Micaiah

Overview

• Testament: Old
• Role: Prophet of the LORD in the days of Ahab
• Family: Son of Imlah
• Key Books: 1 Kings, 2 Chronicles

Biography

Micaiah the son of Imlah was a true prophet whom Ahab hated because he never prophesied good concerning him, but evil. When Ahab and Jehoshaphat sought counsel before going up to Ramoth-gilead, four hundred prophets promised victory, but Micaiah alone foretold that Israel would be scattered as sheep without a shepherd and that a lying spirit had filled the false prophets. For this he was struck by Zedekiah and cast into prison to be fed with bread and water of affliction until the king’s return, which never came.

Key Events

• Micaiah’s prophecy against Ahab — he foretells defeat at Ramoth-gilead and the vision of the lying spirit (1 Kings 22:17-23).
• Imprisonment of Micaiah — struck by Zedekiah and jailed for his true word (1 Kings 22:24-27).

Relationships

• Ahab — king of Israel who hated and imprisoned him
• Jehoshaphat — king of Judah who asked to hear a prophet of the LORD
• Zedekiah — false prophet who struck him on the cheek

Important Verses

• 1 Kings 22:14 — “What the LORD saith unto me, that will I speak.”
• 1 Kings 22:28 — “If thou return at all in peace, the LORD hath not spoken by me.”

Cross-References

• Mentioned in: 1 Kings, 2 Chronicles

Notes

Micaiah stands as a model of faithful prophecy: one true voice against four hundred, vindicated when Ahab died exactly as foretold.