Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Chronicles 17:12

And Jehoshaphat waxed great exceedingly; and he built in Judah castles, and cities of store.

12. castles ] Heb. brniyyth; cp. 2Ch 27:4 (same word); and 2Ch 26:10 (“towers”). Such small castles or towers lie scattered along the pilgrim-road from Damascus to Mecca at the present day to make the way safe.

cities of store ] Cp. 2Ch 11:11-12.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

And Jehoshaphat waxed great exceedingly,…. In wealth and riches, power and authority, in his forces and fortifications:

and he built in Judah castles, and cities of stores; castles for the defence of his kingdom, and store cities to lay up corn, and wine, and all provisions, in case of an invasion, or against a time of war.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

Description of Jehoshaphat’s power. – 2Ch 17:12. And Jehoshaphat became ever greater, sc. in power. The partic. expresses the continuous advance in greatness, cf. Ew. 280, b, as the infin. absol. does elsewhere, e.g., Gen 8:3. as in 2Ch 16:12. – He built castles in Judah. , only here and in 2Ch 27:4, from , derivative formed from by the Syriac termination -, fem. of – : castle, fortress. On cf. 2Ch 8:4.

2Ch 17:13

is rightly translated by Luther, “ und hatte viel Vorraths ” (and had much store). denotes here, as in Exo 22:7-10, property, that which has been gained by work or business. The signification, much work, opera magna (Vulg., Cler., etc.), as also Bertheau’s translation, “the works for equipping and provisioning the fortresses,” correspond neither to the context nor to the parallel (synonymous) second member of the verse. The work and trouble necessary to equip the cities of Judah does not correspond to “the valiant warriors in Jerusalem;” the only parallel is the goods and property which were in these cities, the provision of victuals and war material there stored up.

2Ch 17:14-16

The men fit for war passed in review according to their fathers’-houses. The male population of Judah fell into three divisions, that of Benjamin into two. The prince Adnah held the first place among the generals, with 300,000 men of Judah. , at his hand, i.e., with and under him, Jehohanan had the command of 280,000 men, and Amasiah over 200,000. is a contraction for . For what special reason it is so honourably recorded of Amasiah that he had willingly offered himself to the Lord (cf. for , Jdg 5:9) has not been communicated.

2Ch 17:17-18

The Benjamites fell into two detachments: archers with shields (cf. 1Ch 8:40) 200,000 men, under the chief command of Eliada, and “equipped of the army,” i.e., not heavy armed (Berth.), but provided with the usual weapons, sword, spear, and shield (cf. 1Ch 12:24), 180,000 under the command of Jehozabad. According to this statement, Judah had 780,000 warriors capable of bearing arms. These numbers are clearly too large, and bear no proportion to the result of the numbering of the people capable of bearing arms under David, when there were in Judah only 500,000 or 470,000 men (cf. 1Ch 21:5 with 2Sa 24:5); yet the sums of the single divisions appear duly proportioned-a fact which renders it more difficult to believe that these exaggerated numbers are the result of orthographical errors.

2Ch 17:19

These were serving the king. refers not to the above-mentioned men capable of bearing arms, for sheereet is not used of service in war, but to the commanders whom he had placed in the fortified cities of all Judah, “in which probably bodies of the above-mentioned troops lay as garrisons” (Berth.).

Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament

(12) And Jehoshaphat waxed great.Literally, And Jehoshaphat was going on and waxing great, i.e., became greater and greater. (Comp. 1Ch. 11:9.)

Exceedingly.Ad lmlah. This phrase occurs again in 2Ch. 16:12; 2Ch. 26:8, and nowhere else in the Old Testament. (See on 1Ch. 14:2.)

And he built.Like his predecessorsSolomon, Rehoboam, Asahe displayed his wealth and power in great public works. The records of the Assyrian and Babylonian sovereigns are largely taken up with similar accounts of temple and palace building.

Castles.Biranyth, a derivative from birah (1Ch. 29:1; 1Ch. 29:19; comp. Syriac here, birth). It only recurs at 2Ch. 27:4. It is an Aramaic term. (Comp. branyth, which in the Targums means palaces.)

Cities of stores.Comp. 2Ch. 8:4; 2Ch. 16:4; Exo. 1:11.

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

When we behold Jehoshaphat, and his court, and army, his teachers, among the princes and the schools, which he had established through his kingdom, we are led to conclude that Judah, during his reign must have been in a state of great happiness and prosperity. That sweet song which David sung in his days might have been sung by Jehoshaphat in his. For it was the same Lord which giveth salvation unto kings that delivered him, as well as David, from the peril of the sword. Happy is the people that is in such a case; yea, happy is that people whose God is the Lord. Psa 144:15 .

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

2Ch 17:12 And Jehoshaphat waxed great exceedingly; and he built in Judah castles, and cities of store.

Ver. 12. And Jehoshaphat waxed great exceedingly. ] Heb., He was going and growing. “By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honour, and life.” Pro 22:4

And he built in Judah castles. ] Bironeoth, , turres. So did the Burgundians, and thence had their names

And cities of store. ] Granaries; in the Hebrew they have their name from their utility or usefulness.

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

am 3092-3115, bc 912-889

waxed great: 2Ch 18:1, 1Ch 29:25

in Judah: 2Ch 8:2-6, 2Ch 11:5-12, 2Ch 14:6, 2Ch 14:7, 2Ch 26:6-9, 2Ch 27:4, 2Ch 32:5, 2Ch 32:27-29

castles: or, palaces

Reciprocal: Deu 33:7 – let his hands 1Sa 11:8 – the children 1Ch 27:1 – served 2Ch 8:6 – the store cities 2Ch 16:4 – the store cities 2Ch 17:19 – put in

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge