2 Chronicles — Chapter 19
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1And Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned to his house in peace to Jerusalem.
2And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to king Jehoshaphat, Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the LORD? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the LORD.
3Nevertheless there are good things found in thee, in that thou hast taken away the groves out of the land, and hast prepared thine heart to seek God.
4And Jehoshaphat dwelt at Jerusalem: and he went out again through the people from Beer-sheba to mount Ephraim, and brought them back unto the LORD God of their fathers.
5And he set judges in the land throughout all the fenced cities of Judah, city by city,
6And said to the judges, Take heed what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for the LORD, who is with you in the judgment.
7Wherefore now let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts.
8Moreover in Jerusalem did Jehoshaphat set of the Levites, and of the priests, and of the chief of the fathers of Israel, for the judgment of the LORD, and for controversies, when they returned to Jerusalem.
9And he charged them, saying, Thus shall ye do in the fear of the LORD, faithfully, and with a perfect heart.
10And what cause soever shall come to you of your brethren that dwell in their cities, between blood and blood, between law and commandment, statutes and judgments, ye shall even warn them that they trespass not against the LORD, and so wrath come upon you, and upon your brethren: this do, and ye shall not trespass.
11And, behold, 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 shall be officers before you. Deal courageously, and the LORD shall be with the good.
1And Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned to his house in peace to Jerusalem.
2And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to king Jehoshaphat, Shouldest thou help the wicked, and love them that hate Jehovah? for this thing wrath is upon thee from before Jehovah.
3Nevertheless there are good things found in thee, in that thou hast put away the Asheroth out of the land, and hast set thy heart to seek God.
4And Jehoshaphat dwelt at Jerusalem: and he went out again among the people from Beer-sheba to the hill-country of Ephraim, and brought them back unto Jehovah, the God of their fathers.
5And he set judges in the land throughout all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city,
6and said to the judges, Consider what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for Jehovah; and [he is] with you in the judgment.
7Now therefore let the fear of Jehovah be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with Jehovah our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of bribes.
8Moreover in Jerusalem did Jehoshaphat set of the Levites and the priests, and of the heads of the fathers` [houses] of Israel, for the judgment of Jehovah, and for controversies. And they returned to Jerusalem.
9And he charged them, saying, Thus shall ye do in the fear of Jehovah, faithfully, and with a perfect heart.
10And whensoever any controversy shall come to you from your brethren that dwell in their cities, between blood and blood, between law and commandment, statutes and ordinances, ye shall warn them, that they be not guilty towards Jehovah, and so wrath come upon you and upon your brethren: this do, and ye shall not be guilty.
11And, behold, Amariah the chief priest is over you in all matters of Jehovah; and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah, in all the king`s matters: also the Levites shall be officers before you. Deal courageously, and Jehovah be with the good.
1When King Jehoshaphat of Judah returned home safely to Jerusalem,
2the prophet Jehu son of Hanani confronted him; he said to King Jehoshaphat, “Is it right to help the wicked and be an ally of those who oppose the Lord? Because you have done this, the Lord is angry with you!
3Nevertheless you have done some good things; you removed the Asherah poles from the land, and you were determined to follow God.”
4Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem. He went out among the people from Beer Sheba to the hill country of Ephraim and encouraged them to follow the Lord God of their ancestors.
5He appointed judges throughout the land and in each of the fortified cities of Judah.
6He told the judges, “Be careful what you do, for you are not judging for men, but for the Lord, who will be with you when you make judicial decisions.
7Respect the Lord and make careful decisions, for the Lord our God disapproves of injustice, partiality, and bribery.”
8In Jerusalem Jehoshaphat appointed some Levites, priests, and Israelite family leaders to judge on behalf of the Lord and to settle disputes among the residents of Jerusalem.
9He commanded them: “Carry out your duties with respect for the Lord, with honesty, and with pure motives.
10Whenever your countrymen who live in the cities bring a case before you (whether it involves a violent crime 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.
11Take note, Amariah the chief priest will oversee 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, and may the Lord be with those who do well!”
1Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned to his house in peace to Jerusalem.
2Jehu 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 Yahweh? Because of this, wrath is on you from before Yahweh.
3Nevertheless there are good things found in you, in that you have put away the Asheroth out of the land, and have set your heart to seek God.”
4Jehoshaphat lived at Jerusalem; and he went out again among the people from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim, and brought them back to Yahweh, the God of their fathers.
5He set judges in the land throughout all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city,
6and said to the judges, “Consider what you do, for you don’t judge for man, but for Yahweh; and he is with you in the judgment.
7Now therefore let the fear of Yahweh be on you. Take heed and do it; for there is no iniquity with Yahweh our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of bribes.”
8Moreover in Jerusalem Jehoshaphat appointed Levites and priests, and of the heads of the fathers’ households of Israel, for the judgment of Yahweh, and for controversies. They returned to Jerusalem.
9He commanded them, saying, “You shall do this in the fear of Yahweh, faithfully, and with a perfect heart.
10Whenever any controversy comes to you from your brothers who dwell in their cities, between blood and blood, between law and commandment, statutes and ordinances, you must warn them, that they not be guilty towards Yahweh, and so wrath come on you and on your brothers. Do this, and you will not be guilty.
11Behold, Amariah the chief priest is over you in all matters of Yahweh; and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah, in all the king’s matters. Also the Levites shall be officers before you. Deal courageously, and may Yahweh be with the good.”
Summary
After his return from battle, Jehoshaphat is rebuked by the seer Jehu for helping the wicked, then appoints judges throughout Judah and establishes a court system in Jerusalem, charging them to judge faithfully for the Lord, not for man.
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
- Parallels 1-2 Kings but focuses exclusively on Judah (the southern kingdom). Jerusalem and the Temple are the theological center throughout.
- Key locations include various battle sites, reform locations, and high places destroyed or rebuilt by successive kings.
- The book ends with exile to Babylon (586 BC) and Cyrus's decree permitting return — the geographic arc moves from Jerusalem to Babylon and back.
Commentary
- Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik notes that Jehoshaphat's response to rebuke demonstrates genuine spiritual maturity — rather than defensiveness or depression, he immediately undertook further reform. Guzik highlights the judicial charge as relevant to all Christians who exercise any form of authority: we represent God, and our decisions must reflect His character of perfect justice without partiality.
- Charles Spurgeon: "Jehoshaphat returned safely from the battle that should have killed him, and was met by a prophet who told him plainly: 'You have loved those who hate the LORD.' Sharp words, but saving words. The man who can receive rebuke gracefully is already half reformed. And mark how Jehoshaphat responds — not with excuses but with action. He goes out among the people, he sets judges in every city, and charges them: 'The LORD is with you in the judgment.' Would that every magistrate, every employer, every parent who holds authority remembered this — you judge not for yourself but for God. Deal courageously, and the LORD shall be with the good."
Reflection
- 1. Receive rebuke as grace, not attack (vv.2-3). Jehoshaphat could have responded to Jehu's confrontation with royal indignation — after all, he was the king. Instead, he received the word and acted on it immediately. The person who responds to correction with humility and reform demonstrates genuine spiritual maturity. How do you respond when someone speaks hard truth to you? Defensiveness reveals pride; repentance reveals wisdom (Proverbs 9:8-9).
- 2. Good things in you don't excuse wrong things (v.3). God acknowledged the good in Jehoshaphat while still confronting his sin. Your genuine faithfulness in some areas doesn't give you a pass in others. God sees both — and addresses both. Let His balanced assessment encourage you (He sees your faithfulness) and convict you (He also sees your compromise) simultaneously.
- 3. Those in authority represent God (v.6). Every position of authority — parent, employer, teacher, pastor, civic leader — is a delegated trust from God. You judge "not for man, but for the LORD." This means every decision you make in authority should reflect God's character: just, impartial, incorruptible. Authority is stewardship, not ownership.
- 4. Justice requires courage (v.11). "Deal courageously" — because ruling justly means ruling against the powerful when they're wrong, defending the weak when it's unpopular, and maintaining integrity when corruption is easier. Courage is not optional for the person in authority; it's essential equipment. Without courage, justice crumbles into people-pleasing.
- 5. Reform follows repentance (vv.4-11). Jehoshaphat didn't merely feel sorry about his alliance with Ahab — he actively reformed the nation. He went out personally among the people (v.4), set up just systems (v.5), instructed leaders (vv.6-7), and organized institutions (vv.8-11). True repentance produces systemic change, not just emotional regret. What structures in your life need to be reformed to align with what you profess to believe?