2 Chronicles 20 · WEB
Jehoshaphat's Prayer and Victory over Moab and Ammon
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After this, the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them some of the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle.
2Then some came who told Jehoshaphat, "A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea from Aram; and behold, they are in Hazazon Tamar (the same is En Gedi)."
3Jehoshaphat was afraid, and set himself to seek Yahweh. He proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
4Judah gathered themselves together to seek help from Yahweh. They even came out of all the cities of Judah to seek Yahweh.
5Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in Yahweh's house, before the new court;
6and said, "Yahweh, the God of our fathers, aren't you God in heaven? Aren't you ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in your hand, so that no one is able to withstand you.
7Didn't you, our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it to the offspring of Abraham your friend forever?
8They lived in it, and have built you a sanctuary in it for your name, saying,
9'If evil comes on us — the sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine — we will stand before this house and before you (for your name is in this house), and cry to you in our affliction, and you will hear and save.'
10Now behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom you would not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, and they turned aside from them, and didn't destroy them;
11behold, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of your possession, which you have given us to inherit.
12Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no might against this great company that comes against us. We don't know what to do, but our eyes are on you."
13All Judah stood before Yahweh, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.
14Then the Spirit of Yahweh came on Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, the Levite, one of the sons of Asaph, in the middle of the assembly;
15and he said, "Listen, all Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you king Jehoshaphat! Yahweh says to you, 'Don't be afraid, and don't be dismayed because of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.
16Tomorrow, go down against them. Behold, they are coming up by the ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the valley, before the wilderness of Jeruel.
17You will not need to fight in this battle. Set yourselves, stand still, and see the salvation of Yahweh with you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Don't be afraid, nor be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, for Yahweh is with you.'"
18Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground; and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before Yahweh, worshiping Yahweh.
19The Levites, of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites, stood up to praise Yahweh, the God of Israel, with an exceedingly loud voice.
20They rose early in the morning and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. As they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Listen to me, Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in Yahweh your God, and you will be established. Believe his prophets, and you will succeed."
21When he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to Yahweh, and give praise in holy array, as they went out before the army, and say, "Give thanks to Yahweh; for his loving kindness endures forever."
22When they began to sing and to praise, Yahweh set ambushes against the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated.
23For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. When they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, everyone helped to destroy another.
24When Judah came to the watchtower of the wilderness, they looked at the multitude; and behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and there were none who escaped.
25When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their plunder, they found among them in abundance both riches and dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped for themselves, more than they could carry away. They were three days in gathering the plunder, it was so much.
26On the fourth day they assembled in the valley of Beracah; for there they blessed Yahweh. Therefore the name of that place was called "The Valley of Beracah" to this day.
27Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat in the front of them, to go back to Jerusalem with joy; for Yahweh had made them to rejoice over their enemies.
28They came to Jerusalem with stringed instruments and harps and trumpets to Yahweh's house.
29The fear of God was on all the kingdoms of the countries when they heard that Yahweh fought against the enemies of Israel.
30So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet; for his God gave him rest all around.
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Summary
A massive coalition of Moabites, Ammonites, and Edomites marches on Jehoshaphat. He immediately calls a national fast and leads the entire nation in prayer at the temple. His prayer is a model: he proclaims God's sovereignty, recalls his promises, states the crisis honestly, and ends with the most honest line in Scripture — "We don't know what to do, but our eyes are on you." God responds through a Levite prophet: "The battle is not yours, but God's — stand still and see." Jehoshaphat appoints singers to march before the army praising God, and as they sing "His love endures forever," the enemy coalition destroys itself. Judah collects three days worth of plunder and names the valley "Blessing."
Themes
- Desperate, honest prayer as the path to supernatural deliverance
- Worship as spiritual warfare
- God fighting for those who trust him completely
Key verses
- 2 Chr 20:12 — “We have no might against this great company... We don't know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”
- 2 Chr 20:15 — “Don't be afraid, and don't be dismayed... for the battle is not yours, but God's.”
- 2 Chr 20:21-22 — “When they began to sing and to praise, Yahweh set ambushes against the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir.”
Context & background
En-gedi (modern Ein Gedi, on the western shore of the Dead Sea, Israel) was the coalition's staging point, giving them an approach through the Judean wilderness. The wilderness of Tekoa (near Bethlehem, West Bank) was where Judah watched the enemy destroy itself. The "Valley of Beracah" (meaning Blessing) is traditionally identified near modern Wadi Bereikut, west of Bethlehem. Moab (modern Jordan east of the Dead Sea), Ammon (modern Amman, Jordan), and Mount Seir/Edom (modern southern Jordan and Negev) were all nations Israel was forbidden to destroy in the wilderness period — making their gratuitous attack on Judah a betrayal. The strategy of putting the choir in front of the army marching into battle is without military parallel.
Cross-references
- 2 Chronicles 7:14 — The promise Solomon prayed for — "cry to you in our affliction and you will hear" — enacted here
- 2 Corinthians 10:4 — "The weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, but mighty through God"
- Exodus 14:13-14 — "Stand firm and see the salvation of Yahweh" — Jehoshaphat's situation mirrors Israel at the Red Sea
- Psalm 22:3 — "You are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel" — praise as God's throne
- Psalm 46:10 — "Be still and know that I am God" — the posture Judah is commanded