5 And he set H5975 judges H8199 in the land H776 throughout all the fenced H1219 cities H5892 of Judah, H3063 city H5892 by city, H5892
Judges H8199 and officers H7860 shalt thou make H5414 thee in all thy gates, H8179 which the LORD H3068 thy God H430 giveth H5414 thee, throughout thy tribes: H7626 and they shall judge H8199 the people H5971 with just H6664 judgment. H4941 Thou shalt not wrest H5186 judgment; H4941 thou shalt not respect H5234 persons, H6440 neither take H3947 a gift: H7810 for a gift H7810 doth blind H5786 the eyes H5869 of the wise, H2450 and pervert H5557 the words H1697 of the righteous. H6662 That which is altogether H6664 just H6664 shalt thou follow, H7291 that thou mayest live, H2421 and inherit H3423 the land H776 which the LORD H3068 thy God H430 giveth H5414 thee.
Moreover in Jerusalem H3389 did Jehoshaphat H3092 set H5975 of the Levites, H3881 and of the priests, H3548 and of the chief H7218 of the fathers H1 of Israel, H3478 for the judgment H4941 of the LORD, H3068 and for controversies, H7379 when they returned H7725 to Jerusalem. H3389
Let every G3956 soul G5590 be subject G5293 unto the higher G5242 powers. G1849 For G1063 there is G2076 no G3756 power G1849 but G1508 of G575 God: G2316 G1161 the powers G1849 that be G5607 are G1526 ordained G5021 of G5259 God. G2316 Whosoever therefore G5620 resisteth G498 the power, G1849 resisteth G436 the ordinance G1296 of God: G2316 and G1161 they that resist G436 shall receive G2983 to themselves G1438 damnation. G2917 For G1063 rulers G758 are G1526 not G3756 a terror G5401 to good G18 works, G2041 but G235 to the evil. G2556 Wilt thou G2309 then G1161 not G3361 be afraid G5399 of the power? G1849 do G4160 that which is good, G18 and G2532 thou shalt have G2192 praise G1868 of G1537 the same: G846 For G1063 he is G2076 the minister G1249 of God G2316 to thee G4671 for G1519 good. G18 But G1161 if G1437 thou do G4160 that which is evil, G2556 be afraid; G5399 for G1063 he beareth G5409 not G3756 the sword G3162 in vain: G1500 for G1063 he is G2076 the minister G1249 of God, G2316 a revenger G1558 to execute wrath G3709 upon G1519 him that doeth G4238 evil. G2556 Wherefore G1352 ye must needs G318 be subject, G5293 not G3756 only G3440 for G1223 wrath, G3709 but G235 also G2532 for conscience G4893 sake. G1223
G3767 Submit yourselves G5293 to every G3956 ordinance G2937 of man G442 for G1223 the Lord's sake: G2962 whether it be G1535 to the king, G935 as G5613 supreme; G5242 Or G1535 unto governors, G2232 as G5613 unto them that are sent G3992 by G1223 him G846 for G1519 G3303 the punishment G1557 of evildoers, G2555 and G1161 for the praise G1868 of them that do well. G17
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 2 Chronicles 19
Commentary on 2 Chronicles 19 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 19
2Ch 19:1-4. Jehoshaphat Visits His Kingdom.
1-4. Jehoshaphat … returned to his house in peace—(See 2Ch 18:16). Not long after he had resumed the ordinary functions of royalty in Jerusalem, he was one day disturbed by an unexpected and ominous visit from a prophet of the Lord [2Ch 19:2]. This was Jehu, of whose father we read in 2Ch 16:7. He himself had been called to discharge the prophetic office in Israel. But probably for his bold rebuke to Baasha (1Ki 16:1), he had been driven by that arbitrary monarch within the territory of Judah, where we now find him with the privileged license of his order, taking the same religious supervision of Jehoshaphat's proceedings as he had formerly done of Baasha's. At the interview here described, he condemned, in the strongest terms, the king of Judah's imprudent and incongruous league with Ahab—God's open enemy (1Ki 22:2)—as an unholy alliance that would be conducive neither to the honor and comfort of his house nor to the best interests of his kingdom. He apprised Jehoshaphat that, on account of that grave offense, "wrath was upon him from before the Lord," a judgment that was inflicted soon after (see on 2Ch 20:1-37). The prophet's rebuke, however, was administered in a mingled strain of severity and mildness; for he interposed "a nevertheless" (2Ch 19:3), which implied that the threatened storm would be averted, in token of the divine approval of his public efforts for the promotion of the true religion, as well as of the sincere piety of his personal character and life.
4. he went out again through the people—This means his reappointing the commissioners of public instruction (2Ch 17:7-9), perhaps with new powers and a larger staff of assistants to overtake every part of the land. The complement of teachers required for that purpose would be easily obtained because the whole tribe of Levites was now concentrated within the kingdom of Judah.
2Ch 19:5-7. His Instructions to the Judges.
5-7. he set judges in the land—There had been judicial courts established at an early period. But Jehoshaphat was the first king who modified these institutions according to the circumstances of the now fragmentary kingdom of Judah. He fixed local courts in each of the fortified cities, these being the provincial capitals of every district (see on De 16:18).
2Ch 19:8-11. To the Priests and Levites.
8. set of the Levites … priests, and of the chief of the fathers of Israel—A certain number of these three classes constituted a supreme court, which sat in Jerusalem to review appellate cases from the inferior courts. It consisted of two divisions: the first of which had jurisdiction in ecclesiastical matters; the second, in civil, fiscal, and criminal cases. According to others, the two divisions of the supreme court adjudicated: the one according to the law contained in the sacred books; the other according to the law of custom and equity. As in Eastern countries at the present day, the written and unwritten law are objects of separate jurisdiction.