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2
Chronicles Chapter Nineteen
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO 2 CHRONICLES 19
Jehoshaphat
returning from the battle at Ramothgilead, was met by a prophet, who reproved
him for helping the ungodly, 2 Chronicles 19:1,
which quickened him to a greater regard for the reformation of his kingdom, 2 Chronicles 19:4,
and he set judges in all the cities of Judah, and exhorted them to do justice, 2 Chronicles 19:5,
and in the city of Jerusalem he appointed priests and Levites for the same
purpose, and gave them a strict charge, and animated and encouraged them to
perform their office faithfully, 2 Chronicles 19:8.
2 Chronicles
19:1 Then
Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned safely to his house in Jerusalem.
YLT
1And Jehoshaphat king of
Judah turneth back unto his house in peace to Jerusalem,
And Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned,.... From
Ramothgilead, after Ahab was slain:
to his house in peace in Jerusalem; to his palace there in
safety, having narrowly escaped losing his life in the battle.
2 Chronicles
19:2 2 And
Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to King
Jehoshaphat, “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? Therefore the
wrath of the Lord
is upon you.
YLT
2and go out unto his
presence doth Jehu son of Hanani, the seer, and saith unto king Jehoshaphat,
`To give help to the wicked, and to those hating Jehovah, dost thou love? and
for this against thee [is] wrath from before Jehovah,
And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer,.... The son of him that
reproved Asa, for which he put him in prison, 2 Chronicles 17:7,
but that did not deter this his son from reproving Jehoshaphat:
went out to meet him; as he was returning:
and said to King Jehoshaphat, shouldest thou help the ungodly; such an one
as Ahab, an idolater, murderer, and persecutor:
and love them that hate the Lord? his laws, worship, and
ordinances, as he had; intimating, that he had done wrong, by entering into
alliance and affinity with him, by showing him friendship, and assisting him in
his war against the Syrians:
therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord; which
appeared in the war of the Ammonites and Moabites with him, related in the next
chapter, and in the calamities that came upon his family, his sons being slain
by Jehoram that succeeded him, and his grandsons by Jehu.
2 Chronicles
19:3 3 Nevertheless
good things are found in you, in that you have removed the wooden images from
the land, and have prepared your heart to seek God.”
YLT
3but good things have been
found with thee, for thou hast put away the shrines out of the land, and hast prepared
thy heart to seek God.'
Nevertheless, there are good things found in thee,....
Principles of grace, righteousness, and holiness, faith, love, zeal, and other
graces, true and genuine, from whence sprung many good works done by him:
in that thou hast taken away the groves out of the land; cut down the
groves of trees, and destroyed the idols and images in them:
and hast prepared thine heart to seek God; through the
grace of God his heart was disposed to serve and worship the Lord, and to seek
his honour and glory.
2 Chronicles 19:4 4 So Jehoshaphat dwelt at
Jerusalem; and he went out again among the people from Beersheba to the
mountains of Ephraim, and brought them back to the Lord God of their
fathers.
YLT
4And Jehoshaphat dwelleth in
Jerusalem, and he turneth back and goeth out among the people from Beer-Sheba
unto the hill-country of Ephraim, and bringeth them back unto Jehovah, God of
their fathers.
And Jehoshaphat dwelt at Jerusalem,.... And went out no more
to Samaria, nor concerned himself about the affairs of Israel, but attended to
his own:
and he went out again through the people; took a tour
throughout his dominions now, in his own person, as before by his princes, with
the priests and Levites:
from Beersheba to Mount Ephraim; Beersheba was the
southern boundary of the land of Judah, and Mount Ephraim lay to the north, and
was the northern boundary of it since the division of the kingdom:
and brought them back to the Lord God of their fathers; from idolatry
to the pure worship of God, such who had relapsed since the first reformation,
or had not been influenced by it.
2 Chronicles 19:5 5 Then he set judges in the
land throughout all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city,
YLT
5And he establisheth judges
in the land, in all the fenced cities of Judah, for every city,
And he set judges in the land throughout all the fenced cities of
Judah, city by city,.... Inferior judges in lesser courts of judicature than that at
Jerusalem, and that in every city, that judgment and justice might be executed
everywhere; such were appointed by David, but had been neglected, and now
restored, see 1 Chronicles 26:29.
2 Chronicles 19:6 6 and said to the judges,
“Take heed to what you are doing, for you do not judge for man but for the Lord, who is
with you in the judgment.
YLT
6and saith unto the judges,
`See what ye are doing -- for not for man do ye judge, but for Jehovah, who
[is] with you in the matter of judgment;
And said to the judges, take heed what you do,.... In
judgment, that they judged righteous judgment according to the law of God,
without partiality and respect of persons:
for ye judge not for man, but for the Lord; not for man
only, but for the Lord; and not so much for man as for the Lord, whom they
represented in judgment; whose law was the rule of their judgment, and whose
glory their end, and to whom they were accountable:
who is with you in the judgment: as to guide and direct
you, so to observe how they behaved, and be a witness for or against them; the
Targum is,"ye judge not before men, but before the Word of the Lord, whose
Shechinah dwells with you in the affair of judgment.'
2 Chronicles 19:7 7 Now therefore, let the
fear of the Lord
be upon you; take care and do it, for there is no iniquity with
the Lord
our God, no partiality, nor taking of bribes.”
YLT
7and now, let fear of
Jehovah be upon you, observe and do, for there is not with Jehovah our God
perverseness, and acceptance of faces, and taking of a bribe.'
Wherefore now let the fear of the Lord be upon you,.... And act
as having that before your eyes, and on your hearts:
take heed and do it; do the commands enjoined
them by him, and do judgment according to the law of God:
for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God; none in his
nature, nor in his law; none commanded nor approved of by him, and therefore
none should be done by his representatives in judgment:
nor respect of persons; whether high or low,
rich or poor:
nor taking of gifts; he accepts not the faces
of men, nor receives bribes, nor should his judges; this is forbidden by him, Deuteronomy 16:19.
2 Chronicles 19:8 8 Moreover in Jerusalem, for
the judgment of the Lord
and for controversies, Jehoshaphat appointed some of the Levites and priests,
and some of the chief fathers of Israel, when they returned to Jerusalem.[a]
YLT
8And also in Jerusalem hath
Jehoshaphat appointed of the Levites, and of the priests, and of the heads of
the fathers of Israel, for the judgment of Jehovah, and for strife; and they
turn back to Jerusalem,
Moreover, in Jerusalem did Jehoshaphat set of the Levites, and of
the priests, and of the chief of the fathers of Israel,.... This was
the great court of judicature, consisting of princes, priests, and Levites, of
ecclesiastics and political persons; for causes of both sorts were brought
thither:
for the judgment of the Lord; in things sacred, which
related to the worship of God, and the support of it:
and for controversies; of a civil kind between
man and man, whether pecuniary or capital, of a more private or public kind:
when they returned to Jerusalem; that is, this court was
set up at Jerusalem, when Jehoshaphat, the priests, Levites, and chief men that
went with him, returned thither.
2 Chronicles 19:9 9 And he commanded them,
saying, “Thus you shall act in the fear of the Lord, faithfully
and with a loyal heart:
YLT
9and he layeth a charge upon
them, saying, `Thus do ye do in the fear of Jehovah, in faithfulness, and with
a perfect heart,
And he charged them,.... The members of the
court at Jerusalem:
saying, thus shall ye do in the fear of the Lord, faithfully, and
with a perfect heart; judge righteously and impartially, as men fearing God, true to
the trust reposed in them, and sincere and upright in heart and actions, having
nothing else in view but the glory of God, and the good of men.
2 Chronicles 19:10 10 Whatever case comes to you
from your brethren who dwell in their cities, whether of bloodshed or offenses
against law or commandment, against statutes or ordinances, you shall warn
them, lest they trespass against the Lord and wrath come upon you
and your brethren. Do this, and you will not be guilty.
YLT
10and any strife that cometh
in unto you of your brethren who are dwelling in their cities, between blood
and blood, between law and command, statutes, and judgments, then ye have
warned them and they become not guilty before Jehovah, and wrath hath not been
on you and on your brethren; thus do ye do, and ye are not guilty.
And what cause soever shall come unto you of your brethren that
dwell in their cities,.... Whether sacred or civil, that should come before them by way
of appeal from, inferior courts in the country, where they could not be
determined:
between blood and blood; one relation and
another, or with respect to shedding of blood, whether ignorantly or purposely:
between law and commandment, statutes and judgments; not rightly
understood, and so pleaded on both sides:
ye shall even warn them that they trespass not against the Lord; the persons
engaged in controversy, that they take no false oath, nor bear false testimony,
and act not stubbornly against any of the laws, when explained in court unto
them:
and so wrath come upon you and your children; upon judges
for the neglect of their duty in giving due warning, and upon the people for
not taking it when given:
this do, and ye shall not trespass; if the above charge in
all its parts is strictly attended to.
2 Chronicles 19:11 11 And take notice: Amariah
the chief priest is over you in all matters of the Lord; and Zebadiah
the son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah, for all the king’s
matters; also the Levites will be officials before you. Behave
courageously, and the Lord
will be with the good.”
YLT
11`And, lo, Amariah the head
priest [is] over you for every matter of Jehovah, and Zebadiah son of Ishmael,
the leader of the house of Judah, [is] for every matter of the king, and
officers the Levites [are] before you; be strong and do, and Jehovah is with
the good.'
And, behold, Amariah the chief priest is over you in all matters
of the Lord,.... He being high priest, presided in this court in all things
sacred, or which respected the worship of God; and was present to give his
advice, and direct in the determination of all such matters that should come
before them, according to the laws and statutes provided in such cases; though
it may be he was only a common priest that was chief over them, or the
president of this court:
and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah; the prince of
the tribe of Judah:
for all the king's matters; such as related to civil
government, and which were not so clearly determined by positive laws:
also the Levites shall be officers before you; to execute
the sentences that should be passed by them:
deal courageously; fear not the faces of any, but judge
righteously and faithfully:
and the Lord shall be with the good; with good men that do
good, to bestow all needful good upon them, to protect and defend them; the
Targum is,"the Word of the Lord shall be for your help, who is good.'
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)