to words that men would put into their mouths. They are read to cry out against a man as rude and foolish, who scruples thus to tr to secure his own interests, and to deceive others.
Original Hebrew ויאמר559 יהושׁפט3092 אל413 מלך4428 ישׂראל3478 דרשׁ1875 נא4994 כיום3117 את854 דבר1697 יהוה׃3068
