Reference

1 Kings 22:23

Literal FulfillmentAgency RepresentationThe Prophetic Office
“Now therefore, behold, the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil concerning thee.”
21

And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said, I will persuade him.

22

And the Lord said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so.

23

Now therefore, behold, the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil concerning thee.

24

But Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near, and smote Micaiah on the cheek, and said, Which way went the Spirit of the Lord from me to speak unto thee?

25

And Micaiah said, Behold, thou shalt see in that day, when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide thyself.

Why This Verse Was Tagged

Literal Fulfillment
Keyword Match
70% relevance

This verse contains specific terms directly associated with this theme.

Agency Representation
Semantic Discovery
80% relevance

This verse was identified through meaning similarity — its content is mathematically close to known verses in this theme, even without sharing the same vocabulary.

The Prophetic Office
Semantic Discovery
80% relevance

This verse was identified through meaning similarity — its content is mathematically close to known verses in this theme, even without sharing the same vocabulary.

Counter-Arguments

The strongest case that this verse does not belong in this theme.

Literal Fulfillment

The "lying spirit" and "spoken evil" could be interpreted metaphorically as God allowing or orchestrating events that lead to Ahab's downfall, rather than directly inserting a literal spirit or speaking evil in a human sense.

Agency Representation

The verse explicitly states "the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets," which suggests direct divine action rather than merely a messenger speaking on behalf of a sender. While agency is present, the specific wording implies a more direct involvement in the deception than a simple representation.

The Prophetic Office

The verse focuses on the *content* of the prophets' message and its divine origin, rather than explicitly describing the prophetic office itself, its institutional aspects, or its relationship to other societal roles.

Literal Fulfillment
Literal Fulfillment

Cross-References

Jeremiah 28:15Thematic

“Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah; The Lord hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust in a lie.”

Ezekiel 14:9Thematic

“And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the Lord have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.”

Job 26:4Thematic

“To whom hast thou uttered words? and whose spirit came from thee?”

Matthew 24:24Thematic

“For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”

Isaiah 6:9Thematic

“And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.”

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Thematic Connections

Literal FulfillmentAgency RepresentationThe Prophetic Office

Private Study Note