מלכים א, פרק כ״ב, פסוק ט״ו

A tense encounter between a true prophet and the King of Israel reaches its climax over the fateful decision of whether to go to war. Surprisingly, the prophet offers a positive response, seemingly supporting the military campaign just as the false prophets did. However, commentators agree that this initial response is not an actual prophecy.

The primary approach among commentators is that the prophet speaks with a tone of mockery and irony. By deliberately mimicking the style of the false prophets, he essentially tells the king that if he only wishes to hear what others have already said, he will provide that exact answer [מצודת דוד, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ, אברבנאל]. Alternatively, some explain that the prophet offers these words on his own as a personal blessing and expression of hope for the king's success, rather than a divine guarantee [רש״י, מצודת דוד].

A clear indication that this is not a true prophecy is the absence of a standard prophetic opening. The prophet avoids declaring that God spoke to him or showed him a vision, simply stating that God will deliver success to the king. By doing so, he keeps his previous oath to speak only the word of God and avoids taking His name in vain while delivering a sarcastic remark or a personal wish [רש״י, רד״ק, אברבנאל].

The king immediately recognizes the mocking tone and understands that the prophet is hiding the truth. This realization prompts the king to demand that the prophet swear to speak only the absolute truth in the name of God. Bound by this new oath, the prophet is forced to reveal the actual, tragic prophecy: the king will die in battle, and his army will be completely scattered [רד״ק, אברבנאל].