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2 Chronicles 19:6-11 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

6 And said H559 to the judges, H8199 Take heed H7200 what ye do: H6213 for ye judge H8199 not for man, H120 but for the LORD, H3068 who is with you in the judgment. H1697 H4941

7 Wherefore now let the fear H6343 of the LORD H3068 be upon you; take heed H8104 and do H6213 it: for there is no iniquity H5766 with the LORD H3068 our God, H430 nor respect H4856 of persons, H6440 nor taking H4727 of gifts. H7810

8 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

9 And he charged H6680 them, saying, H559 Thus shall ye do H6213 in the fear H3374 of the LORD, H3068 faithfully, H530 and with a perfect H8003 heart. H3824

10 And what cause H7379 soever shall come H935 to you of your brethren H251 that dwell H3427 in their cities, H5892 between blood H1818 and blood, H1818 between law H8451 and commandment, H4687 statutes H2706 and judgments, H4941 ye shall even warn H2094 them that they trespass H816 not against the LORD, H3068 and so wrath H7110 come upon you, and upon your brethren: H251 this H3541 do, H6213 and ye shall not trespass. H816

11 And, behold, Amariah H568 the chief H7218 priest H3548 is over you in all matters H1697 of the LORD; H3068 and Zebadiah H2069 the son H1121 of Ishmael, H3458 the ruler H5057 of the house H1004 of Judah, H3063 for all the king's H4428 matters: H1697 also the Levites H3881 shall be officers H7860 before H6440 you. Deal H6213 courageously, H2388 and the LORD H3068 shall be with the good. H2896

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.