Charles Ellicott Commentary 2 Chronicles 18

Now Jehoshaphat had. — And Jehoshaphat got.

Riches and honour in abundance. —Repeated from 2 Chronicles 17:5.

And joined affinity with Ahab. —He married his son Jehoram to Athaliah, daughter of Ahab and Jezebel (2 Chronicles 21:6; 1 Kings 18:8). The high degree of prosperity to which the king of Judah had attained is indicated by the fact that so powerful a monarch as Ahab entered into such an intimate connection with him. (The vav of the second clause is not adversative, as Zöckler asserts, but rather consecutive.)

And after certain years. —See margin. 1 Kings 22:2 has: “ And it came to pass in the third year, that Jehoshaphat went down,” etc.—a date which is relative to the three years’ truce between Syria and Israel mentioned in the preceding verse. From 1 Kings 22:51 of the same chapter we learn that this visit took place in the sixteenth or seventeenth year of the reign of Jehoshaphat. The marriage of Jehoram and Athaliah preceded the visit by eight or nine years. (Syriac and Arabic, “and after two years.”)

And Ahab killed sheep and oxen for him in abundance. —This royal hospitality is here represented as part of a deliberate plan for obtaining the co-operation of Jehoshaphat in the projected campaign.

Persuaded him. — Incited, pricked him on (Judges 1:12); especially to evil; 1 Chronicles 21:1, Deuteronomy 13:7. In 1 Kings 22:3, Ahab broaches the subject of the expedition to his court.

To go up ... to. — To make an expedition against a town or country (Isaiah 7:1; Isaiah 7:6; 1 Kings 15:17). Comp. Isaiah 8:7–8.

And Ahab king of Israel. —This verse is essentially the same as 1 Kings 22:4. From this point the two narratives practically coincide. (See the Notes on 1 Kings 22).

To Ramoth-gilead —i.e., Ramoth of, or in, Gilead. Ramoth (“heights”), or Ramath or Ramah (“height”), was a common name in such a hilly country as Palestine. Kings adds, to the war.

And my people ... in the war —The symmetry of this part of the verse has been disregarded by the chronicler, in order to make Jehoshaphat express an apparently more definite assent to Ahab’s request. (Compare to Kings: “My people as thy people, my horses as thy horses” (kamônî kamôka, kĕ ‘ ammî kĕ ‘ ammbka, kĕsûsai kĕsûseika)). The Syriac reads: “And my horses as thy horses; and I will go with thee to the war.” Similarly the Arabic: “My horsemen as thy horsemen.”

And Jehoshaphat. — This is exactly as in 1 Kings 22:5.

Inquire ... at the word. — Seek the word.

Therefore. — And.

Of prophets. —Rather, the prophets.

Four hundred. —Kings, About four hundred. Also, Adonai (“the Lord”), instead of ha’elôhîm (“the [true] God”); and I go against for we go to, where the former is obviously more appropriate.