2 Chronicles 20

! Vcr. 3: And Jehoshaphat feared. Having been lately told by the prophet (chap. xix. 2.) that God was very angry with him. • And set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.] Fasting was generally joined with prayer in times of distress: unto which he publicly called theAvholc nation, that they might obtain help from God.. •‘Ver. 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.] The Targum translates it, to ask mercy of him, and to beg his direction, and to hear his holy ivord. For some part of the law was read upon those so-’lcmn days. Vitringa takes this to be an argument, that there were no synagogues in every city in those days. For there would have been no need they should come out of their cities, and all Tesort;to Jerusalem, to fast and pray, and hear the law there; which might have been done at home in their synagogues, as well as in the temple. Though jiot, indeed,* in such a solemn manner> as it was performed by such a vast conflux of people, in one place, to make ■their supplications to God, (de Vet. Synag. par. ii. lib. i. cap. 9.). them: or rather he distrusted the greatest army, and acknowledged them to be of no force if God was not with tliem: on whom he entirely relied, and not on the number and valour of his soldiers, though both were very great. Victorinus Strigelius hath such a devout reflection upon this prayer of Jehoshaphat, that it will not be unacceptable, I persuade myself, to the pious reader, if I here transcribe it: " In this weak and declining condition wherein thcchurch now is, when the devil is very outrageous, because he knows his time to be short, &c. let us say daily with Jehoshaphat, We know not what to do; but our eyes are upon thee. Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory. Thou art our king and our shepherd; we are thy people, and the sheep of thy pasture. Thou only art powerful, we are infirm: but thy power will be perfected in our weakness. Not unto us,. O Lord, not unto us, but to thy name give the glory; for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake. Do not remember our iniquities, but save us for thy mercy’s sake; for we are brought very low. Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: deliver us, and be merciful to our sins, for thy name’s sake. Save us/ O Lord our God, that we may give thanks unto thy holy name, and triumph in thy praise." Such addresses to God (so he concludes) will illustrate this prayer of Jehoshaphat better than the largest commentaries. *

2 Chronicles 20:1

JLTcame to pass after this also, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon. These seem to have been the principal in this invasions * the other here mentioned (in the next verse and in ver. 22.) to have been auxiliaries.’ For such was theancient way of making war, and still is. to this day, to call in the assistance of their neighbours. As appears by the Romans more especially, whose armies consisted of their own legions, on whom they chiefly relied, and their auxiliaries: who agreed neither in their discipline, nor in their language, nor in their affection, as Vegetius observes in his book de Re Militari, lib. ii. cap. 2. and therefore could not do such serviced For which cause (as he Observes in the beginning of his third book) they took care their Socii Militares should never exceed the number of their own soldiers, which is a rulo laid down by-Livy and Tacitus. And with them other besides the Ammonites. ~] It ought to be translated, and with them the Meunims.".who were a peo-v pie in Arabia, near the Moabites and Ammonites. ■ (See my annotations upon Judges x^ 12. and in this book, chap, xxvi. 6, 7. and Bochartus, in hisPhaleg. lib. ii. cap. 22.) Came against Jehoshaphat to battle.] Made. aji invasion upon his country.

2 Chronicles 20:2

Then there came 1 some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cotneth a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea. That is the Dead Sea, as it is called in Scripture. *. <’ «->« • *-> v . n »,, On this side Syria.] The Targum translates it, from the western part of Syria: for the Dead Sea was the western bounds of that country; and it. is likely the Syrians joined against him, to revenge the assistance he gave to Ahab.. And, behold, they be in Hazazon-tamar, which isEn-gedi.] A place where there was a great forest of palm-trees. It seems he had but slender intelligence, for he heard not of their motion till they ^ere upon the borders of his country,

2 Chronicles 20:5

And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the Jiouse of the Lord. For there was a throne, the Hebrew doctors tell us, in the court of the Israelites, where their kings prayed to God, or spake to the people, as there was occasion. So Jehoshaphat did, and, in following times, Hezckiah and Josiah: after the example of Solomon’, who began this custom, (chap. vi. 13.) • Before the new court.] The most learned in these matters confess they do not know what is meant by the new court. Some think it probable, that it was only some enlargement that Jehoshaphat had made of the court of the people, to render it more capacious: but others aro of opinion, that it signifies the court of the women, which was now made distinct from the court of the men. (ScelChron. xy.3.) Thus Constantine L’Empereur thinks that the court of the women was not built by Solomon, but added in aftertimes, Anriot. in Cod. Middoth, cap. 2. sect. 5. where he disputes, that, according to the Mischna, this court when it was made did not surround the court of Israel: but the breadth of them was equal, according to the delineation there.

2 Chronicles 20:6

And said, O Lord God of our fathers, art thou not 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 ivitlistand thee?] This is the most admirable prayer that we read any of their kings made: expressing the greatest confidence in God, and representing to him the justice of their cause. He begins with an acknowledgment of God’s supreme and irresistible power; which extends itself every where over all creatures in heaven and earth, who are every one of them subject to his authority.

2 Chronicles 20:7

Art not thou our God, who didst drive oiit the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?. Then he remembers the peculiar relation the people of Israel had to him, and the promise to Abraham, and the deed of gift which he made of this country to him, and to his posterity for ever, as a reward of his fidelity to him.

2 Chronicles 20:8

And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying. Next to that he remembers, that they had bc-:n long possessed of this country, wherein a house had been built for his worship by Solomon: to whom God promised at the consecration of it, that he would have regard to the prayers made in that place; (see the sixth chapter of this book, and 1 Kings viii.) The Targum here again saith this sanctuary was built to the name of thy Word; as in the foregoing verse God is said to have driven out the inhabitants of this land by his Word. Vcr. 9. If when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment.] Some translatc.it, the sword of judgment, that is, the punishing sword. But if judgment signify any particular punishment, distinct from the sword, it must be wild beasts* or captivity: fox pestilence and famine are particularly mentioned in the. following words. The Targum translates it, slaughter of the sword, which was a sore judgment. 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.] Sec I Kings viii. 38, 39..

2 Chronicles 20:10

And now, behold, the children of Ammon, and Moab, and Mount Seir. Some think this explains what is meant by other besides the Ammonites, (as we translate yer. 1.) viz. Edomites. So the Targum in that place, With these the Edomites, who joined tvith the Ammonites. But see there. Whom thou tuouldest not let Israelinvade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them, and destroyed them not.] He represents, in the next place, the foul ingratitude of their enemies (added to their injustice) in invading their country, unto which they had an undoubted title: when the Israelites did not do them the least barm, as they went to take possession of it, but took the pains to march a long way about to come at it, rather than give them any disturbance in their country. _,

2 Chronicles 20:11

Behold, I say, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit. It is a most odious thing not to make grateful returns of benefits received; but, to return evil for good is the highest wickedness. Which in this case was aggravated by this, that they made an attempt not only upon the rights of the Israelites, but.of God himself; whose land this was, which they held of him as their Lord.

2 Chronicles 20:12

O our: God, wilt thou not judge them?. He appeals to the justice of God, the righteous Judge, who rights those that suffer wrong, especially when they have no helper. To judge in this place signifies to punish, as in Exod. vi. 6. Psal. ix. 1G. where these words, the Lord is known by the judgment which he executeth, arc thus interpreted by Drusius, The Lord is known by the just punishment which he inflicts: in his Miscellanies, cent. i. cap. 18. For we have no might against this great company that cometh against ns; neither know we what to do: but our eyes w are upon thee.] This is the last argument he uses to obtain help from God: the weak condition wherein he and his people.werc, which made them the objects of the Divine pity; especially since they placed all their confidence and hope in him alone. But it may seem strange that he should say they had no might against this multitude, when he had so many hundred thousand men at command, as are mentioned, chap, xyii. 14^16, &c. To which It may be rex plied, that perhaps this was such a sudden invasion, that he had not time to gather a considerable body to oppose

2 Chronicles 20:13

And all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children. The more to move the Divine compassion towards them.

2 Chronicles 20:14

Then upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son ofMattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of the Lord hi the midst of the congregation.] He seems not to have been a prophet before this time: when a sudden inspiration came upon him from God, to comfort this great assembly with assured hope of deliverance, before they stirred from the place where they had prayed.

2 Chronicles 20:15

And he said, Hearken ye, allJudah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat; TJius 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.] As it was God’s cause which they now asserted, so they might be assured he would maintain it, by overthrowing their enemies. Ver. 1C To-morrow go ye down against them.] Jerusalem, where they now were, was situated on a high hill, and therefore he saith they should go down against these enemies: who are said in the next words to come up. Behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook (or valley), before the wilderness ofJeruel.] God was so very gracious to them, as, by this prophet, not only to assure them of victory, but to inform them of the very time, and place, and manner of it. The time was the very next morning: the place is mentioned in the latter end of this verse, as the time is in the beginning: and the manner, in the conclusion of the foregoing verse, that it should be by the hand of God, and not by their own: who should be only spectators of the victory which God himself would give them: so it follows in the next verse..

2 Chronicles 20:17

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.] He repeats, what he had said before (which he knew would be the greatest comfort to them), that they should have no conflict with their enemies; but only stand still in their place, and see the hand of God overthrowing them all. In which there was a notable accomplishment of Solomon’s prayer, which Jehoshaphat recited. For the Lord will be with you.] The Word of the Lord will be your helper, as the Targum expounds it.

2 Chronicles 20:18

And JeJioshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground; and all Judah and Jerusalem fell before the Lord, worshipping the Lord. The king gave most humble thanks to God, as did all the people with him, after his example.

2 Chronicles 20:19

And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites, and of the children of the Korhites. Who were then waiting, in their course, at the temple. Stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with a loud voice on high.] They sung praise to God before the army went out, as if the victory had been already obtained. And they raised their voice as high as they could, to express their full assurance of success. This, I suppose, they did by the order of Jehoshaphat. - ■ ■ Ver. 20/ And they rose up early in the moi’ning, and went forth into the ivilderness of Tekoa.] That is, the army who were to stand, and face the enemy, went forth from Jerusalem. And, as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem.] It is likely he stood in the gate of the city, through which they marched out, and spake these words to the several companies as they passed by him. Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.] The Targum translates it, Believe in the Word of the Lord your God, believe his law, and his prophets, &c. God having made them a gracious promise, expected their belief of it, and dependance on it: otherwise they had no reason to hope for victory…

2 Chronicles 20:21

Andwhen he had consulted tvith the people. That is, with the elders and heads of their tribes, who represented the rest: without whose consent he was loath to do any thing, in a time of comindn danger. He appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holi?iess.] It may be translated, should praise his most sacred Majesty. Though it is commonly thought he ordered them to praise the Lord with the same state, pomp, and ornament, that they worshipped in the temple: in the same habit, in that order and magnificence, wherein they appeared in the holy place. As they went out before the army.] This was an argument of great courage and assurance, that they led on the army: declaring to their enemies, that God (whose ministers they were) was coming against them. And to say, Praise the Lord; for his m$rcy endnrethfor ever.] This was the usual song, which they sung at the temple, (ver. 13.)

2 Chronicles 20:22

And when they began to sing and to praise. Before they had marched many steps. Tlie Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, ivhich were come against Judah; and they were smitten.] Or smote one another, as it is