2 Chronicles 18:5

KJV1611 – Modern English

Therefore the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four hundred men, and said to them, Shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I refrain? And they said, Go up, for God will deliver it into the king's hand.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַיִּקְבֹּ֨ץ מֶֽלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵ֥ל אֶֽת־הַנְּבִאִים֮ אַרְבַּ֣ע מֵא֣וֹת אִישׁ֒ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֗ם הֲנֵלֵ֞ךְ אֶל־רָמֹ֥ת גִּלְעָ֛ד לַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה אִם־אֶחְדָּ֑ל וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ עֲלֵ֔ה וְיִתֵּ֥ן הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים בְּיַ֥ד הַמֶּֽלֶךְ

Transliteration

wə-yiqbōṣ meleḵ-Yiśrāʾēl ʾeṯ-ha-nəḇîʾîm ʾarbaʿ mēʾôṯ ʾîš wə-yōʾmer to-them hă-nēlēḵ to-Rāmōṯ Gilʿāḏ to-the-milḥāmāh if-ʾeḥdāl wə-yōʾmərû go-up and-will-give hā-ʾelōhîm in-hand the-meleḵ

Grammar Details

• *wə-yiqbōṣ*: conjunction + qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular - and he gathered
• *meleḵ*: masculine singular noun with definite article - the king
• *Yiśrāʾēl*: proper noun - Israel
• *ʾeṯ*: direct object marker
• *ha-nəḇîʾîm*: definite article + masculine plural noun - the prophets
• *ʾarbaʿ*: cardinal number - four
• *mēʾôṯ*: feminine plural noun - hundred
• *ʾîš*: masculine singular noun - man
• *wə-yōʾmer*: conjunction + qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular - and he said
• *hă-nēlēḵ*: interrogative particle + qal imperfect 1st common plural - shall we go?
• *Rāmōṯ*: proper noun - Ramoth
• *Gilʿāḏ*: proper noun - Gilead
• *milḥāmāh*: feminine singular noun with definite article - the battle/war
• *ʾeḥdāl*: qal imperfect 1st common singular - I refrain/cease
• *wə-yōʾmərû*: conjunction + qal imperfect 3rd masculine plural - and they said
• *hā-ʾelōhîm*: definite article + masculine plural noun (God) - the God

Word Meanings

• *wə-yiqbōṣ*: and he gathered/and he assembled/and he collected
• *ha-nəḇîʾîm*: the prophets/the seers
• *hă-nēlēḵ*: shall we go?/should we go?
• *ʾeḥdāl*: I refrain/I forbear/I cease
• *hā-ʾelōhîm*: God/the God/the deity

Other Translations

• Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

  So the king of Israel gathered the prophets, four hundred men, and asked them, 'Shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or should I refrain?' They answered, 'Go up, for God will give it into the hand of the king.'

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  Therefore the king of Israel gathered together of prophets four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for God will deliver it into the king's hand.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for God will deliver it into the hand of the king.

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  Therefore the king of Israel gathered together of prophets four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall we go to Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for God will deliver it into the king's hand.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  And the kynge of Israel gathered the prophetes together, euen foure hundreth men, & saide vnto them: Shal we go to the battayll vnto Ramoth in Gilead, or shal I let it alone? They sayde: Go vp, God shal delyuer it into the kynges hade.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  Therefore the King of Israel gathered of Prophets foure hundreth men, and sayde vnto them, Shall we goe to Ramoth Gilead to battel, or shall I cease? And they sayd, Go vp: for God shall deliuer it into the Kings hand.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  Therfore the king of Israel gathered together of prophetes foure hundred men, & saide vnto them: Shall we go to Ramoth in Gilead to fight, or should I ceasse? And they saide: Go vp, & God shall deliuer it into the kinges hand.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  Therefore the king of Israel gathered together of prophets four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall we go to Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for God will deliver [it] into the king's hand.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four hundred men, and said to them, Shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? They said, Go up; for God will deliver it into the hand of the king.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  And the king of Israel gathereth the prophets, four hundred men, and saith unto them, `Do we go unto Ramoth-Gilead to battle, or do I forbear?' And they say, `Go up, and God doth give `it' into the hand of the king.'

• American Standard Version (1901)

  Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for God will deliver it into the hand of the king.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for God will deliver it into the hand of the king.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  So the king of Israel got together all the prophets, four hundred men, and said to them, Am I to go to Ramoth-gilead to make war or not? And they said, Go up: for God will give it into the hands of the king.

• World English Bible (2000)

  Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four hundred men, and said to them, "Shall we go to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall I forbear?" They said, "Go up; for God will deliver it into the hand of the king."

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  So the king of Israel assembled 400 prophets and asked them,“Should we attack Ramoth Gilead or not?” They said,“Attack! God will hand it over to the king.”

Referenced Verses

• 1 Kgs 18:19 : 19 Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel to mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, who eat at Jezebel's table.
• 2 Kgs 3:13 : 13 And Elisha said to the king of Israel, "What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and to the prophets of your mother." And the king of Israel said to him, "No, for the LORD has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab."
• 2 Chr 18:14 : 14 And when he came to the king, the king said to him, Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I refrain? And he said, Go up, and prosper; they shall be delivered into your hand.
• 2 Chr 18:20-21 : 20 Then a spirit came forward, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will entice him. And the LORD said to him, How? 21 And he said, I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And the LORD said, You shall entice him, and you shall also prevail; go out, and do so.
• Jer 8:10-11 : 10 Therefore, I will give their wives to others, and their fields to those who shall inherit them: for everyone from the least to the greatest is given to covetousness, from the prophet even to the priest everyone deals falsely. 11 For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.
• Jer 23:14 : 14 I have also seen a horrible thing in the prophets of Jerusalem: They commit adultery and walk in lies. They also strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that none returns from his wickedness. They are all to me as Sodom, and the inhabitants of it as Gomorrah.
• Jer 23:17 : 17 They still say to those who despise me, 'The LORD has said, You shall have peace.' And they say to everyone who walks after the imagination of his own heart, 'No evil shall come upon you.'
• Jer 28:1-9 : 1 And it came to pass in the same year, at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year and in the fifth month, that Hananiah the son of Azur the prophet, from Gibeon, spoke to me in the house of the LORD, in the presence of the priests and all the people, saying, 2 Thus speaks the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. 3 Within two full years, I will bring back to this place all the vessels of the LORD'S house, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took from this place and carried to Babylon: 4 And I will bring back to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, with all the captives of Judah who went to Babylon, says the LORD: for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon. 5 Then the prophet Jeremiah said to the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests and in the presence of all the people that stood in the house of the LORD, 6 Even the prophet Jeremiah said, Amen: the LORD do so: the LORD perform your words which you have prophesied, to bring back the vessels of the LORD'S house, and all that is carried away captive, from Babylon to this place. 7 Nevertheless, hear now this word that I speak in your ears, and in the ears of all the people; 8 The prophets who have been before me and before you of old prophesied against many countries and against great kingdoms, of war, of evil, and of pestilence. 9 The prophet who prophesies of peace, when the word of the prophet comes to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the LORD has truly sent him. 10 Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke from the neck of the prophet Jeremiah and broke it. 11 And Hananiah spoke in the presence of all the people, saying, Thus says the LORD; Even so will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all nations within the space of two full years. And the prophet Jeremiah went his way. 12 Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, after Hananiah the prophet had broken the yoke from off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, saying, 13 Go and tell Hananiah, saying, Thus says the LORD; You have broken the yokes of wood; but you shall make for them yokes of iron. 14 For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; I have put a yoke of iron upon the neck of all these nations, that they may serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and they shall serve him: and I have given him the beasts of the field also. 15 Then said the prophet Jeremiah to Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah; The LORD has not sent you; but you make this people to trust in a lie. 16 Therefore thus says the LORD; Behold, I will cast you from off the face of the earth: this year you shall die, because you have taught rebellion against the LORD. 17 So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month.
• Jer 38:14-28 : 14 Then Zedekiah the king sent and took Jeremiah the prophet to him into the third entry that is in the house of the LORD; and the king said to Jeremiah, I will ask you a thing; hide nothing from me. 15 Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, If I declare it to you, will you not surely put me to death? And if I give you counsel, will you not listen to me? 16 So Zedekiah the king swore secretly to Jeremiah, saying, As the LORD lives, who made us this soul, I will not put you to death, nor will I give you into the hand of these men who seek your life. 17 Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, Thus says the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; If you will assuredly go forth to the king of Babylon's princes, then your soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire, and you shall live, and your house. 18 But if you will not go forth to the king of Babylon's princes, then this city shall be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and you shall not escape out of their hand. 19 And Zedekiah the king said to Jeremiah, I am afraid of the Jews who have fallen to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me. 20 But Jeremiah said, They shall not deliver you. Obey, I beg you, the voice of the LORD, which I speak to you: so it shall be well with you, and your soul shall live. 21 But if you refuse to go forth, this is the word that the LORD has shown me: 22 And, behold, all the women who are left in the king of Judah's house shall be brought forth to the king of Babylon's princes, and those women shall say, Your friends have set you on and have prevailed against you; your feet are sunk in the mire, and they have turned away back. 23 So they shall bring out all your wives and your children to the Chaldeans; and you shall not escape from their hand, but shall be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon; and you shall cause this city to be burned with fire. 24 Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, Let no man know of these words, and you shall not die. 25 But if the princes hear that I have talked with you, and they come to you, and say to you, Declare to us now what you have said to the king, hide it not from us, and we will not put you to death; also what the king said to you: 26 Then you shall say to them, I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan's house, to die there. 27 Then all the princes came to Jeremiah and asked him; and he told them according to all these words that the king had commanded. So they stopped speaking with him; for the matter was not perceived. 28 So Jeremiah stayed in the court of the prison until the day that Jerusalem was taken; and he was there when Jerusalem was taken.
• Jer 42:2-3 : 2 And said to Jeremiah the prophet, Let, we beseech you, our supplication be accepted before you, and pray for us to the LORD your God, even for all this remnant; (for we are left but a few out of many, as your eyes do see us:) 3 That the LORD your God may show us the way in which we may walk, and the thing that we may do.
• Jer 42:20 : 20 For you dissembled in your hearts, when you sent me to the LORD your God, saying, Pray for us to the LORD our God; and according to all that the LORD our God shall say, so declare to us, and we will do it.
• Ezek 13:3-9 : 3 Thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the foolish prophets, who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing! 4 O Israel, your prophets are like the foxes in the deserts. 5 You have not gone up into the gaps nor built a hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle on the day of the LORD. 6 They have seen falsehood and lying divination, saying, 'The LORD says'; but the LORD has not sent them. And they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word. 7 Have you not seen a vain vision, and have you not spoken a lying divination, when you say, 'The LORD says it,' although I have not spoken? 8 Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD: Because you have spoken vanity and seen lies, behold, I am against you, says the Lord GOD. 9 My hand shall be against the prophets who see vanity and divine lies; they shall not be in the assembly of my people, nor shall they be written in the record of the house of Israel, nor shall they enter into the land of Israel; and you shall know that I am the Lord GOD. 10 Because, indeed, they have seduced my people, saying, 'Peace,' when there was no peace; and one builds up a wall, and others daub it with untempered mortar. 11 Say to those who daub it with untempered mortar, that it shall fall: there shall be an overflowing shower; and you, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall rend it. 12 Surely, when the wall has fallen, will it not be said to you, 'Where is the daubing with which you have daubed it?' 13 Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD: I will rend it with a stormy wind in my fury; there shall be an overflowing shower in my anger, and great hailstones in my fury to consume it. 14 So will I break down the wall that you have daubed with untempered mortar, and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation shall be discovered, and it shall fall, and you shall be consumed in its midst; and you shall know that I am the LORD. 15 Thus will I accomplish my wrath upon the wall and upon those who daubed it with untempered mortar, and will say to you, 'The wall is no more, nor are those who daubed it.' 16 This is concerning the prophets of Israel who prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and see visions of peace for her, when there is no peace, says the Lord GOD.
• Ezek 13:22 : 22 Because with lies you have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad, and strengthened the hands of the wicked, so he should not turn from his wicked way, by promising him life.
• Mic 2:11 : 11 If a man walking in the spirit and falsehood lies, saying, I will prophesy to you of wine and strong drink; he shall even be the prophet of this people.
• Mic 3:11 : 11 The leaders judge for reward, and the priests teach for hire, and the prophets divine for money: yet will they lean upon the LORD, and say, Is not the LORD among us? No harm can come upon us.
• 2 Tim 4:3 : 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, they will gather to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
• Rev 19:20 : 20 And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked miracles before him, with which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast, and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with sulfur.