| Back to Home Page | Back to Book Index
|
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)