The Kingdom Is Strengthened, and the Law Travels

Jehoshaphat means “the LORD judges”, a name his reign will act out in the courts of chapter 19. “Strengthened himself against Israel” sets the opening posture as guarded hostility toward the north, which makes the marriage alliance and the joint campaign of the next chapter a sharp change of direction.

“Garrisons” is netsivim, which can also mean governors or prefects, the word used for Solomon’s district officers (1 Kings 4:7); either troops or administrators would fit. The cities of Ephraim are those Asa held in 15:8, so the northern border is manned, not merely claimed.

“The first ways of his father David” implies that David’s earlier years are the model, before Bathsheba and the census. Many manuscripts of the Greek translation omit “David”, which would make the model Asa’s own first ways, before chapter 16. “Baalim” is the plural: the many local Baals.

“The doings of Israel” in Jehoshaphat’s day means the north under Ahab, who built a temple to Baal in Samaria for Jezebel (1 Kings 16:31–32). The Book of 2 Chronicles tells almost nothing of Ahab, but this phrase assumes the reader knows what he was doing.

“Stablished” is kun, the verb used when Rehoboam established his kingdom in 12:1; here the LORD does the establishing. “Riches and honour” is the pair promised to Solomon (1:12) and said of David at his death (1 Chronicles 29:28). The presents come from Judah itself, a sign of willing loyalty.

The phrase “his heart was lifted up” is used against Uzziah (26:16) and Hezekiah (32:25) in their pride; only here is it qualified by “in the ways of the LORD”. The report that he removed the high places will need reading beside 20:33, which says they were not taken away.

The third year may mark the start of his sole rule after a period beside his ailing father; that is an inference from the dating in Kings. The five “princes” are lay officials, not clergy, sent to teach. Obadiah here is a court officer, not the prophet whose book bears the name.

Nine Levites and two priests join the five officials, sixteen teachers in all. Tob-adonijah simply joins the two names before it, Tobijah and Adonijah, which some scholars take as a copyist’s doubling. A Shemiramoth was among David’s Levite musicians (1 Chronicles 15:18), and a Jehoram among the priests shares the crown prince’s name.

“The book of the law of the LORD” is the same title given to the scroll Hilkiah found in the temple under Josiah (34:14). Deuteronomy 17:18–19 required the king to keep a copy and read it all his days; Jehoshaphat sends it out to the towns instead of keeping it in the palace.

In 14:14 dread fell on the towns round Gerar after a battle. Here it falls on every surrounding kingdom with no battle at all, following directly on the teaching tour. The Book of 2 Chronicles lets the sequence imply the cause.

For centuries the Philistines had been the aggressors; now some of them pay. “Tribute silver” may mean “a load of silver”. The Arabians are the herding peoples of the southern desert, and their seven thousand seven hundred rams and as many goats double a number built on seven. The same Arabians raid Judah under Jehoram in 21:16.

“Waxed great exceedingly” is literally “went on growing greater and greater”, the idiom used of David’s rise (1 Chronicles 11:9). “Castles” is biraniyyot, fortress towers, from birah, a word that became common in the Persian period for a citadel, as in Nehemiah 2:8.

“Much business” is melakhah rabbah, much work, which can mean public works or stored supplies. The standing army is kept in Jerusalem, near the king, while the provincial cities hold the stores. Verse 19 will distinguish the two again.

The muster is taken “according to the house of their fathers”, the method of the census in Numbers 1:2. Adnah is called “the chief”, sar, commander of the first division. His three hundred thousand match exactly the Judahite figure of Asa’s army in 14:8.

Jehohanan means “the LORD has been gracious” and is the Hebrew form behind the name John. “Next to him” is literally “at his hand”, second in rank. Two hundred and eighty thousand is, again, the size of Benjamin’s force under Asa in 14:8, here assigned to a Judahite commander.

“Willingly offered himself” is hitnaddev, the verb for the freewill gifts to David’s temple (1 Chronicles 29:5–9) and for Deborah’s volunteers, “the people willingly offered themselves” (Judges 5:2). Amasiah may have been a volunteer from outside the hereditary officer class; that is a reasonable inference, not a statement.

Eliada, “God knows”, is a name David gave one of his sons (1 Chronicles 3:8). Benjamin again supplies the bowmen. The bow and the small shield together describe the light troops who fought at range, the reverse of Judah’s spearmen.

Jehozabad means “the LORD has given”. “Ready prepared for the war” is chaluts, stripped for action, the word used of the tribes who crossed the Jordan armed ahead of their brothers (Numbers 32:21). A different Jehozabad will be one of the conspirators who kill Joash (24:26).

“Waited on the king” is sharat, the verb for ministering, normally used of priests and Levites; here it is a standing guard in the king’s service. The five divisions total one million one hundred and sixty thousand, before any of the garrisons in the fenced cities are counted.