Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Chronicles 20:14

Then upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of the LORD in the midst of the congregation;

14 19 (no parallel in Kings). The Prophecy of Jahaziel

14. Jahaziel ] Nothing is known of him beyond that which is recorded of him in this chapter. His name is significant (“God giveth visions”).

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Mattaniah is thought to be a corrupt reading for Nethaniah, who is mentioned among the sons of Asaph in 1Ch 25:2, 1Ch 25:12.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

He was suddenly inspired by God with the following message.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

14-18. Then upon Jahaziel . . . camethe Spirit of the LordThis prophet is not elsewhere mentioned,but his claim to the inspiration of a prophetic spirit was verifiedby the calm and distinct announcement he gave, both of the manner andthe completeness of the deliverance he predicted.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Then upon Jahaziel, the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah,

the son of Jehiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite, of the sons of Asaph,…. Being a man of some note, though a Levite, his genealogy is given:

came the Spirit of the Lord in the midst of the congregation; the spirit of prophecy from the Lord, as the Targum, as it was; for he foretold the victory that should be obtained over the enemy, and that without fighting, yea, the particular place where they should meet them; and this came upon him suddenly, while he was in the midst of the congregation, while he and they were waiting upon the Lord, and perhaps had never prophesied before; or if he had, prophecy did not come according to the will of man, but by the will of God; the Spirit of God in that, as in other instances, is like the wind that blows when and where it listeth.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

The Lord’s answer by the prophet Jahaziel. – 2Ch 20:14. In the midst of the assembly the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, and promised miraculous assistance to king and people. Jahaziel’s descent is traced back for five generations to the Levite Mattaniah of the sons of Asaph. This Mattaniah is not the same person as the Mattaniah in 1Ch 25:4, 1Ch 25:16, who lived in David’s time, for he belonged to the sons of Heman; but perhaps (as Movers conjectures, S. 112) he is identical with the Asaphite Nethaniah, 1Ch 25:2, 1Ch 25:12, since and might easily be confounded.

2Ch 20:15

Jehaziel announced to the king and people that they need not fear before the great multitude of their foes; “for the war is not yours, but Jahve’s,” i.e., you have not to make war upon them, for the Lord will do it; cf. 1Sa 17:47.

2Ch 20:16

“To-morrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the height Hazziz; and ye will find them at the end of the valley, before the desert Jeruel.” The wilderness Jeruel was, without doubt, the name of a part of the great stretch of flat country, bounded on the south by the Wady el Ghr, and extending from the Dead Sea to the neighbourhood of Tekoa, which is now called el Hasasah, after a wady on its northern side. The whole country along the west side of the Dead Sea, “where it does not consist of mountain ridges or deep valley, is a high table-land, sloping gradually towards the east, wholly waste, merely covered here and there with a few bushes, and without the slightest trace of having ever been cultivated” (Robinson’s Pal. sub voce). The name , ascent or height of Hazziz, has perhaps remained attached to the Wady el Hasasah. lxx have rendered by ; Josephus ( Antt. ix. 1. 2) has , in accordance with which Robinson ( loc. cit.) takes the way “upwards from Ziz” to be the pass which at present leads from Ain Jidy to the table-land. Yet it is described by him as a “fearful pass,”

(Note: He remarks: “ The path winds up in zig-zags, often at the steepest gradient which horses could ascend, and runs partly along projecting walls of rock on the perpendicular face of the cliff, and then down the heaps of dbris, which are almost as steep. When one looks back at this part from below, it seems quite impossible that there could be any pathway; but by skilful windings the path has been carried down without any unconquerable difficulties, so that even loaded camels often go up and down. ” )

and it can hardly be thought of here, even if the enemy, like the Bedouins now when on their forays, may be supposed to have marched along the shore of the sea, and ascended to the table-land only at Engedi; for the Israelites did not meet the enemy in this ascent, but above upon the table-land. Josephus’ translation of by is also very questionable, for it is not necessary that the should be the article (Ew. Gesch. iii. S. 475, der 2 Aufl.).

2Ch 20:17

Ye have not to fight therein ( ); only come hither, stand and see the help of the Lord (who is) with you. You need do nothing more, and therefore need not fear.

2Ch 20:18-19

For this comforting assurance the king and people thanked the Lord, falling down in worship before Him, whereupon the Levites stood up to praise God with a loud voice. Levites “of the sons of Kohath, yea, of the Korahites,” for they were descended from Kohath (1Ch 6:22).

Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament

God’s Promise of Victory.

B. C. 892.

      14 Then upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of the LORD in the midst of the congregation;   15 And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus 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.   16 To morrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel.   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: for the LORD will be with you.   18 And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the LORD, worshipping the LORD.   19 And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites, and of the children of the Korhites, stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with a loud voice on high.

      We have here God’s gracious answer to Jehoshaphat’s prayer; and it was a speedy answer. While he was yet speaking God heard: before the congregation was dismissed they had assurance given them that they should be victorious; for it is never in vain to seek God. 1. The spirit of prophecy came upon a Levite that was present, not in any place of eminency, but in the midst of the congregation, v. 14. The Spirit, like the wind, blows where and on whom he listeth. He was of the sons of Asaph, and therefore one of the singers; on that office God would put an honour. Whether he was a prophet before this or no is uncertain, most probably he was, which would make him the more regarded. There needed no sign, the thing itself was to be performed the very next day, and that would be confirmation enough to his prophecy. 2. He encouraged them to trust in God, though the danger was very threatening (v. 15): “Be not afraid; you have admitted fear enough to bring you to God, do not now admit that which will drive you to God, do not now admit that which will drive you from him again. The battle is not yours; it is not in your own strength, not for your own cause, that you engage; the battle is God’s: he does and will, as you have desired, interest himself in the cause.” 3. He gives them intelligence of the motions of the enemy, and orders them to march towards them, with particular directions where they should find them. To-morrow (the day after the fast) go you down against them,2Ch 20:16; 2Ch 20:17. It is fit that he who commands the deliverance should command those for whom the deliverance is to be wrought, and give the necessary orders, both for time and place. 4. He assures them that they should be, not the glorious instruments, but the joyful spectators, of the total defeat of the enemy: “You shall not need to strike a stroke; the work shall be done to your hands; only stand still and see it,” v. 17. As Moses said to Israel at the Red Sea (Exod. xiv. 13), “God is with you, who is able to do his work himself, and will do it. If the battle be his, the victory shall be his too.” Let but the Christian soldier go out against his spiritual enemies, and the God of peace will tread them under his feet and make him more than a conqueror. 5. Jehoshaphat and his people received these assurances with faith, reverence, and thankfulness. (1.) They bowed their heads, Jehoshaphat first, and then all the people, fell before the Lord, and worshipped, receiving with a holy awe and fear of God this token of his favour, and saying with faith, Be it unto us according to thy word. (2.) They lifted up their voices in praise to God, v. 19. An active faith can give thanks for a promise though it be not yet performed, knowing that God’s bonds are as good as ready money. God hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice, Ps. lx. 5.

Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary

(14) Then upon.Literally, and Jahaziel . . . there fell upon him the spirit, &c, as in 2Ch. 15:1, The spirit of courage from the Lord. This Levitical musician is not mentioned elsewhere. His pedigree is traced back for five generations to Mattaniah, which should probably be Nethaniah, a son of Asaph, who was contemporary with David (1Ch. 25:2; 1Ch. 25:12).

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

14. Jahaziel of Mattaniah This Mattaniah is generally supposed to be the same as Nethaniah, mentioned in 1Ch 25:2; 1Ch 25:12. By the gift of the Spirit on this occasion Jahaziel became immortal in the history of Israel, and so the chronicler was careful to register his genealogy. He was lifted from the rank of a mere singer to that of a most distinguished prophet of Jehovah.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

The Miraculous Overthrow of the Enemies

v. 14. Then upon Jehaziel, the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of the Lord in the midst of the congregation, putting a wonderful prophecy into his mouth;

v. 15. and he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou, King Jehoshaphat, Thus 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; it was He whose honor was at stake, and who would take steps to defend it.

v. 16. Tomorrow go ye down against them; behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz, the ascent of Haziz, the pass which led from the lowlands of the Dead Sea to the valley near Tekoa, southeast of Bethlehem; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel, for to that point this large, flat valley extends.

v. 17. Ye shall not need to fight in this battle, it would be fought and won without their swords and bows; set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem, the deliverance which they would experience. Fear not nor be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord will be with you.

v. 18. And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, in grateful acknowledgment of the announcement made by God through His prophet; and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the Lord, worshiping the Lord, joining the king in his act of thanksgiving.

v. 19. And the Levites of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korhites stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with a loud voice on high, in an anthem of praise flowing from the conviction of faith that the victory was even new gained.

v. 20. And they rose early in the morning and went forth into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, in an address delivered to the people at some convenient place, probably near the gate of the city from which they set forth, Hear me, O Judah and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in the Lord, your God, placing their trust in Him in unwavering faith, so shall ye be established; believe His prophets, as the bearers of His messages, so shall ye prosper.

v. 21. And when he had consulted with the people, advised them, exhorted them to confidence in God, he appointed singers unto the Lord, to lead the procession as it was led forth to the valley, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, the holy beauty and glory of Jehovah as the one true God and Savior, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord, for His mercy endureth forever, probably Psalms 136, which sets forth the great deeds of God.

v. 22. And when they began to sing and to praise, in a singular service of worship based upon faith in the victory promised to them, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir which were come against Judah, and they were smitten. It seems that certain divisions of the invading hordes, eager for booty, had determined to waylay any forces that might come along. When these attacked their own confederates, however, the result was a wild self-slaughter of the invading army, every man regarding his neighbor as a traitor and an enemy.

v. 23. For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, the Meunites, utterly to slay and destroy them; and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, when practically the entire force of the Meunites was annihilated, everyone helped to destroy another, the wild slaughter continued, because they were all crazed with the lust of blood.

v. 24. And when Judah, the procession which had left Jerusalem in the morning, came toward the watch-tower in the wilderness, on a rise of ground not far from Tekoa, where they could overlook the entire valley, they looked unto the multitude, they watched for the approaching hordes, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth and none escaped, the entire hostile army was exterminated.

v. 25. And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies, costly dress-goods and garments, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away, an immense booty, for the nomadic tribes carried all their costly possessions with them. And they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much. Thus the victory came to Jehoshaphat without the use of arms, as a gift of God’s goodness, in return for the simple trust which he and the people had placed in Him alone. The same almighty God is the Refuge of His children today.

Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann

Observe the astonishing grace of the Lord manifested upon this occasion. It was instant, it was immediate; similar to that of Daniel’s vision. At the beginning of the supplication, the commandment then came forth to Daniel. And here, while Jehoshaphat was speaking, the Lord answered. Dan 9:19-21 ; Isa 65:24 . And observe further, by whom did God vouchsafe to speak? – Even by a poor Levite, Jahaziel. The humblest instrument is sufficient, when the Lord is pleased to work. And remark further, how sure the promise is, Tomorrow shall bring forward their deliverance. And to decide from whom, and by whom the blessing comes; God himself will fight the battle for them; like another Moses, the direction is, Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. Exo 14:13 .

Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

2Ch 20:14 Then upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of the LORD in the midst of the congregation;

Ver. 14. Came the Spirit of the Lord. ] He was suddenly overcome by a prophetic inspiration, and moved by the Holy Ghost to utter it.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

Jahaziel . . . Asaph. Probably Psa 83 written at that time.

Spirit. Hebrew. ruach. App-9.

of: or from. Genitive of Origin: i.e. spiritual power from Jehovah.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

2Ch 20:14-19

2Ch 20:14-19

THE PROPHETIC ANSWER TO JEHOSHAPHAT’S PRAYER

“Then upon Jehaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, the Levite, of the sons of Asaph, came the spirit of Jehovah in the midst of the assembly; and he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat: Thus saith Jehovah unto to you, Fear not ye, neither be dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the ascent of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the valley, before the wilderness of Jeruel. Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of Jehovah with you, O Judah and Jerusalem; fear not, nor be dismayed: tomorrow go out against them; for Jehovah is with you. And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground; and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before Jehovah, worshipping Jehovah. And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites and the children of the Korahites, stood up to praise Jehovah the God of Israel, with an exceeding loud voice.”

Here we have the picture of a worshipping, praying Israel as the background of a most remarkable deliverance of God’s people from the ravages of a hostile invasion. There cannot be any doubt that many such deliverances of God’s people were similarly preceded by this same kind of a spiritual awakening of God’s people, and by their most fervent prayers and supplications.

There was one exceedingly unfortunate result of these many divine deliverances of Israel. Long after the nation as a whole had lost all faith in God and were indulging themselves in the most shameful immoralities, when they were threatened, as here, they pleaded for God’s deliverance; and the frequency of those rescues led eventually to a conviction in Israel that, regardless of their gross sins and immoralities, God would always rescue them, solely upon the basis of who they were, namely, the seed of Abraham the friend of God.

Even after Israel rejected the Messiah, God’s Only Begotten Son, and during the siege of Jerusalem by the Romans, the last High Priest, comforted and encouraged the people with his declaration that they had nothing to fear, “Because,” he said, “The Messiah has not yet come.” They truly believed that no matter what they did, God would still bless them at the expense of the whole Gentile world, whom they hated, supposing that when the Messiah came he would either kill all the Gentiles or subject them to Jewish rule, as in the days of their beloved Solomon.

The events of this chapter reveal that, at this time, there still remained an effective reservoir of faith among the Chosen People.

E.M. Zerr:

2Ch 20:14. Following the general practice, God called upon one of his servants to give a message to the people. The line of names mentioned was to show the connection between this man and the tribe of Levi. That tribe furnished the priests, and the priests were expected to give knowledge to the people according to Lev 10:11, Deu 17:9, Mal 2:7. Not that Jahaziel was a priest, but he came of the priestly tribe, and it would be fitting to use him for the special occasion of information.

2Ch 20:15-16. Not only did Jahaziel assure the people of relief, but that the battle would be a supernatural one; was really not to be their battle. All of this is understandable when we recall that God would not permit the Israelites before to attack the descendants of Abraham. Now that it is necessary to oppose them, the Lord will take a hand so that the procedure will be consistent with the former restrictions.

2Ch 20:17. Stand ye still and see, etc., was used the most literally that the famous saying was ever used. About all the people will need to do on their part will be of a ceremonial or religious nature. It is true they were told that on the next day they would go out against the enemy. But it would not be to engage physically in the battle. They were to be there for the exercises just mentioned, and to see the great and unusual salvation the Lord will perform for them.

2Ch 20:18. This verse gives us one clear meaning of “worship” as used in the Bible. The king and his people are said to have prostrated their bodies with faces toward the ground. In doing this they are said to be worshiping. The New Testament recognizes also a wide range of meaning for this word, from the complete subjection to all the requirements of the Lord, down to the mere act of respect toward another.

2Ch 20:19. Levi had three sons of whom Kohath was one. Of the family of Kohath one son was Korah, and these Korhites came from him. They were an important branch of the singers in the temple service, hence are mentioned in this connection here. They sang with a loud voice on high because the nation was assembled in great numbers, and the singing was to be heard by the people.

Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary

Then upon: Isa 58:9, Isa 65:24, Dan 9:20, Dan 9:21, Act 10:4, Act 10:31

came the Spirit: 2Ch 15:1, 2Ch 24:20, Num 11:25, Num 11:26, Num 24:2

Reciprocal: Jdg 3:10 – the Spirit 1Ki 20:28 – there came 1Ch 6:39 – Asaph

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

2Ch 20:14. Upon Jahaziel came the Spirit of the Lord It seems he was not a prophet before this time, but was now suddenly inspired by God with the following message, to comfort this great assembly with an assured hope of deliverance, before they stirred from the place where they had prayed. For it is never in vain to seek God; while they were yet speaking, God heard.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

20:14 Then upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, came {i} the Spirit of the LORD in the midst of the congregation;

(i) Who was moved by the Spirit of God to prophecy.

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes