Bible Commentaries

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

2 Chronicles 20

Introduction

1  Jehoshaphat, invaded by Moab, proclaims a fast.
5  His prayer.
14  The prophecy of Jahaziel.
20  Jehoshaphat exhorts the people, and sets singers to praise the Lord.
22  The great overthrow of his enemies.
26  The people, having blessed God at Berachah, return in triumph.
31  Jehoshaphat's reign.
35  His convoy of ships, according to the prophecy of Eliezer, unhappily perish.
Verse 1

It came to pass after this also, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them other beside the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle.
after this also
19:5,11, 32:1
the children of Moab
Psalms 83:5-8, Isaiah 7:1, 8:9,10, 16:6
came against
19:2, Jeremiah 10:24, Revelation 3:19
Verse 2

Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria; and, behold, they be in Hazazontamar, which is Engedi.
beyond the sea
That is, the Dead or Salt Sea, the western and northern boundary of Edom, which is the reading of one of Dr. Kennicott's MSS. (89,) instead of aram, "Syria."
Genesis 14:3, Numbers 34:12, Joshua 3:16
Hazazon-tamar
Genesis 14:7
En-gedi
Joshua 15:62, 1 Samuel 23:29, Song of Solomon 1:14
Verse 3

And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
feared
Genesis 32:7-11,24-28, Psalms 56:3,4, Isaiah 37:3-6, Jonah 1:16, Matthew 10:28
himself
Heb. his face. seek the Lord. See on ch.
11:16, 19:3
proclaimed
Judges 20:26, 1 Samuel 7:6, Ezra 8:21-23, Esther 4:16, Jeremiah 36:9, Daniel 9:3, Joel 1:14, 2:12-18, Jonah 3:5-9
Verse 4

And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the LORD: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.
ask help of the Lord
Psalms 34:5,6, 50:15, 60:10-12
the cities
19:5, Psalms 69:35
Verse 5

And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court,
Jehoshaphat
6:12,13, 34:31, 2 Kings 19:15-19
Verse 6

And said, O LORD God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee?
O Lord
Exodus 3:6,15,16, 1 Chronicles 29:18
God in heaven
Deuteronomy 4:39, Joshua 2:11, 1 Kings 8:23, Psalms 115:3, Isaiah 57:15,16, 66:1, Matthew 6:9
rulest not
1 Chronicles 29:11,12, Psalms 47:2,8, Jeremiah 27:5-8, Daniel 4:17,25,32-35
in thine hand
1 Chronicles 29:11,12, Psalms 62:11, Matthew 6:13
none is able
Acts 11:17
Verse 7

Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?
our God
14:11, Genesis 17:7, Exodus 6:7, 19:5-7, 20:2, 1 Chronicles 17:21-24
who
Heb. thou. drive out.
Exodus 33:2, Psalms 44:2
gavest
Genesis 12:7, 13:15, Joshua 24:3,13, Nehemiah 9:8
thy friend
Isaiah 41:8, John 11:11, 15:15, James 2:23
Verse 8

And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying,
built thee
2:4, 6:10
Verse 9

If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help.
If, when evil
6:28-30, 1 Kings 8:33,37
and in thy presence
Matthew 18:20
thy name
6:20, Exodus 20:24, 23:21
is in this house
Several MSS. with the Syriac, Arabic, and Vulgate, read nikra, "is invoked:" "thy name is invoked in this house."
Verse 10

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, but they turned from them, and destroyed them not;
whom thou
Numbers 20:17-21, Deuteronomy 2:4,5,9,19, Judges 11:15-18
Verse 11

Behold, I say, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit.
how they reward us
Six of Dr. Kennicott's and De Rossi's MSS. and räâh, "evil:" "Behold they reward us evil:" which is also the reading of the Targum.
Genesis 44:4, Psalms 7:4, 35:12, Proverbs 17:13, Jeremiah 18:20
to cast us
Judges 11:23,24, Psalms 83:3-12
Verse 12

O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.
wilt
Deuteronomy 32:36, Judges 11:27, 1 Samuel 3:13, Psalms 7:6,8, 9:19, 43:1, Isaiah 2:4, 42:4, Joel 3:12, Revelation 19:11
we have
2 Samuel 14:11, 1 Samuel 14:6, 2 Corinthians 1:8,9
neither
2 Kings 6:15
our eyes
Psalms 25:15, 121:1,2, 123:1,2, 141:8, Jonah 2:4
Verse 13

And all Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.
all Judah
Deuteronomy 29:10, Ezra 10:1, Jonah 3:5, Acts 21:5
Verse 14

Then 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, came the Spirit of the LORD in the midst of the congregation;
Then upon
Isaiah 58:9, 65:24, Daniel 9:20,21, Acts 10:4,31
came the Spirit
15:1, 24:20, Numbers 11:25,26, 24:2
Verse 15

And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.
Be not afraid
32:7,8, Exodus 14:13,14, Deuteronomy 1:29,30, 20:1,4, 31:6,8, Joshua 11:6, Nehemiah 4:14, Psalms 17:1,2, Isaiah 41:10-16, 43:1,2
the battle
32:8, 1 Samuel 17:47
Verse 16

To morrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel.
cliff
Heb. ascent. Ziz. The cliff of Ziz was probably near Ziza, which Ptolemy places in Arabia Petraæ, long. 69 11/24 degrees lat. 31 degrees.
brook
or, valley. the wilderness. The wilderness of Jeruel seems, from ver. 20, to have been a part of the wilderness of Tekoa.
Verse 17

Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you.
not need
22,23, Exodus 14:13,14,25
stand ye still
Psalms 46:10,11, Isaiah 30:7,15, Lamentations 3:26, 3:26
for the Lord
15:2, 32:8, Numbers 14:9, Psalms 46:7,11, Isaiah 8:9,10, 41:10, Amos 5:14, Matthew 1:23, Matthew 28:20, Romans 8:31, 2 Timothy 4:22
Verse 18

And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the LORD, worshipping the LORD.
bowed his head
7:3, Genesis 24:26, Exodus 4:31
fell before
Job 1:20, Psalms 95:6
Verse 19

And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites, and of the children of the Korhites, stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with a loud voice on high.
Levites
1 Chronicles 15:16-22, 16:5,42, 23:5, 25:1-7
Korhites
Psalms 44:1, 49:1; *titles
a loud
5:13, Ezra 3:12,13, Nehemiah 12:42,43, Psalms 81:1, 95:1,2
Verse 20

And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.
Tekoa
11:6, 2 Samuel 14:2, 1 Chronicles 4:5, Jeremiah 6:1
Hear ye
Believe in the Lord
Isaiah 7:9, 26:3, John 11:40, 14:1, Romans 8:31, Hebrews 11:6
believe his
Exodus 14:31, Luke 16:31, John 5:46,47, 13:20
Verse 21

And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever.
consulted
1 Chronicles 13:1,2, Proverbs 11:14
appointed
29:25-30, 30:21, Ezra 3:10,11, Nehemiah 12:27
that should praise
Heb. praisers of. the beauty.
1 Chronicles 16:29, Psalms 29:2, 50:2, 90:17, 96:9
Praise the Lord
5:13, 7:3,6, 1 Chronicles 16:34,41, Ezra 3:11, Psalms 106:1, 107:1, 136:1-26, Jeremiah 33:11
Verse 22

And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.
when they
Heb. in the time that they, etc. to sing and to. Heb. in singing and. the Lord set ambushments. Houbigant's version is, "the Lord set against the children of Amon and Moab ambushments of those who came from mount Seir against Judah; and the children of Ammon and Moab were smitten: but they afterwards rose up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, and utterly destroyed them; who being destroyed, they rose up one against one another, and mutually destroyed each other."
Judges 7:22, 1 Samuel 14:16,20, 2 Kings 6:17, Psalms 35:5,6, Isaiah 19:2, Ezekiel 38:21
were smitten
or, smote one another.
Verse 23

For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another.
mount Seir
Genesis 14:6, 36:8,9, Deuteronomy 2:5, Joshua 24:4, Ezekiel 35:2,3
to destroy another
Heb. for the destruction.
Verse 24

And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped.
they were dead
Exodus 14:30, 1 Chronicles 5:22, Psalms 110:6, Isaiah 37:36, Jeremiah 33:5
none escaped
Heb. there was not an escaping.
Ezra 9:14
Verse 25

And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much.
they found
Exodus 12:35,36, 1 Samuel 30:19,20, 2 Kings 7:9-16, Psalms 68:12, Romans 8:37
dead bodies
Instead of pegarim, "dead bodies," eight MSS. and several ancient editions read begadim, "garments." None of the ancient versions, except the Chaldee, have dead bodies: garments would therefore appear to be the true reading; and the succeeding clause should be rendered, "which they seized for themselves."
precious jewels
Exodus 3:22, Numbers 31:15, Judges 8:24-26, Proverbs 3:15
it was so much
Ezekiel 39:8,9
Verse 26

And on the fourth day they assembled themselves in the valley of Berachah; for there they blessed the LORD: therefore the name of the same place was called, The valley of Berachah, unto this day.
Berachah
that is, Blessing. Having previously sought deliverance by fasting and prayer, and received the assurance of it with grateful joy, Jehoshaphat and his army returned immediate and fervent thanks and praise to the Lord, who had in so wonderful a manner performed his promise. Scott, who quotes the following from Bp. Patrick: "They did not return every man to his own home; but first went back to Jerusalem, to bless the Lord again for hearing their prayer and making good his promises."
blessed
Exodus 15:1-19, 2 Samuel 22:1, Psalms 103:1,2, 107:21,22, Luke 1:68, Revelation 19:1-6
the name
Genesis 28:19, 32:20, Exodus 17:15, 1 Samuel 7:12, Isaiah 62:4, Acts 1:19
unto this day
5:9
Verse 27

Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat in the forefront of them, to go again to Jerusalem with joy; for the LORD had made them to rejoice over their enemies.
forefront
Heb. head.
2 Samuel 6:14,15, Micah 2:13, Hebrews 6:20
the Lord
1 Samuel 2:1, Nehemiah 12:43, Psalms 20:5, 30:1, Isaiah 35:10, 51:11, Revelation 18:20
Verse 28

And they came to Jerusalem with psalteries and harps and trumpets unto the house of the LORD.
with psalteries
Instead of celebrating his own heroism or the valour of his troops on this memorable occasion, this excellent prince sung with his whole army the praises of Jehovah, the God of hosts, who disposes of the victory according to his pleasure. This conduct was becoming the descendant and successor of David, the man after God's own heart, and of a religious people, the peculiar inheritance of Jehovah.
2 Samuel 6:5, 1 Chronicles 13:8, 23:5, 25:6, Psalms 57:8, 92:3, 149:3, 150:3-5, Revelation 14:2,3
Verse 29

And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries, when they had heard that the LORD fought against the enemies of Israel.
the fear
17:10, Genesis 35:5, Exodus 23:27, Joshua 5:1, 2 Kings 7:6
they had heard
Exodus 15:14-16, Joshua 2:9-11, 9:9-11
Verse 30

So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet: for his God gave him rest round about.
his God
14:6,7, 15:15, Joshua 23:1, 2 Samuel 7:1, Job 34:29, Proverbs 16:7, John 14:27
Verse 31

And Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah: he was thirty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.
A. M. 3090-3115. B.C. 914-889. Jehoshaphat
1 Kings 22:41-44
Verse 32

And he walked in the way of Asa his father, and departed not from it, doing that which was right in the sight of the LORD.
he walked
17:3-6
the way
14:2-5,11-13, 1 Kings 15:11
departed not
16:7-12, Psalms 18:21, 36:3
Verse 33

Howbeit the high places were not taken away: for as yet the people had not prepared their hearts unto the God of their fathers.
the high places
14:3, 17:6
had not
12:14, 19:3, 30:19, Deuteronomy 29:4, 1 Samuel 7:3
Verse 34

Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of Jehu the son of Hanani, who is mentioned in the book of the kings of Israel.
the rest
12:15, 13:22, 16:11
book
Heb. words. Jehu the son of Hanani.
19:2, 1 Kings 16:1,7
is mentioned
Heb. was made to ascend.
Verse 35

And after this did Jehoshaphat king of Judah join himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, who did very wickedly:
A. M. 3108. B.C. 896. did Jehoshaphat
1 Kings 22:48,49
who did very
2 Kings 1:2-16
Verse 36

And he joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish: and they made the ships in Eziongeber.
And he joined
"At first Jehoshaphat was unwilling, 1 Ki 22:28, 49."
Tarshish
"Tarsos in the great sea," says the Targumist, by which is meant a a place in the Mediterranean, called the Great Sea by the Hebrews. See on
1 Kings 10:22
Tharshish
Ezion-gaber.
1 Kings 9:26
Ezion-geber
Verse 37

Then Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, the LORD hath broken thy works. And the ships were broken, that they were not able to go to Tarshish.
Because
19:2, Joshua 7:11,12, Proverbs 13:20
the Lord
16:9, Proverbs 9:6, 13:20, Hebrews 12:6, Revelation 3:19
And the ships
1 Kings 22:48
to Tarshish
9:21

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