2 Chronicles 21

in the margin. The Targum translates it, Tlie Word of the Lord set ambushments, &c. By which that paraphrast understands his angelical ministers which attended him; who smote some of them secretly, and the rest thinking it was done by their neighbours, fell upon them as their enemies. But the meaning seems rather to be, that the ambushments which they had laid against Judah, by a confusion among themselves, made by a Divine hand, fell upon a part of their own army, mistaking them for their enemies. * weakness, to make friendship with the son, when he had been so sharply reproved for joining with his father Ahab, (xix. 2.) especially since he was no better, but a very wicked idolater. And though he did not join with him in making war, but only in trade: yet God took it ill of hira, and threatened to punish him for it, (ver. 37.) Into this he was betrayed by the affinity, which was between them, which shews how dangerous it is to marry with idolaters. Ver. 3G. And he joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish: and* they made the ships in Ezion-gabcr.] They were ships’of Tarshish made to go to Ophir, as we learn from 1 Kings xxii. 48, 49. where I have shewn how this place and that agree. Bochart thinks there was a place Called Tarshish in the Indian Ocean near to Ophir (that is, Taprobana), which the Phoenicians called by the same, name, with the other Tarshish, because the same commodities came from both. (See his Phaleg. lib. ill. cap. 7.). [ And caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit fornication, and compelled Judah thereto.’] He not only gave them a bad example, and enticed them to idolatry; but by thrcatcnings and compulsions ho endeavoured to constrain them to conform to his example. Vcr. 12. And there came a ivriting from Elijah the prophet.] It is certain Elijah was taken up into heaven in the time of Jehoshaphat: therefore Josephus and the LXX. imagine (as Grotius observes), that from thence he sent a letter. Which is no more wonderful, than that Judas Maccabaeus should sec in a Divine dream Onias and Jeremiah praying for the people; (2 Maccab. xv.) so that the meaning may be, that Elisha saw Elijah appear to him, and bid him write these words and send them to Jehoram. But bur Dr. Lightfoot is of opinion, that it is not meant of that Elijah, who was carried up to heaven, but of another of his name, who sent this letter. His reason is, because he is always called Elijah the Tishbite, and never Elijah the prophet. (See him upon Luke i. 17.) But in this, I think, he is singular; and it is not true, that he is always called the Tishbite: but sometimes simply Elijah; and in 1 Kings xix. 16. God calls him prophet. Therefore Kimchi seems to me to have given the most natural and plainest sense of these words, in his commentary on this place: That Elijah foreseeing, by the spirit of prophecy, before he went to heaven, the wickedness of Jehoram, spake these words to one of the prophets, and charged him to put them down in writing, and send them in a letter to Jehoram, when ho grew so impious as is here related; and let him know, that Elijah commanded this writing to be delivered to him: that so Jehoram being affected with it, as if it had been sent from heaven, might be moved to repent of the evil he had done. And indeed this passage will bear this sense, if we take the words from Elijah not to relate to the first words there came, but to the immediately precedent, a writing. He did not send a writing, but it was sent as his writing. For there is nothing in the words to intimate that this was written after his death, but delivered after his death: so that it might have been written (for any thing that appears to the contrary) by Elijah himself, before he was taken up into heaven. Saying, Thus saith the Lord God of thy father David.] He seems to upbraid him with his degeneracy from so pious an ancestor as David was, from whom he descended. Because thou hast not walkedin the ways of Jehoshaphat thy father, nor in the ways of Asa king of Judah.] His sin was the greater, because both his father and his grandfather had left him an excellent example.

2 Chronicles 21:2

And he had brethren, the sons of Jehoshaphat. They had the same father, if not the same mother: which made’ his wickedness in killing them the more unnatural. Azariahy and Jehiel, and Zechariah, and Azariah, and Michael, and Shephatiah.] The fourth son is distinguished in the Hebrew from the first, by the addition of hu; the first being called Azariah, this Azariahu. All these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel.] He was king of Israel in a large sense, many of Israel being subject to him. So Ahaz is also called, xxviii. 19. where I shall give some further account of it.

2 Chronicles 21:3

And their father gave them great gifts of silver, and gold. After the manner of the ancient patriarchs. (See Gen. xxv. 6.) And of precious things.] The Hebrew word signifies any tiling that is excellent in its kind; whether jewels, or garments, or fruits of the earth, as Beckius observes out of Solomon Abu Mclech. With fenced cities in Judah.] Over which he made them governors. This he did very prudently, for providing so well for them, that they might not be tempted to envy the kingdom to their brother; nor quarrel among themselves. But, as Strigelius observes out of Cicero, " Sacpe optirao cogitata pessime cadunt;" things excellently designed have often very ill event. For these riches of theirs made their brother first fear them; and then, being wickedly covetous, he was tempted to make them away, that he might get what they had into his possession. But the kingdom gave he to Jehoram, because he was the first-born.] He could not but know his wicked disposition, by his inclination to idolatry: but was swayed purely by » his being the first-born, to settle the kingdom upon him, though not so deserving as his brethren. For such was the power of the kings of Judah (as Conringius observes), that they took upon them to dispose of the kingdom, as if it had been their patrimony 1 Some think he superstitiously observed that law, Deut. xxi. 13. for sometime the younger sons were preferred to the elder, as we find in the sons of Josiah, 2 Kings xxiii. 30. But (as Mr. Selden shews) common usage was otherwise, lib. ii. de Successipnead Pontif. cap. 1. p. 202. where he translates; these words,." Regnum autem transmisit," &c. not he gave, but he transmitted the kingdom to Jehoram. %’; ■ -

2 Chronicles 21:4

Now, when Jehoram was risen up to the kingdom of his father, he strengthened himself, and % slew, all his brethren with the sword.y Being advanced to the throne, his. first business was to make himself so strong, that he might be able without danger to murder all his brethren. “Which he did; that neither they nor their posterity might ever pretend to the crown. Perhaps they were inclined to, the true religion, and therefore he made them away; lest they should oppose him,.when he went about to alter it, and bring in the old idolatry. And divers also, of the princes of Israel] Several of the most eminent persons in the country: such as the judges, established by Jehoshaphat in Jerusalem, and in the country; lest they should revenge.. the death of his brethren. (See Grotius.) < if -

2 Chronicles 21:5

Jehoram was thirty, and two years old when he began to reign; and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.

2 Chronicles 21:6

And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, like as did the house of Ahab; for he had the daughter of Ahab to wife: and he wrought that which was evil in the eyes of the Lord. These two verses are the very same with 2 Kings viii. 17, 18. where sec what I have noted.

2 Chronicles 21:7

Howbeit the Lord would not destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that he had made with David, and as he promised to give a light to him and to his sons for ever. -’ * > • 2 >, <’ « f

2 Chronicles 21:8

In his days the Edomites revolted from under the dominion of Judah, and made themselves, a king.

2 Chronicles 21:9

TJien Jehoram went forth with his princes, and all his chariots with him: and he rose up by night, and smote the Edomites which compassed him in, and the captains of the chariots.

2 Chronicles 21:10

, So the Edomites revolted from under the hand of Judah unto this day. The same time also did Libnah revolt from under his hand; because he had forsaken thejLord God of his fathers. There is little difference between these four verses, and what we read in 2 Kings viii.. 19 — 22, I shall only note here, that this was the first punishment God inflicted on him for his sin, in not following his good father, but turning unto idols.

2 Chronicles 21:11

Moreover, he made high places in the mountains of Judah. For the worship of strange ^gods.

2 Chronicles 21:13

But hast walked in the ways of thekings of Israel, and hast made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to go a whoring, like to the whoredoms of the house of Ahab. He was not only an idolater himself, not only by his example corrupted others, but used his authority to draw, or rather to force them into idolatrous worship, and that of the very worst sort. And also hast slain thy brethren of thy father’s house, which were better than thyself] This seems to signify that they were pious persons, who abhorred idolatry: and therefore his sin was the more heinous in cutting them oft’, proceeding from enmity to God as woll as to them.

2 Chronicles 21:14

Behold, with a great plague will the Lord smite thy people, and thy children, and thy wives, and all thy goods. There was no calamity that could be thought of (as Vict. Strigelius observes) which did not befall this wicked prince: whose kingdom was destroyed and depopulated by the fiercest nations; his treasures ransacked; his wives carried into captivity; his children slain; and he himself laboured under a sore disease for two years; and when he was dead had not the honour of royal sepulture, such as his ancestors had. All which calamities were threatened in the writing sent him in the name of Elijah, that ho might not think they came by chance, but by the special direction of Almighty God, as a punishment for his wickedness. But why should his people suffer, who are threatened in the first place to be plagued? the reason was, because their base fear made them comply with him in his idolatry; and besides, he was punished by the loss of them.

2 Chronicles 21:15

And thou shalt have great sickness by disease of thy bowels. A dysentery miserably tormented him. Till thy bowels fall out.] For what should he do with bowels, who had no pity and compassion on his own brethren? By reason of the sickness day by day.] For two years, as it is interpreted ver. 19. For days sometimes signifies a year: and in the Hebrew the words are days upon days, that is, one year after another. *

2 Chronicles 21:16

Moreover, the Lord stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines. Who invaded him on the west side of his kingdom, as the Arabians did on the east side: who stood in such awe of his father, that they brought him presents, (chap. xvii. 11.) • And of the Arabians, that were near to the Ethiopians. ]It should be translated, that were near to the Cushites. A people inhabiting the inmost part of Arabia, not far from Nabathea and Negid, which was then called Cush, in the confines of the territories of Babylon, which was the ancient Cush: by which name Arabia, or some part of it, is to be -understood in many places. (See xiv. 9. 2 Kings xix. 9.) Whence the topaz of Cush must be understood of the topaz of Arabia, not of Ethiopia. In which country there are no precious stones, as Ludolphus was assured by a priest of Ethiopia, and is confirmed by our merchants. (See Dr. Hyde, in his late book de Relig. Veterum Persarum, cap. 1. p. 37. and my annotations on the place abovementioned.) The Hebrew phrase aljad (at hand) is well translated near. by us, for so it signifies plainly in other places. And Forsterus, perhaps, hath rightly observed,’ that the bounds and limits of countries were called jad (i. e. a hand), because a hand was there placed, to denote that there was the end of the territory, which reached no farther.

2 Chronicles 21:17

And they came up into Judah, and brake into it. For his soldiers were not able to defend it from this irruption on both sides. And carried away all the substance that was found in the king’s house, and his sons also.] Whom they slew, chap, xxii. 1. And his ivives.] All except Athaliah: who hid herself, it is likely, in some secret place, with her youngest son. So that there was never a son left him, save Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons.] Who is also called Ahaziah, chap. xxii. 1. and by the interposition of one letter Azariah, ver. 6. *

2 Chronicles 21:18

And after all this the Lord smote him in his bowels with an inctirable disease. He lived to see all those

For the children of Amnion 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.] They of Mount Seir were ordered to fall upon Judah, out of an ambushment; but by some mistake they fell upon the Ammonites, their own confederates: and they and the Moabites fell upon them, till they had entirely destroyed those of Seir. And when that was done, they continued in such confusion, that they fell one upon another, still imagining they were destroying the Jews: who came upon them very early in the morning, as the prophet had directed.

And when Judah came towards the ivatcJi-tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, beliold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped. Instead of meeting with any enemy to oppose them, they saw them all lie dead upon the ground. For this tower, it is probable, stood upon the cliff of Ziz, (mentioned ver. 1G.) from whence they could behold how their army lay.

And tvhen Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches tvith the dead bodies,’ and precious jewels (which they stripped off for themselves).’] As they found rich garments upon their bodies, so they found great treasure among their baggage (as we call it), and many precious jewels; which they brought along with them, I suppose, that they might appear the more glorious, in the triumph which they promised themselves over the Jews. More than they could carry away: and they were three days in gathering the spoil, it zvas so much.] They could not carry all the spoil at once, but spent three days in collecting it, and disposing of it. For there was vast provision, no doubt, which they had made for the subsistence of such a multitude; and a great many beasts for the carriages that brought it to them. Ver. 2G. And on the fourth day they assembled themselves in the valley of Berachah; for there they blessed the Lord: and therefore the name of the same place was called The valley of Berachah unto this day.] One cannot think, that they deferred to give God ihanks for so signal a victory, till four days after it; but then they did it in a more solemn manner than they could at first: the whole body of the people assembling together, to acknowledge God’s goodness to them. Which they did in such a remarkable manner, that it gave to the place ever after the name of the Valley of Blessing.

Then they returned, every man of [Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat in the fore-front of them, to go to Jerusalem with joy. This is a further instance of their thankfulness to God for their victory; that they did not return every man to his own home, after this overthrow: but first went back’ to Jerusalem, to bless him again for hearing their prayers, and making good his promises. For the Lord had made them to rejoice over their enemies.] This they did with great joy, wherewith God had filled their hearts, by making them triumph over such powerful enemies.

And they came to Jerusalem with psalteries, and harps, and trumpets, unto the house of the Lord. To express by thes6 the greatness of their joy, and proclaim their thankfulness’ to God. «*

And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries. On all the neighbouring nations, who heard of this glorious victory without fighting. When they had heard that the Lord fought against the enemies of Israel.] Here the Targumhath it, When they heard that the Word of the Lord fought, &c.

So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet; for his God gave him rest round about. Hero again the Targum saith, TJte Word of his God gave him rest.

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, th& daughter of Shilhi.] Sec 1 Kings xxii. 42. It is likely, his mother was a very religious woman, who.had taken care to bring up Jehoshaphat in the fear of the Lord: and happy had it been for him and his family, if ho had taken care to marry his son to such another woman.

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. Whatsoever other faults he had, he kept close to* the worship of God alone: and did many other good things as the law of Moses directed.

Howbeit the high places were not taken away. This shews, that the meaning of those words, xvii. G. is, that the high places wherein God was worshipped were not taken away: though those wherein idols were served were destroyed. i For as yet the people had not prepared their hearts unto the God of their fathers.] The reason of it is here given, the people could not bear it: “for their hearts were not disposed to serve God exactly according to the law of Moses. But though they renounced idolatry, and worshipped none but the Lord, yet they would not have his worship, by sacrifices, restrained to one place alone, but have the liberty to sacrifice elsewhere,

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. He was an eminent prophet in the time of Baasha king of Israel, and lived to the end of Jehoshaphat’s reign. (See 1 Kings xvi. 3. 7.) He, as several other prophets, wrote the history of his ovvn time: out of which monuments these books werccollected. And his work was so highly esteemed that it was registered in the book of the Kings of Israel: which w r ere commentaries, as Huctius thinks, of what daily passed, (Demonstr. T5vang. p. 202.)

And after this,. That is, after the Lord had given him such a glorious victory, and struck terror into all his enemies, and given him rest and quiet round about. Did Jehoshaphat king of Judah join himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, who did very zvickedly.] This was a great

TJien Eliezer, the son of Dodavah of Mareshah ) prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because thou hast joined thyself With Ahaziah, the Lord hath broken thy works. In the Targum it is again, The Word of the Lord hath destroyed thy works. “Which he laid to heart so much, that when Ahaziah afterward desired to join in some voyage with him, he would not consent: as we read in 1 Kings xxii. 49. And the ships were broken that they were not able to go to Tarshish.] They were shattered in the very place where they were built, in Ezion-gaber. (Sec 1 Kings xxii. 48.) chap, xxi: Ver.l. A\ OW Jehoshapliat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David: and Jehoram his son reigned in his stead.] By his own appointment, as appears from ver. 3. He was designed king in the seventeenth year of the reign of Jehoshaphat; and crowned in the twenty-third year, and afterward reigned eight years; three with his father, and five alone. (S(Se ver. 5.)