Ramoth-gilead

Ramoth-gilead in the Bible

Ramoth-gilead was a city in the region of Gilead, east of the Jordan River. It appears in the following Old Testament episodes.

• City of refuge: It was one of the three cities of refuge that Moses set apart east of the Jordan. A city of refuge was a town to which a person who had unintentionally killed someone could flee. Ramoth-gilead lay within the territory of the tribe of Gad (Deuteronomy 4:43; Joshua 20:8). It was also one of the cities given to the Merarite clans of the tribe of Levi (Joshua 21:38).
• The reign of Solomon: Ben-geber, one of Solomon's district governors, was stationed here and administered the surrounding region (1 Kings 4:13).
• The death of Ahab: Ahab, king of the northern kingdom of Israel, joined forces with Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, to recover the city, which Aram had taken. Four hundred court prophets predicted victory; Micaiah alone predicted defeat. Ahab went into battle in disguise but was killed by an arrow that a soldier shot at random (1 Kings 22; 2 Chronicles 18).
• Joram and Jehu: Ahab's son Joram was also wounded there while fighting against Hazael, king of Aram (2 Kings 8:28–29). Later, one of the sons of the prophets, sent by Elisha, anointed the army commander Jehu as king in the camp there (2 Kings 9:1–13).

Background

"Ramoth" is generally understood to mean "heights" in Hebrew. Gilead is the highland plateau east of the Jordan River. Ramoth-gilead lay near the border between Israel and Aram, whose center was Damascus, and it therefore appears to have been a strategic site that the two kingdoms repeatedly fought to control. Tell Ramith in northern Jordan, among other sites, has been proposed as its modern location, but the identification remains uncertain.

Significance in the Whole of Scripture

The books of Kings portray Ahab's death as the fulfillment of the judgment on Ahab that Elijah pronounced after the affair of Naboth (1 Kings 21:19; 22:38). Jehu's anointing at this site also marks the beginning of the downfall of Ahab's dynasty. The place name does not appear in the New Testament. However, interpreters who read the cities of refuge as a picture of refuge in Christ sometimes connect them with Hebrews 6:18, which speaks of those "who have fled for refuge."

Interpretation and Points of Discussion

• The lying spirit: Micaiah's vision includes a passage in which the LORD puts a lying spirit in the mouths of the prophets (1 Kings 22:19–23). Interpretations of this passage differ. One view regards it as a judgment permitted within God's sovereign providence. Another emphasizes the literary form of the vision as a scene in the heavenly council. A third focuses on its character as a warning, noting that Micaiah disclosed the matter to the king beforehand.
• Jehoshaphat's alliance: In 2 Chronicles 19:2, Jehu the seer, the son of Hanani, rebukes Jehoshaphat for helping Ahab. This seer is a different person from the Jehu who became king.
• Extrabiblical traditions: Jewish tradition reportedly holds that the soldier who shot Ahab was Naaman and that the lying spirit was the spirit of Naboth. The biblical text, however, names neither figure.

In the Korean Church

First Kings 22 is a frequent preaching text. It is used to contrast the pleasing words of the majority with the message of Micaiah, who stood alone. Preachers also point to the end of Ahab, who could not escape his fate even in disguise, to illustrate the theme that the word of God will surely be fulfilled.