Chapter 17

1 Jehoshaphat, succeeding Asa, reigneth well, and prospereth. 7 He sendeth Levites with the princes to teach Judah. 10 His enemies being terrified by God, some of them bring him presents and tribute. 12 His greatness, captains, and armies.

1. And Jehoshaphat. Chapters 17–20 deal with Jehoshaphat and his reign. The summary of his reign in Kings is brief (see 1 Kings 22:41–50). The present chapter is peculiar to Chronicles.

Against Israel. By his foolish policy of purchasing the aid of Syria against Israel, Asa had left his son a legacy of trouble. As soon as Jehoshaphat came to the throne he was forced to take measures of defense against his northern neighbor. All this was in the early part of his reign. and evidently before the time that he made an alliance with Ahab (ch. 18:1).

2. The cities of Ephraim. Compare ch. 15:8.

3. With Jehoshaphat. The greatest satisfaction and joy that can come to the heart of man is to know that he has the presence of the Lord with him. Both material and spiritual blessings came to Jehoshaphat and the nation as a result of the Lord’s presence and blessing.

First ways. The first ways of both David and Jehoshaphat were better than their latter years. Prior to his adultery with Bath-sheba and the murder of her husband (2 Sam. 11), David had lived a life that left an influence for good. Asa displayed a trust in God and a loyalty to principles of justice and right that was not evident in his later years (see ch. 16:2–10).

Sought not unto Baalim. During the time that Jehoshaphat reigned the worship of Baal secured a strong hold upon the northern kingdom. He was a contemporary of Ahab and Jezebel, and lived during the time that Elijah raised his voice in loud protest against the terrible apostasy then sweeping the northern kingdom (see 1 Kings 16–22). Chronicles makes only one brief reference to this prophet (ch. 21:12–15). The Baalim were local aspects of the Canaanite male fertility god (see Vol. II, p. 40). So common had their worship become that Jehoshaphat is singled out for commendation in that he did not follow the regular practice of his age.

4. Sought to the Lord. The great issue in the minds of many during this time was whether Jehovah or Baal would prevail (see 1 Kings 18:21). Jehoshaphat was firm in his allegiance to God, in striking contrast to the course of the contemporary king of Israel.

6. His heart was lifted up. This expression is usually employed in a bad sense (see Deut. 8:14; 2 Chron. 26:16; Eze. 28:2, 17), but here it has an entirely different meaning. The heart of Jehoshaphat was lifted up in God and in His ways. The king found both satisfaction and joy in his experience with God. Emboldened by a sense of divine favor resting upon him, he took heart to venture upon further reforms and to encourage his people in the ways of the Lord. His great aim in life was to exalt, not himself, but God.

Took away the high places. He continued, the work of reform begun by his father (ch. 14:3, 5). Not only did Jehoshaphat not seek after the Baalim, but he also did away with their centers of worship. There were, however, other high places that were local centers of the worship of Jehovah (see 1 Kings 3:2, 4; 1 Chron. 16:39; 2 Chron. 1:3), and these presumably he permitted to remain (1 Kings 22:43).

7. Sent to his princes. The king sent to the princes in various parts of the land and directed them to arrange for the instruction of the people, presumably by the Levites and priests. They themselves did not do the actual preaching (see PK 191).

9. Book of the law. Moses had given important instruction which, if heeded, would mean much to the nation. Jehoshaphat understood that the prosperity of his nation depended upon obedience to the commands of the Lord. He therefore did all that was in his power to see that the people became acquainted with the divine requirements, that they might put away sin and walk fully in the ways of the Lord.

Throughout all the cities. Jehoshaphat’s measures were not halfhearted. Throughout the country the priests were sent with the commission to instruct the people in the law of the Lord and the ways of righteousness. A spiritual awakening in all parts of the nation was the result of the king’s earnest efforts for his people. He became Judah’s first great reforming king.

10. No war. This was in harmony with the plan of God. The Lord does not delight in war, and intended that His people should abide in peace.

11. Brought Jehoshaphat presents. Probably as tributaries of Judah (see 2 Sam. 8:2).

Brought him flocks. Some of the tribes who lived in the northern Arabian Desert to the east of Judah became tributaries of Jehoshaphat and paid their tribute in kind. Compare the tribute of Mesha of Moab, the king who paid a large assessment in kind to Ahab, the contemporary king in Israel (2 Kings 3:4).

12. Waxed great exceedingly. Because Jehoshaphat followed faithfully in the ways of the Lord, God was with him and caused him to go on from strength to strength and from one success to another.

Castles. That is, fortresses.

13. Men of war. God gave Jehoshaphat peace and placed “the fear of the Lord … upon all the kingdoms” round about (v. 10). However, these blessings did not prevent Jehoshaphat from preparing himself for any emergency.

14. Of their fathers. The men were mustered according to their families or clans, with the result that men of the same stock fought side by side with their kindred.

The chief. Presumably the commander in chief, since Adnah is mentioned first and had the larger corps or perhaps the largest (see below under “three hundred thousand”).

Three hundred thousand. The first two numbers, 300,000 and 280,000, follow exactly the figures of the forces of Judah and Benjamin at the time of Asa (ch. 14:8), and provide a total of 580,000. If the next three numbers, 200,000 under Amasiah, 200,000 under Eliada, and 180,000 under Jehozabad, are additional, they provide another total of 580,000, or a grand total of 1,160,000 in the service of the king, besides those who were in “the fenced cities throughout all Judah” (v. 19). Someone has estimated that an army of this size would imply a population for Judah and Benjamin of between 1,500 and 2,000 per sq. mi., which is far in excess of the most densely populated country of our modern world. Since the total of the last three numbers equals exactly the sum of the first two, it may be the figures for the first two officers represented the total number of men and the other three numbers the size of subordinate divisions. The total may also refer to the total male population of military age. It is doubtful that an army of this size was ever mustered at one time for the defense of Jerusalem.

The word here translated “thousand,” Хeleph, does not always denote the literal number 1,000 (see on Ex. 12:37). For example, Хeleph is translated “family” in Judges 6:15. It is thought that Хeleph may stand at times for smaller units than 1,000. There is insufficient data to determine its exact designation in every instance.

There is some doubt also as to the translation of certain Hebrew expressions for numbers (see on Esther 9:16; see also pp. 122, 123). We cannot, therefore, be certain of the exact size of these forces.

16. Willingly offered himself. Compare Judges 5:9. This might refer to some particularly valorous deed at some time of crisis, or it might mean a dedication to a particular service for life.

18. Ready prepared. That is, trained and equipped for service, but not necessarily forming a standing army (see on v. 14).

19. In the fenced cities. No numbers of the forces in these cities are given, but undoubtedly a large number of men would be needed for the defense of the strongholds throughout the land.

Ellen G. White comments

1–19PK 190–192

3–5PK 190

5–9PK 191

10–19PK 192