2 Chronicles 19

ANd Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned to his house in peace Safe, being miraculously delivered from eminent danger, as was related, ch. 18. 31, 32., to Jerusalem.

And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer Of whom see 1 Kin. 16. 1, 2., went out to meet him, and said to king Jehoshaphat, shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the LORD Was this agreeable to thy Duty and Love which thou pro... essest to God and Godliness, that thou hast entred into so strict an Alliance and Friendship with wicked Ahab my sworn Enemy and given such Assistance to him?? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the LORD Therefore God is angry with thee and will chastise thee for this Miscarriage. Which he did partly by stirring up the Moabites and others to invade him, ch. 20. partly by permitting his Eldest Son Jehoram to kill all his Brethren, ch. 21. 4. and principally by bringing that sore and almost general Destruction upon his Grandchildren by Jehu, 2 King. 9. 27. and 10. 13, 14. which was the proper F... uit of his Alliance with Ahab..

Nevertheless, there are good things found in thee i. e. Good Works proceeding from an Honest Heart; which God more regards than this particular Errour: and therefore though he will chasten thee. yet he will not utterly destroy thee., in that thou hast taken away the g... oves out of the land, and hast prepared thine heart Or, directed or set thy heart; i. e. Thou hast sought and served God with all thy Heart, and not feignedly, as many others do. And this work of preparing or directing his heart is here ascribed to Jehoshaphat, as elsewhere it is attributed to God, Prov. 16. 1. Phil. 2. 13. because it is mans Action, but performed by Gods Grace preventing, enabling, and enclining him to it. to seek God.

And Jehoshaphat dwelt at Jerusalem: and he went out again through the people, from Beersheba to mount Ephraim i. e. Through his whole Kingdom, whereof these were the two Bounds., and brought them back unto the LORD God of their fathers Such of them as had revolted from God to Idols he reclaimed by his good Counsel and Example, and by the Instructions of the Levites and Priests whom doubtless now he carried with him, as he sent them before with his Officers of State.. g Once he went by his Officers, ch. 17. 7, &c. Now he went in his own person.

And he set Judges in the land, throughout all the fenced cities of Judah, city by city In every City, for it self and the Country adjacent, that Justice might be administred with the most ease and convenience to the People, and they might not all be forced to go up to Jerusalem..

And said to the judges, Take heed what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for the LORD You represent Gods Person to whom Judgment belongeth, and you have your Commission and Power from God, and not from Man only; and your Administration of Justice is not only for Mans good, but also for Gods Honour and Service. who is with you Both to observe your Carriage, and to you against all those Enemies whom the Impartial Exercise of Justice may provoke. in the judgment.

Wherefore 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 o... persons And therefore you are in Gods stead, and do his Work, and must give an Account to him, must imitate God here. Of respect of persons, see Deut. 10. 17. job 34. 19. Act. 10. 34., nor taking of gifts So as to pervert Judgment for them, by comparing this with Exod. 23. 8. Deut. 16. 19. Prov. 17. 23..

Moreover, in Jerusalem did Jehoshaphat set of the Levites, and of the priests, and of the chief of the fathers of I... rael Who were not Priests and Levites, but such persons of other Tribes as were most Eminent for their Dignity, Ability and Integrity. But whether these persons made up one Court called the Sanhedrim, by which all Causes Ecclesiastical and Civil were decided; or there were two distinct Courts, the one Eccles... astical, consisting of the Priests and Levites, the other Civil, consisting of the Chief of the Fathers of Israel, belongs to another place to determine, and requires more words than the Nature of this Work can permit. for the judgment of the LORD i. e. For Sacred matters concerning the Laws and Worship and Service of God., and for controversi... s For Matters of Difference between Man and Man. wh... n they returned to Jerusalem i. e. When Jehoshaphat and his Company were returned to Jerusalem, then he made this Order... ing establishing Judges there. But so this last Clause may see... superfluous and tautological, being more than implyed in the beginning of the Verse. Or rather, when they, i. e. the Causes and Controversies last mentioned, shall return, or be returned t... Ierusalem; i. e. When the Causes shall be so difficult that the Judges ordained in every City cannot determine them; or when your Brethren that dwell in every City shall come to you, as it is expressed v. 10. appealing from their City-courts to the great or Councel at Jerusalem. Of which see on Exod. 18. 26. 1. 17. & 17. 8. As for the Phrase, not only Persons but Thing... are said to return or be returned, as Blood, 1 King. 2. 33. and Clouds, Eccles. 12. 2. and Reproach Hos. 12. 14. If it be further objected that these Causes were never brought to Jerusalem before, and therefore cannot be properly said to be returned thither, That may be answered both from the usage of our Law wherein suc... Causes are said to be returned to Westminster, which never were there before; and from the use of Scripture, wherein sinners are commonly said to return to the Lord, though they had never been with the Lord in that Sense before, but were estranged from God even from the Womb till the Time of their Conversion. And t... e Dust, i. e. Mans Body, is said to return to the Earth, Eccles. 12. 7. though it was never there before..

And he charged them, saying, Thus shall ye do in the fear of the LORD, faithfully and with a perfect heart Passing such Sentences with your Mouths, as your own Minds and Consciences, upon the hearing of the Parties, shall judge to be Just, and not acting against your own Consciences for Motives, as Corrupt Judges do..

And what cause soever shall come to you of your brethren that dwell in their cities, between blood and blood Of which see the Notes on Deut. 17. 8., between law and commandment, statutes and judgments When any Debates or Differences shall arise about the meaning of any of Gods Laws, one party possibly putting this, and the other a quite differing sense upon the same place, or one alledging one place, and the other another place, which may seem to clash with it., ye shall even warn them that they trespass not against the LORD Ye shall not only give a Righteous Sentence for what is past, but ye shall admonish the Offender and others to take better heed to themselves and their ways for the future., and so wrath come upon you, and upon your brethren: this do, and ye shall not trespass So you shall not bring Guilt and Wrath upon your selves and others, which otherwise you will certainly do..

And behold, Amariah the chief priest is over you Shall be your President to direct and assist you. in all matters of the LORD In spiritual or Ecclesiastical Matters.; and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah Either 1. the Prince or chief Ruler under the King of the Tribe of Judah, which is called the house of Iudah, 2 Sam. 2. 4, 7, 10. 1 King. 12. 21, 23.... Chron. 28. 4. Jer. 13. 11. Ezek. 4, 6. Or, 2. The Ruler of the Kings House, which also seems to be called the house of Iudah, 2 Chron. 22. 10. and more fully, the Kings House of Iudah, Jer. 22. 6. And who so fit to manage the Kings Matters as the Ruler of the Kingshouse?, for all the kings matters For Civil Causes or Controversies which might arise either between the King and his People; or between Subject and Subject, which may be called the Kings Matters, because it was a principal part of his Office to see them justly decided.: also the Levites shall be officers before you They shall be at your command to see your just Sentences executed; which work was fitly committed to the Levites, as persons who might add their Instructions to the Corrections, and might work the Guilty to an acknowledgment of their Fault and a submission to their Punishment. And so this is an Argument to encourage the Judges to proceed couragiously and vigorously in their Work, because they had the Levites to stand by them and assist them.. Deal couragiously, and the LORD shall be with the good i. e. Shall protect and bless good Judges in their doing of Good and Just Things..