1 Kings 22:6

Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets [Called by Micaiah "his prophets" ( 1 Kings 22:22 ), and "thy prophets" ( 1 Kings 22:23 )] together, about four hundred men [From the number (cf. 1 Kings 18:19 ) it has been concluded that these were "the prophets of the groves," i.e; of Astarte, who escaped the massacre of the Baal prophets ( 1 Kings 18:40 ). Others have supposed that they were prophets of Baal. But both these suppositions are negatived

And yet that they were not true prophets of the Lord, or of the" sons of the prophets," appears

(2) from 1 Kings 22:20 sqq; where Micaiah disclaims them, and is found in direct opposition to them. The only conclusion open to us, consequently—and it is now generally adopted—is that they were the priests of the high places of Bethel and Dan, the successors of those whom Jeroboam had introduced into the priestly office. It need cause us no surprise to find these priests here described as "prophets" (of. Jeremiah 22:13 ; Ezekiel 13:1 ), and as claiming prophetic gifts, for the priests of Baal bore the same name ( 1 Kings 18:19 , 1 Kings 18:22 , etc.), and apparently pretended to similar powers. "No ancient people considered any cultus complete without a class of men through whom the god might be questioned" (Bähr). The existence of so large a number of prophets of the calves proves that the inroads of idolatry had by no means destroyed the calf worship. If its priests were so many, its worshippers cannot have been few], and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramoth-Gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the Lord [ אֲדֹנָי It is very significant that at first they hesitate to use the ineffable name. It was probably this circumstance excited Jehoshaphat's suspicions. It has been said that the reason why he was dissatisfied with this answer is unexplained; hut when we remember how careful the true prophet was to speak in the name of Jehovah ( 1 Kings 14:7 ; 1 Kings 17:1 , 1 Kings 17:14 ; 1 Kings 20:13 , 1 Kings 20:14 , 1 Kings 20:28 ), we can hardly doubt that it was their mention of "Adonai "occasioned his misgivings. The chronicler gives the word as Elohim ] shall deliver it [ LXX . διδοὺς δώσει , shall surely give it ] into the hand of the king.