Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 Kings 22

Three years without war.—The period is clearly counted from the rash peace made by Ahab with Ben-hadad in 1 Kings 20:34. Evidently, the king of Syria has recovered his independence, if not superiority; he has not restored Ramoth-gilead according to his promise; and his revived power is sufficient to cope with the united forces of Israel and Judah. The wisdom of the prophetic rebuke of 1 Kings 20:42 has been amply justified.

Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down.

The fuller account of the Chronicles (2 Chronicles 17:0) notices that the early part of his reign had been marked by a continuance or increase of the prosperity of Asa; but 1 Kings 18:1 adds, in significant connection, he had riches and honour in abundance, and joined affinity with Ahab, so that this prosperity was, at any rate in part, dependent on a change of policy from enmity to alliance, with apparently some measure of dependence, dangerous both spiritually and politically, but probably thought to be a necessity.

The visit of Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 18:2) was one of festivity, of which Ahab took advantage.

Ramoth in Gilead. —The city is first mentioned (Joshua 20:8; Joshua 21:38) as a city of refuge in the territory of Gad; then (in 1 Kings 4:13) as the centre of one of the provinces of Solomon, including the towns of Jair, and the strong hill country of Argob. In the Syrian wars it appears as a frontier fortress, taken and retaken. It had fallen into the hands of the Syrians, and had not been restored according to promise. The defeat and death of Ahab were subsequently avenged by Jehoram, who took it, and held it against all the attacks of the enemy (2 Kings 9:1–14).

I am as thou art. —The answer is apparently one of deference, as well as friendship, to the stronger kingdom. It must be remembered that, as the whole chapter shows, Ahab had now returned to the worship of the Lord.

Prophets ... four hundred. —These were clearly not avowed prophets of Baal, or the Asherah (“groves”), as is obvious from the context and from their words in 1 Kings 22:12. But Jehoshaphat’s discontent makes it equally clear that they were not in his view true prophets of Jehovah. Probably they were devoted, like the old prophet of Bethel, to the service of the idolatry of Jeroboam.