2 Tawarikh 20:1--25:28
Konteks20:1 Later the Moabites and Ammonites, along with some of the Meunites, 1 attacked Jehoshaphat. 20:2 Messengers 2 arrived and reported to Jehoshaphat, “A huge army is attacking you from the other side of the Dead Sea, 3 from the direction of Edom. 4 Look, they are in Hazezon Tamar (that is, En Gedi).” 20:3 Jehoshaphat was afraid, so he decided to seek the Lord’s advice. 5 He decreed that all Judah should observe a fast. 20:4 The people of Judah 6 assembled to ask for the Lord’s help; 7 they came from all the cities of Judah to ask for the Lord’s help. 8
20:5 Jehoshaphat stood before the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem 9 at the Lord’s temple, in front of the new courtyard. 20:6 He prayed: “O Lord God of our ancestors, 10 you are the God who lives in heaven 11 and rules over all the kingdoms of the nations. You possess strength and power; no one can stand against you. 20:7 Our God, you drove out 12 the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and gave it as a permanent possession 13 to the descendants of your friend 14 Abraham. 20:8 They settled down in it and built in it a temple 15 to honor you, 16 saying, 20:9 ‘If disaster comes on us in the form of military attack, 17 judgment, plague, or famine, we will stand in front of this temple before you, for you are present in this temple. 18 We will cry out to you for help in our distress, so that you will 19 hear and deliver us.’ 20:10 Now the Ammonites, Moabites, and men from Mount Seir are coming! 20 When Israel came from the land of Egypt, you did not allow them to invade these lands. 21 They bypassed them and did not destroy them. 20:11 Look how they are repaying us! They come to drive us out of our allotted land which you assigned to us! 20:12 Our God, will you not judge them? For we are powerless against this huge army that attacks us! We don’t know what we should do; we look to you for help.” 22
20:13 All the men of Judah 23 were standing before the Lord, along with their infants, wives, and children. 20:14 Then in the midst of the assembly, the Lord’s Spirit came upon Jachaziel son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph. 20:15 He said: “Pay attention, all you people of Judah, 24 residents of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Don’t be afraid and don’t panic 25 because of this huge army! For the battle is not yours, but God’s. 20:16 Tomorrow march down against them as 26 they come up the Ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the ravine in front of the Desert of Jeruel. 20:17 You will not fight in this battle. Take your positions, stand, and watch the Lord deliver you, 27 O Judah and Jerusalem. Don’t be afraid and don’t panic! 28 Tomorrow march out toward them; the Lord is with you!’”
20:18 Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face toward the ground, and all the people of Judah 29 and the residents of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord and worshiped him. 30 20:19 Then some Levites, from the Kohathites and Korahites, got up and loudly praised the Lord God of Israel. 31
20:20 Early the next morning they marched out to the Desert of Tekoa. When they were ready to march, Jehoshaphat stood up and said: “Listen to me, you people of Judah 32 and residents of Jerusalem! Trust in the Lord your God and you will be safe! 33 Trust in the message of his prophets and you will win.” 20:21 He met 34 with the people and appointed musicians to play before the Lord and praise his majestic splendor. As they marched ahead of the warriors they said: “Give thanks to the Lord, for his loyal love endures.” 35
20:22 When they began to shout and praise, the Lord suddenly attacked 36 the Ammonites, Moabites, and men from Mount Seir 37 who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. 20:23 The Ammonites and Moabites attacked the men from Mount Seir 38 and annihilated them. 39 When they had finished off the men 40 of Seir, they attacked and destroyed one another. 41 20:24 When the men of Judah 42 arrived at the observation post overlooking the desert and looked at 43 the huge army, they saw dead bodies on the ground; there were no survivors! 20:25 Jehoshaphat and his men 44 went to gather the plunder; they found a huge amount of supplies, clothing 45 and valuable items. They carried away everything they could. 46 There was so much plunder, it took them three days to haul it off. 47
20:26 On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Berachah, where 48 they praised the Lord. So that place is called the Valley of Berachah 49 to this very day. 20:27 Then all the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned joyfully to Jerusalem with Jehoshaphat leading them; the Lord had given them reason to rejoice over their enemies. 20:28 They entered Jerusalem to the sound of stringed instruments and trumpets and proceeded to the temple of the Lord. 20:29 All the kingdoms of the surrounding lands were afraid of God 50 when they heard how the Lord had fought against Israel’s enemies. 20:30 Jehoshaphat’s kingdom enjoyed peace; his God made him secure on every side. 51
20:31 Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he became king and he reigned for twenty-five years in Jerusalem. 52 His mother was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi. 20:32 He followed in his father Asa’s footsteps and was careful to do what the Lord approved. 53 20:33 However, the high places were not eliminated; the people were still not devoted to the God of their ancestors. 54
20:34 The rest of the events of Jehoshaphat’s reign, from start to finish, are recorded in the Annals of Jehu son of Hanani which are included in Scroll of the Kings of Israel. 55
20:35 Later King Jehoshaphat of Judah made an alliance with King Ahaziah of Israel, who 56 did evil. 20:36 They agreed 57 to make large seagoing merchant ships; 58 they built the ships in Ezion Geber. 20:37 Eliezer son of Dodavahu from Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, “Because 59 you made an alliance with Ahaziah, the Lord will shatter what you have made.” The ships were wrecked and unable to go to sea. 60
21:1 Jehoshaphat passed away 61 and was buried with his ancestors 62 in the City of David. 63 His son Jehoram 64 replaced him as king.
21:2 His brothers, Jehoshaphat’s sons, were Azariah, Jechiel, Zechariah, Azariahu, Michael, and Shephatiah. All of these were sons of King Jehoshaphat of Israel. 65 21:3 Their father gave them many presents, including silver, gold, and other precious items, along with fortified cities in Judah. But he gave the kingdom to Jehoram because he was the firstborn.
21:4 Jehoram took control of his father’s kingdom and became powerful. 66 Then he killed all his brothers, 67 as well as some of the officials of Israel. 21:5 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king and he reigned for eight years in Jerusalem. 68 21:6 He followed in the footsteps of the kings of Israel, just as Ahab’s dynasty had done, for he married Ahab’s daughter. 69 He did evil in the sight of 70 the Lord. 21:7 But the Lord was unwilling to destroy David’s dynasty 71 because of the promise 72 he had made to give David a perpetual dynasty. 73
21:8 During Jehoram’s 74 reign Edom freed themselves from Judah’s control and set up their own king. 75 21:9 Jehoram crossed over to Zair with his officers and all his chariots. The Edomites, who had surrounded him, attacked at night and defeated him and his chariot officers. 76 21:10 So Edom has remained free from Judah’s control to this very day. 77 At that same time Libnah also rebelled and freed themselves from Judah’s control 78 because Jehoram 79 rejected the Lord God of his ancestors. 21:11 He also built high places on the hills of Judah; he encouraged the residents of Jerusalem to be unfaithful to the Lord 80 and led Judah away from the Lord. 81
21:12 Jehoram 82 received this letter from Elijah the prophet: “This is what the Lord God of your ancestor David says: ‘You 83 have not followed in the footsteps 84 of your father Jehoshaphat and of 85 King Asa of Judah, 21:13 but have instead followed in the footsteps of the kings of Israel. You encouraged the people of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem to be unfaithful to the Lord, just as the family of Ahab does in Israel. 86 You also killed your brothers, members of your father’s family, 87 who were better than you. 21:14 So look, the Lord is about to severely afflict 88 your people, your sons, your wives, and all you own. 21:15 And you will get a serious, chronic intestinal disease which will cause your intestines to come out.” 89
21:16 The Lord stirred up against Jehoram the Philistines 90 and the Arabs who lived beside the Cushites. 21:17 They attacked Judah and swept through it. 91 They carried off everything they found in the royal palace, 92 including his sons and wives. None of his sons was left, except for his youngest, Ahaziah. 21:18 After all this happened, the Lord afflicted him with an incurable intestinal disease. 93 21:19 After about two years his intestines came out because of the disease, so that he died a very painful death. 94 His people did not make a bonfire to honor him, as they had done for his ancestors. 95
21:20 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. No one regretted his death; 96 he was buried in the City of David, 97 but not in the royal tombs.
22:1 The residents of Jerusalem 98 made his youngest son Ahaziah king in his place, for the raiding party that invaded the city with the Arabs had killed all the older sons. 99 So Ahaziah son of Jehoram became king of Judah. 22:2 Ahaziah was twenty-two 100 years old when he became king and he reigned for one year in Jerusalem. His mother was Athaliah, the granddaughter 101 of Omri. 22:3 He followed in the footsteps of Ahab’s dynasty, 102 for his mother gave him evil advice. 103 22:4 He did evil in the sight of 104 the Lord like Ahab’s dynasty because, after his father’s death, they 105 gave him advice that led to his destruction. 22:5 He followed their advice and joined Ahab’s son King Joram 106 of Israel in a battle against King Hazael of Syria 107 at Ramoth Gilead in which the Syrians defeated Joram. 22:6 Joram 108 returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds he received from the Syrians 109 in Ramah when he fought against King Hazael of Syria. Ahaziah 110 son of King Jehoram of Judah went down to visit Joram son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he had been wounded. 111
22:7 God brought about Ahaziah’s downfall through his visit to Joram. 112 When Ahaziah 113 arrived, he went out with Joram to meet Jehu son of Nimshi, whom the Lord had commissioned 114 to wipe out Ahab’s family. 115 22:8 While Jehu was dishing out punishment to Ahab’s family, he discovered the officials of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah’s relatives who were serving Ahaziah and killed them. 22:9 He looked for Ahaziah, who was captured while hiding in Samaria. 116 They brought him to Jehu and then executed him. They did give him a burial, for they reasoned, 117 “He is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the Lord with his whole heart.” There was no one in Ahaziah’s family strong enough to rule in his place. 118
22:10 When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she was determined to destroy the entire royal line 119 of Judah. 120 22:11 So Jehoshabeath, 121 the daughter of King Jehoram, 122 took Ahaziah’s son Joash and sneaked him away 123 from the rest of the royal descendants who were to be executed. She hid him and his nurse in the room where the bed covers were stored. So Jehoshabeath the daughter of King Jehoram, wife of Jehoiada the priest and sister of Ahaziah, hid him from Athaliah so she could not execute him. 22:12 He remained in hiding in God’s temple 124 for six years, while Athaliah was ruling over the land.
23:1 In the seventh year Jehoiada made a bold move. He made a pact 125 with the officers of the units of hundreds: Azariah son of Jehoram, Ishmael son of Jehochanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zikri. 23:2 They traveled throughout Judah and assembled the Levites from all the cities of Judah, as well as the Israelite family leaders.
They came to Jerusalem, 126 23:3 and the whole assembly made a covenant with the king in the temple of God. Jehoiada 127 said to them, “The king’s son will rule, just as the Lord promised David’s descendants. 23:4 This is what you must do. One third of you priests and Levites who are on duty during the Sabbath will guard the doors. 23:5 Another third of you will be stationed at the royal palace and still another third at the Foundation Gate. All the others 128 will stand in the courtyards of the Lord’s temple. 23:6 No one must enter the Lord’s temple except the priests and Levites who are on duty. They may enter because they are ceremonially pure. All the others should carry out their assigned service to the Lord. 23:7 The Levites must surround the king. Each of you must hold his weapon in his hand. Whoever tries to enter the temple 129 must be killed. You must accompany the king wherever he goes.” 130
23:8 The Levites and all the men of Judah 131 did just as Jehoiada the priest ordered. Each of them took his men, those who were on duty during the Sabbath as well as those who were off duty on the Sabbath. Jehoiada the priest did not release his divisions from their duties. 23:9 Jehoiada the priest gave to the officers of the units of hundreds King David’s spears and shields 132 that were kept in God’s temple. 23:10 He placed the men at their posts, each holding his weapon in his hand. They lined up from the south side of the temple to the north side and stood near the altar and the temple, surrounding the king. 133 23:11 Jehoiada and his sons led out the king’s son and placed on him the crown and the royal insignia. 134 They proclaimed him king and poured olive oil on his head. 135 They declared, “Long live the king!”
23:12 When Athaliah heard the royal guard 136 shouting and praising the king, she joined the crowd 137 at the Lord’s temple. 23:13 Then she saw 138 the king standing by his pillar at the entrance. The officers and trumpeters stood beside the king and all the people of the land were celebrating and blowing trumpets, and the musicians with various instruments were leading the celebration. Athaliah tore her clothes and yelled, “Treason! Treason!” 139 23:14 Jehoiada the priest sent out the officers of the units of hundreds, who were in charge of the army, and ordered them, “Bring her outside the temple to the guards. 140 Put the sword to anyone who follows her.” The priest gave this order because he had decided she should not be executed in the Lord’s temple. 141 23:15 They seized her and took her into the precincts of the royal palace through the horses’ entrance. 142 There they executed her.
23:16 Jehoiada then drew up a covenant stipulating that he, all the people, and the king should be loyal to the Lord. 143 23:17 All the people went and demolished 144 the temple of Baal. They smashed its altars and idols. 145 They killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars. 23:18 Jehoiada then assigned the duties of the Lord’s temple to the priests, the Levites whom David had assigned to the Lord’s temple. They were responsible for offering burnt sacrifices to the Lord with joy and music, according to 146 the law of Moses and the edict of David. 23:19 He posted guards at the gates of the Lord’s temple, so no one who was ceremonially unclean in any way could enter. 23:20 He summoned 147 the officers of the units of hundreds, the nobles, the rulers of the people, and all the people of land, and he then led the king down from the Lord’s temple. They entered the royal palace through the Upper Gate and seated the king on the royal throne. 23:21 All the people of the land celebrated, for the city had rest now that they had killed Athaliah. 148
24:1 Joash was seven years old when he began to reign. He reigned for forty years in Jerusalem. 149 His mother was Zibiah, who was from Beer Sheba. 24:2 Joash did what the Lord approved 150 throughout the lifetime 151 of Jehoiada the priest. 24:3 Jehoiada chose two wives for him who gave him sons and daughters.
24:4 Joash was determined to repair the Lord’s temple. 152 24:5 He assembled the priests and Levites and ordered them, “Go out to the cities of Judah and collect the annual quota of silver from all Israel for repairs on the temple of your God. Be quick about it!” But the Levites delayed.
24:6 So the king summoned Jehoiada the chief priest, 153 and said to him, “Why have you not made 154 the Levites collect 155 from Judah and Jerusalem the tax authorized by Moses the Lord’s servant and by the assembly of Israel at the tent containing the tablets of the law?” 156 24:7 (Wicked Athaliah and her sons had broken into God’s temple and used all the holy items of the Lord’s temple in their worship of the Baals.) 24:8 The king ordered a chest to be made and placed outside the gate of the Lord’s temple. 157 24:9 An edict was sent throughout Judah and Jerusalem requiring the people to bring to the Lord the tax that Moses, God’s servant, imposed on Israel in the wilderness. 158 24:10 All the officials and all the people gladly brought their silver and threw it into the chest until it was full. 24:11 Whenever the Levites brought the chest to the royal accountant and they saw there was a lot of silver, the royal scribe and the accountant of the high priest emptied the chest and then took it back to its place. They went through this routine every day and collected a large amount of silver.
24:12 The king and Jehoiada gave it to the construction foremen 159 assigned to the Lord’s temple. They hired carpenters and craftsmen to repair the Lord’s temple, as well as those skilled in working with iron and bronze to restore the Lord’s temple. 24:13 They worked hard and made the repairs. 160 They followed the measurements specified for God’s temple and restored it. 161 24:14 When they were finished, they brought the rest of the silver to the king and Jehoiada. They used it to make items for the Lord’s temple, including items used in the temple service and for burnt sacrifices, pans, and various other gold and silver items. Throughout Jehoiada’s lifetime, burnt sacrifices were offered regularly in the Lord’s temple.
24:15 Jehoiada grew old and died at the age of 130. 162 24:16 He was buried in the City of David 163 with the kings, because he had accomplished good in Israel and for God and his temple.
24:17 After Jehoiada died, the officials of Judah visited the king and declared their loyalty to him. 164 The king listened to their advice. 165 24:18 They abandoned the temple of the Lord God of their ancestors, 166 and worshiped 167 the Asherah poles and idols. Because of this sinful activity, God was angry with Judah and Jerusalem. 24:19 The Lord sent prophets among them to lead them back to him. 168 They warned 169 the people, but they would not pay attention. 24:20 God’s Spirit energized 170 Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood up before the people and said to them, “This is what God says: ‘Why are you violating the commands of the Lord? You will not be prosperous! Because you have rejected the Lord, he has rejected you!’” 24:21 They plotted against him and by royal decree stoned him to death in the courtyard of the Lord’s temple. 24:22 King Joash disregarded 171 the loyalty his father Jehoiada had shown him and killed Jehoiada’s 172 son. As Zechariah 173 was dying, he said, “May the Lord take notice and seek vengeance!” 174
24:23 At the beginning 175 of the year the Syrian army attacked 176 Joash 177 and invaded Judah and Jerusalem. They wiped out all the leaders of the people and sent all the plunder they gathered to the king of Damascus. 24:24 Even though the invading Syrian army was relatively weak, the Lord handed over to them Judah’s very large army, 178 for the people of Judah 179 had abandoned the Lord God of their ancestors. The Syrians 180 gave Joash what he deserved. 181 24:25 When they withdrew, they left Joash 182 badly wounded. His servants plotted against him because of what he had done to 183 the son 184 of Jehoiada the priest. They murdered him on his bed. Thus 185 he died and was buried in the City of David, 186 but not in the tombs of the kings. 24:26 The conspirators were Zabad son of Shimeath (an Ammonite woman) and Jehozabad son of Shimrith (a Moabite woman).
24:27 The list of Joash’s 187 sons, the many prophetic oracles pertaining to him, and the account of his building project on God’s temple are included in the record of the Scroll of the Kings. 188 His son Amaziah replaced him as king.
25:1 Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. 189 His mother was Jehoaddan, who was from Jerusalem. 25:2 He did what the Lord approved, 190 but not with wholehearted devotion. 191
25:3 When he had secured control of the kingdom, 192 he executed the servants who had assassinated his father. 193 25:4 However, he did not execute their sons. He obeyed the Lord’s commandment as recorded in the law scroll of Moses, 194 “Fathers must not be executed for what their sons do, 195 and sons must not be executed for what their fathers do. 196 A man must be executed only for his own sin.” 197
25:5 Amaziah assembled the people of Judah 198 and assigned them by families to the commanders of units of a thousand and the commanders of units of a hundred for all Judah and Benjamin. He counted those twenty years old and up and discovered there were 300,000 young men of fighting age 199 equipped with spears and shields. 200 25:6 He hired 100,000 Israelite warriors for a hundred talents 201 of silver.
25:7 But a prophet 202 visited him and said: “O king, the Israelite troops must not go with you, for the Lord is not with Israel or any of the Ephraimites. 203 25:8 Even if you go and fight bravely in battle, God will defeat you 204 before the enemy. God is capable of helping or defeating.” 205 25:9 Amaziah asked the prophet: 206 “But what should I do about the hundred talents of silver I paid the Israelite troops?” The prophet 207 replied, “The Lord is capable of giving you more than that.” 25:10 So Amaziah dismissed the troops that had come to him from Ephraim and sent them home. 208 They were very angry at Judah and returned home incensed. 25:11 Amaziah boldly led his army to the Valley of Salt, 209 where he defeated 210 10,000 Edomites. 211 25:12 The men 212 of Judah captured 10,000 men alive. They took them to the top of a cliff and threw them over. 213 All the captives 214 fell to their death. 215 25:13 Now the troops Amaziah had dismissed and had not allowed to fight in the battle 216 raided 217 the cities of Judah from Samaria 218 to Beth Horon. They killed 219 3,000 people and carried off a large amount of plunder.
25:14 When Amaziah returned from defeating the Edomites, he brought back the gods of the people 220 of Seir and made them his personal gods. 221 He bowed down before them and offered them sacrifices. 25:15 The Lord was angry at Amaziah and sent a prophet to him, who said, “Why are you following 222 these gods 223 that could not deliver their own people from your power?” 224 25:16 While he was speaking, Amaziah 225 said to him, “Did we appoint you to be a royal counselor? Stop prophesying or else you will be killed!” 226 So the prophet stopped, but added, “I know that the Lord has decided 227 to destroy you, because you have done this thing and refused to listen to my advice.”
25:17 After King Amaziah of Judah consulted with his advisers, 228 he sent this message to the king of Israel, Joash son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, “Come, face me on the battlefield.” 229 25:18 King Joash of Israel sent this message back to King Amaziah of Judah, “A thorn bush in Lebanon sent this message to a cedar in Lebanon, ‘Give your daughter to my son as a wife.’ Then a wild animal of Lebanon came by and trampled down the thorn bush. 230 25:19 You defeated Edom 231 and it has gone to your head. 232 Gloat over your success, 233 but stay in your palace. Why bring calamity on yourself? Why bring down yourself and Judah along with you?” 234
25:20 But Amaziah did not heed the warning, 235 for God wanted to hand them over to Joash because they followed the gods of Edom. 236 25:21 So King Joash of Israel attacked. He and King Amaziah of Judah faced each other on the battlefield 237 in Beth Shemesh of Judah. 25:22 Judah was defeated by Israel, and each man ran back home. 238 25:23 King Joash of Israel captured King Amaziah of Judah, son of Joash son of Jehoahaz, in Beth Shemesh and brought him to Jerusalem. He broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate – a distance of about six hundred feet. 239 25:24 He took away all the gold and silver, all the items found in God’s temple that were in the care of Obed-Edom, the riches in the royal palace, and some hostages. Then he went back to Samaria.
25:25 King Amaziah son of Joash of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of King Joash son of Jehoahaz of Israel. 25:26 The rest of the events of Amaziah’s reign, from start to finish, are recorded in the Scroll of the Kings of Judah and Israel. 240 25:27 From the time Amaziah turned from following the Lord, conspirators plotted against him in Jerusalem, 241 so he fled to Lachish. But they sent assassins after him 242 and they killed him there. 25:28 His body was carried back by horses, 243 and he was buried in Jerusalem with his ancestors 244 in the City of David. 245
[20:1] 1 tc The Hebrew text has “Ammonites,” but they are mentioned just before this. Most translations, following some
[20:2] 2 tn Heb “they”; the implied referent (messengers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[20:2] 3 tn Heb “the Sea”; in context (“from the direction of Edom”) this must refer to the Dead Sea, which has been specified in the translation for clarity (cf. NEB, NLT).
[20:2] 4 tc Most Hebrew
[20:3] 5 tn Heb “and he set his face to seek the
[20:4] 6 tn The words “the people of” are supplied in the translation for clarity. The Hebrew text uses the name “Judah” by metonymy for the people of Judah.
[20:4] 7 tn Heb “to seek from the
[20:4] 8 tn Heb “to seek the
[20:5] 9 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[20:6] 10 tn Heb “fathers” (also in v. 33).
[20:6] 11 tn Heb “are you not God in heaven?” The rhetorical question expects the answer “yes,” resulting in the positive statement “you are the God who lives in heaven” employed in the translation.
[20:7] 12 tn Heb “did you not drive out?” This is another rhetorical question which expects a positive response; see the note on the word “heaven” in the previous verse.
[20:7] 13 tn Heb “permanently.”
[20:7] 14 tn Or perhaps “your covenantal partner.” See Isa 41:8.
[20:8] 16 tn Heb “for your name.” The word “name” sometimes refers to one’s reputation or honor (thus the translation here, “to honor you
[20:9] 18 tn Heb “for your name is in this house.” The “name” of the
[20:9] 19 tn Or “so that you may.”
[20:10] 20 tn Heb “now, look, the sons of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir.”
[20:10] 21 tn Heb “whom you did not allow Israel to enter when they came from the land of Egypt.”
[20:12] 22 tn Heb “for [or “indeed”] upon you are our eyes.”
[20:13] 23 tn Heb “Judah.” The words “the men of” are supplied in the translation for clarity. The Hebrew text uses the name “Judah” by metonymy for the men of Judah.
[20:15] 24 tn Heb “all Judah.” The words “you people of” are supplied in the translation for clarity. The Hebrew text uses the name “Judah” by metonymy for the people of Judah. Unlike the previous instance in v. 13 where infants, wives, and children are mentioned separately, this reference appears to include them all.
[20:15] 25 tn Or perhaps “don’t get discouraged.”
[20:17] 27 tn Heb “the deliverance of the
[20:17] 28 tn Or perhaps “don’t get discouraged.”
[20:18] 29 tn Heb “all Judah.” The words “you people of” are supplied in the translation for clarity. See the note on the word “Judah” in v. 15.
[20:18] 30 tn Heb “to worship the
[20:19] 31 tn Heb “arose to praise the
[20:20] 32 tn Heb “O Judah.” The words “you people of” are supplied in the translation for clarity. See the note on the word “Judah” in v. 15.
[20:20] 33 tn There is a wordplay in the Hebrew text. The Hiphil verb form הַאֲמִינוּ (ha’aminu, “trust”) and the Niphal form תֵאָמֵנוּ (te’amenu, “you will be safe”) come from the same verbal root (אָמַן, ’aman).
[20:21] 35 tn Or “is eternal.”
[20:22] 36 tn Heb “set ambushers against.” This is probably idiomatic here for launching a surprise attack.
[20:22] 37 tn Heb “the sons of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir.”
[20:23] 38 tn Heb “the sons of Ammon and Moab stood against the residents of Mount Seir.”
[20:23] 39 tn Heb “to annihilate and to destroy.”
[20:23] 40 tn Heb “residents.”
[20:23] 41 tn Heb “they helped, each one his fellow, for destruction.” The verb עָזַר (’azar), traditionally understood as the well-attested verb meaning “to help,” is an odd fit in this context. It is possible that it is from a homonymic root, perhaps meaning to “attack.” This root is attested in Ugaritic in a nominal form meaning “young man, warrior, hero.” For a discussion of the proposed root, see HALOT 811 s.v. II עזר.
[20:24] 42 tn Heb “Judah.” The words “the men of” are supplied in the translation for clarity. The Hebrew text uses the name “Judah” by metonymy for the men of Judah.
[20:24] 43 tn Heb “turned toward.”
[20:25] 45 tc The MT reads פְגָרִים (fÿgarim, “corpses”), but this seems odd among a list of plunder. A few medieval Hebrew
[20:25] 46 tn Heb “and they snatched away for themselves so that there was no carrying away.”
[20:25] 47 tn Heb “and they were three days looting the plunder for it was great.”
[20:26] 48 tn Heb “for there.”
[20:26] 49 sn The name Berachah, which means “blessing” in Hebrew, is derived from the verbal root “to praise [or “to bless”],” which appears earlier in the verse.
[20:29] 50 tn Heb “and the terror of God [or “a great terror”] was upon all the kingdoms of the lands.” It is uncertain if אֱלֹהִים (’elohim) should be understood as a proper name here (“God”), or taken in an idiomatic superlative sense.
[20:30] 51 tn Heb “and his God gave him rest all around.”
[20:31] 52 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[20:32] 53 tn Heb “he walked in the way of his father Asa and did not turn from it, doing what is right in the eyes of the
[20:33] 54 tn Heb “and still the people did not set their heart[s] on the God of their fathers.”
[20:34] 55 tn Heb “the rest of the events of Jehoshaphat, the former and the latter, look, they are written in the records of Jehu son of Hanani, which are taken up in the scroll of the kings of Israel.”
[20:35] 56 tn Heb “he.” The pronoun has been translated as a relative pronoun for stylistic reasons.
[20:36] 57 tn Heb “he made an alliance with him.”
[20:36] 58 tn Heb “make ships to go to Tarshish.” This probably refers to large ships either made in or capable of traveling to the distant western port of Tarshish; a “Tarshish-ship” was essentially a large seagoing merchant ship.
[20:37] 60 tn Heb “to go to Tarshish.”
[21:1] 61 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”
[21:1] 62 tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 10, 12, 19).
[21:1] 63 sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
[21:1] 64 tn The parallel account in 2 Kgs 8:16-24 has the variant spelling “Jehoram.”
[21:2] 65 sn A number of times in 2 Chronicles “Israel” is used instead of the more specific “Judah”; see 2 Chr 12:6; 23:2). In the interest of consistency some translations (e.g., NAB, NRSV) substitute “Judah” for “Israel” here.
[21:4] 66 tn Heb “and Jehoram arose over the kingdom of his father and strengthened himself.”
[21:4] 67 tn Heb “and he killed all his brothers with the sword.”
[21:5] 68 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[21:6] 69 tn Heb “he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab did, for the daughter of Ahab was his wife.”
[21:6] 70 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
[21:7] 73 tn Heb “which he made to David, just as he had promised to give him and his sons a lamp all the days.” Here “lamp” is metaphorical, symbolizing the Davidic dynasty.
[21:8] 74 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Jehoram) has been specified in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
[21:8] 75 tn Heb “in his days Edom rebelled from under the hand of Judah and enthroned a king over them.”
[21:9] 76 tc Heb “and he arose at night and defeated Edom, who had surrounded him, and the chariot officers.” The Hebrew text as it stands gives the impression that Jehoram was surrounded and launched a victorious nighttime counterattack. Yet v. 10 goes on to state that the Edomite revolt was successful. The translation above assumes an emendation of the Hebrew text. Adding a third masculine singular pronominal suffix to the accusative sign before Edom (reading אֹתוֹ [’oto, “him”] instead of just אֶת [’et]) and taking Edom as the subject of verbs allows one to translate the verse in a way that is more consistent with the context, which depicts an Israelite defeat, not victory. See also 2 Kgs 8:21.
[21:10] 77 tn Heb “and Edom rebelled from under the hand of Judah until this day.”
[21:10] 78 tn Or “from Jehoram’s control”; Heb “from under his hand.” The pronominal suffix may refer to Judah in general or, more specifically, to Jehoram.
[21:10] 79 tn Heb “he.” This pronoun could refer to Judah, but the context focuses on Jehoram’s misdeeds. See especially v. 11.
[21:11] 80 tn Heb “and he caused the residents of Jerusalem to commit adultery.” In this context spiritual unfaithfulness to the
[21:11] 81 tn Heb “and drove Judah away.”
[21:12] 82 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jehoram) has been specified in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
[21:12] 83 tn Heb “Because you…” In the Hebrew text this lengthy sentence is completed in vv. 14-15. Because of its length and complexity (and the tendency of contemporary English to use shorter sentences), the translation has divided it up into several English sentences.
[21:12] 84 tn Heb “walked in the ways.”
[21:12] 85 tn Heb “in the ways of.”
[21:13] 86 tn Heb “and you walked in the way of the kings of Israel and caused Judah and the residents of Jerusalem to commit adultery, like the house of Ahab causes to commit adultery.”
[21:13] 87 tn Heb “the house of your father.”
[21:14] 88 tn Heb “to strike with a great striking.”
[21:15] 89 tn Heb “and you [will have] a serious illness, an illness of the intestines until your intestines come out because of the illness days upon days.”
[21:16] 90 tn Heb “the spirit of the Philistines.”
[21:17] 91 tn Heb “broke it up.”
[21:17] 92 tn Heb “all the property which was found in the house of the king.”
[21:18] 93 tn Heb “in his intestines with an illness [for which] there was no healer.”
[21:19] 94 tn Heb “and it was to days from days, and about the time of the going out of the end for the days, two, his intestines came out with his illness and he died in severe illness.”
[21:19] 95 tn Heb “and his people did not make for him a fire, like the fire of his fathers.”
[21:20] 96 tn Heb “and he went without desire.”
[21:20] 97 sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
[22:1] 98 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[22:1] 99 tn Heb “for all the older [ones] the raiding party that came with the Arabs to the camp had killed.”
[22:2] 100 tc Heb “forty-two,” but the parallel passage in 2 Kgs 8:26 reads “twenty-two” along with some
[22:2] 101 tn The Hebrew term בַּת (bat, “daughter”) can refer, as here, to a granddaughter. See HALOT 165-66 s.v. I בַּת 1.
[22:3] 102 tn Heb “and also he walked in the ways of the house of Ahab.”
[22:3] 103 tn Heb “for his mother was his adviser to do evil.”
[22:4] 104 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
[22:4] 105 tn That is, the members of Ahab’s royal house.
[22:5] 106 sn Jehoram and Joram are alternate spellings of the Israelite king’s name (also in vv. 6-7). The shorter form is used in these verse to avoid confusion with King Jehoram of Judah, father of Azariah.
[22:5] 107 tn Heb “Aram” (also in v. 6).
[22:6] 108 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[22:6] 109 tn Heb “which the Syrians inflicted [on] him.”
[22:6] 110 tc Most Hebrew
[22:6] 111 tn Heb “because he was sick,” presumably referring to the wounds he received in the battle with the Syrians.
[22:7] 112 tn Heb “From God was the downfall of Ahaziah by going to Joram.”
[22:7] 113 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Ahaziah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[22:7] 115 tn Heb “to cut off the house of Ahab.”
[22:9] 116 map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.
[22:9] 117 tn Heb “they said.”
[22:9] 118 tn Heb “and there was no one belonging to the house of Ahaziah to retain strength for kingship.”
[22:10] 119 tn Heb “she arose and she destroyed all the royal offspring.” The verb קוּם (qum, “arise”) is here used in an auxiliary sense to indicate that she embarked on a campaign to destroy the royal offspring. See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 125.
[22:10] 120 tn Heb “house of Judah.”
[22:11] 121 sn Jehoshabeath is a variant spelling of the name Jehosheba (2 Kgs 11:2).
[22:11] 122 tn Heb “the king”; the referent (King Jehoram, see later in this verse) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[22:12] 124 tn Heb “and he was with them in the house of God hiding.”
[23:2] 126 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[23:3] 127 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jehoiada the priest, cf. v. 8) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[23:5] 128 tn Heb “all the people.”
[23:7] 130 tn Heb “and be with the king in his coming out and in his going out.”
[23:8] 131 tn Heb “all Judah.” The words “the men of” are supplied in the translation for clarity. The Hebrew text uses the name “Judah” by metonymy for the men of Judah.
[23:9] 132 tn The Hebrew text lists two different types of shields here. Most translations render “the large and small shields” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV; NEB “King David’s spears, shields, and bucklers”).
[23:10] 133 tn Heb “and he stationed all the people, each with his weapon in his hand, from the south shoulder of the house to the north shoulder of the house, at the altar and at the house, near the king all around.”
[23:11] 134 tn The Hebrew word עֵדוּת (’edut) normally means “witness” or “testimony.” Here it probably refers to some tangible symbol of kingship, perhaps a piece of jewelry such as an amulet or neck chain (see the discussion in M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings [AB], 128). Some suggest that a document is in view, perhaps a copy of the royal protocol or of the stipulations of the Davidic covenant (see HALOT 790-91 s.v.).
[23:11] 135 tn Or “they made him king and anointed him.”
[23:12] 136 tn Heb “and Athaliah heard the sound of the people, the runners.”
[23:12] 137 tn Heb “she came to the people.”
[23:13] 138 tn Heb “and she saw, and behold.”
[23:13] 139 tn Or “Conspiracy! Conspiracy!”
[23:14] 141 tn Heb “for the priest had said, ‘Do not put her to death in the house of the
[23:15] 142 tn Heb “and they placed hands on her, and she went through the entrance of the gate of the horses [into] the house of the king.” Some English versions treat the phrase “gate of the horses” as the name of the gate (“the Horse Gate”; e.g., NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[23:16] 143 tn Heb “and Jehoiada made a covenant between himself and [between] all the people and [between] the king, to become a people for the
[23:17] 144 tn Or “tore down.”
[23:18] 146 tn Heb “as it is written in.”
[23:21] 148 tn Heb “killed Athaliah with the sword.”
[24:1] 149 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[24:2] 150 tn Heb “and Joash did what was proper in the eyes of the
[24:2] 151 tn Heb “all the days of.”
[24:4] 152 tn Heb “and it was, later, there was with the heart of Joash to repair the house of the
[24:6] 153 tn Heb “Jehoiada the head”; the word “priest” not in the Hebrew text but is implied.
[24:6] 156 tn Heb “the tent of testimony.”
[24:8] 157 tn Heb “and the king said [it] and they made a chest and placed it in the gate of the house of the
[24:9] 158 tn Heb “and they gave voice in Judah and Jerusalem to bring to the
[24:12] 159 tn Heb “doers of the work.”
[24:13] 160 tn Heb “and the doers of the work worked, and the repairs went up for the work by their hand.”
[24:13] 161 tn Heb “and they caused the house of God to stand according to its measurements and they strengthened it.”
[24:15] 162 tn Heb “and Jehoiada grew old and was full of days and died; [he was] one hundred thirty years old when he died.”
[24:16] 163 sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
[24:17] 164 tn Heb “came and bowed down to the king.”
[24:18] 166 tn Heb “fathers” (also in v. 24).
[24:19] 168 tn Heb “and he sent among them prophets to bring them back to the
[24:19] 169 tn Heb “testified among.”
[24:22] 171 tn Heb “did not remember.”
[24:22] 172 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Jehoiada) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:22] 173 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Zechariah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:22] 174 tn Heb “and seek [ – ].” The direct object of “seek” is omitted in the Hebrew text but implied; “vengeance” is supplied for clarification.
[24:23] 176 tn Heb “went up against.”
[24:23] 177 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joash) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:24] 178 tn Heb “though with a small amount of men the army of Aram came, the
[24:24] 179 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the people of Judah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:24] 180 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Syrians) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:24] 181 tn Heb “executed judgments [on] Joash.”
[24:25] 182 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joash) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:25] 183 tn Heb “because of the shed blood of.”
[24:25] 184 tc The MT has the plural בְּנֵי (bÿney, “sons”), but the final yod is dittographic. Note the yod that immediately follows.
[24:25] 185 tn Heb “and he died.”
[24:25] 186 sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
[24:27] 187 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Joash) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:27] 188 tn Heb “And his sons and the abundance of the oracle[s] against him, and the founding of the house of God, look are they not written on the writing of the scroll of the kings?”
[25:1] 189 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[25:2] 190 tn Heb “he did what was proper in the eyes of the
[25:2] 191 tn Heb “a complete heart.”
[25:3] 192 tn Heb “when the kingdom was secure upon him.”
[25:3] 193 tn Heb “he killed his servants, the ones who had struck down the king, his father.”
[25:4] 194 tn Heb “as it is written in the scroll of the law of Moses which the
[25:4] 195 tn Heb “on account of sons.”
[25:4] 196 tn Heb “on account of fathers.”
[25:4] 197 sn This law is recorded in Deut 24:16.
[25:5] 198 tn Heb “Judah.” The words “the people of” are supplied in the translation for clarity. The Hebrew text uses the name “Judah” by metonymy here for the people of Judah.
[25:5] 199 tn Heb “young men going out to war.”
[25:5] 200 tn Heb “holding a spear and a shield.”
[25:6] 201 tn The Hebrew word כִּכַּר (kikar, “circle”) refers generally to something that is round. When used of metals it can refer to a disk-shaped weight made of the metal or, by extension, to a standard unit of weight. According to the older (Babylonian) standard the “talent” weighed 130 lbs. (58.9 kg), but later this was lowered to 108.3 lbs. (49.1 kg). More recent research suggests the “light” standard talent was 67.3 lbs. (30.6 kg). Using this as the standard for calculation, the weight of the silver was 6,730 lbs. (3,060 kg).
[25:7] 202 tn Heb “man of God.”
[25:7] 203 tn Heb “Israel, all the sons of Ephraim.”
[25:8] 204 tn Heb “cause you to stumble.”
[25:8] 205 tn Heb “to cause to stumble.”
[25:9] 206 tn Heb “said to the man of God.”
[25:9] 207 tn Heb “man of God.”
[25:10] 208 tn Heb “and Amaziah separated them, the troops who came to him from Ephraim, to go to their place.”
[25:11] 209 tn Heb “and Amaziah strengthened himself and led his people and went to the Valley of Salt.”
[25:11] 210 tn Or “struck down.”
[25:11] 211 tn Heb “sons of Seir.”
[25:12] 213 tn Heb “and threw them from the top of the cliff.”
[25:12] 214 tn Heb “all of them.”
[25:12] 215 tn Heb “smashed in pieces.”
[25:13] 216 tn Heb “had sent back from going with him to the battle.”
[25:13] 217 tn Heb “stripped.”
[25:13] 218 map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.
[25:13] 219 tn Heb “struck down.”
[25:14] 221 tn Heb “caused them to stand for him as gods.”
[25:15] 222 tn Heb “seeking,” perhaps in the sense of “consulting [an oracle from].”
[25:15] 223 tn Heb “the gods of the people.”
[25:16] 225 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Amaziah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[25:16] 226 tn Heb “Stop yourself! Why should they strike you down?”
[25:16] 227 tn The verb יָעַץ (ya’ats, “has decided”) is from the same root as יוֹעֵץ (yo’ets, “counselor”) in v. 16 and עֵצָה (’etsah, “advice”) later in v. 16. The wordplay highlights the appropriate nature of the divine punishment. Amaziah rejected the counsel of God’s prophet; now he would be the victim of God’s “counsel.”
[25:17] 228 tn The words “with his advisers” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[25:17] 229 tn Heb “let us look at each other [in the] face.” The expression refers here not to a visit but to meeting in battle. See v. 21.
[25:18] 230 sn The thorn bush in the allegory is Judah. Amaziah’s success had deceived him into thinking he was on the same level as the major powers in the area (symbolized by the cedar). In reality he was not capable of withstanding an attack by a real military power such as Israel (symbolized by the wild animal).
[25:19] 231 tn Heb “you say [to yourself], ‘look, you have defeated Edom.’”
[25:19] 232 tn Heb “and your heart is lifted up.”
[25:19] 233 tn Heb “to glorify.”
[25:19] 234 tn Heb “Why get involved in calamity and fall, you and Judah with you?”
[25:20] 235 tn Heb “did not listen.”
[25:20] 236 tn Heb “because it was from God in order to give them into the hand because they sought the gods of Edom.”
[25:21] 237 tn Heb “looked at each other [in the] face.” See the note on the expression “Come on, face me on the battlefield” in v. 17.
[25:22] 238 tn Heb “and Judah was struck down before Israel and they fled, each to his tent.”
[25:23] 239 tn Heb “400 cubits.” Assuming a cubit of 18 inches (45 cm), the distance would have been about 600 feet (180 m).
[25:26] 240 tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Amaziah, the former and the latter, are they not – behold, they are written on the scroll of the kings of Judah and Israel.”
[25:27] 241 tn Heb “and they conspired against him [with] a conspiracy in Jerusalem.”
[25:27] 242 tn Heb “and they sent after him to Lachish.”
[25:28] 243 tn Heb “and they carried him on horses.”
[25:28] 245 tc The Hebrew text has “Judah,” but some medieval
[25:28] sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
