Midras Yeremia 49:16: Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition), Midrash Tehillim & Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer

Our Rabbis were taught: There are three [in connection with prophecy] who are to be sentenced by court; viz., he who prophesies what he has not heard — e.g., Zedekiah ben Kenaanah, of whom it is written (II Chron. 18, 10) Made himself horns of iron, etc. But why was he guilty? Did not the spirit of Nabeth make him err, as it is written (Ib., ib. 19-21) And the Lord said, Who will persuade Achab, the king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? And one spake saying after this manner, and another saying after that manner. Then came forth, a spirit, and placed himself before the Lord, and said, I will persuade him. And the Lord said unto him. Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth and I will become a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said. Thou shalt persuade him, and also prevail; go forth and do so. What is meant by go forth? R. Juda said: "Go outside of My compartment as a liar cannot remain in it." And to the question: What spirit? R. Jochanan said: "The spirit of Naboth Ha-Israeli." [Hence it was not Zedekiah's fault, as he was deceived by the spirit] He ought to have given his attention to what was said by R. Isaac: "The same watchword [divine oracle] is passed to many prophets, but no two prophets prophecy under the same watchwords (use the very same expressions); e.g., (Ob. 1, 3) The presumption of thy heart hath beguiled thee. (Jer. 49, 16) Thy haste hath deceived thee — the presumption of thy heart. Here, however, it reads (II. Chron. 18, 11) And all the' prophets so prophesied, saying. Go up against Ramoth-gilead. etc." Hence, as all prophesied in identical language, he ought to have known that it was not a true prophecy. But perhaps Zedekiah did not know what was said by R. Isaac. There was Jehoshaphat, who told him that, as it is written (Ib., ib. 6) Is there not a prophet of the Eternal besides? And to the question of Achab: Are not all these who prophesy in the name of the Lord sufficient? Jehoshaphat answered: "I have a tradition from my grandfather's house that the same watch-word [divine oracle] is passed to many prophets, but two prophets cannot prophesy under the same watchword using the very same expression."

Another explanation for Nabal's name is that Rabbi Yehuda said in the name of Rabbi Shmuel that he made the entire world into "nabalot," meaning foolishness. He built houses of thorns and houses of destruction, houses of prostitution, and houses of idolatry. Rabbi Huna said that the Land of Israel became "nablatain" (as the word is used in the feminine form) because of the wickedness of the people of Israel, as it says, "They gave your servants' food to the birds of the sky" (1 Samuel 25:11).Rabbi Abba said that Nabal was vile because he erected a monument in front of the door of a prostitute and in front of public baths and latrines. This is what is meant by the verse, "Your wickedness has turned you away, your own arrogance has made you stumble" (Jeremiah 2:19).Rabbi Yaakov said that the Lord will sing over the wicked like "nabolot" that are plucked from the tree, as it says, "The sons of foreigners will serve me" (Psalm 18:46). Rabbi Simon said that Nabal was Laban, and he was judged as Laban was judged. Just as Nabal was deceitful, so was Laban. Concerning such people, Solomon said, "Deceit is in the hearts of those who plot evil, but for those who plan peace, there is joy" (Proverbs 12:20). To whom did the Lord grant peace to Israel? As it says, "The Lord gives strength to His people, the Lord blesses His people with peace" (Psalm 29:11).

Rabbi Levi said: In that night the Holy One, blessed be He, showed him all the signs. He showed him a ladder standing from the earth to the heaven, as it is said, "And he dreamed, and behold || a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven" (Gen. 28:12). And the ministering angels were ascending and descending thereon, and they beheld the face of Jacob, and they said: This is the face like the face of the Chayyah, which is on the Throne of Glory. Such (angels) who were (on earth) below were ascending to see the face of Jacob among the faces of the Chayyah, (for it was) like the face of the Chayyah, which is on the Throne of Glory. Some (angels) ascended and some descended, as it is said, "And behold the angels of God were ascending and descending on it" (ibid.). The Holy One, blessed be He, showed him the four kingdoms, their rule and their destruction, and He showed him the prince of the kingdom of Babylon ascending [seventy rungs, and descending; and He showed him the prince of the kingdom of] Media ascending fifty-two rungs and descending; [and He showed him the prince of the kingdom of Greece ascending 180 ascents and descending;] and He showed him the prince of the kingdom of Edom ascending, and he was not descending, but was saying, "I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High" (Isa. 14:14). Jacob replied to him: "Yet thou shalt be brought down to Sheol, to the uttermost parts of the pit" (Isa. 14:15). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: Even "though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the eagle" (Jer. 49:16).