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.
So the king of Israel gathered together four hundred prophets and asked them, 'Should we go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should I hold back?' And they all said, 'Go ahead and attack! God will give you victory and put the city in your hands.'
The king gathered 400 prophets who all told him what he wanted to hear - that God would give him victory in battle.
📚 Historical Context
This occurs during the reign of King Ahab of Israel, who was consulting prophets before going to war against Ramoth-gilead, a city east of the Jordan River. King Jehoshaphat of Judah was visiting Ahab, and they were considering a joint military campaign. These 400 prophets were likely court prophets who served at the king's pleasure and had a tendency to tell the king what he wanted to hear rather than God's true message.
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