Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

MICAIAH

(Heb. mîḵāyâ, mîḵāyāhû)
(also MAACAH, MICAH)

1. The son of Imlah; a 9th-century b.c.e. prophet of the northern kingdom of Israel (1 Kgs. 22:1-28; 2 Chr. 18:1-27). He and 400 other prophets were consulted by Kings Ahab of Israel and Jehoshaphat of Judah before their unsuccessful battle with the Arameans at Ramoth-gilead. The other prophets unanimously assured these two kings that God would grant them victory. Micaiah, accused of being hostile to Ahab, at first agreed with the other prophets. When Ahab challenged this prophecy, Micaiah then proclaimed defeat for the forces of Israel and Judah. This led to the first known conflict among Israel’s prophets. The prophet Zedekiah even slapped Micaiah and challenged his prophetic credentials.

Micaiah is presented as a prophet who was faithful to God’s word despite both prophetic and royal opposition. He insisted to the royal messenger that he would proclaim only that oracle which God revealed to him. He defended his prophecy of doom by appealing to a vision of the heavenly court, in which God permitted a lying spirit to deceive the prophets in order to mislead Ahab and bring him to disaster.

For the first time Israel had to choose from conflicting prophetic messages. Henceforth God’s people would have to discern between true and false prophecy. True prophecy would often be revealed by a lone voice dissenting from the majority opinion. It might also be revealed by suffering, for Micaiah was thrown into prison to await the king’s return. We never learn the prophet’s fate.

2. The father of Achbor, an official of King Josiah of Judah, who was sent to Huldah the prophetess (2 Kgs. 22:12). At 2 Chr. 34:20 he is called Micah the father of Abdon.

3. The wife of King Rehoboam of Judah and mother of Abijah (2 Chr. 13:2). Elsewhere the name is spelled Maacah (1 Kgs. 15:2; 2 Chr. 11:20).

4. One of five officials sent to teach Judah during the reign of Jehoshaphat (2 Chr. 17:7).

5. An ancestor of Zechariah, a priest who played the trumpet at the dedication of Jerusalem’s rebuilt wall in the days of Nehemiah (Neh. 12:35).

6. One of seven priests with trumpets at the dedication of Jerusalem’s rebuilt wall in the days of Nehemiah (Neh. 12:41).

7. A son of the scribe Gemariah. He reported on the reading of Jeremiah’s scroll to court officials (Jer. 36:11, 13).

Bibliography. S. J. DeVries, Prophet Against Prophet: The Role of the Micaiah Narrative (I Kings 22) in the Development of Early Prophetic Tradition (Grand Rapids, 1978); W. Roth, “The Story of the Prophet Micaiah (1 Kings 22) in Historical-Critical Interpretation 1876-1976,” in The Biblical Mosaic, ed. R. Polzin and E. Rothman. SBLSS 10 (Chico, 1982), 105-37.

Timothy A. Lenchak

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

MICAIAH

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)