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2 Chronicles 18:1-21:3
New English Translation

Jehoshaphat Allies with Ahab

18 Jehoshaphat was very wealthy and greatly respected. He made an alliance by marriage with Ahab, 2 and after several years[a] went down to visit[b] Ahab in Samaria. Ahab slaughtered many sheep and cattle to honor Jehoshaphat and those who came with him.[c] He persuaded him to join in an attack[d] against Ramoth Gilead. 3 King Ahab of Israel said to King Jehoshaphat of Judah, “Will you go with me to attack Ramoth Gilead?” He replied, “I will support you; my army is at your disposal and will support you in battle.”[e] 4 Then Jehoshaphat said further to the king of Israel,[f] “First,[g] please seek an oracle from the Lord.”[h] 5 So the king of Israel assembled 400 prophets and asked them, “Should we attack Ramoth Gilead or not?”[i] They said, “Attack! God[j] will hand it over to the king.” 6 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not a prophet of the Lord still here, that we may ask him?” 7 The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man through whom we can seek the Lord’s will,[k] but I despise[l] him because he does not prophesy prosperity for me, but always[m] disaster—Micaiah son of Imlah.” Jehoshaphat said, “The king should not say such things!” 8 The king of Israel summoned an officer and said, “Quickly bring Micaiah son of Imlah.”

9 Now the king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah were sitting on their respective thrones, dressed in their royal robes, at the threshing floor at[n] the entrance of the gate of Samaria. All the prophets were prophesying before them. 10 Zedekiah son of Kenaanah made iron horns and said, “This is what the Lord says, ‘With these you will gore Syria until they are destroyed.’” 11 All the prophets were prophesying the same, saying, “Attack Ramoth Gilead! You will succeed; the Lord will hand it over to the king.” 12 Now the messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, “Look, the prophets are in complete agreement that the king will succeed.[o] Your words must agree with theirs; you must predict success!”[p] 13 But Micaiah said, “As certainly as the Lord lives, I will say what my God tells me to say!”

14 Micaiah[q] came before the king and the king asked him, “Micaiah, should we attack Ramoth Gilead or not?” He answered him, “Attack! You will succeed; they will be handed over to you.”[r] 15 The king said to him, “How many times must I make you solemnly promise in[s] the name of the Lord to tell me only the truth?” 16 Micaiah[t] replied, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains like sheep that have no shepherd. Then the Lord said, ‘They have no master. They should go home in peace.’” 17 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you he does not prophesy prosperity for me, but disaster?” 18 Micaiah[u] said, “That being the case, listen to the Lord’s message. I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, with all the heavenly assembly standing on his right and on his left. 19 The Lord said, ‘Who will deceive King Ahab of Israel, so he will attack Ramoth Gilead and die there?’ One said this and another that. 20 Then a spirit[v] stepped forward and stood before the Lord. He said, ‘I will deceive him.’ The Lord asked him, ‘How?’ 21 He replied, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ The Lord[w] said, ‘Deceive and overpower him.[x] Go out and do as you have proposed.’ 22 So now, look, the Lord has placed a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours, but the Lord has decreed disaster for you.” 23 Zedekiah son of Kenaanah approached, hit Micaiah on the jaw, and said, “Which way did the Lord’s Spirit go when he went from me to speak to you?” 24 Micaiah replied, “Look, you will see in the day when you go into an inner room to hide.” 25 Then the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the city official and Joash the king’s son. 26 Say, ‘This is what the king says: “Put this man in prison. Give him only a little bread and water[y] until I return safely.”’” 27 Micaiah said, “If you really do return safely, then the Lord has not spoken through me!” Then he added, “Take note,[z] all you people.”

28 The king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah attacked Ramoth Gilead. 29 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and then enter[aa] the battle, but you wear your royal attire.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and they entered the battle. 30 Now the king of Syria had ordered his chariot commanders, “Do not fight common soldiers or high ranking officers;[ab] fight only the king of Israel!” 31 When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “He must be the king of Israel!” So they turned and attacked him, but Jehoshaphat cried out. The Lord helped him; God lured them away from him. 32 When the chariot commanders realized he was not the king of Israel, they turned away from him. 33 Now an archer shot an arrow at random,[ac] and it struck the king of Israel between the plates of his armor. The king[ad] ordered his charioteer, “Turn around and take me from the battle line,[ae] for I am wounded.” 34 While the battle raged throughout the day, the king of Israel stood propped up in his chariot opposite the Syrians. He died in the evening as the sun was setting.

19 When King Jehoshaphat of Judah returned home safely to Jerusalem, 2 the prophet[af] Jehu son of Hanani confronted him;[ag] he said to King Jehoshaphat, “Is it right to help the wicked and be an ally of those who oppose the Lord?[ah] Because you have done this, the Lord is angry with you![ai] 3 Nevertheless you have done some good things;[aj] you removed[ak] the Asherah poles from the land and you were determined to follow God.”[al]

Jehoshaphat Appoints Judges

4 Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem. He went out among the people from Beer Sheba to the hill country of Ephraim and encouraged them to follow[am] the Lord God of their ancestors.[an] 5 He appointed judges throughout the land and in each of the fortified cities of Judah.[ao] 6 He told the judges, “Be careful what you do,[ap] for you are not judging for men, but for the Lord, who will be with you when you make judicial decisions. 7 Respect the Lord and make careful decisions, for the Lord our God disapproves of injustice, partiality, and bribery.”[aq]

8 In Jerusalem Jehoshaphat appointed some Levites, priests, and Israelite family leaders to judge on behalf of the Lord[ar] and to settle disputes among the residents of Jerusalem.[as] 9 He commanded them: “Carry out your duties with respect for the Lord, with honesty, and with pure motives.[at] 10 Whenever your countrymen who live in the cities bring a case before you[au] (whether it involves a violent crime[av] or other matters related to the law, commandments, rules, and regulations), warn them that they must not sin against the Lord. If you fail to do so, God will be angry with you and your colleagues, but if you obey, you will be free of guilt.[aw] 11 Take note, Amariah the chief priest will oversee[ax] you in every matter pertaining to the Lord and Zebadiah son of Ishmael, the leader of the family of Judah, in every matter pertaining to the king. The Levites will serve as officials before you. Act courageously,[ay] and may the Lord be with those who do well!”

The Lord Gives Jehoshaphat Military Success

20 Later the Moabites and Ammonites, along with some of the Meunites,[az] attacked Jehoshaphat. 2 Messengers[ba] arrived and reported to Jehoshaphat, “A huge army is attacking you from the other side of the Dead Sea,[bb] from the direction of Edom.[bc] Look, they are in Hazazon Tamar (that is, En Gedi).” 3 Jehoshaphat was afraid, so he decided to seek the Lord’s advice.[bd] He decreed that all Judah should observe a fast. 4 The people of Judah[be] assembled to ask for the Lord’s help;[bf] they came from all the cities of Judah to ask for the Lord’s help.[bg]

5 Jehoshaphat stood before the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the Lord’s temple, in front of the new courtyard. 6 He prayed: “O Lord God of our ancestors,[bh] you are the God who lives in heaven[bi] and rules over all the kingdoms of the nations. You possess strength and power; no one can stand against you. 7 Our God, you drove out[bj] the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and gave it as a permanent possession[bk] to the descendants of your friend[bl] Abraham. 8 They settled down in it and built in it a temple[bm] to honor you,[bn] saying, 9 ‘If disaster comes on us in the form of military attack,[bo] judgment, plague, or famine, we will stand in front of this temple before you, for you are present in this temple.[bp] We will cry out to you for help in our distress, so that you will[bq] hear and deliver us.’ 10 Now the Ammonites, Moabites, and men from Mount Seir are coming![br] When Israel came from the land of Egypt, you did not allow them to invade these lands.[bs] They bypassed them and did not destroy them. 11 Look how they are repaying us! They come to drive us out of our allotted land which you assigned to us! 12 Our God, will you not judge them? For we are powerless against this huge army that attacks us. We don’t know what we should do; we look to you for help.”[bt]

13 All the men of Judah[bu] were standing before the Lord, along with their infants, wives, and children. 14 Then in the midst of the assembly, the Lord’s Spirit came upon Jachaziel son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph. 15 He said: “Pay attention, all you people of Judah,[bv] residents of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Don’t be afraid and don’t panic[bw] because of this huge army! For the battle is not yours, but God’s. 16 Tomorrow march down against them as[bx] they come up the Ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the ravine in front of the wilderness of Jeruel. 17 You will not fight in this battle. Take your positions, stand, and watch the Lord deliver you,[by] O Judah and Jerusalem. Don’t be afraid and don’t panic![bz] Tomorrow march out toward them; the Lord is with you!’”

18 Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face toward the ground, and all the people of Judah[ca] and the residents of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord and worshiped him.[cb] 19 Then some Levites, from the Kohathites and Korahites, got up and loudly praised the Lord God of Israel.[cc]

20 Early the next morning they marched out to the wilderness of Tekoa. When they were ready to march, Jehoshaphat stood up and said: “Listen to me, you people of Judah[cd] and residents of Jerusalem! Trust in the Lord your God and you will be safe![ce] Trust in the message of his prophets and you will win.” 21 He met[cf] with the people and appointed musicians to play before the Lord and praise his majestic splendor. As they marched ahead of the warriors they said: “Give thanks to the Lord, for his loyal love endures.”[cg]

22 When they began to shout and praise, the Lord suddenly attacked[ch] the Ammonites, Moabites, and men from Mount Seir[ci] who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. 23 The Ammonites and Moabites attacked the men from Mount Seir[cj] and annihilated them.[ck] When they had finished off the men[cl] of Seir, they attacked and destroyed one another.[cm] 24 When the men of Judah[cn] arrived at the observation post overlooking the wilderness and looked at[co] the huge army, they saw dead bodies on the ground; there were no survivors. 25 Jehoshaphat and his men[cp] went to gather the plunder; they found a huge amount of supplies, clothing,[cq] and valuable items. They carried away everything they could.[cr] There was so much plunder, it took them three days to haul it off.[cs]

26 On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Berachah, where[ct] they praised the Lord. So that place is called the Valley of Berachah[cu] to this very day. 27 Then all the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned joyfully to Jerusalem with Jehoshaphat leading them; the Lord had given them reason to rejoice over their enemies. 28 They entered Jerusalem to the sound of stringed instruments and trumpets and proceeded to the temple of the Lord. 29 All the kingdoms of the surrounding lands were afraid of God[cv] when they heard how the Lord had fought against Israel’s enemies. 30 Jehoshaphat’s kingdom enjoyed peace; his God made him secure on every side.[cw]

Jehoshaphat’s Reign Ends

31 Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he became king and he reigned for twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother[cx] was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi. 32 He followed in his father Asa’s footsteps and was careful to do what the Lord approved.[cy] 33 However, the high places were not eliminated; the people were still not devoted to the God of their ancestors.[cz]

34 The rest of the events of Jehoshaphat’s reign, from start to finish, are recorded in the Annals of Jehu son of Hanani, which are included in the Scroll of the Kings of Israel.[da]

35 Later King Jehoshaphat of Judah made an alliance with King Ahaziah of Israel, who[db] did evil. 36 They agreed[dc] to make large seagoing merchant ships;[dd] they built the ships in Ezion Geber. 37 Eliezer son of Dodavahu from Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, “Because[de] you made an alliance with Ahaziah, the Lord will shatter what you have made.” The ships were wrecked and unable to go to sea.[df]

21 Jehoshaphat passed away[dg] and was buried with his ancestors[dh] in the City of David.[di] His son Jehoram[dj] replaced him as king.

Jehoram’s Reign

2 His brothers, Jehoshaphat’s sons, were Azariah, Jechiel, Zechariah, Azariahu, Michael, and Shephatiah. All these were sons of King Jehoshaphat of Israel.[dk] 3 Their father gave them many presents, including silver, gold, and other precious items, along with fortified cities in Judah. But he gave the kingdom to Jehoram because he was the firstborn.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 18:2 tn Heb “at the end of years.”
  2. 2 Chronicles 18:2 tn The word “visit” is supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
  3. 2 Chronicles 18:2 tn Heb “and Ahab slaughtered for him sheep and cattle in abundance, and for the people who were with him.”
  4. 2 Chronicles 18:2 tn Heb “to go up.”
  5. 2 Chronicles 18:3 tn Heb “Like me, like you; and like your people, my people; and with you in battle.”
  6. 2 Chronicles 18:4 tn The word “further” has been added on the basis that this is a second speech act. The narrator uses the title “king of Israel” to convey a sense of formality.
  7. 2 Chronicles 18:4 tn Or “even today,” “right away.”
  8. 2 Chronicles 18:4 tn Heb “inquire for the Lord’s message.” Jehoshaphat is requesting a prophetic oracle revealing the Lord’s will in the matter and their prospects for success. For examples of such oracles, see 2 Sam 5:19, 23-24.
  9. 2 Chronicles 18:5 tn Heb “Should we go against Ramoth Gilead for war or should I refrain?”
  10. 2 Chronicles 18:5 tn Though Jehoshaphat had requested an oracle from “the Lord” (יְהוָה, yehvah, “Yahweh”), the Israelite prophets stop short of actually using this name and substitute the title הָאֱלֹהִים (haʾelohim, “the God”). This ambiguity may explain in part Jehoshaphat’s hesitancy and caution (vv. 7-8). He seems to doubt that the 400 are genuine prophets of the Lord.
  11. 2 Chronicles 18:7 tn Heb “to seek the Lord from him.”
  12. 2 Chronicles 18:7 tn Or “hate.”
  13. 2 Chronicles 18:7 tn Heb “all his days.”
  14. 2 Chronicles 18:9 tn Heb “at,” which in this case probably means “near.”
  15. 2 Chronicles 18:12 tn Heb “the words of the prophets are [with] one mouth good for the king.”
  16. 2 Chronicles 18:12 tn Heb “let your words be like one of them and speak good.”
  17. 2 Chronicles 18:14 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Micaiah) has been specified in the translation both for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
  18. 2 Chronicles 18:14 sn One does not expect Micaiah, having just vowed to speak only what the Lord tells him, to agree with the other prophets and give the king an inaccurate prophecy. Micaiah’s actions became understandable later, when we discover that the Lord desires to deceive the king and lead him to his demise. The Lord even dispatches a lying spirit to deceive Ahab’s prophets. Micaiah can lie to the king because he realizes this lie is from the Lord. It is important to note that in v. 13 Micaiah only vows to speak the word of his God; he does not necessarily say he will tell the truth. In this case the Lord’s word is deliberately deceptive. Only when the king adjures him to tell the truth (v. 15), does Micaiah do so.
  19. 2 Chronicles 18:15 tn Or “swear an oath by.”
  20. 2 Chronicles 18:16 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Micaiah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  21. 2 Chronicles 18:18 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Micaiah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  22. 2 Chronicles 18:20 tn Heb “the spirit.” The significance of the article prefixed to רוּחַ (ruakh) is uncertain, but it could contain a clue as to this spirit’s identity, especially when interpreted in light of verse 23. It is certainly possible, and probably even likely, that the article is used in a generic or dramatic sense and should be translated, “a spirit.” In the latter case it would show that this spirit was vivid and definite in the mind of Micaiah the storyteller. However, if one insists that the article indicates a well-known or universally known spirit, the following context provides a likely referent. Verse 23 tells how Zedekiah slapped Micaiah in the face and then asked sarcastically, “Which way did the spirit from the Lord (רוּחַ־יְהוָה, ruakh yehvah) go when he went from me to speak to you?” When the phrase “the spirit of the Lord” refers to the divine spirit (rather than the divine breath or mind, as in Isa 40:7, 13) elsewhere, the spirit energizes an individual or group for special tasks or moves one to prophesy. This raises the possibility that the deceiving spirit of vv. 20-22 is the same as the divine spirit mentioned by Zedekiah in v. 23. This would explain why the article is used on רוּחַ (ruakh); he can be called “the spirit” because he is the well-known spirit who energizes the prophets.
  23. 2 Chronicles 18:21 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  24. 2 Chronicles 18:21 tn The Hebrew text has two imperfects connected by וְגַם (vegam). These verbs could be translated as specific futures, “you will deceive and also you will prevail,” in which case the Lord is assuring the spirit of success on his mission. However, in a commissioning context (note the following imperatives) such as this, it is more likely that the imperfects are injunctive, in which case one could translate, “Deceive, and also overpower.”
  25. 2 Chronicles 18:26 tn Heb “the bread of affliction and the water of affliction.”
  26. 2 Chronicles 18:27 tn Heb “Listen.”
  27. 2 Chronicles 18:29 tn The Hebrew verbal forms could be imperatives (“Disguise yourself and enter”), but this would make no sense in light of the immediately following context. The forms are better interpreted as infinitives absolute functioning as cohortatives (see IBHS 594 §35.5.2a). Some prefer to emend the forms to imperfects.
  28. 2 Chronicles 18:30 tn Heb “small or great.”
  29. 2 Chronicles 18:33 tn Heb “now a man drew a bow in his innocence” (i.e., with no specific target in mind, or at least without realizing his target was the king of Israel).
  30. 2 Chronicles 18:33 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  31. 2 Chronicles 18:33 tn Heb “camp.”
  32. 2 Chronicles 19:2 tn Or “seer.”
  33. 2 Chronicles 19:2 tn Heb “went out to his face.”
  34. 2 Chronicles 19:2 tn Heb “and love those who hate the Lord?”
  35. 2 Chronicles 19:2 tn Heb “and because of this upon you is anger from before the Lord.”
  36. 2 Chronicles 19:3 tn Heb “nevertheless good things are found with you.”
  37. 2 Chronicles 19:3 tn Here בָּעַר (baʿar) is not the well attested verb “burn,” but the less common homonym meaning “devastate, sweep away, remove.” See HALOT 146 s.v. II בער.
  38. 2 Chronicles 19:3 tn Heb “and you set your heart to seek God.”
  39. 2 Chronicles 19:4 tn Heb “and turned them back to.”
  40. 2 Chronicles 19:4 tn Heb “fathers.”
  41. 2 Chronicles 19:5 tn Heb “in the land in all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city.”
  42. 2 Chronicles 19:6 tn Heb “see what you are doing.”
  43. 2 Chronicles 19:7 tn Heb “and now let the terror of the Lord be upon you, be careful and act for there is not with the Lord our God injustice, lifting up of a face, and taking a bribe.”
  44. 2 Chronicles 19:8 tn Heb “for the judgment of the Lord.”
  45. 2 Chronicles 19:8 tc Heb “and to conduct a case [or “for controversy”], and they returned [to] Jerusalem.” Some emend וַיָּשֻׁבוּ (vayyashuvu, “and they returned”) to וַיֵּשְׁבוּ (vayyeshevu, “and they lived [in]”). The present translation assumes an emendation to יֹשְׁבֵי (yoshevey, “residents of”).
  46. 2 Chronicles 19:9 tn Heb “This you must do with the fear of the Lord, with honesty, and with a complete heart.”
  47. 2 Chronicles 19:10 tn Heb “and every case which comes to you from your brothers who live in their cities.”
  48. 2 Chronicles 19:10 tn Heb “between blood pertaining to blood.”
  49. 2 Chronicles 19:10 tn Heb “and anger will be upon you and your brothers; do this and you will not be guilty.”
  50. 2 Chronicles 19:11 tn Heb “will be over you.”
  51. 2 Chronicles 19:11 tn Heb “Be strong and act!”
  52. 2 Chronicles 20:1 tc The Hebrew text has “Ammonites,” but they are mentioned just before this. Most translations, following some mss of the LXX, read “Meunites” (see 2 Chr 26:7; so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
  53. 2 Chronicles 20:2 tn Heb “they”; the implied referent (messengers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  54. 2 Chronicles 20:2 tn Heb “the Sea”; in context (“from the direction of Edom”) this must refer to the Dead Sea, which has been specified in the translation for clarity (cf. NEB, NLT).
  55. 2 Chronicles 20:2 tc Most Hebrew mss, the LXX, and Vulgate read “from Aram” (i.e., Syria), but this should be emended to “Edom,” which is the reading of one Hebrew ms and the Old Latin.
  56. 2 Chronicles 20:3 tn Heb “and he set his face to seek the Lord.”
  57. 2 Chronicles 20:4 tn The words “the people of” are supplied in the translation for clarity. The Hebrew text uses the name “Judah” by metonymy for the people of Judah.
  58. 2 Chronicles 20:4 tn Heb “to seek from the Lord.” The verb here (בָּקַשׁ, baqash) is different from the one translated “seek” in v. 3 (דָּרַשׁ, darash).
  59. 2 Chronicles 20:4 tn Heb “to seek the Lord.” The verb here (בָּקַשׁ, baqash) is different from the one translated “seek” in v. 3 (דָּרַשׁ, darash).
  60. 2 Chronicles 20:6 tn Heb “fathers” (also in v. 33).
  61. 2 Chronicles 20:6 tn Heb “are you not God in heaven?” The rhetorical question expects the answer “yes,” resulting in the positive statement “you are the God who lives in heaven” employed in the translation.
  62. 2 Chronicles 20:7 tn Heb “did you not drive out . . . ?” This is another rhetorical question which expects a positive response; see the note on the word “heaven” in the previous verse.
  63. 2 Chronicles 20:7 tn Heb “permanently.”
  64. 2 Chronicles 20:7 tn Or perhaps “your covenantal partner.” See Isa 41:8.
  65. 2 Chronicles 20:8 tn Or “sanctuary.”
  66. 2 Chronicles 20:8 tn Heb “for your name.” The word “name” sometimes refers to one’s reputation or honor (thus the translation here, “to honor you”).
  67. 2 Chronicles 20:9 tn Heb “sword.”
  68. 2 Chronicles 20:9 tn Heb “for your name is in this house.” The “name” of the Lord sometimes designates the Lord himself, being indistinguishable from the proper name. In this case the temple is referred to as a “house” where the Lord himself can reside.
  69. 2 Chronicles 20:9 tn Or “so that you may.”
  70. 2 Chronicles 20:10 tn Heb “now, look, the sons of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir.”
  71. 2 Chronicles 20:10 tn Heb “whom you did not allow Israel to enter when they came from the land of Egypt.”
  72. 2 Chronicles 20:12 tn Heb “for [or “indeed”] upon you are our eyes.”
  73. 2 Chronicles 20:13 tn Heb “Judah.” The words “the men of” are supplied in the translation for clarity. The Hebrew text uses the name “Judah” by metonymy for the men of Judah.
  74. 2 Chronicles 20:15 tn Heb “all Judah.” The words “you people of” are supplied in the translation for clarity. The Hebrew text uses the name “Judah” by metonymy for the people of Judah. Unlike the previous instance in v. 13 where infants, wives, and children are mentioned separately, this reference appears to include them all.
  75. 2 Chronicles 20:15 tn Or perhaps “don’t get discouraged.”
  76. 2 Chronicles 20:16 tn Heb “look.”
  77. 2 Chronicles 20:17 tn Heb “the deliverance of the Lord with you.”
  78. 2 Chronicles 20:17 tn Or perhaps “don’t get discouraged.”
  79. 2 Chronicles 20:18 tn Heb “all Judah.” The words “you people of” are supplied in the translation for clarity. See the note on the word “Judah” in v. 15.
  80. 2 Chronicles 20:18 tn Heb “to worship the Lord.”
  81. 2 Chronicles 20:19 tn Heb “arose to praise the Lord God of Israel with a very loud voice.”
  82. 2 Chronicles 20:20 tn Heb “O Judah.” The words “you people of” are supplied in the translation for clarity. See the note on the word “Judah” in v. 15.
  83. 2 Chronicles 20:20 tn There is a wordplay in the Hebrew text. The Hiphil verb form הַאֲמִינוּ (haʾaminu, “trust”) and the Niphal form תֵאָמֵנוּ (teʾamenu, “you will be safe”) come from the same verbal root (אָמַן, ʾaman).
  84. 2 Chronicles 20:21 tn Or “consulted.”
  85. 2 Chronicles 20:21 tn Or “is eternal.”
  86. 2 Chronicles 20:22 tn Heb “set ambushers against.” This is probably idiomatic here for launching a surprise attack.
  87. 2 Chronicles 20:22 tn Heb “the sons of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir.”
  88. 2 Chronicles 20:23 tn Heb “the sons of Ammon and Moab stood against the residents of Mount Seir.”
  89. 2 Chronicles 20:23 tn Heb “to annihilate and to destroy.”
  90. 2 Chronicles 20:23 tn Heb “residents.”
  91. 2 Chronicles 20:23 tn Heb “they helped, each one his fellow, for destruction.” The verb עָזַר (ʿazar), traditionally understood as the well-attested verb meaning “to help,” is an odd fit in this context. It is possible that it is from a homonymic root, perhaps meaning to “attack.” This root is attested in Ugaritic in a nominal form meaning “young man, warrior, hero.” For a discussion of the proposed root, see HALOT 811 s.v. II עזר.
  92. 2 Chronicles 20:24 tn Heb “Judah.” The words “the men of” are supplied in the translation for clarity. The Hebrew text uses the name “Judah” by metonymy for the men of Judah.
  93. 2 Chronicles 20:24 tn Heb “turned toward.”
  94. 2 Chronicles 20:25 tn Or “army.”
  95. 2 Chronicles 20:25 tc The MT reads פְגָרִים (fegarim, “corpses”), but this seems odd among a list of plunder. A few medieval Hebrew mss and the Vulgate read בְגָדִים (vegadim, “clothing”), which fits the context much better.
  96. 2 Chronicles 20:25 tn Heb “and they snatched away for themselves so that there was no carrying away.”
  97. 2 Chronicles 20:25 tn Heb “and they were three days looting the plunder for it was great.”
  98. 2 Chronicles 20:26 tn Heb “for there.”
  99. 2 Chronicles 20:26 sn The name Berachah, which means “blessing” in Hebrew, is derived from the verbal root “to praise [or “to bless”],” which appears earlier in the verse.
  100. 2 Chronicles 20:29 tn Heb “and the terror of God [or “a great terror”] was upon all the kingdoms of the lands.” It is uncertain if אֱלֹהִים (ʾelohim) should be understood as a proper name here (“God”), or taken in an idiomatic superlative sense.
  101. 2 Chronicles 20:30 tn Heb “and his God gave him rest all around.”
  102. 2 Chronicles 20:31 tn Heb “The name of his mother.”
  103. 2 Chronicles 20:32 tn Heb “he walked in the way of his father Asa and did not turn from it, doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord.”
  104. 2 Chronicles 20:33 tn Heb “and still the people did not set their heart[s] on the God of their fathers.”
  105. 2 Chronicles 20:34 tn Heb “the rest of the events of Jehoshaphat, the former and the latter, look, they are written in the records of Jehu son of Hanani, which are taken up in the scroll of the kings of Israel.”
  106. 2 Chronicles 20:35 tn Heb “he.” The pronoun has been translated as a relative pronoun for stylistic reasons.
  107. 2 Chronicles 20:36 tn Heb “he made an alliance with him.”
  108. 2 Chronicles 20:36 tn Heb “make ships to go to Tarshish.” This probably refers to large ships either made in or capable of traveling to the distant western port of Tarshish; a “Tarshish-ship” was essentially a large seagoing merchant ship.
  109. 2 Chronicles 20:37 tn Heb “when.”
  110. 2 Chronicles 20:37 tn Heb “to go to Tarshish.”
  111. 2 Chronicles 21:1 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”
  112. 2 Chronicles 21:1 tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 10, 12, 19).
  113. 2 Chronicles 21:1 sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
  114. 2 Chronicles 21:1 tn The parallel account in 2 Kgs 8:20-24 has the variant spelling “Joram” for the son of Jehoshaphat.
  115. 2 Chronicles 21:2 sn A number of times in 2 Chronicles “Israel” is used instead of the more specific “Judah”; see 2 Chr 12:6; 23:2). In the interest of consistency some translations (e.g., NAB, NRSV) substitute “Judah” for “Israel” here.
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