I Kings 22:41-50 · Bible study
1 Kings 22:41-50 Commentary: Jehoshaphat’s Reign in Brief
Hebrew · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
JEHOSHAPHAT JEHOVAH-JUDGED.
Research Summary
- Meaning: A brief editorial summary of Jehoshaphat’s reign, highlighting his faithful walk, incomplete reform of high places, removal of shrine prostitutes, alliance with Israel, and a failed gold‑trade venture.
- Key words: H3092 Jehoshaphat “Yahweh has judged”; H5493 sur “turn aside” (Qal, he did not turn); H3477 yashar “upright” (doing right in Yahweh’s eyes).
- Main debate: The high places, 1 Kings says they remained, while 2 Chronicles 17:6 says Jehoshaphat removed them; the tension is resolved by distinguishing high places used for idolatry versus those used for Yahweh.
- Theological theme: The mixed legacy of a covenant‑keeping king: sincere obedience coexists with incomplete reformation and costly alliances.
- Best use: Teaching on the importance of thorough obedience, the dangers of unequal partnerships, and God’s sovereignty over human plans.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
41In the fourth year of Ahab’s reign over Israel, Jehoshaphat son of Asa became king of Judah.
42Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-five years. His mother’s name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi.
43And Jehoshaphat walked in all the ways of his father Asa; he did not turn away from them, but did what was right in the eyes of the LORD. The high places, however, were not removed; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.
44Jehoshaphat also made peace with the king of Israel.
45As for the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, along with the might he exercised and how he waged war, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?
46He banished from the land the male shrine prostitutes who remained from the days of his father Asa.
47And there was no king in Edom; a deputy served as king.
48Jehoshaphat built ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they never set sail, because they were wrecked at Ezion-geber.
49At that time Ahaziah son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my servants sail with your servants,” but Jehoshaphat refused.
50And Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the city of his father David. And his son Jehoram reigned in his place.
WEB World English Bible 2000
41Jehoshaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel.
42Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.
43He walked in all the way of Asa his father. He didn’t turn away from it, doing that which was right in Yahweh’s eyes. However, the high places were not taken away. The people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.
44Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel.
45Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might that he showed, and how he fought, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
46The remnant of the sodomites, that remained in the days of his father Asa, he put away out of the land.
47There was no king in Edom. A deputy ruled.
48Jehoshaphat made ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they didn’t go, for the ships wrecked at Ezion Geber.
49Then Ahaziah the son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my servants go with your servants in the ships.” But Jehoshaphat would not.
50Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in his father David’s city. Jehoram his son reigned in his place.
KJV King James Version 1769
41And Jehoshaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel.
42Jehoshaphat was thirty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.
43And he walked in all the ways of Asa his father; he turned not aside from it, doing that which was right in the eyes of the Lord: nevertheless the high places were not taken away; for the people offered and burnt incense yet in the high places.
44And Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel.
45Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might that he shewed, and how he warred, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
46And the remnant of the sodomites, which remained in the days of his father Asa, he took out of the land.
47There was then no king in Edom: a deputy was king.
48Jehoshaphat made ships of Tharshish to go to Ophir for gold: but they went not; for the ships were broken at Ezion–geber.
49Then said Ahaziah the son of Ahab unto Jehoshaphat, Let my servants go with thy servants in the ships. But Jehoshaphat would not.
50And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Jehoram his son reigned in his stead.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
41And Jehoshaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel.
42Jehoshaphat was thirty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.
43And he walked in all the way of Asa his father; he turned not aside from it, doing that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah: howbeit the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.
44And Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel.
45Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might that he showed, and how he warred, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
46And the remnant of the sodomites, that remained in the days of his father Asa, he put away out of the land.
47And there was no king in Edom: a deputy was king.
48Jehoshaphat made ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold: but they went not; for the ships were broken at Ezion-geber.
49Then said Ahaziah the son of Ahab unto Jehoshaphat, Let my servants go with thy servants in the ships. But Jehoshaphat would not.
50And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father; And Jehoram his son reigned in his stead.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
41And Jehoshaphat son of Asa hath reigned over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel,
42Jehoshaphat is a son of thirty and five years in his reigning, and twenty and five years he hath reigned in Jerusalem, and the name of his mother is Azubah daughter of Shilhi.
43And he walketh in all the way of Asa his father, he hath not turned aside from it, to do that which is right in the eyes of Jehovah; only the high places have not turned aside, yet are the people sacrificing and making perfume in high places.
44And Jehoshaphat maketh peace with the king of Israel;
45and the rest of the matters of Jehoshaphat, and his might that he got, and with which he fought, are they not written on the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Judah?
46And the remnant of the whoremongers who were left in the days of Asa his father he took away out of the land;
47and there is no king in Edom; he set up a king.
48Jehoshaphat made ships at Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, and they went not, for the ships were broken in Ezion-Geber.
49Then said Ahaziah son of Ahab unto Jehoshaphat, `Let my servants go with thy servants in the ships;' and Jehoshaphat was not willing.
50And Jehoshaphat lieth with his fathers, and is buried with his fathers in the city of David his father, and Jehoram his son reigneth in his stead.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
41And Jehoshaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel.
42Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi.
43And he walked in all the way of Asa his father; he turned not aside from it, doing what was right in the sight of Jehovah. Only, the high places were not removed: the people offered and burned incense still on the high places.
44And Jehoshaphat was at peace with the king of Israel.
45And the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might which he shewed, and how he warred, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
46And the remainder of the sodomites, which were left in the days of his father Asa, he put away from out of the land.
47And there was no king in Edom: a deputy reigned.
48Jehoshaphat made Tarshish-ships to go to Ophir for gold; but they went not, for the ships were broken at Ezion-geber.
49Then said Ahaziah the son of Ahab to Jehoshaphat, Let my servants go with thy servants in the ships. But Jehoshaphat would not.
50And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father; and Jehoram his son reigned in his stead.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
41But Josaphat, the son of Asa, began to reign over Juda, in the fourth year of Acbab, king of Israel.
42He was five and thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned five and twenty years in Jerusalem: the name of his mother was Azuba, the daughter of Salai.
43And he walked in all the way of Asa, his father, and he declined not from it: and he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord.
44Nevertheless, he took not away the high places for as yet the people offered sacrifice, and burnt incense in the high places.
45And Josaphat had peace with the king of Israel.
46But the rest of the acts of Josaphat, and his works which he did, and his battles, are they not written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Juda?
47And the remnant also of the effeminate, who remained in the days of Asa, his father, he took out of the land.
48And there was then no king appointed in Edom.
49But king Josaphat made navies on the sea, to sail into Ophir for gold: but they could not go, for the ships were broken in Asiongaber.
50Then Ochozias, the son of Achab, said to Josaphat: Let my servants go with thy servants in the ships. And Josaphat would not.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · I Kings 22:41
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that this passage offers a compressed summary of Jehoshaphat’s twenty‑five‑year reign, focusing on his faithfulness, his reforms, and his failures. Keil and Delitzsch note that the account is “very condensed,” deliberately omitting the extensive religious and military details found in 2 Chronicles 17, 20. Barnes points out that Jehoshaphat “seems to have been a still better king” than Asa, since he did not fall away in old age. Yet the high places remained (v.43), a tension with 2 Chronicles 17:6, which Clarke reconciles by distinguishing high places used for idolatry from those used for Yahweh before the temple was built. The passage also records the removal of male shrine prostitutes (v.46), a peace treaty with Israel (v.44), and a failed shipping venture at Ezion‑geber (v.48). Matthew Henry sees the wreckage as a divine rebuke for Jehoshaphat’s alliance with wicked Ahab. Overall, the condensed account highlights that even a good king’s reign was mixed with incomplete obedience and costly compromises.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Jehoshaphat was a faithful king who did what was right in Yahweh's eyes, although his obedience was not total, and his reign included both laudable reforms and costly failures.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Jehoshaphat’s overall character | All traditions affirm he was a godly king who did what was right in Yahweh’s eyes, walking in the ways of his father Asa. | Some traditions emphasize his personal faithfulness (Protestant commentaries like Matthew Henry), while others focus on the insufficiency of his reforms (Catholic and Orthodox readings stress the need for complete removal of high places). |
| High places | Both Kings and Chronicles note that the high places were a persistent issue in Judah’s worship. | 1 Kings 22:43 states the high places were not taken away; 2 Chronicles 17:6 says Jehoshaphat removed them. Clarke and Barnes reconcile by distinguishing high places for idolatry from those for Yahweh. Others see a chronological or editorial discrepancy. |
| Peace with Israel | Jehoshaphat made peace with the northern kingdom, ending decades of war. | Some commentators (Keil) praise the peace as laudable, while others (Matthew Henry) criticize the alliance with Ahab’s house as a compromise that led to spiritual danger. |
| Ships of Tarshish | The fleet was built at Ezion‑geber and intended for trade, but was wrecked. | The Chronicler says the ships were built in partnership with Ahaziah (2 Chron. 20:35, 36); Kings suggests Ahaziah approached Jehoshaphat after they were wrecked. The sequence and degree of cooperation are debated. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Jehoshaphat ruled Judah during a period of relative strength, flanked by the northern kingdom of Israel under Ahab and his successors. The mention of a deputy ruling Edom (v.47) indicates that Judah retained control over Edom, a holdover from David’s conquest (2 Samuel 8:14). This allowed Judah access to the Red Sea port of Ezion‑geber, where Jehoshaphat built his fleet. The term “ships of Tarshish” likely refers to a class of large, ocean‑going vessels, similar to “India‑man” (Barnes). The goal was to revive the Ophir gold trade first undertaken by Solomon (1 Kings 9:26, 28). The venture failed; ships were wrecked. The narrator implies a divine hand: the alliance with Ahaziah (Ahab’s son) that followed the wreck (v.49) is refused by Jehoshaphat, perhaps learning a lesson. Culturally, the “sodomites” (Hebrew qedeshim “consecrated ones”) were male prostitutes serving at Canaanite fertility shrines. Their presence had persisted despite Asa’s earlier purge (1 Kings 15:12). Jehoshaphat finished the job, a sign of genuine reform. Yet the high places, local altars to Yahweh, remained, because the people had not fully centralized worship at Jerusalem, and the king apparently did not press the issue. The Chronicler gives far more detail: Jehoshaphat sent teachers of the law throughout the land (2 Chron. 17:7, 9), built fortresses, and won a miraculous victory over a coalition (2 Chron. 20). Kings compresses this complexity into a few verses, focusing on the moral and political outline of the reign.
Textual Notes
The supplied texts show minor variations. The Old Greek (LXX) omits verses 46, 49 in some manuscripts (Cambridge). The KJV adds “for” in v.43 (“for the people offered”), while the WEB reads “for” in the ASV tradition; the BSB and YLT do not use a causal conjunction, reflecting a textual choice. The phrase “ships of Tarshish” is rendered in the Douay as “navies on the sea”; the YLT reads “ships at Tarshish.” The Hebrew Tarshish likely denotes a class of vessel rather than a destination. The word “sodomites” (KJV, Darby) translates Hebrew qedeshim (“consecrated ones”), which YLT renders “whoremongers” and BSB “male shrine prostitutes.” No significant variant affects the passage’s core meaning.
Reception History
In the early church, Jehoshaphat was remembered as one of the few good kings of Judah, with the wreck of his fleet sometimes interpreted as a divine warning against unholy alliances (Origen, Homilies on Kings). The Reformers (Calvin, Luther) used the passage to illustrate the principle that even godly rulers leave unfinished reformation, a theme that resonated in debates about the pace of church reform. In the Wesleyan tradition, Adam Clarke’s careful reconciliation of the high‑places passages became a standard example of harmonizing Scripture. Modern scholarship (Keil, Barnes) focuses on the passage’s literary compression: the Chronicler expands where Kings summarizes, suggesting different theological purposes. African American preaching has often drawn on Jehoshaphat’s reform (removing the qedeshim) as a call to purge the church of cultural idolatry.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Faithfulness with cracks. Jehoshaphat walked in Asa’s ways and did right in Yahweh’s eyes (v.43). But the high places remained. Even sincere obedience can leave room for incomplete reformation.
- Alliances that cost. He made peace with Israel (v.44), which ended war but entangled him with Ahab’s idolatrous dynasty. The shipping disaster at Ezion‑geber and the subsequent refusal to partner with Ahaziah (vv.48, 49) expose the danger of mixing faith with worldly partnerships.
- Reform that matters. Removing the qedeshim (v.46) shows that real change targets the roots of sin, even if residual practices linger.
Five-point outline
- The King’s Start, his age, length of reign, and ancestry (vv.41, 42).
- The King’s Walk, he did not turn aside from right (v.43).
- The King’s Unfinished Work, high places remain; people still sacrifice there (v.43).
- The King’s Relations, peace with Israel (v.44); refusal to co‑sail after disaster (v.49).
- The King’s End, buried with fathers, son succeeds (v.50).
Illustration hooks
- Home renovation. A couple remodels their kitchen but leaves a cracked foundation. The house looks better, but the real problem stays hidden, like Jehoshaphat’s high places.
- Co‑signing a loan. A friend asks you to co‑sign for a car. You agree, but the friend defaults, hurting your credit. Jehoshaphat’s partnership with Ahab was a spiritual co‑sign.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why does the Bible record both good and bad about a faithful king?
- If Jehoshaphat was so good, why did his fleet fail?
- What does it mean for us today that the high places were not removed?
Leading a Discussion
This passage presents a snapshot of a king who did what was right but left some things undone. As you read I Kings 22:41, 50 together, notice what the Holy Spirit chose to include and what is omitted. Consider how Jehoshaphat’s story speaks to your own walk with God.
Discussion questions
- What does the phrase “he walked in all the way of Asa his father” tell you about Jehoshaphat’s character? What does it suggest about the importance of godly parents?
- Why do you think the high places were not taken away? What might have made this reform incomplete?
- In verse 44, Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel. What are the benefits of this peace? What are the dangers?
- Compare this condensed account with the fuller version in 2 Chronicles 17, 20. Why might the writer of Kings have chosen to emphasize different aspects?
- What does the failed shipping venture (vv.48, 49) teach about God’s involvement in plans that seem good?
- Jehoshaphat removed the qedeshim (male shrine prostitutes). What does this say about his priorities for spiritual purity?
- How can we, like Jehoshaphat, pursue faithfulness while acknowledging that some areas of our lives still need deeper reformation?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| I Kings 22:2 | In the third year, Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel. |
| I Chronicles 3:10 | Solomon’s son was Rehoboam, Abijah his son, Asa his son, Jehoshaphat his son, |
| II Chronicles 17:1 | Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place, and strengthened himself against Israel. |
| II Chronicles 20:31 | So Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he began to reign. He reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. |
| I Kings 14:21 | Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which Yahweh had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. His mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonitess. |
| I Kings 15:2 | He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom. |
| I Kings 15:10 | He reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom. |
| II Kings 1:17 | So he died according to Yahweh’s word which Elijah had spoken. Jehoram began to reign in his place in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, because he had no son. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
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What the Commentators Say
6 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke reconciles the apparent contradiction about the high places by distinguishing two kinds: those used for idolatry, which Jehoshaphat removed, and those consecrated to God, which he left. He also suggests a possible scribal error in the account of the ships, proposing that Jehoshaphat actually consented to Ahaziah's request but the voyage never happened.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that Jehoshaphat appears to have been a still better king than Asa, yet the high places were not removed. He resolves the apparent contradiction with 2 Chronicles by suggesting that the Chronicles account records the king's desire and intention, while Kings records the practical failure of his efforts.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible notes that the apparent contradiction between Jehoshaphat removing high places in Chronicles yet leaving them in Kings is resolved by recognizing two types. He abolished the high places devoted to Baal worship but could not abolish those used for Jehovah worship, because long custom made the people cling to them.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights the tension in Jehoshaphat's reign: a personally righteous king who walked in his father Asa's ways, yet he failed to remove the high places where people sacrificed to the Lord, and he made peace with the idolatrous kingdom of Israel. This compromise led to a disastrous partnership and shipwreck at Eziongeber.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues that Micaiah's vision shows God actively, not passively, sending a lying spirit to Ahab's prophets as an act of judgment. The spirit is not Satan but the spirit of prophecy itself, made deceitful to punish Ahab's hardened heart. God's holiness is displayed in using evil to destroy evil.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that Jehoshaphat walked in his father Asa’s good ways yet left the high places standing, so his reformation was real but incomplete. His peace with Israel, though politically shrewd, led to an unwise partnership that nearly cost him. The lesson is that partial obedience to God invites lasting trouble.