That is, the prophets of Baal and of Asherah. At the time of Elijah there had been 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of the “Asherah,” the latter group drawing their support from Jezebel the queen (1 Kings 18:19). When Ahab began his war against the Syrians for the recovery of Ramoth-gilead, he consulted his 400 court prophets, a group of men who spoke in the name of “the Lord” (1 Kings 22:6, 11), and yet who were in a far different category from the true prophets of Jehovah, recognized by the king of Judah (1 Kings 22:7, 8). It is true that Joram had engaged in a certain measure of religious reform in his putting away the “image,” or pillar, of Baal that his father had made (2 Kings 3:2), but he was still very far from accepting in full the worship of Jehovah or from understanding God’s true nature and purpose. Elisha therefore publicly rebuked the king of Israel for lack of confidence in the true God and for falsely charging the Lord with a base motive (v. 10).

 Joram’s outward humility did not spare him from a needed rebuke. True, the king had instituted certain measures of reform in Israel, but he still “wrought evil in the sight of the Lord” (v. 2). He had just given expression to his low estimate of Jehovah when he endeavored to place upon Him the blame for a situation that was due to errors in human judgment rather than intentional design on the part of God (see v. 10).