2 Chronicles 19

Chap. XIX. Ver. 1—11. with Ahab: he returns home, and prosecutes his designed reforms.—It is the great advantage of having contemporary histories, that though they often repeat the same facts, they generally add others, or insert incidents which render them explanatory of each other. The author of Kings mentions the circumstance of Jehoshaphat having joined with Ahab in the battle of Ramoth-gilead; but as his object appears to have been different, the author of Chronicles, on the other hand, is more brief on the history of Ahab, but enlarges on that of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. He informs us, that after the defeat and death of Ahab, Jehoshaphat, being reproved by a prophet for joining with Jehovah’s enemies, instead of resenting it, as Asa did, returned immediately to Jerusalem;

and not only prosecuted his intended reforms there, but made a tour among the people of Israel in person, from Beer-sheba to mount Ephraim, to persuade them to renounce idolatry, and return to the worship of the Lord. Moreover, he enjoined upon the secular judges of the land, upon the priests and Levites, and the chief fathers of Israel, that they should do their duty faithfully, and take no bribes, in the administration of justice; and as, in times of general corruption, it required no little courage and resolution to do right, and stem the tide of profligacy, he says, ‘Deal courageously, and the Lord shall be with thee for good.”

Notes on the verses

Chap. XIX. Ver. 2. There is wrath.—That is, God is angry. Ver. 4. Beer-sheba to mount Ephraim.—Before the separation, Dan and Beer-sheba were the boundaries of the country; afterwards, Ephraim became, he presumed, in the name of Jehovah, the northern boundary of Judah.