1 Kings 22:19-23 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, &c.— The following passage must be considered as a lively and affecting parable. The prophets who came to Ahab were not the LORD'S prophets, but Ahab's. They spake at all adventures what they presumed would please him, like fawning parasites and flattering sycophants; a spirit of lying was upon them all, because they were disposed to flatter the king's humour, found their gain in it, or were afraid to do otherwise. This is the short and true account of the whole matter, and is what Micaiah sets forth in his present parable. Instead of bluntly telling the king that these prophets were all deceivers, he takes up his parable, as prophets were used to do, declaring what he had seen in prophetic vision, which was the way that God had made choice of for disclosing the whole matter to him. In the 17th verse Micaiah says, I saw all Israel scattered, &c. which can be understood only of what he saw in prophetic vision; pre-signifying the real fact which should follow after. Micaiah, therefore, saw what he there relates, just as St. Peter saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him; not any thing of what St. Peter saw was real, excepting that such ideas or such appearances were really wrought or formed upon his mind, as he lay in a trance. The like representation was made to Micaiah in a vision; signifying what was doing in the matter of Ahab, and what the event would be. The moral or meaning of the whole was, that, as Ahab loved to be cajoled and flattered, so God had permitted those four hundred men, pretending to be prophets, to abuse and impose upon him; which in conclusion would prove fatal to him. After Micaiah had reported his vision at full length, he briefly explained and applied it to Ahab, 1 Kings 22:23. Now, therefore, the Lord, &c. It is frequent in holy Scripture to call that the Lord's doing, which he only permits to be done; because he has the supreme direction of all things, and governs the event. Wicked devices proceed from wicked men; but that they prevail and take effect, is owing to the hand of God directing and ordering where they shall light, and what shall be the issue of them. As to the text that we are now upon, the words of the original will bear to be translated, the Lord hath permitted or suffered a lying spirit in the mouth, &c. Accordingly, our translators in other places often render the word נתן natan, by suffer or let, in the sense of permitting; Genesis 20:6. Exodus 12:23.Psalms 16 l0. And it may be observed also of the words of God to the lying spirit, as represented in the parable, 1 Kings 22:22. Go forth, and do so, that they are to be understood, not in the commanding but permissive sense; for the imperative is so used more than once in other places of Scripture; there is therefore no room left for charging God, as the author of any deception brought upon Ahab by the sins of men. Houbigant observes, that as all this is said in parable, it is absurd to inquire whether God would encourage evil angels to deceive the human mind, unless any one would also choose to inquire whether animals could speak, because they are often introduced speaking in fables.