The sea — The dead sea, beyond which mount Seir lay. Syria — Largely so called, and so it includes the Moabites and Ammonites. And it may be thus expressed, to intimate that they came by the instigation of the Syrians, to revenge themselves of Jehoshaphat for joining with Ahab against them.... [ Continue Reading ]
The house — Largely so called, in the court of the people, upon that brazen scaffold which Solomon had erected. New court — Before the priests court: which is called the new court, because it had lately been renewed when the altar was renewed.... [ Continue Reading ]
Abraham — To whom thou hast engaged thyself by covenant to be his friend, and the friend of his seed for ever.... [ Continue Reading ]
The sword — Or rather, the sword of judgement or of vengeance, that is, war, whereby thou punisheth thy people for their sins.... [ Continue Reading ]
Wilt thou not judge — Wilt thou not give sentence against them, and execute it upon them? The justice of God is the refuge of those that are wronged. No might — Though he had great armies, yet he seems to have been surprized by these men, before his forces were in readiness to oppose them.... [ Continue Reading ]
Little ones — Whom they used to present before the Lord in times of great distress, to stir up themselves to more fervent prayers, their eyes being upon their harmless and tender children, and to move God to compassion, because God hath declared, that he will be prevailed with, by such methods as th... [ Continue Reading ]
But God's — God will fight for you, and he alone will do the work, you need not strike a stroke.... [ Continue Reading ]
Go down — From Jerusalem, where he and his army now were; which stood upon high ground.... [ Continue Reading ]
Stood up — By Jehoshaphat's appointment. On high — With heart and voice lifted up: whereby they shewed their full assurance of the victory.... [ Continue Reading ]
Believe — God's promise delivered to us by this prophet, and consequently all other predictions of the prophet.... [ Continue Reading ]
Consulted — Jehoshaphat called a counsel of war, and it was resolved, to appoint singers to go out before the army, who had nothing to do, but to praise God, to praise his holiness, which is his beauty, to praise him as they did in the temple, that beauty of holiness. By this strange advance to the... [ Continue Reading ]
To sing — So acceptable are the fervent prayers of God's people to God, and so terrible to their enemies. Ambushments — Or, liers in wait, either the holy angels, who appeared in the shape of men, and possibly put on the appearances and visages of the Moabites or Ammonites, and in that shape slew th... [ Continue Reading ]
The watch tower — Which stood upon the cliff of Ziz, mentioned 2 Chronicles 20:16, and looked toward the wilderness, where their enemies lay encamped, whose numbers, and order, and condition, they could descry from thence.... [ Continue Reading ]
Jewels — Which they brought with them to corrupt any of Jehoshaphat's officers as they saw occasion: to procure necessaries for their vast army from time to time: and because they came as to triumph rather than to fight, being confident of the victory because of their numbers, and especially because... [ Continue Reading ]
Berachah — Heb. of blessing; so called from their solemn blessings and praises given to God in it upon this occasion.... [ Continue Reading ]
To the house — To renew their praises in the court of the temple, the proper and usual place for it. Praising God must not be the work of a day only, but our praises when we have received mercy, must be often repeated, as our prayers were, when we where in pursuit of it. Every day we must bless God:... [ Continue Reading ]
Not taken — Not universally; the fault was not in Jehoshaphat, but in the people, who, though they did worship the true God, yet would not be confined to the temple, but for their own conveniency, or from their affection to their ancient custom chose to worship him in the high — places.... [ Continue Reading ]
After this — This is mentioned as an aggravation of his sin, after so great an obligation laid upon him by God; and after he had been so singularly reproved by a prophet yet he relapsed into the same sin which proceeded partly from that near relation which was contracted between the two families, an... [ Continue Reading ]