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2
Chronicles Chapter Twenty
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO 2 CHRONICLES 20
Jehoshaphat
having notice of a numerous army coming against him, 2 Chronicles 20:1,
betakes himself to fasting and prayer with his people, 2 Chronicles 20:3,
when they were immediately assured of victory by a prophet, which filled them
with joy and thankfulness, 2 Chronicles 20:14,
and accordingly their enemies destroyed one another, and Jehoshaphat and his
people returned to Jerusalem rejoicing and praising God, 2 Chronicles 20:22,
and the chapter is closed with an account of the latter part of Jehoshaphat's
reign, 2 Chronicles 20:31.
2 Chronicles
20:1 It happened
after this that the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and others
with them besides the Ammonites,[a] came to
battle against Jehoshaphat.
YLT
1And it cometh to pass after
this, the sons of Moab have come in, and the sons of Ammon, and with them of
the peoples, against Jehoshaphat to battle.
It came to pass after this also,.... After Jehoshaphat's
return from Ramothgilead, and putting the civil and religious affairs of his
people on a better footing, when he might have expected much peace and
prosperity:
that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon; both the
descendants of Lot, see Psalm 83:8,
and with them other besides the Ammonites; a great
company of Arabians, according to JosephusF18Antiqu. l. 9. c. 1.
sect. 2. ; or "with the Meamonites", which the Targum understands of
the Idumaeans or Edomites; and so do other interpreters, and which they
conclude from 2 Chronicles 20:10.
Jarchi thinks the Amalekites are meant, who were of the race of Edom; but the
notion of Kimchi seems best, that these are the people that are so called from
the name of a place, Meon, and, by an inversion of letters, the same with the
Meunim or Maonites, mentioned along with the Zidonians and Amalekites, Judges 10:12 and
whom the Septuagint version here calls Minaeans; someF19Weemse of
the Moral Law, l. 2. c. 6. p. 161. take them to be such who counterfeited the
Ammonites in their apparel and gestures:
these came against Jehoshaphat in battle; being
instigated perhaps by the Syrians, who owed him ill will for assisting Ahab
against them at Ramothgilead; for from that quarter they came, as the following
verse shows.
2 Chronicles
20:2 2 Then
some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against
you from beyond the sea, from Syria;[b] and they
are in Hazazon Tamar” (which is En Gedi).
YLT
2And they come in and
declare to Jehoshaphat, saying, `Come against thee hath a great multitude from
beyond the sea, from Aram, and lo, they [are] in Hazezon-Tamar -- it [is]
En-Gedi.'
Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat,.... Deserters
or spies, or some of the inhabitants of those parts where they had entered, who
rode post haste to acquaint him with it:
saying, there cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond
the sea on this side Syria; that is, beyond the Dead or Salt sea, the
sea of Sodom; the Targum is,"beyond the west of Syria,'that sea being the
western boundary of it:
and, behold, they be in Hazazontamar, which is Engedi; See Gill on Genesis 14:7.
2 Chronicles
20:3 3 And
Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and
proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
YLT
3And Jehoshaphat feareth,
and setteth his face to seek to Jehovah, and proclaimeth a fast over all Judah;
And Jehoshaphat feared,.... Exceedingly, as the
Targum adds, not merely because of the number of his enemies, for he had forces
enough to go forth against them, see 2 Chronicles 17:14,
but chiefly because the Lord had told him that wrath was upon him from him, 2 Chronicles 19:2
and he might fear that this was the time for the execution of it:
and set himself to seek the Lord; by prayer and
supplication, with all seriousness, fervour, and constancy:
and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah; a day of
humiliation and mourning for sin before the Lord; when they were ordered to
abstain from bodily food and labour, that they might be fit and more at leisure
for spiritual exercises.
2 Chronicles
20:4 4 So
Judah gathered together to ask help from the Lord; and from all
the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.
YLT
4and Judah is gathered to
inquire of Jehovah; also, from all the cities of Judah they have come in to
seek Jehovah.
And Judah gathered themselves together to ask help of the Lord,.... To
implore his assistance against their enemies, and his protection of them; and
they met not in their several cities, but at Jerusalem, as appears by what
follows:
even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord; at the
temple, where was the ark, the symbol of his presence.
2 Chronicles 20:5 5 Then Jehoshaphat stood in
the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the
new court,
YLT
5And Jehoshaphat standeth in
the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of Jehovah, at the front of
the new court,
And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem,
in the house of the Lord,.... In the temple, in the court of the people, where the
inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem were assembled, in the midst of which he
stood very probably on the brasen scaffold erected by Solomon, 2 Chronicles 6:13,
before the new court: which must be the court
of the priests, for he stood in the great court, or court of the people, and
before this, which might be so called, because renewed or repaired when the
altar was by Asa, 2 Chronicles 15:8.
Dr. LightfootF20Prospect of the Temple, ch 18. p. 1090. thinks it
was the court of the women; but it is a question whether there was any such
court in the first temple; or that the great court was then divided into two,
one for the men, the other for the women.
2 Chronicles 20:6 6 and said: “O Lord God of our
fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all
the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and
might, so that no one is able to withstand You?
YLT
6and saith, `O Jehovah, God
of our fathers, art not Thou -- God in the heavens? yea, Thou art ruling over
all kingdoms of the nations, and in Thy hand [is] power and might, and there is
none with Thee to station himself.
And said, O Lord God of our fathers,.... Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob, whose covenant God he was:
art not thou God in heaven? that dwellest and rulest
there, and dost whatever thou pleasest in the armies of it:
and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the Heathens? being King of
kings, and Lord of lords, all the world over:
and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is
able to withstand thee? his power being infinite, unlimited, and uncontrollable, and so
not resistible by finite creatures, at least not so as to be stopped and
overcome.
2 Chronicles 20:7 7 Are
You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your
people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever?
YLT
7`Art not Thou our God? Thou
hast dispossessed the inhabitants of this land from before Thy people Israel,
and dost give it to the seed of Abraham Thy friend to the age,
Art not thou our God,.... In a peculiar sense,
not merely as the Creator and Governor of men, but in a covenant relation their
covenant God and Father:
who didst drive out the inhabitants of the land before thy people
Israel; the seven nations of Canaan, to make way and room for Israel:
and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever? made a deed
of gift of it to them, and settled it on them till the coming of the Messiah,
and that as an instance of love and friendship to Abraham; and wilt thou
therefore suffer it to be taken from his seed?
2 Chronicles 20:8 8 And they dwell in it, and
have built You a sanctuary in it for Your name, saying,
YLT
8and they dwell in it, and
build to Thee in it a sanctuary for Thy name, saying,
And they dwelt therein,.... From ages past,
hitherto, since it was first given them, and they were put into the possession
of it:
and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name; a temple for
his worship, honour, and glory, and for him to dwell in; and is a reason why it
might be hoped he would protect them, especially when they prayed to him:
saying; and he promised to hear and help them, as follows.
2 Chronicles 20:9 9 ‘If disaster comes upon
us—sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine—we will stand before this temple and
in Your presence (for Your name is in this temple), and cry out to You
in our affliction, and You will hear and save.’
YLT
9If evil doth come upon us
-- sword, judgment, and pestilence, and famine -- we stand before this house,
and before Thee, for Thy name [is] in this house, and cry unto Thee out of our
distress, and Thou dost hear and save.
If when evil cometh upon us,.... Any calamity:
as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, God's four
sore judgments, if by "judgment" is meant wild beasts:
we stand before this house; in the court before the
holy place, and holy of holies:
and in thy presence, for thy name is in this house; called upon
in it, and it was called by his name, and in which he dwelt:
and cry unto thee in our affliction; as Solomon prayed at the
dedication of it:
then thou wilt hear and help; as the Lord promised,
see 1 Kings 8:33.
2 Chronicles 20:10 10 And now, here are the
people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir—whom You would not let Israel invade when
they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them and did not
destroy them—
YLT
10`And now, lo, sons of
Ammon, and Moab, and mount Seir, whom Thou didst not grant to Israel to go in
against in their coming out of the land of Egypt, for they turned aside from
off them and destroyed them not,
And now, behold, the children of Ammon, and Moab, and Mount Seir,
whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of
Egypt,.... Charging them not to meddle with them, nor take any of their
lands from them, Deuteronomy 2:5,
but they turned from them, and destroyed them not; in obedience
to the divine command, when it was in their power to have done it.
2 Chronicles 20:11 11 here they are, rewarding
us by coming to throw us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit.
YLT
11and lo, they are
recompensing to us -- to come in to drive us out of Thy possession, that Thou
hast caused us to possess.
Behold, I say, how they reward us,.... Evil for good:
to come to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us
to inherit; the land of Canaan was their inheritance, an inheritance given
them by God, their covenant God and Father, who had a right to dispose of it;
and yet so given, that it was still his possession, he was the Lord and
Proprietor, they but tenants under him; all which, as they were so many
aggravations of the guilt of their enemies, so they were so many arguments with
the Lord to protect them.
2 Chronicles 20:12 12 O our God, will You not
judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming
against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”
YLT
12`O our God, dost Thou not
execute judgment upon them? for there is no power in us before this great
multitude that hath come against us, and we know not what we do, but on Thee
[are] our eyes.'
O our God wilt thou not judge them?.... Bring them to thy
bar, examine these facts alleged against them, convict them of injustice, and
condemn and punish them for it:
for we have no might against the great company that cometh against
us; for though the militia of the kingdom of Judah was very
numerous, as described 2 Chronicles 17:14
yet on a sudden it might not be easy to gather it together; besides, it was
nothing to put trust and confidence in; and if the Lord was not with them,
their strength would be weakness, and they not able to withstand this numerous
army:
neither know we what to do; whether to attempt to
muster the militia, and go out to meet them, or to shut up themselves in
Jerusalem, and make the best defence they could:
but our eyes are upon thee; for advice and
direction, for help and protection; the eyes of their bodies were lifted up in
prayer to him, and the eyes of their souls, of faith, hope, expectation, and
desire, were fastened on him.
2 Chronicles 20:13 13 Now all Judah, with their
little ones, their wives, and their children, stood before the Lord.
YLT
13And all Judah are standing
before Jehovah, also their infants, their wives, and their sons.
And all Judah stood before the Lord,.... Looking towards the
most holy place, where the ark of his presence was, in an humble and submissive
posture; waiting what would be the issue of things, what answer they should
have from the Lord:
with their little ones, their wives, and their children: they and
their wives, with their children, both small and grown up, which they brought
with them, that as the sight of them, now in the utmost danger, might affect them,
and make them the more fervent in their supplications to God, so they might
hope the Lord would have pity and compassion on them, and save them.
2 Chronicles 20:14 14 Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon
Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of
Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly.
YLT
14And upon Jahaziel, son of
Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, the Levite, of the
sons of Asaph, hath the Spirit of Jehovah been, in the midst of the assembly,
Then upon Jahaziel, the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah,
the son of Jehiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite, of the sons of
Asaph,.... Being a man of some note, though a Levite, his genealogy is
given:
came the Spirit of the Lord in the midst of the congregation; the spirit of
prophecy from the Lord, as the Targum, as it was; for he foretold the victory
that should be obtained over the enemy, and that without fighting, yea, the
particular place where they should meet them; and this came upon him suddenly,
while he was in the midst of the congregation, while he and they were waiting
upon the Lord, and perhaps had never prophesied before; or if he had, prophecy
did not come according to the will of man, but by the will of God; the Spirit
of God in that, as in other instances, is like the wind that blows when and
where it listeth.
2 Chronicles 20:15 15 And he said, “Listen, all
you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus
says the Lord
to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the
battle is not yours, but God’s.
YLT
15and he saith, `Attend, all
Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and O king Jehoshaphat, Thus said
Jehovah to you, Ye fear not, nor are afraid of the face of this great
multitude, for not for you [is] the battle, but for God.
And he said, hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of
Jerusalem, and thou King Jehoshaphat,.... There is a climax or
gradation in these words rising from the lowest to the highest; from the people
of the cities in the country, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem the metropolis,
and from thence to the king the supreme governor:
thus saith the Lord unto you, be not afraid, nor dismayed, by
reason of this great multitude; whose numbers were discouraging to the
king, and he had taken notice of them, which this respects:
for the battle is not your's, but God's: the cause was
his, and he would espouse and maintain it; not they, but he, would fight the
battle, and therefore they had nothing to fear.
2 Chronicles 20:16 16 Tomorrow go down against
them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at
the end of the brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel.
YLT
16To-morrow, go ye down against
them, lo, they are coming up by the ascent of Ziz, and ye have found them in
the end of the valley, the front of the wilderness of Jeruel.
Tomorrow go ye down against them,.... This was the fast
day, and so not proper to march out in, but on the morrow they might go out
with great confidence and intrepidity; and as Jerusalem was situated on an
eminence, they are directed to go down:
behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; a steep hill,
so called from the flowers upon it:
and ye shall find them at the end of the brook; on the bank
of Kidron, according to Beckius, which seems not likely to be meant, since they
went as far as the wilderness of Tekoa, 2 Chronicles 20:20,
before the wilderness of Jeruel; the same with that of
Tekoa, or near it.
2 Chronicles 20:17 17 You will not need
to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the
salvation of the Lord,
who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow
go out against them, for the Lord is with you.”
YLT
17Not for you to fight in
this; station yourselves, stand, and see the salvation of Jehovah with you, O
Judah and Jerusalem -- be not afraid nor fear ye -- to-morrow go out before
them, and Jehovah [is] with you.'
Ye shall not need to fight in this battle,.... Since the
Lord would fight for them:
set yourselves, stand ye still; present themselves they
might, as if ready to engage; and keep their ground, not giving way in the
least, but would have no need to strike a stroke:
and see the salvation of the Lord with you; which he
would work for them, see Exodus 14:13,
and Judah, and Jerusalem, fear not, nor be dismayed; which is
repeated for the confirmation of them:
tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord will be with you; to protect
them, fight for them, and give them victory; the Targum is,"the Word of the
Lord shall be your help.'
2 Chronicles 20:18 18 And Jehoshaphat bowed his
head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of
Jerusalem bowed before the Lord, worshiping the Lord.
YLT
18And Jehoshaphat boweth --
face to the earth -- and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem have fallen
before Jehovah, to bow themselves to Jehovah.
And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground,.... Not only
in reverence of God, and his prophet, but as a token of his belief of what was
said, and his thankfulness for it:
and all Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, fell before the
Lord, worshipping him; adoring his goodness to them, in imitation of their king.
2 Chronicles 20:19 19 Then the Levites of the
children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites stood up to
praise the Lord
God of Israel with voices loud and high.
YLT
19And the Levites, of the
sons of the Kohathites, and of the sons of the Korhites, rise to give praise to
Jehovah, God of Israel, with a loud voice on high.
And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites, and of the
children of the Korhites,.... Who were of the posterity of Kohath, in the line of Korah:
stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with a loud voice on
high; in high notes; they being the course in turn at this time for
this service.
2 Chronicles 20:20 20 So they rose early in the
morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out,
Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem:
Believe in the Lord
your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall
prosper.”
YLT
20And they rise early in the
morning, and go out to the wilderness of Tekoa, and in their going out
Jehoshaphat hath stood and saith, `Hear me, O Judah, and inhabitants of
Jerusalem, remain stedfast in Jehovah your God, and be stedfast; remain
stedfast in His prophets, and prosper.'
And they rose early in the morning,.... Being confident of
success, animated by what the prophet said to them:
and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa; which,
according to JeromF21Prooem. in Amos, and Comment. in ch. i. 1. ,
was six miles from Bethlehem, and nine from Jerusalem, some say twelve, beyond
which was nothing but a desert; it was part of the wilderness of Judah:
and as they went forth; out of Jerusalem,
through one of the gates of it:
Jehoshaphat stood and said, believe in the Lord your God; in the
promises he had made, particularly with respect to the victory over their
present enemies; the Targum is,"in the Word of the Lord your God:"
so shall you be established; have courage and
firmness of mind, as well as be safe and secure:
believe his prophets; sent by him, and that
speak in his name, particularly Jahaziel, who had predicted victory to them:
so shall ye prosper; things will succeed to
your wishes, and beyond your expectations.
2 Chronicles 20:21 21 And when he had consulted
with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the Lord, and who
should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were
saying: “Praise the Lord,
For His mercy endures forever.”[c]
YLT
21And he taketh counsel with
the people, and appointeth singers to Jehovah, and those giving praise to the
honour of holiness, in the going out before the armed [men], and saying, `Give
ye thanks to Jehovah, for to the age [is] His kindness.'
And when he had consulted with the people,.... His
principal officers, in what order they should march, and in what manner they
should form themselves, when they met the enemy, and how they should conduct as
if they were to engage:
he appointed singers unto the Lord; to sing his praise, and
give him glory, as if the victory was already completed, it being so sure:
and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out
before the army; that is, praise God, who is glorious in holiness, whose beauty
lies in his holiness, and who is holy in all his ways and works:
and to say, praise the Lord, for his mercy endureth for ever; with which
they were to conclude their songs of praise, as David did, and whose songs they
might sing; see Psalm 136:1.
2 Chronicles
20:22 22 Now
when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes
against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah;
and they were defeated.
YLT
22And at the time they have
begun with singing and praise, Jehovah hath put ambushments against the sons of
Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, who are coming in to Judah, and they are smitten,
And when they began to sing and to praise,.... They sung
more or less all the way they went, from the time they set out, but when they
came nearer the enemy, they sung louder and louder:
the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and
Mount Seir, which came against Judah; some take them to be
their own ambushments, which they set for the destruction of Judah; but the
Lord turned them against their own confederates, mistaking them for Jews; so
the Vulgate Latin version,
"the
Lord turned their ambushments against themselves;'or rather these were angels,
who appeared in the form of the Edomites, and so fell upon the Ammonites and
Moabites:
and they were smitten; by them, many of them
were destroyed; hence it follows,
2 Chronicles
20:23 23 For
the people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to
utterly kill and destroy them. And when they had made an end of the
inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.
YLT
23and the sons of Ammon stand
up, and Moab, against the inhabitants of mount Seir, to devote and to destroy,
and at their finishing with the inhabitants of Seir, they helped, a man against
his neighbour, to destroy.
For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the
inhabitants of Mount Seir,.... Supposing that they had acted a
treacherous part by them, and took on the side of their enemies:
utterly to slay and destroy them; as they did:
and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir; so that there
were none left of them:
everyone helped to destroy one another; in their
confusion mistook one another, either for Edomites or Jews, like the Midianites
in the times of Gideon.
2 Chronicles 20:24 24 So when Judah came to a
place overlooking the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude; and there were
their dead bodies, fallen on the earth. No one had escaped.
YLT
24And Judah hath come in unto
the watch-tower, to the wilderness, and they look unto the multitude, and lo,
they [are] carcases fallen to the earth, and there is none escaped,
When Judah came towards the watch tower in the wilderness,.... Which
might stand upon the hill or cliff of Ziz, for the sake of the direction of
travellers, and the preservation of them from thieves and robbers:
they looked unto the multitude; which they could take a
view of from the top of the hill:
and behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none
escaped; all to a man slain, there was not one to be seen standing on his
feet.
2 Chronicles 20:25 25 When Jehoshaphat and his
people came to take away their spoil, they found among them an abundance of
valuables on the dead bodies,[d] and
precious jewelry, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could
carry away; and they were three days gathering the spoil because there was so
much.
YLT
25and Jehoshaphat cometh in,
and his people, to seize their spoil, and they find among them, in abundance,
both goods and carcases, and desirable vessels, and they take spoil to
themselves without prohibition, and they are three days seizing the spoil, for
it [is] abundant.
And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take the spoil of them,.... Which was
all they had to do; they had no need to fight, as they were told, the Lord had
fought for them:
they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead
bodies; rich garments on them, and gold and silver on them:
and precious jewels, which they stripped of for themselves; with which
their clothes, or some part of their bodies, were ornamented:
more than they could carry away; they were so many, that
they made too great a burden for them:
and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much; it took up so
much time to strip the bodies, to search for their money and jewels, rings,
chains, and such like things of value, worn by them.
2 Chronicles 20:26 26 And on the fourth day they
assembled in the Valley of Berachah, for there they blessed the Lord; therefore the
name of that place was called The Valley of Berachah[e] until this
day.
YLT
26And on the fourth day they
have been assembled at the valley of Blessing, for there they blessed Jehovah:
therefore they have called the name of that place, `Valley of Blessing,' unto
this day.
And on the fourth day they assembled themselves in the valley of
Berachah,.... As it was afterwards called from what they did there, as
follows, which was the reason of its name:
for there they blessed the Lord; returned thanks to him
for this wonderful appearance on their behalf, and gave him the glory of it; no
doubt but they had given him praise before in some sort and manner, but now in
a set, solemn, and public manner, with one heart and voice they united in
ascribing honour, blessing, and glory to him:
therefore the name of the same place was called the valley of
Berachah unto this day; the valley of Blessing; this name it bore in the times of Ezra,
the writer of this book, even after the Jews returned from the Babylonish
captivity; it is thought to be the same that is called by JeromF23Epitaph.
Paulae. Cepharbarucha, which he speaks of as not far from Engedi, see 2 Chronicles 20:2,
others will have it to be the same with the valley of Jehoshaphat, but not so
likely, that seems to be nearer Jerusalem.
2 Chronicles 20:27 27 Then they returned, every
man of Judah and Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat in front of them, to go back to
Jerusalem with joy, for the Lord had made them rejoice
over their enemies.
YLT
27And they turn back, every
man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat at their head, to go back unto
Jerusalem with joy, for Jehovah hath made them rejoice over their enemies.
Then they returned, every man of Judah and of Jerusalem, and
Jehoshaphat at the forefront of them, to go again to Jerusalem with joy,.... There to
praise the Lord in the temple, as they had done in the valley:
for the Lord had made them to rejoice over their enemies; by giving
them a complete victory, and making them masters of so much wealth and riches.
2 Chronicles 20:28 28 So they came to Jerusalem,
with stringed instruments and harps and trumpets, to the house of the Lord.
YLT
28And they come in to
Jerusalem with psalteries, and with harps, and with trumpets, unto the house of
Jehovah.
And they came to Jerusalem with psalteries, and harps, and
trumpets,.... The three principal instruments of music used in singing the
praises of God; these they played upon as they came to the city, and entered
it, and passed through it:
unto the house of the Lord; the temple, there to
offer praise and thanksgiving again.
2 Chronicles 20:29 29 And the fear of God was on
all the kingdoms of those countries when they heard that the Lord had fought
against the enemies of Israel.
YLT
29And there is a fear of God
on all kingdoms of the lands in their hearing that Jehovah hath fought with the
enemies of Israel,
And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of these countries,.... Whose
armies were slain, and all other neighbouring ones; for the word these is
supplied:
when they had heard that the Lord fought against the enemies of
Israel; and they were afraid to invade their land, or make war with
them; nor did the Edomites dare to revolt in the times of Jehoshaphat.
2 Chronicles 20:30 30 Then the realm of
Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest all around.
YLT
30and the kingdom of
Jehoshaphat is quiet, and his God giveth rest to him round about.
So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet,.... Both
within and without; they were at peace among themselves, and none from abroad
dared to molest them:
for his God gave him rest round about; from all his
enemies; the Targum has it, the Word of his God; and so, in the preceding
verse, the Word of the Lord fought; and in 2 Chronicles 20:28
the Word of the Lord made them rejoice.
2 Chronicles 20:31 31 So Jehoshaphat was king
over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he
reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Azubah the
daughter of Shilhi.
YLT
31And Jehoshaphat reigneth
over Judah, a son of thirty and five years in his reigning, and twenty and five
years he hath reigned in Jerusalem, and the name of his mother [is] Azubah
daughter of Shilhi.
Verse 31-32
And Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah,.... Of these two verses;
see Gill on 1 Kings 22:42. 1 Kings 22:43.
2 Chronicles 20:32 32 And he walked in the way
of his father Asa, and did not turn aside from it, doing what was right
in the sight of the Lord.
YLT
32And he walketh in the way
of his father Asa, and hath not turned aside from it, to do that which is right
in the eyes of Jehovah.
2 Chronicles 20:33 33 Nevertheless the high
places were not taken away, for as yet the people had not directed their hearts
to the God of their fathers.
Howbeit, the high places were not taken away,.... The high
places, where idols were worshipped, were taken away, 2 Chronicles 17:6,
but not those where sacrifices were offered to the true God:
for as yet the people had not prepared their hearts unto the God
of their fathers; to seek and serve him wholly, according to his will, to offer
sacrifices to him only at Jerusalem, as the law required, Deuteronomy 12:5,
they could not as yet be prevailed upon to relinquish the high places, built
and made use of before the temple was; partly because they were nearer to some
of them than that, and partly out of veneration for them, as being of a long
time used.
2 Chronicles 20:34 34 Now the rest of the acts
of Jehoshaphat, first and last, indeed they are written in the book of
Jehu the son of Hanani, which is mentioned in the book of the kings of
Israel.
YLT
34And the rest of the matters
of Jehoshaphat, the first and the last, lo, they are written among the matters
of Jehu son of Hanani, who hath been mentioned on the book of the kings of
Israel.
Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and last,.... Those
that were done at the beginning, and those that were done at the latter end of
his reign:
behold, they are written in the book of Jehu, the son of Hanani,
who is mentioned in the book of the kings of Israel; see 1 Kings 16:1, the
same that reproved Jehoshaphat, 2 Chronicles 19:2.
He wrote a book of his own times, and which was so much esteemed, according to
Kimchi, that it was written with, or put along with, the book of the kings of
Israel, for so he interprets the phrase; but the Targum understands it of Jehu
being the king's historiographer, who had the care and oversight of the diary,
journal, or annals of the kings of Israel.
2 Chronicles 20:35 35 After this Jehoshaphat
king of Judah allied himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, who acted very
wickedly.
YLT
35And after this hath
Jehoshaphat king of Judah joined himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, (he did
wickedly in [so] doing),
And after this did Jehoshaphat king of Judah join himself with
Ahaziah king of Israel,.... Meaning, not after the invasion of the Moabites, &c. and
the slaughter of them, but after Jehoshaphat returned from Ramothgilead, when
he was reproved by a prophet for helping the ungodly, 2 Chronicles 19:1
so that it was a great aggravation of his folly and weakness, that after that,
and quickly after that, he should join himself to a wicked prince, though not
in war, but in trade; for so it must be, since Ahaziah reigned but two years,
and those not complete, see 1 Kings 22:51, but
is here related, that Jehoshaphat's weaknesses and blemishes might be laid
together:
who did very wickedly; that is, Ahaziah, who
walked in the ways of Ahab his father, and of Jezebel his mother, and of
Jeroboam the son of Nebat, 1 Kings 22:52.
2 Chronicles 20:36 36 And he allied himself with
him to make ships to go to Tarshish, and they made the ships in Ezion Geber.
YLT
36and he joineth him with
himself to make ships to go to Tarshish, and they make ships in Ezion-Geber,
And he joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish,.... Of which;
see Gill on 1 Kings 22:48, and
though it is there said, 1 Kings 22:49, that
Jehoshaphat refused letting the servants of Ahaziah go with his, that was after
he had been reproved for joining with him, and after the ships were broken:
and they made the ships in Eziongeber; of which see
Gill on 1 Kings 9:26.
2 Chronicles 20:37 37 But Eliezer the son of
Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because you have
allied yourself with Ahaziah, the Lord has destroyed your
works.” Then the ships were wrecked, so that they were not able to go to
Tarshish.
YLT
37and prophesy doth Eliezer
son of Dodavah, of Mareshah, against Jehoshaphat, saying, `For thy joining
thyself with Ahaziah, Jehovah hath broken up thy works;' and the ships are
broken, and have not retained [power] to go unto Tarshish.
Then Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah,.... A city in
the tribe of Judah, Joshua 15:44.
prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, because thou hast joined
thyself with Ahaziah; an idolatrous prince, with whom he ought to have had no
fellowship, even in civil things, it being both a countenancing him, and
exposing himself and people to danger:
the Lord hath broken thy works; the ships built at the
joint expense of the two kings, that is, the Lord had determined to break them,
and now foretold that he would; the Targum is,"the Word of the Lord hath
destroyed thy works:"
and the ships were broken, that they were not able to go to
Tarshish; see Gill on 1 Kings 22:48.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)