✝
← Bible
ARCBLIVREKJVVBL

2 Chronicles 17

KJV · Chapter 17/36

1And Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead, and strengthened himself against Israel.

2And he placed forces in all the fenced cities of Judah, and set garrisons in the land of Judah, and in the cities of Ephraim, which Asa his father had taken.

3And the Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David, and sought not unto Baalim;

4But sought to the Lord God of his father, and walked in his commandments, and not after the doings of Israel.

5Therefore the Lord stablished the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah brought to Jehoshaphat presents; and he had riches and honour in abundance.

6And his heart was lifted up in the ways of the Lord: moreover he took away the high places and groves out of Judah.

7Also in the third year of his reign he sent to his princes, even to Ben–hail, and to Obadiah, and to Zechariah, and to Nethaneel, and to Michaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah.

8And with them he sent Levites, even Shemaiah, and Nethaniah, and Zebadiah, and Asahel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehonathan, and Adonijah, and Tobijah, and Tob–adonijah, Levites; and with them Elishama and Jehoram, priests.

9And they taught in Judah, and had the book of the law of the Lord with them, and went about throughout all the cities of Judah, and taught the people.

10And the fear of the Lord fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were round about Judah, so that they made no war against Jehoshaphat.

11Also some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat presents, and tribute silver; and the Arabians brought him flocks, seven thousand and seven hundred rams, and seven thousand and seven hundred he goats.

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

13And he had much business in the cities of Judah: and the men of war, mighty men of valour, were in Jerusalem.

14And these are the numbers of them according to the house of their fathers: Of Judah, the captains of thousands; Adnah the chief, and with him mighty men of valour three hundred thousand.

15And next to him was Jehohanan the captain, and with him two hundred and fourscore thousand.

16And next him was Amasiah the son of Zichri, who willingly offered himself unto the Lord; and with him two hundred thousand mighty men of valour.

17And of Benjamin; Eliada a mighty man of valour, and with him armed men with bow and shield two hundred thousand.

18And next him was Jehozabad, and with him an hundred and fourscore thousand ready prepared for the war.

19These waited on the king, beside those whom the king put in the fenced cities throughout all Judah.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

Jehoshaphat, son of Asa, becomes king and follows the faithful ways of David, strengthening the kingdom militarily and sending leaders and priests to teach God's law throughout the cities of Judah. His faithfulness brings prosperity, international respect, and security to the kingdom.

Explanation

Jehoshaphat stands out for combining defensive military strength with a remarkable investment in religious education: he sends officials, Levites, and priests to systematically teach God's law throughout the cities of Judah, one of the earliest biblical examples of an organized nationwide program of religious education. The result of this combination of faith and practical wisdom is that 'the fear of the Lord fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were round about Judah,' bringing peace through respect and reputation, not only through armed conflict. This chapter shows a model of leadership that understands that a nation's true strength comes both from its capacity for defense and from its internal spiritual and moral soundness.

Fun facts

  • Jehoshaphat's initiative of sending teachers of the law throughout the kingdom is considered by scholars one of the earliest historical examples of an organized system of state-sponsored public religious education.
  • The gifts brought to Jehoshaphat by the Philistines and Arabians, including thousands of rams and goats, show how his reputation for strength and faithfulness earned him recognition and tribute even from peoples historically hostile to Israel.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. 2 Chronicles 17:1Jehoshaphat takes the throne after Asa and quickly strengthens himself militarily against the northern kingdom, Israel.
  2. 2 Chronicles 17:2Jehoshaphat stations troops throughout the fortified cities of Judah and keeps garrisons even in the cities of Ephraim that his father Asa had captured.
  3. 2 Chronicles 17:3God is with Jehoshaphat because he follows David’s early example and does not seek out the Canaanite gods called the Baals.
  4. 2 Chronicles 17:4Jehoshaphat seeks the God of his father and follows His commandments, instead of imitating the religious practices of the northern kingdom.
  5. 2 Chronicles 17:5Because of this faithfulness, God establishes the kingdom firmly in Jehoshaphat’s hand; all Judah brings him gifts, and he accumulates wealth and prestige in abundance.
  6. 2 Chronicles 17:6With his heart lifted up in the ways of the Lord, Jehoshaphat goes further than Asa had gone and also removes the local shrines and the sacred poles from Judah.
  7. 2 Chronicles 17:7Jehoshaphat organizes a team of officials, Levites, and priests to travel through the cities of Judah teaching the law to the people, carrying the actual book of the law as their reference. It is a rare kind of educational initiative organized by a king, closer to a traveling mission than to anything typical of the period.
  8. 2 Chronicles 17:8Along with the officials sent to teach, several Levites and two priests travel as well, forming a large team dedicated entirely to this teaching mission.
  9. 2 Chronicles 17:9This team travels through all the cities of Judah, carrying the Book of the Law of the Lord and teaching the people directly from it.
  10. 2 Chronicles 17:10The fear of the Lord spreads through the kingdoms neighboring Judah, and none of them dares to declare war against Jehoshaphat.
  11. 2 Chronicles 17:11Even the Philistines bring Jehoshaphat gifts and silver as tribute, and the Arabians give him thousands of rams and goats — a sign of the respect and power he has gained.
  12. 2 Chronicles 17:12Jehoshaphat grows stronger and stronger, building fortresses and store cities throughout Judah.
  13. 2 Chronicles 17:13He carries out major building projects in the cities of Judah and gathers in Jerusalem a contingent of valiant, experienced soldiers.
  14. 2 Chronicles 17:14The list of commanders and their armies, with numbers adding up to hundreds of thousands of men, paints a picture of Judah’s military strength under Jehoshaphat — as always with these lists in the book, such high numbers are debated among scholars of the ancient text.
  15. 2 Chronicles 17:15After the commander Adnah comes Jehohanan, leading two hundred eighty thousand men — one more entry on the list of Jehoshaphat’s military forces.
  16. 2 Chronicles 17:16Amasiah, who dedicated himself voluntarily to the service of the Lord, commands two hundred thousand valiant men — a detail that highlights his religious motivation.
  17. 2 Chronicles 17:17From the tribe of Benjamin, Eliada leads two hundred thousand men armed with bow and shield.
  18. 2 Chronicles 17:18Closing out the list, Jehozabad commands one hundred eighty thousand men ready for war.
  19. 2 Chronicles 17:19These were the soldiers in direct service to the king in Jerusalem, not counting those Jehoshaphat had already stationed throughout the fortified cities of Judah.

Chapters

123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536

Our apps

Our apps →

Bible in Stories

The Bible told as a story, with audio and videos.

📱 Get the app

World in Stories

True stories of humanity that sound made up.

App StoreGoogle Play

Feito! Pequenas Vitórias

A light daily routine for people who lose track of the day.

App StoreGoogle Play