31<\/strong>. reigned over Judah<\/em> ] In Kings, began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel<\/em>. The Chronicler will not date the accession of a southern king by the year of an ungodly northern king.<\/p>\n 31 34 (= 1Ki 22:41-45<\/span>). The Summary of Jehoshaphat’s Reign<\/p>\n There are several variations of text between Kings and Chron. here; and in particular the Chronicler omits the statement that Jehoshaphat made peace with Israel.<\/p>\n 31. Jehoshaphat reigned overJudah<\/B>(See 2Ch 24:1<\/span>).<\/P><\/p>\n Ver. 31,32. And Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah<\/strong>,…. Of these two verses, [See comments on 1Ki 22:42]<\/span>.<\/p>\n [See comments on 1Ki 22:43]<\/span>.<\/p>\n Concluding notes on Jehoshaphat’s reign, which are found also in 1Ki 22:41-51<\/span>, where they, supplemented by some notes (1Ki 22:45<\/span>, 1Ki 22:48<\/span>, and 1Ki 22:49<\/span>) which are wanting in the Chronicle, form the whole account of his reign. In the statements as to Jehoshaphat’s age at his accession, and the length and character of his reign, both accounts agree, except that the author of the Chronicle has, instead of the stereotyped formula, “and the people still sacrificed and offered incense upon the high places,” a remark more significant of the state of affairs: “and the people had not yet determinedly turned their heart to the God of their fathers” (2Ch 20:33<\/span>). The notice that Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel (1Ki 22:45<\/span>) is not found in the Chronicle, because that would, as a matter of course, follow from Jehoshaphat’s having joined affinity with the royal house of Ahab, and had been already sufficiently attested by the narrative in 2 Chron 18, and is so still further by the undertaking spoken of in 2Ch 20:35<\/span>. For the same reason, the clause introduced in 1Ki 22:46<\/span> about the valiant acts and the wars of Jehoshaphat is omitted in the Chronicle, as these acts have been specially narrated here. As to Jehu’s speeches, which were put into the book of Kings, see the Introduction. Further, the remark on the driving out of the remaining Sodomites ( ) from the land, 1Ki 22:47<\/span>, which refers back to 1Ki 15:12<\/span>, is wanting here, because this speciality is not mentioned in the case of Asa. Finally, the remark that Edom had no king, but only a viceroy or deputy, serves in 1Ki 22:48<\/span> only as an introduction to the succeeding account of Jehoshaphat’s attempt to open up anew the sea traffic with Ophir. But on that subject the author of the Chronicle only recounts in 2Ch 20:35-37<\/span> that Jehoshaphat allied himself with the godless Ahaziah the king of Israel to build in Ezion-gaber ships to go to Tarshish, was censured for it by the prophet Eliezer, who announced to him that Jahve would destroy his work, and that thereupon the ships were broken, doubtless by a storm, and so could not go upon the voyage. does not definitely fix the time (cf. 2Ch 20:1<\/span>), but only states that the alliance with Ahaziah took place after the victory over the Ammonites and Moabites. Ahaziah ascended the throne in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat, and reigned scarcely two years, and the enterprise under discussion falls in that period. is an Aramaic form for .<\/p>\n The last clause of v. 38, “he did wickedly,” Bertheau refers to Jehoshaphat: he did wrong; because the context shows that these words are intended to contain a censure on Jehoshaphat for his connection with the king of the northern kingdom. But this remark, though substantially correct, by no means proves that refers to Jehoshaphat. The words contain a censure on Jehoshaphat on account of his alliance with Ahaziah, even if they describe Ahaziah’s conduct. We must, with the older commentators, take the words to refer to Ahaziah, for is much too strong a word for Jehoshaphat’s fault in the matter. The author of the Chronicle does indeed use the word of Jehoshaphat’s grandson Ahaziah, 2Ch 22:3<\/span>, in the clause, “his mother, a daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, was for his counsellor,” but only that he may characterize the acts of the Ahabic house. Jehoshaphat allied himself with the wicked Ahaziah to build ships , to go to Tarshish; and they built ships at Ezion-gaber, i.e., on the Red Sea. Instead of this, we have in 1Ki 22:49<\/span>: Jehoshaphat built Tarshish ships to go to Ophir for gold. Hence it is manifest that in both passages the same undertaking is spoken of, and the expression “Tarshish ships” is paraphrased in the Chronicle by “ships to go to Tarshish.” This periphrasis is, however, a mistake; for Tarshish ships are merely ships which, like those going to Tarshish, were built for long sea voyages, for Jehoshaphat merely desired to renew the voyages to Ophir. With the exception of this erroneous interpretation of the words, Tarshish ships, the two narratives agree, if we only keep in mind the fact that both are incomplete extracts from a more detailed account of this enterprise. The Chronicle supplies us with an explanatory commentary on the short account in 1Ki 22:49<\/span>, both in the statement that Jehoshaphat allied himself with Ahaziah of Israel for the preparation of the ships, and also in communicating the word of the prophet Eliezer as to the enterprise, which makes clear to us the reason for the destruction of the ships; while in 1Ki 22:49<\/span> merely the fact of their destruction is recorded. Of the prophet Eliezer nothing further is known than the saying here communicated. His father’s name, Dodavahu, is analogous in form to Hodavya, Joshavya (see on 1Ch 3:24<\/span>), so that there is no good ground to alter it into , friend of Jahve, after the Doodi’a of the lxx. As to Mareshah, see on 2Ch 11:8<\/span>. The perfect is prophetic: Jahve will rend thy work asunder. The words which follow record the fulfilment. as in 2Ch 13:20<\/span>; 2Ch 14:10<\/span>. With this the chronicler’s account of this enterprise concludes; while in 1Ki 22:50<\/span> it is further stated that, after the destruction of the ships first built, Ahaziah called upon Jehoshaphat still to undertake the Ophir voyage in common with him, and to build new ships for the purpose, but Jehoshaphat would not. The ground of his refusal may easily be gathered from 2Ch 20:37<\/span> of the Chronicle.<\/p>\n Jehoshaphat’s Navy Wrecked.<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/I><\/span><\/P> <\/TD> B. C.<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> 892.<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/P> <\/TD> <\/TR> <\/TABLE> 31 And Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah: he was<\/I> 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<\/I> Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. 32 And he walked in the way of Asa his father, and departed not from it, doing that which was<\/I> right in the sight of the LORD<\/B>. 33 Howbeit the high places were not taken away: for as yet the people had not prepared their hearts unto the God of their fathers. 34 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and last, behold, they are<\/I> written in the book of Jehu the son of Hanani, who is<\/I> mentioned in the book of the kings of Israel. 35 And after this did Jehoshaphat king of Judah join himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, who did very wickedly: 36 And he joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish: and they made the ships in Ezion-geber. 37 Then Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, the LORD<\/B> hath broken thy works. And the ships were broken, that they were not able to go to Tarshish.<\/P> We are now drawing towards the close of the history of Jehoshaphat’s reign, for a further account of which those who lived when this book was published were referred to an authentic history of it, written by Jehu the prophet (ch.<\/I><\/span> xix. 2<\/span>), which was then extant, v.<\/I><\/span> 34<\/span>. This was the general character of his reign, that he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, kept close to the worship of God himself and did what he could to keep his people close to it. But two things are here to be lamented:– 1. The people still retained a partiality for the high places, v.<\/I><\/span> 33<\/span>. Those that were erected to the honour of strange gods were taken away (ch.<\/I><\/span> xvii. 6<\/span>); but those where the true God was worshipped, being less culpable, were thought allowable, and Jehoshaphat was loth to disoblige the people so far as to take them away, for as yet they had not prepared their hearts to serve the God of their fathers. They complied with Jehoshaphat’s reformation because they could not for shame do otherwise, but they were not hearty in it, did not direct their hearts to God in it, did not act in it from any good principle nor with any zeal or resolution: and the best magistrates cannot bring to pass what they would, in reformation, when the people are cool in it. 2. Jehoshaphat himself still retained a partiality for the house of Ahab, because he had married his son to a daughter of that family, though he had been plainly reproved for it and had like to have smarted for it. He saw and knew that Ahaziah, the son of Ahab, did very wickedly, and therefore could not expect to prosper; yet he joined himself with him, not in war, as with his father, but in trade, became his partner in an East India fleet bound for Ophir, 2Ch 20:35<\/span>; 2Ch 20:36<\/span>. There is an emphasis laid upon the time–after this,<\/I> after God had done such great things for him, without any such scandalous and pernicious confederacies, given him not only victory, but wealth, yet after this to go and join himself with a wicked king was very ungrateful. After God had given him such a deliverance as this should he again break God’s commandments, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations?<\/I> What could he expect but that God should be angry with him?<\/I>Ezr 9:13<\/span>; Ezr 9:14<\/span>. Yet he sends to him, to show him his error and bring him to repentance, (1.) By a prophet, who foretold the blasting of his project, v.<\/I><\/span> 37<\/span>. And, (2.) By a storm, which broke the ships in the port before they set sail, by which he was warned to break off his alliance with Ahaziah; and it seems he took the warning, for, when Ahaziah afterwards pressed him to join with him, he would not,<\/I> 1 Kings xxii. 49<\/I><\/span>. See how pernicious a thing it is to join in friendship and society with evil-doers. It is a hard matter to break off from it. A man may much better keep himself from being taken in the snare than recover himself out of it.<\/P><\/p>\n 2Ch 20:31<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Naval Plans Frustrated – Verses 31-37<\/p>\n With the incident just studied the Books of Chronicles come to the conclusion of the record of Jehoshaphat’s reign. One other incident is recorded in the Kings, which will be studied below. The inspired writer now sums up the reign of this good king of Judah. He was older than some when he began his reign, which lasted twenty-five years, coming out to an entire age for him of just sixty years. Nothing more is known of his mother than her name and that of her father. Jehoshaphat is commended as faithfully following the good example of his father, Asa, and not departing from it in all his life.<\/p>\n In earlier comments (on 2Ch 17:6<\/span>; 1Ki 22:43<\/span>) it was suggested that the high places appear to have been removed in the later years of Jehoshaphat’s reign, following the great moral reformation he sponsored. An account of Jehoshaphat’s reign was kept by Jehu the prophet, but it does not appear to have been the inspired account of the Scriptures. The Lord may have inspired the actual author to choose from such writings, however, and record them in an infallible account.<\/p>\n Brief notice of Jehoshaphat’s attempted naval venture concludes the Chronicles record. It was noticed earlier in comments on 1Ki 22:48-49<\/span>, but there is a little more detail here in Chronicles. Putting the two accounts together it may be surmised that 1) Jehoshaphat willingly joined in the naval venture with wicked Ahaziah, the son of Ahab, though it was his navy he sought to build; 2) God sent an otherwise unknown prophet, Eliezer, to warn Jehoshaphat about renewing affinity with the family of Ahab; 3) the ships were destroyed by an act of God; 4) Jehoshaphat refused to enter into any more agreements with Ahaziah. God warns against seeking strength without Him (; Isa 30:1-2<\/span>).<\/p>\n Lessons from chapter 20: 1) the Lord may allow distressing things in the lives of His children to strengthen their faith in Him; 2) many good examples of God’s blessings on earlier generations may be a means of reassurance and comfort when trials come; 3) God has His spokesmen to show His repentant people what they ought to do; 4) blessing is always the result of reliant faith in the Lord’s word; 5) following the godly example of parents brings blessing on the children.<\/p>\n CONCLUDING NOTICES. END OF THE REIGN <\/strong> Comp. 1Ki. 22:41-50<\/span>. A brief section, which constitutes the whole account of the reign of Jehoshaphat in the older narrative.<\/p>\n (31) And Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah.<\/strong>Kings adds: In the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel. With this omission, our verse coincides with 1Ki. 22:41-42<\/span>.<\/p>\n 31-37<\/strong>. <\/strong> Compare notes on the parallel passage, 1Ki 22:41-49<\/span>.<\/p>\n We arrive to the close of Jehoshaphat’s reign and life together. The length of it was not equal to many of the kings of Judah, though such honourable testimony is given of him. Perhaps the records concerning him, said here to be in the writings of the book of Jehu, might have been extant for a long space after his death; but not being of sacred authority, they were not made a part of the Canon of Scripture.<\/p>\n 2Ch 20:31 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 the daughter of Shilhi.<\/p>\n Ver. 31-33. See Trapp on “<\/em> 1Ki 22:41 “<\/em> See Trapp on “<\/em> 1Ki 22:42 “<\/em> See Trapp on “<\/em> 1Ki 22:43 “<\/em> <\/p>\n 2Ch 20:31-34<\/p>\n 2Ch 20:31-34<\/p>\n A SUMMARY OF THE REIGN OF JEHOSHAPHAT<\/p>\n “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 the daughter of Shilhi. And he walked in the way of Asa his father, and turned not aside from it, doing that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah. Howbeit the high places were not taken away; neither as yet had the people set their hearts unto the God of their fathers. Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and last, behold, they are written in the history of Jehu the son of Hanani, which is inserted in the book of the kings of Israel.”<\/p>\n The last line here indicates that everything the Chronicler has written was taken from the authentic records of the Jewish people. (See our introduction to Chronicles for a list of those records which are quoted in Chronicles.)<\/p>\n Although, in the general sense, Jehoshaphat did that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah, there were nevertheless some failures on his part. His failure to remove the high places (which had been removed, of course, but had been rebuilt by the people, again and a again), and his alliance with Ahaziah (mentioned in the final paragraph here) were two examples. A third, which we should mention, was his choice of a wife for his son and heir Jehoram. Jehoshaphat evidently hoped to promote peace between Israel and Judah by arranging for the marriage of Jehoram to the daughter of Jezebel and Ahab. This might not have been considered a sin by some, but it was an unqualified disaster, nevertheless; and it resulted in great sorrows for God’s people.<\/p>\n E.M. Zerr:<\/p>\n 2Ch 20:31-32. This is a general statement of the reign of Jehoshaphat, including the events that we have already learned about. Giving his mother’s name was because most of the men in those days had a plurality of wives, and we are to be informed which of the wives was the mother of the man being considered. <\/p>\n 2Ch 20:33. Jehoshaphat was one of the good kings, but, adhering to the rule of the inspired writers, the weak points were not overlooked; one of those was the retaining of the high places. The reader may see the explanation of these places in the comments at 1Ki 3:2. They were not just what should have been used, yet not as bad as some other things. Had not prepared their hearts, etc., means they were not fully adapted to the service of the Lord, so a degree of leniency was shown. <\/p>\n 2Ch 20:34. Not all of the speakers and writers in the olden days contributed writings that were placed in the Bible. That does not mean that there is any weakness in the Book which God handed down to us. Not all of the things that were done by Jesus were recorded in the writings of the New Testament. (Joh 20:30-31; Joh 21:25.) If any person in the days of the Israelites dominion wished further details on the subject, he was referred to these extra writings. And to show the reliable character of such writings, a reference was made to the favorable mention of them in the other places. Jehu has been named in a favorable manner in 1Ki 16:1. <\/p>\n am 3090-3115, bc 914-889 <\/p>\n Jehoshaphat: 1Ki 22:41-44<\/p>\n 6. Jehoshaphat’s failures 20:31-37<\/span><\/p>\n The reference to Jehoshaphat not removing the high places (2Ch 20:33) seems to contradict what the writer said in 2Ch 17:6. Perhaps when the people rebuilt the high places that Jehoshaphat destroyed earlier in his reign, he failed to tear them down again. In this, the king fell short of the complete obedience required for God to establish his throne forever (1Ch 17:11-14). Jehoshaphat’s alliance with Ahaziah, king of Israel, was another instance in which he failed to trust and obey God as he should have (2Ch 20:35-37).<\/p>\n ". . . however much a person’s life might be characterized by obedience to God, the possibility of lapse and compromise is forever present." [Note: McConville, p. 196.] <\/span><\/p>\n "Jehoshaphat’s weakness-and this the chronicler sets before us as a peril of pastoral leadership-was his inability to say no." [Note: Wilcock, p. 191.] <\/span><\/p>\n "The weakness of Jehoshaphat, then, is a perilous thing. It is actually related to his excellence as a shepherd. He cares; if he is to be a good pastor, he cannot afford to be hard-hearted. His troubles begin when he is not sufficiently hard-hearted." [Note: Ibid., p. 193.] <\/span><\/p>\n Jehoshaphat was another of Judah’s best kings who followed David’s example. Nevertheless he was not the Son of David whom God would establish forever. [Note: For a study of the chronicler’s portrayal of Jehoshaphat in contrast to that of the writer of Kings, see Dillard, "The Chronicler’s Jehoshaphat," pp. 17-22.] <\/span><\/p>\n 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 the daughter of Shilhi. 31. reigned over Judah ] In Kings, began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Chronicles 20:31”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11630","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-commentary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11630","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11630"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11630\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11630"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11630"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11630"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible <\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
(2Ch. 20:31<\/span> –2Ch. 21:1<\/span>).<\/p>\nFuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"