2 Chronicles 19 — WLC

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19וַ֠יָּשָׁב יְהוֹשָׁפָ֨ט מֶֽלֶךְ־יְהוּדָ֧ה אֶל־בֵּית֛וֹ בְּשָׁל֖וֹם לִֽירוּשָׁלִָֽם׃^{Verse 2}וַיֵּצֵ֣א אֶל־פָּנָ֗יו יֵה֣וּא בֶן־חֲנָ֘נִי֮ הַחֹזֶה֒ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ אֶל־הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ יְהוֹשָׁפָ֔ט הֲלָרָשָׁ֣ע לַעְזֹ֔ר וּלְשֹׂנְאֵ֥י יְהוָ֖ה תֶּאֱהָ֑ב וּבָזֹאת֙ עָלֶ֣יךָ קֶּ֔צֶף מִלִּפְנֵ֖י יְהוָֽה׃^{Verse 3}אֲבָ֕ל דְּבָרִ֥ים טוֹבִ֖ים נִמְצְא֣וּ עִמָּ֑ךְ כִּֽי־בִעַ֤רְתָּ הָאֲשֵׁרוֹת֙ מִן־הָאָ֔רֶץ וַהֲכִינ֥וֹתָ לְבָבְךָ֖ לִדְרֹ֥שׁ הָֽאֱלֹהִֽים׃^{Verse 4}וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב יְהוֹשָׁפָ֖ט בִּירוּשָׁלִָ֑ם ס וַיָּ֜שָׁב וַיֵּצֵ֣א בָעָ֗ם מִבְּאֵ֥ר שֶׁ֨בַע֙ עַד־הַ֣ר אֶפְרַ֔יִם וַיְשִׁיבֵ֕ם אֶל־יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֥י אֲבוֹתֵיהֶֽם׃^{Verse 5}וַיַּעֲמֵ֨ד שֹֽׁפְטִ֜ים בָּאָ֗רֶץ בְּכָל־עָרֵ֧י יְהוּדָ֛ה הַבְּצֻר֖וֹת לְעִ֥יר וָעִֽיר׃^{Verse 6}וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֶל־הַשֹּֽׁפְטִ֗ים רְאוּ֙ מָֽה־אַתֶּ֣ם עֹשִׂ֔ים כִּ֣י לֹ֧א לְאָדָ֛ם תִּשְׁפְּט֖וּ כִּ֣י לַיהוָ֑ה וְעִמָּכֶ֖ם בִּדְבַ֥ר מִשְׁפָּֽט׃^{Verse 7}וְעַתָּ֕ה יְהִ֥י פַֽחַד־יְהוָ֖ה עֲלֵיכֶ֑ם שִׁמְר֣וּ וַעֲשׂ֔וּ כִּֽי־אֵ֞ין עִם־יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵ֗ינוּ עַוְלָ֛ה וּמַשֹּׂ֥א פָנִ֖ים וּמִקַּח־שֹֽׁחַד׃^{Verse 8}וְגַ֣ם בִּ֠ירוּשָׁלִַם הֶעֱמִ֨יד יְהוֹשָׁפָ֜ט מִן־הַלְוִיִּ֣ם וְהַכֹּהֲנִ֗ים וּמֵרָאשֵׁ֤י הָאָבוֹת֙ לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לְמִשְׁפַּ֥ט יְהוָ֖ה וְלָרִ֑יב וַיָּשֻׁ֖בוּ יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃^{Verse 9}וַיְצַ֥ו עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם לֵאמֹ֑ר כֹּ֤ה תַעֲשׂוּן֙ בְּיִרְאַ֣ת יְהוָ֔ה בֶּאֱמוּנָ֖ה וּבְלֵבָ֥ב שָׁלֵֽם׃^{Verse 10}וְכָל־רִיב֩ אֲשֶׁר־יָב֨וֹא עֲלֵיכֶ֜ם מֵאֲחֵיכֶ֣ם ׀ הַיֹּשְׁבִ֣ים בְּעָרֵיהֶ֗ם בֵּֽין־דָּ֣ם ׀ לְדָם֮ בֵּין־תּוֹרָ֣ה לְמִצְוָה֮ לְחֻקִּ֣ים וּלְמִשְׁפָּטִים֒ וְהִזְהַרְתֶּ֣ם אֹתָ֔ם וְלֹ֤א יֶאְשְׁמוּ֙ לַיהוָ֔ה וְהָֽיָה־קֶ֥צֶף עֲלֵיכֶ֖ם וְעַל־אֲחֵיכֶ֑ם כֹּ֥ה תַעֲשׂ֖וּן וְלֹ֥א תֶאְשָֽׁמוּ׃^{Verse 11}וְהִנֵּ֡ה אֲמַרְיָ֣הוּ כֹהֵן֩ הָרֹ֨אשׁ עֲלֵיכֶ֜ם לְכֹ֣ל דְּבַר־יְהוָ֗ה וּזְבַדְיָ֨הוּ בֶן־יִשְׁמָעֵ֜אל הַנָּגִ֤יד לְבֵית־יְהוּדָה֙ לְכֹ֣ל דְּבַר־הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וְשֹׁטְרִ֥ים הַלְוִיִּ֖ם לִפְנֵיכֶ֑ם חִזְק֣וּ וַעֲשׂ֔וּ וִיהִ֥י יְהוָ֖ה עִם־הַטּֽוֹב׃ פ

Commentary

Introduction

Jehoshaphat, on his return from Ramoth-gilead, is met by the prophet Jehu, and reproved, Ch2 19:1-3. He makes a farther reformation in the land, establishing courts of justice, and giving solemn and pertinent directions to the judges, Levites, etc., to do judgement and justice among the people, in the fear of God, Ch2 19:4-11.

Returned to his house in peace - That is, in safety, notwithstanding he had been exposed to a danger so imminent, from which only the especial mercy of God could have saved him.

Jehu the son of Hanani - We have met with this prophet before; see the note on Kg1 16:7. Therefore is wrath upon thee - That is, Thou deservest to be punished. And who can doubt this, who knows that he did help the ungodly, and did love them that hated Jehovah? And is not the wrath of God upon all those alliances which his people form with the ungodly, whether they be social, matrimonial, commercial, or political?

From Beer-sheba to Mount Ephraim - Before the separation of the ten tribes, in speaking of the extent of the land it was said, From Dan to Beer-sheba; but since that event, the kingdom of Judah was bounded on the south by Beer-sheba, and on the north by the mountains of Ephraim. This shows that Jehoshaphat had gone through all his territories to examine every thing himself, to see that judgment and justice were properly administered among the people.

Take heed what ye do - A very solemn and very necessary caution; judges should feel themselves in the place of God, and judge as those who know they shall be judged for their judgments.

And for controversies, when they returned to Jerusalem - Who were they that returned to Jerusalem? Some suppose that it means Jehoshaphat and his courtiers, who returned to Jerusalem after the expedition mentioned Ch2 19:4 : but if this were so, or if the text spoke of any person returning to Jerusalem, would not לירושלם lirushalem, To Jerusalem, and not the simple word ירושלם Yerushalem, without the preposition, be used? Learned men have supposed, with great plausibility, that the word וישבו vaiyashubu, "and they returned," should be written יושבי yoshebey, "the inhabitants," and that the words should be read, And for the controversies of the inhabitants of Jerusalem. That this was the original reading is very probable from its vestiges in the Vulgate, habitatoribus ejus, "its Inhabitants;" and in the Septuagint it is found totidem verbis, Και κρινειν τους κατοικουντας εν Ἱερουσαλημ, And to judge the inhabitants of Jerusalem. There is a clause in Ch2 34:9 where we have a similar mistake in our version: And they returned to Jerusalem, וישבו ירושלם where the false keri, or marginal note, directs it, in opposition to common sense and All the versions, to be read וישובו and they returned, which our translation has unhappily followed.

Between blood and blood - Cases of man-slaughter or accidental murder, or cases of consanguinity, the settlement of inheritance, family claims, etc. Between law and commandment - Whatsoever concerns the moral precepts, rites, and ceremonies, of the law, or whatsoever belongs to civil affairs.

Behold, Amariah - Here was a two-fold jurisdiction, ecclesiastical and civil: in the ecclesiastical court, Amariah the high-priest was supreme judge, in the civil court, Zebadiah was supreme. To assist both the Levites were a sort of counsellors. Without good and wholesome laws, no nation can be prosperous: and vain are the best laws if they be not judiciously and conscientiously administered. The things of God and the things of the King should never be confounded in the administration of justice. Amariah the priest, and Zebadiah the ruler, should ever have their distinct places of jurisdiction.

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