29:11 Ps 62:11; 89:11; 1 Tim 1:17; Rev did. See Matt 24:45; 25:23,28-30; Luke

29:11 Ps 62:11; 89:11; 1 Tim 1:17; Rev did. See Matt 24:45; 25:23,28-30; Luke

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for they offered willingly to the LORD with a whole heart. And David the king also rejoiced with great joy.

your statutes, and to do all these things, and to build your palace for which I have made provision.”

10 Therefore David praised the LORD before all the congregation, and David said,

20 And David said to all the congregation, “Now praise the LORD your God.” And all the congregation praised the LORD God of their fathers, and bowed their heads, and prostrated themselves in the presence of the LORD and the king.

“Blessed are you, LORD God of Israel, our Father, for ever and ever. 11 Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty; for all that is in heaven and on earth is yours; yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you

21 And on the following day they offered sacrifices to the LORD, and made burnt offerings to the LORD, a thousand bulls, a thousand rams, and a thousand lambs, with their drink offerings, and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel. 22 And on that day they ate and drank in the LORD’s presence with great gladness. And for the second time they made David’s son Solomon king and anointed him for the LORD to be the chief ruler, and Zadok to be priest. 23 Then Solomon sat on the throne of the LORD as king in the place of his father David, and prospered, and all Israel obeyed him. 24 And all the leaders and the mighty men, and also all the sons of king David, submitted themselves to Solomon the king.

are exalted as head over all. 12 Both riches and honour come from you, and you reign over all, and power and might are in your hands, and it is in your hands to make great and to give strength to all. 13 Now therefore, our God, we thank you and praise your glorious name.

14 “But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly in this way? For all things come from you, and we have give to you some of your own. 15 For we are foreigners and settlers before you, as were all our fathers. Our days on earth are like a shadow, and no one abides. 16 O LORD our God, all this abundance that we have made ready to build you a house for your holy name comes from your hand, and is all your own. 17 I also know, my God, that you test the heart, and take pleasure in integrity. As for me, in the integrity of my heart I have willingly offered all these things. And now I have seen with joy your people who are present here making willing offerings to you. 18 O LORD God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel, keep this forever in the intentions and thoughts of the hearts of your people, and prepare their hearts for yourself. 19 And give my son Solomon a perfect heart to keep your commandments, your testimonies and

25 And the LORD exalted Solomon exceedingly in the sight of all Israel, and bestowed on him more royal majesty than had been on any king in Israel before him.

26 Thus David the son of Jesse reigned over all Israel. 27 And the time that he reigned over Israel was forty years. He reigned seven years in Hebron, and he reigned thirty-three years he in Jerusalem. 28 And he died in a good old age, full of days, riches and honour, and his son Solomon reigned in his place.

29 Now the acts of David the king, first and last, see, they are written in the book of Samuel the seer, and in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the book of Gad the seer, 30 his whole reign and his might, and the circumstances that came on him and on Israel, and on all the kingdoms of the other countries.

Ex 35:4-9,20-29; 36:4-7. See 2 Cor 9:711. 29:11 Ps 62:11; 89:11; 1 Tim 1:17; Rev 5:12,13. 29:12 2 Chron 1:12; 20:6; Isa 40:26-31. 29:14 All we have comes from God. We can give to Him only what He has given to us, and we are but stewards even of that which remains with us (Luke 12:42,43; Rom 12:6-8; 1 Cor 4:1,2; 1 Pet 4:10). David did not grumble that he had to give something to God – he counted it a great privilege. 29:15 “Foreigners” – Lev 25:23; Ps 39:12; Heb 11:13; 1 Pet 2:11.

29:18 Faithfulness to God is a very great virtue, and all of us may well pray as David did. See Matt 24:45; 25:23,28-30; Luke 19:17; 1 Cor 4:2. 29:19 22:14; 28:9; 29:1,2; Ps 72:1. 29:22 Compare 12:38-40; 1 Kings 1:33-40. “Second time” – both Saul and David also had been anointed on two separate occasions – privately, then publicly. 29:25 1 Kings 3:13; 2 Chron 1:1,12. 29:27 2 Sam 5:4,5; 1 Kings 2:11. 29:29 “Nathan”, “Gad” – no man knows what happened to these two books which, it seems, the writer of Chronicles consulted. About half of the two books of Chronicles is based on the books of Samuel and Kings. 29:30 “Other countries” – such as Syria, Moab and Edom.

“Shadow” – Ps 102:11; 144:4; Eccl 6:12. 29:17 “Integrity” – Ps 15:1,2; 51:6; Prov 11:20. “Willingly” – vs 6,9.

2 CHRONICLES

Author and date:

See the introduction to 1 Chronicles.

Theme:

Events in the histories of the kings of Judah from Solomon to the fall of Jerusalem. This book covers the same time period as the two books of Kings together – 384 years. This book may be compared with those. However, 2 Chronicles contains the history of the kingdom of Judah and ignores the northern kingdom of Israel, except as it relates to Judah. It seems the writer’s purpose (and the Holy Spirit’s purpose) was to show God’s faithfulness to the covenant He made with David concerning David’s dynasty (1 Chron 17:11-14). About half of the contents of 2 Chronicles is not found in the two books of Kings.

Contents:

Solomon’s reign ............................................................................................ 1:1 - 9:31

Solomon asks God for wisdom.................................................................... 1:7-12 Solomon prepares to build the temple ......................................................... 2:1-18 Solomon builds the temple......................................................................... 3:1 - 5:1 The Levites bring the ark to the temple ...................................................... 5:2-14 God’s glory fills the temple ........................................................................ 5:13,14 Solomon’s words to the people .................................................................. 6:1-11 Solomon’s prayer about the temple ............................................................ 6:12-42 The dedication of the temple ..................................................................... 7:1-10 God appears to Solomon in a vision ............................................................ 7:11-22 Solomon’s other activities ......................................................................... 8:1-18 Solomon and the queen of Sheba .............................................................. 9:1-9 Solomon’s wealth ..................................................................................... 9:10-28 Solomon’s death ...................................................................................... 9:29-31 King Rehoboam ............................................................................................ 10:1 - 12:16

The kingdom splits in two .......................................................................... 10:1 - 11:4 Egypt invades Judah................................................................................ 12:1-12 King Abijah .................................................................................................. 13:1 - 14:1 King Asa ..................................................................................................... 14:2 - 16:14

Asa’s reforms .......................................................................................... 15:1-18 Asa’s last years ....................................................................................... 16:1-14 King Jehoshaphat ........................................................................................ 17:1 - 21:1

Jehoshaphat joins hands with Ahab ........................................................... 18:1-3 The prophecy of Micaiah........................................................................... 18:4-27 The prophecy fulfilled ............................................................................... 18:28-34 A prophet rebukes Jehoshaphat ................................................................ 19:1-3 The war with Moab and Ammon,

Jehoshaphat’s prayer .......................................................................... 20:1-12 Jehoshaphat defeats Moab and Ammon ..................................................... 20:15-30 Final years of Jehoshaphat ....................................................................... 20:31 - 21:1 King Jehoram ............................................................................................... 21:1-20

A letter from Elijah ................................................................................... 21:12-15 King Ahaziah ............................................................................................... 22:1-9 Wicked queen Athaliah ................................................................................. 22:10 - 23:15

The rescue of Joash ................................................................................ 22:11,12 The reforms of Jehoiada the priest ................................................................. 23:16-21 King Joash, his reforms, his fall into bad ways, his death .................................. 24:1-27 King Amaziah ............................................................................................... 25:1-28

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King Uzziah.................................................................................................. 26:1-23

Uzziah sins, becomes a leper ..................................................................... 26:16-20 King Jotham ................................................................................................ 27:1-9 King Ahaz .................................................................................................... 28:1-27 King Hezekiah .............................................................................................. 29:1 - 32:33

Hezekiah cleanses and repairs the temple ................................................... 29:3-19 Temple worship reestablished .................................................................... 29:20-36 Hezekiah’s celebration of the Passover....................................................... 30:1-27 Destruction of idols .................................................................................. 31:1 Contributions for temple worship ............................................................... 31:2-21 Hezekiah and Isaiah pray, the Assyrians are defeated ................................. 32:20-23 Hezekiah falls into the sin of pride .............................................................. 32:24-26 Other activities of Hezekiah, his death ....................................................... 32:27-33 Wicked king Manasseh .................................................................................. 33:1-20

Manasseh’s repentance and reforms .......................................................... 33:12-20 King Amon ................................................................................................... 33:21-24 King Josiah .................................................................................................. 34:1 - 35:27 Josiah’s reforms ........................................................................................... 34:3 - 35:19

The book of the law of God is found ........................................................... 34:14-33 Josiah’s celebration of the Passover .......................................................... 35:1-19 Josiah’s death ............................................................................................. 35:20-27 King Jehoahaz ............................................................................................. 36:2-4 King Jehoiakim ............................................................................................. 36:5-8 King Jehoiachin ............................................................................................ 36:9,10 King Zedekiah .............................................................................................. 36:11-14 Jerusalem is destroyed, the people are exiled to Babylon ................................. 36:15-21 Emperor Cyrus orders the rebuilding of the temple

at Jerusalem ......................................................................................... 36:22,23

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And Solomon, the son of David, was strengthened in his kingdom, and the LORD his God was with him and exalted him exceedingly.

and such as those who come after you will not have.”

13 Then Solomon returned from the high place that was at Gibeon, from before the tabernacle of the congregation, to Jerusalem, and reigned over Israel.

2 Then Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the captains of thousands and of hundreds and to the judges and to every leader in all Israel, the chief of the fathers. 3 So Solomon, and all the congregation with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon, for the tabernacle of the congregation of God, which Moses the servant of the LORD had made in the wilderness, was there. 4 But David had brought the ark of God from Kirjath-Jearim to the place which David had prepared for it; for he had pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem. 5 Moreover, the bronze altar that Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made, he put before the tabernacle of the LORD. And Solomon and the congregation sought it out. 6 And Solomon went up there to the bronze altar before the LORD, which was at the tabernacle of the congregation, and offered a thousand burnt offerings on it.

14 And Solomon amassed chariots and horsemen, and he had a thousand four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, which he placed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem. 15 And the king made silver and gold at Jerusalem as plentiful as stones, and made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamore trees that are in the lowlands. 16 And Solomon had horses imported from Egypt, and linen yarn. The king’s merchants received the linen yarn at a price. 17 And they imported each chariot for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty. And by the same means they imported horses for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria.

7 In that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, “Ask. What shall I give you?”

And Solomon determined to build a house for the name of the LORD, and a house for his kingdom. 2 And Solomon assigned seventy thousand men to carry loads, and eighty thousand to cut stones in the mountains, and three thousand six hundred to oversee them.

8 And Solomon said to God, “You have shown great mercy to David my father, and have caused me to reign in his place. 9 Now, O LORD God, let your promise to my father David be established, for you have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth. 10 Give me now wisdom and knowledge, so that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can judge this great people of yours?”

3 And Solomon sent word to Huram, the king of Tyre, saying, “Deal with me as you dealt with my father David, when you sent him cedars to build a house for himself to live in. 4 See, I will build a house for the name of the LORD my God, to dedicate it to him, and to burn fragrant incense before him and for the continual Showbread and for the burnt offerings, morning and evening, on the Sabbaths and on the new moons and at the solemn festivals of the LORD our God. This is an ordinance forever for Israel.

11 And God said to Solomon, “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked for riches, wealth, or honour, or for the life of your enemies, or even asked for a long life, but have asked for wisdom and knowledge for yourself, so that you can judge my people, over whom I have made you king, 12 wisdom and knowledge are granted to you; and I will give you riches and wealth and honour, such as none of the kings before you had,

5 “And the house which I will build will be great, for our God is greater than all gods. 6 But who is

2:1 “Name of the LORD” – Solomon did not build the temple for the sake of his own name and fame.

1:1 1 Kings 2:12; 1 Chron 29:23-25. 1:2-13 1 Kings 3:4-15. See notes there. 1:3 “Tabernacle of the congregation” – called this because it was there that God met with man – Ex 25:22; etc. 1:4 2 Sam 6:2,17; 1 Chron 15:25-28. 1:5 Ex 38:1-7. 1:6 “Burnt offerings” – note at Leviticus chapter 1. 1:7 “God appeared” – 7:12; Gen 12:7; 16:7; 18:1,2. “Give you” – 1 Kings 3:5. 1:9 “Dust of the earth” – Gen 13:16; 22:17; 28:14. 1:12 1 Chron 29:25. 1:14-17 1 Kings 10:26-29. 1:15,16 9:27,28. 1:17 “Six hundred shekels” – about 7 kilograms.

“House for his kingdom” – 1 Kings 7:1-8; Eccl 2:4. 2:2 Verses 17,18; 1 Kings 5:15-16. 2:3-16 1 Kings 5:2-9; 7:13,14. See notes there.

“Huram” (v 3) is a variant of Hiram. 2:3 1 Chron 14:1. 2:4 “Incense” – Ex 30:1-9. “Showbread” – Ex 25:30. “Burnt offerings” – Leviticus chapter 1. “Festivals” – Leviticus chapter 23. Solomon is explaining to a foreign king something of the worship in Israel. 2:5 Ex 15:11; 1 Chron 16:25; Ps 135:5; Isa 40:25; 43:10; 44:6; 45:5. 2:6 6:18; 1 Kings 8:27.

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able to build a house for him, seeing the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain him? Who am I then, that I should build a house for him, except only to burn sacrifice before him?

much wood as you need from Lebanon, and we will bring it to you on rafts by sea to Joppa. And you can transport it up to Jerusalem.”

17 And Solomon took a count of all the foreigners who were in the land of Israel, following the census his father David had taken, and they were found to be a hundred and fifty-three thousand six hundred. 18 And he appointed seventy thousand of them to be carriers of loads, and eighty thousand to be stone cutters in the mountain, and three thousand six hundred overseers to make the people work.

7 “Therefore now send me a man skillful in working with gold and with silver and with bronze and with iron and with purple and crimson and blue, and who is skillful in engraving to work with the skillful men who are with me in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom my father David provided.

8 “Send me also cedar trees, fir trees, and algum trees, from Lebanon; for I know that your servants know how to cut timber in Lebanon. And, see, my servants will be with your servants, 9 to prepare timber for me in abundance. For the house which I am about to build will be great and wonderful. 10 And, see, I will give to your servants, to those who cut timber, twenty thousand measures of crushed wheat, and twenty thousand measures of barley, and twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil.”

Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in Mount Moriah, where the LORD appeared to his father David, in the place that David had prepared in the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. 2 And he began to build on the second day of the second month, in the fourth year of his reign.

3 Now these are the foundations which Solomon laid for the building of the house of God. The length by cubits, in accordance with the old standard, was sixty cubits and the width twenty cubits. 4 And the length of the portico that was at the front of the house, was according to the width of the house, twenty cubits, and its height was a hundred and twenty. And inside he overlaid it with pure gold. 5 And the great hall he paneled with fir wood, which he overlaid with fine gold, and set palm trees and chain designs in it. 6 And he adorned the house with precious stones; and the gold was gold from Parvaim. 7 He also overlaid the house, its beams, posts and walls and its doors, with gold, and engraved cherubim on the walls.

11 Then Huram, the king of Tyre, answered in writing, and sent it to Solomon, “Because the LORD loves his people, he has made you king over them.”

12 Huram also said, “Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who made heaven and earth, who has given to king David a wise son, endued with prudence and understanding, so that he might build a house for the LORD and a house for his kingdom.

13 “And now I have sent a skillful man, endued with understanding, of my father Huram. 14 He is the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre, skillful in working with gold and with silver, with bronze, with iron, with stone and with timber, with purple, with blue and with fine linen and with crimson and with any kind of engraving, and to execute any design that may be suggested to him. He can work with your skillful men, and with the skillful men of my lord David, your father.

8 And he made the Most Holy Place of the house. Its length was according to the width of the house, twenty cubits, and its width twenty cubits. And he overlaid it with fine gold, amounting to six hundred talents. 9 And the weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold. And he overlaid the upper rooms with gold.

15 “Now therefore let my lord send to his servants the wheat and the barley, the oil and the wine, which he has spoken of, 16 and we will cut as

10 And in the Most Holy Place of the house he

2:7 Compare Ex 31:3-5; 1 Chron 22:15. 2:9 “Wonderful” – v 5; 1 Chron 22:5; 29:19. 2:10 “Twenty thousand measures” – in Hebrew “kors” – probably about 125,000 bushels.

is the place where Abraham took Isaac to offer him to God (Gen 22:2,14). On one end of it the Lord Jesus, God’s temple (John 2:18-21), was brought down and made whole again.

“Ornan” – a variant of Araunah. 3:3 “Cubits” – the temple was about 27 meters long and 9 wide. 3:7 “Cherubim” – Gen 3:24; Ezek 1:5. Cherubim is the Hebrew plural of cherub. 3:8 “Most Holy Place” – Ex 26:33; Lev 16:1,2. The place was a cube about 9 meters each dimension.

“Twenty thousand baths” – probably about 440 kiloliters. 2:11 Compare 1 Kings 10:9. 2:12 Hiram had learned that Jehovah the God of Israel was no mere national God, but the creator of heaven and earth. 2:13-14 1 Kings 7:13-14. 2:17 “David had taken” – 1 Chron 21:1. 3:1-13 Notes at 1 Kings 6:1-28. 3:1 1 Chron 21:18; 22:1. Mount Moriah

“Talents” – one talent equaled about 34 kilograms. 3:9 “Fifty shekels” – about 0.6 kilogram.

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made two sculptured cherubim, and overlaid them with gold. 11 And the wings of the cherubim were twenty cubits long. One wing of one cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house, and the other wing was also five cubits, reaching to the wing of the other cherub. 12 And one wing of the other cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house: and the other wing was also five cubits, touching the wing of the other cherub. 13 The wings of these cherubim extended twenty cubits; and they stood on their feet, and their faces were inward.

right and five on the left, to wash in them. They washed in them the things they offered for the burnt offering, but the sea was for the priests to wash in.

7 And he made ten lampstands of gold according to their specification, and set them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left.

8 He made also ten tables, and placed them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left. And he made a hundred basins of gold.

9 And he made the courtyard of the priests, and the great courtyard, and doors for the courtyard, and overlaid their doors with bronze. 10 And he set the sea at the right side of the east end, opposite the south.

14 And he made the veil of blue and purple and crimson and fine linen, and worked cherubim on it.

15 Also at the front of the house he made two pillars thirty-five cubits high, and the capital that was on the top of each of them was five cubits. 16 And he made chain work, as in the sanctuary, and put them on the tops of the pillars; and he made a hundred pomegranates, and put them on the chain work. 17 And he set up the pillars at the front of the temple, one on the right, and the other on the left, and called the name of the one on the right Jachin, and the name of the one on the left Boaz.

11 And Huram made the pots and the shovels and the basins.

And Huram finished the work that he was to make for king Solomon for the house of God: 12 the two pillars, and the bowl-shaped tops, and the capitals which were on the top of the two pillars, and the two woven networks to cover the two bowl-shaped tops of the capitals which were on top of the pillars, 13 and four hundred pomegranates on the two woven networks, two rows of pomegranates on each network, to cover the two bowl-shaped tops of the capitals which were on the pillars. 14 He also made the stands and made the lavers on the stands, 15 one sea, and twelve oxen under it. 16 Also Huram Abi used burnished bronze to make the pots and the shovels and the forks, and all their articles, for king Solomon for the house of the LORD. 17 The king cast them in the plain of the Jordan, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zeredathah.

Moreover, he made a bronze altar, twenty cubits in length and twenty cubits in width and ten cubits in height. 2 Also he made a cast metal sea ten cubits from brim to brim, circular in form; and its height was five cubits, and it took a cord of thirty cubits to go around it. 3 And below the rim were figures of oxen, which completely encircled the sea, ten in a cubit. When the sea was cast two rows of oxen were also cast.

4 It stood on twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east; and the sea was set on top of them, and all their back parts were toward the inside. 5 And the thickness of the sea was a hand breadth, and its brim like the work of the rim of a cup, like a lily flower; and it received and held three thousand baths.

18 And Solomon made all these articles in great abundance, so that the weight of the bronze could not be found out.

19 And Solomon made all the articles that were for the house of God, including the golden altar, and the tables on which the Showbread was placed, 20 and the lampstands with their lamps with pure gold, to burn before the sanctuary as specified; 21 and made the flowers and the lamps and the tongs, with gold, solid gold; 22 and the snuffers

6 He also made ten lavers, and put five on the

3:14 Ex 26:31-35; Heb 9:3. The veil symbolized the separation of man from the immediate presence of God. At the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus the veil of the temple was torn in two, demonstrating that through His sacrifice every believer now has free access to God (Matt 27:51; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45; Heb 10:19-22). 3:15-17 1 Kings 7:15-21. 1 Kings 7:15 and 2 Kings 25:17 say the height of each pillar was 18 cubits. The author’s meaning may be that the combined height of the two pillars was roughly 35 cubits.

establishes”, and “Boaz” probably means “in Him is strength.” 4:1 Ex 27:1-2; 43:13-17. 4:2-5 1 Kings 7:23-26. “Three thousand baths” (v 5) – about 66 kiloliters (about 17,500 gallons). 4:6 1 Kings 7:38,39. 4:7 Ex 35:31,40; 1 Kings 7:49. There was only one lampstand in the tabernacle. 4:8 “Tables” – to keep bread on (1 Kings 7:48). 4:9 “Courtyard” – 1 Kings 6:36; Ex 27:9. 4:11-16 1 Kings 7:40-45. 4:17-22 1 Kings 7:46-50.

”Jachin” – probably means “He

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and the basins and the spoons and the censers, with pure gold. And the entrance of the house, its inner doors for the Most Holy Place, and the doors of the house of the temple, were of gold.

sounding with trumpets), 13 as the trumpeters and singers in unison were making themselves heard with one voice praising and thanking the LORD, and as they raised their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and musical instruments, and praised the LORD, saying, “For he is good; for his mercy continues on forever,” that the house, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud, 14 so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.

Thus all the work that Solomon made for the house of the LORD was finished, and Solomon brought in all the things that his father David had dedicated, and he put the silver and the gold and all the articles among the treasures of the house of God.

2 Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, to Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which is Zion. 3 Therefore all the men of Israel assembled around the king in the feast which was in the seventh month.

Then Solomon said, “The LORD has said that he would dwell in thick darkness. 2 But I have built a lofty house for you, a place for your dwelling forever.”

3 And the king turned his face, and blessed the whole congregation of Israel; and all the congregation of Israel stood.

4 And all the elders of Israel came; and the Levites took up the ark. 5 And they brought up the ark and the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy articles that were in the tabernacle. The priests and the Levites brought these up. 6 And king Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel that were assembled with him before the ark, sacrificed sheep and oxen, so numerous that they could not be counted or told.

4 And he said, “Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who has fulfilled with his hands what he spoke with his mouth to my father David, saying, 5 ‘Since the day that I brought my people out of the land of Egypt I chose no city among all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house, that my name might be there; nor did I chose any man to be a ruler over my people Israel. 6 But I have chosen Jerusalem, so that my name might be there, and have chosen David to be over my people Israel.’

7 And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD to its place, to the sanctuary of the house, into the Most Holy Place, under the wings of the cherubim: 8 for the cherubim spread out their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim were a covering over the ark and its poles. 9 And they drew out the poles of the ark, so that the ends of the poles of the ark were seen before the sanctuary; but they were not seen outside. And there it is to this day. 10 There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets which Moses put in it at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of Egypt.

7 “Now it was in the heart of my father David to build a house for the name of the LORD God of Israel. 8 But the LORD said to my father David, ‘Because it was in your heart to build a house for my name, you did well to have it in your heart. 9 However you shall not build the house, but your son who will be born to you shall build the house for my name.’

10 “So the LORD has fulfilled his word that he spoke, for I have risen up in the place of my father David, and sit on the throne of Israel, just as the LORD promised, and have built the house for the name of the LORD God of Israel. 11 And I have put the ark in it, in which is the covenant of the LORD, that he made with the children of Israel.”

11 And this happened after the priests had come out of the Holy Place (for all the priests who were present were sanctified, and did not regard their divisions; 12 also all the Levites who were singers, Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and lyres and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them a hundred and twenty priests

12 And he stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread out his hands. 13 For Solomon had made a bronze platform five cubits long and five cubits wide and three cubits high, and had placed it in the middle

5:1 “Dedicated” – 1 Chron 22:14; 26:26; 29:3. 5:2-14 1 Kings 8:1-11. See notes there. 5:3 “Feast” – the feast of Tabernacles (Lev 23:33-36). 5:12 1 Chron 15:16,17,24; 25:1-4. 5:13 1 Chron 16:4,34,41; Lev 7:12,13. 5:14 Compare Ex 40:34,35. This cloud

revealed that the God who had been with Israel when they came out of Egypt, when they worshiped God in the desert, was still with them. The purpose of the temple was the same as that of the tabernacle. See Ex 25:8. 6:1-40 Notes at 1 Kings 8:12-53. 6:13 This verse in not in 1 Kings 8.

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have given to your people as an inheritance.

of the courtyard; and he stood on it, and knelt on his knees before all the congregation of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven, 14 and said,

28 “If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence, if there is blight, or mildew, locusts, or caterpillars, if their enemies besiege them in the cities of their land, whatever plague or whatever sickness there may be, 29 then whatever prayer or supplication made by anyone, or by all your people Israel, when each one knows his own plague and his own grief, and spreads out his hands in this house, 30 then hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and forgive, and render to each man according to all his ways. You know their heart, for you alone know the hearts of the children of men. 31 Do this that they may fear you, and walk in your ways as long as they live in the land which you gave to our fathers.

“O LORD God of Israel, there is no God like you in the heavens, or on the earth, who keeps covenant and shows mercy to your servants who walk before you with all their hearts. 15 You have kept what you promised to your servant David, my father, and have fulfilled with your hand what you spoke with your mouth, as it is today.

16 “Now therefore, O LORD God of Israel, keep what you have promised to your servant David, my father, saying, ‘You will not lack a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your children are careful about their way to walk in my law, as you have walked before me.’ 17 Now then, O LORD God of Israel, let your word, which you spoke to your servant David, come true.

32 “Moreover, concerning the foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, but has come from a far country because of your great name and your mighty hand and your stretched out arm; if they come and pray in this house, 33 then hear from heaven, from your dwelling place, and act in accordance with all that the foreigner calls to you for, so that all people of the earth may know your name, and fear you, as your people Israel do, and may know that this house which I have built is called by your name.

18 “But will God indeed dwell with men on the earth? See, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain you; how much less this house which I have built! 19 So have regard for the prayer of your servant, and for his supplication, O LORD my God, to hear the cry and the prayer which your servant is praying before you, 20 that your eyes may be open on this house day and night, on the place of which you have said that you would put your name there, to listen to the prayer which your servant prays toward this place. 21 So hear the supplications of your servant, and of your people Israel, which they will make toward this place. Hear from your dwelling place, from heaven; and when you hear, forgive.

34 “If your people go out to war against their enemies by the way that you send them, and they pray to you toward this city which you have chosen, and the house which I have built for your name, 35 then from heaven hear their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.

36 “If they sin against you (for there is no one who does not sin) and you are angry with them, and deliver them up to their enemies, and they carry them away captives to a land far off or near, 37 if they take thought in the land where they are carried captive, and turn and pray to you in the land of their captivity, saying, ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong and have acted wickedly’; 38 if they turn back to you with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, where they have carried them captives, and pray toward their land which you gave to their fathers, and toward the city which you have chosen, and toward the house which I have built for your name, 39 then hear from heaven, from your dwelling place, their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause and forgive your people who have sinned against you.

22 “If a man sins against his neighbour, and is made to take an oath, and the oath comes before your altar in this house, 23 then hear from heaven, and act and judge your servants, punishing the wicked by bringing his way on his own head, and justifying the righteous by giving him according to his righteousness.

24 “And if your people Israel are defeated by the enemy, because they have sinned against you, and return and confess your name and pray and make supplication before you in this house, 25 then hear from heaven, and forgive the sin of your people Israel, and bring them again to the land which you gave to them and to their fathers.

26 “When the heavens are shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against you, if they pray toward this place, and confess your name and turn from their sin, when you afflict them, 27 then hear from heaven, and forgive the sin of your servants and of your people Israel, when you have taught them the good way in which they should walk, and send rain on your land, which you

40 “Now, my God, I beseech you, let your eyes be open, and let your ears be attentive to the prayer that is made in this place.

41 “Now therefore arise, O LORD God,

6:18 2:6. 6:41,42 Ps 132:8-10.

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into your resting place, you, and the ark of your strength. Let your priests, O LORD God,

congregation, from the entrance of Hamath to the river of Egypt. 9 And in the eighth day they held a solemn assembly, for they kept the dedication of the altar seven days and the feast seven days. 10 And on the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people away to their tents, glad and merry in heart for the goodness that the LORD had showed to David and to Solomon and to his people Israel.

be clothed with salvation, and let your saints rejoice in goodness. 42 O LORD God, do not turn away the face of your anointed. Remember your mercies to your servant David.”

Now when Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the house. 2 And the priests could not enter into the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled the LORD’s house. 3 And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD on the house, they bowed down with their faces to the ground on the pavement and worshipped and praised the LORD, saying, “For he is good; for his mercy continues on forever.”

11 Thus Solomon finished the house of the LORD and the king’s house; and Solomon successfully completed all that came into his heart to make in the house of the LORD, and in his own house. 12 And the LORD appeared to Solomon at night and said to him,

“I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice.

13 “If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send plague among my people, 14 if my people, who are called by my name, humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place. 16 For now I have chosen and sanctified this house, so that my name may be there forever, and my eyes and my heart will be there continually.

4 Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the LORD. 5 And king Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand oxen, and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the people dedicated the house of God. 6 And the priests were standing in their places; the Levites also with the LORD’s musical instruments, which David the king had made to praise the LORD, because his mercy continues on forever, which were used when David praised. And the priests sounded trumpets before them, and all Israel stood.

17 “And as for you, if you will walk before me as David your father walked, and do according to all that I have commanded you, and observe my statutes and my judgments, 18 then I will establish the throne of your kingdom, just as I covenanted with your father David, saying, ‘You will not lack a man to be ruler in Israel.’

7 Then Solomon consecrated the middle of the courtyard that was before the house of the LORD, for there he offered burnt offerings and the fat of the peace offerings, because the bronze altar which Solomon had made was not able to hold the burnt offerings and the grain offerings and the fat.

19 “But if you turn away and forsake my statutes and my commandments, which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them, 20 then I will pluck them up by the

8 Also at the same time Solomon kept the feast for seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great

7:1 “Fire” – compare Lev 9:23,24; 1 Chron 21:26. In the Bible fire was sometimes a symbol of God’s presence (Ex 3:2; 13:21; 19:18; 1 Kings 18:38; Heb 12:29). 7:2 5:14. 7:3 Verse 6; 5:13; 1 Chron 16:34,43. 7:4-10 1 Kings 8:62-66. 7:6 5:12; 1 Chron 15:16-21. 7:7 “Offerings” – notes on Leviticus chapters 1 and 3. 7:8 “Feast” – 5:3; 1 Kings 8:2. “Hamath”, “Egypt” – from the far north of Israel to the far south – the whole land. 7:11-22 1 Kings 9:1-9. 7:12 “Appeared” – 1:7. “Chosen” – Deut 12:5,11. 7:13-15 These verses are not in the account in 1 Kings. 7:13 Observe that the things mentioned here are completely in the control of Jehovah God

(compare Deut 11:17; 28:22-24,38,39). 7:14 6:37-39. This is a promise made to Israel as a nation concerning their land. However, there are spiritual principles here which apply to anyone anywhere, to us as individuals or as groups of believers. To experience answered prayer, forgiveness of sins, and revival of spiritual life three things are required – humbling ourselves (Ps 51:17; Isa 66:2; Jam 4:6), seeking God’s face (15:2; 1 Chron 22:19; Ps 27:8; 34:10; 69:32; Jer 29:13), and true repentance (Lev 26:40-42; Isa 55:6,7; Ezek 18:30-32; 1 John 1:9). For healing of a whole land, national humility and repentance and seeking God were required. 7:15 6:20,40. 7:17,18 1 Kings 9:4,5. 7:19-22 1 Kings 9:6-9; Lev 26:14,33; Deut 28:15,36,37; 29:24,25,28.

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roots out of my land which I have given them; and this house, which I have sanctified for my name, I will hurl from my sight, and cause it to be a proverb and a byword among all nations. 21 And as for this house, which is exalted, everyone who passes by it will be astonished and say, ‘Why has the LORD done thus to this land, and to this house?’ 22 And the answer will be, ‘Because they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, who brought them up out of the land of Egypt, and adopted other gods and worshipped them and served them. Therefore he has brought all this disaster on them.’”

12 Then Solomon offered burnt offerings to the LORD on the altar of the LORD, which he had built in front of the portico, 13 according to the daily rule, offering according to the commandment of Moses, on the Sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts, three times in the year, namely, at the Feast of Unleavened Bread and at the Feast of Weeks and at the Feast of Tabernacles. 14 And in accordance with the order of his father David, he appointed the divisions of the priests for their service, and the Levites for their duties, to praise and minister before the priests, according to the daily rule; also the gatekeepers by their divisions at every gate, for so had David the man of God commanded. 15 And they did not depart from the command of the king to the priests and Levites concerning any matter, or concerning the treasures.

And at the end of twenty years, in which Solomon had built the house of the LORD and his own house, it came about 2 that Solomon built the cities which Huram had restored to Solomon and caused the children of Israel to live there. 3 And Solomon went to Hamath Zobah and seized it. 4 And he built Tadmor in the wilderness, and all the store cities, which he built in Hamath. 5 Also he built Upper Beth Horon and Lower Beth Horon, fortified cities, with walls, gates and bars, 6 and Baalath and all the store cities that Solomon had, and all the chariot cities and the cities for the horsemen, and all that Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem and in Lebanon and throughout all the land of his dominion.

16 Now all the work of Solomon was carried out from the day of the foundation of the house of the LORD until it was finished. So the house of the LORD was completed.

17 Then Solomon went to Ezion-Geber and to Eloth, at the sea shore in the land of Edom. 18 And Huram sent to him ships by the hands of his servants, and servants who knew the sea; and they went with the servants of Solomon to Ophir and brought from there four hundred and fifty talents of gold, and delivered them to king Solomon.

7 As for all the people who were left of the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, who were not of Israel 8 but the descendants of those people who remained after them in the land, whom the children of Israel had not destroyed, Solomon made them forced labourers until this day. 9 But among the children of Israel Solomon did not make any servants for his work; but they were warriors and chiefs of his captains and captains of his chariots and horsemen. 10 And these were king Solomon’s chief officials, two hundred and fifty, who ruled over the people.

And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to Jerusalem to test Solomon with hard questions, with a very great company and camels that carried spices and gold in abundance and precious stones. And when she had come to Solomon, she talked with him of all that was in her heart. 2 And Solomon answered all her questions; and nothing was hidden from Solomon which he did not tell her. 3 And when the queen of Sheba saw the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built, 4 and the food of his table, and the seating of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers and their apparel, and his cupbearers and their apparel, and his stairway by which he went up to the house of the LORD, no more spirit was left in her.

11 And Solomon brought up the daughter of Pharaoh from the city of David to the house that he had built for her, for he said, “My wife shall not live in the house of David king of Israel, because the places to which the ark of the LORD has come are holy.”

5 And she said to the king, “It was a true report

8:1-18 Notes at 1 Kings 9:10-28. 8:2 Apparently these were the villages Solomon first gave Hiram in payment for supplies of materials and workmen. When Solomon paid in money Hiram returned these villages to Solomon.

8:11 “The daughter of Pharaoh” – 1 Kings 3:1; 7:8. “Holy” – note at Lev 20:7. 8:12 4:1. 8:13 Ex 23:14-17; 29:38-42; Leviticus chapter 23; Num 28:3. 8:14 1 Chron 24:1; 25:1; 26:1. 8:18 “Talents” – one talent equals about 34 kilograms. 9:1-28 Notes at 1 Kings 10:1-29. God had promised Solomon great wisdom, wealth,

“Huram” – a variant of Hiram (also v 18). 8:7 Gen 15:18-21. 8:8 “Not destroyed” – Jud 1:21-36. “Forced labourers” – 2:17,18; 1 Kings 4:6; 9:21,22.

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which I heard in my own land about your deeds and your wisdom. 6 However I did not believe their words, until I came and saw it with my eyes. And, see, the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me; for you surpass the fame that I heard. 7 Happy are your men, and happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom. 8 Blessed be the LORD your God, who delighted in you to set you on his throne, to be king for the LORD your God. Because your God loved Israel he made you king over them to establish them forever, to administer judgment and justice.”

side and that side of the six steps. Nothing like it had been made in any kingdom. 20 And all the drinking vessels of king Solomon were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of The Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; none were of silver. Silver was not something taken into account in the days of Solomon. 21 For the king’s ships went to Tarshish with Huram’s servants; once every three years the ships of Tarshish came bringing gold and silver, ivory and apes and peacocks.

22 And king Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. 23 And all the kings of the earth sought out the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom that God had put in his heart. 24 And each man brought his present, articles of silver and articles of gold and garments, weapons and spices, horses and mules, so much year by year.

9 And she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold and spices in great abundance and precious stones; nor had there ever been any such spices as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon.

10 And also Huram’s servants and Solomon’s servants, who brought gold from Ophir, brought algum trees and precious stones. 11 And from the algum trees the king made steps for the house of the LORD and for the king’s palace, and harps and lyres for the singers; and such had never been seen before in the land of Judah.

25 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem. 26 And he reigned over all the kings from the Euphrates river to the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt. 27 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as common as stones, and made cedar trees as plentiful as the sycamore trees that are in the lowlands. 28 And they brought to Solomon horses out of Egypt and out of all lands.

12 And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all she desired, whatever she asked, besides gifts in return for what she had brought to the king. So she turned and went away to her own land, she and her servants.

13 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred an sixty-six talents of gold, 14 besides that which traders and merchants brought. And all the kings of Arabia and leaders of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon.

29 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat? 30 And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years. 31 And Solomon slept with his ancestors, and he was buried in the city of his father David. And his son Rehoboam reigned in his place.

15 And king Solomon made two hundred shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of hammered gold went for each shield. 16 And he made three hundred small shields of hammered gold; three hundred shekels of gold went for each shield. And the king put them in the house of The Forest of Lebanon.

And Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. 2 And it came about when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was in Egypt where he had fled from the presence of king Solomon, heard it, that Jeroboam returned from Egypt. 3 And they sent word and called him. So Jeroboam and all Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, 4 “Your

17 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold. 18 And there were six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne, and arms on each side of the seat, and two lions standing by the arms. 19 And twelve lions stood there on this

riches, and honor (1:11,12). This chapter shows in some measure the fulfillment of that promise. 9:8 2:11. “Throne” – observe that she called the throne of Israel the throne of God and speaks of Solomon as being God’s representative. 9:9 “Talents” – one talent equals about 34 kilograms. 9:21 “Huram” – a variant of Hiram. 9:22 1 Kings 3:13; Eccl 1:16; 2:7-9.

9:25 Deut 17:16; 1 Kings 4:26. 9:26 1 Kings 4:21,24. 9:27 2 Chron 1:15-17. 9:28 2 Chron 1:16. 9:29-31 1 Kings 11:41-43. The author does not record the sad story of Solomon’s great sin toward the end of his life (1 Kings 11:1-10). 9:29 Notes at 1 Chron 29:29. 9:31 “Slept” – 1 Kings 2:10. 10:1-19 Notes at 1 Kings 12:1-19. 10:2 “Jeroboam” – 1 Kings 11:26-40.

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father made our yoke hard. Now therefore lighten the hard labour from your father, and his hard yoke that he put on us, and we will serve you.”

not listen to them, the people answered the king, saying, “What part do we have in David? And we have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. Every man to your tents, O Israel! And now, David, see to your own house.” So all Israel went to their tents.

5 And he said to them, “Come back to me after three days.” And the people departed.

6 And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men who had stood before his father Solomon while he still lived, saying, “What counsel do you give me to give back an answer to this people?”

17 But as for the children of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.

18 Then king Rehoboam sent Hadoram who was over the forced labour; and the children of Israel pelted him with stones, so that he died. But king Rehoboam hurriedly got up into his chariot to flee to Jerusalem. 19 And Israel rebelled against the house of David, as it is to this day.

7 And they spoke to him, saying, “If you are kind to this people and please them and speak good words to them, they will be your servants forever.”

8 But he forsook the counsel which the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men who were brought up with him, who stood in his presence. 9 And he said to them, “What advice do you give so that we can give back an answer to this people, who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke that your father put on us’?”

And when Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he gathered a hundred and eighty thousand chosen warriors who were from the house of Judah and Benjamin to fight against Israel, so that he might bring the kingdom back to Rehoboam.

10 And the young men who were brought up with him spoke to him, saying, “This is how you should answer the people who spoke to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter for us’: say to them, ‘My little finger will be thicker than my father’s waist. 11 For whereas my father put a heavy yoke on you, I will put more on your yoke. My father punished you with whips, but I will punish you with scorpions.’”

2 But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, the man of God, saying, 3 “Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying, 4 ‘Thus says the LORD, You must not go up, or fight against your brethren. Each man must return to his house, for this thing is done by me.’” And they obeyed the words of the LORD, and turned back from going against Jeroboam.

12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king had directed, saying, “Come back to me on the third day.” 13 And the king answered them roughly; and king Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the old men, 14 and answered them in accordance with the advice of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it. My father punished you with whips, but I will punish you with scorpions.”

5 And Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem, and built cities for defense in Judah. 6 He built up Bethlehem and Etam and Tekoa 7 and Beth-Zur and Shoco and Adullam 8 and Gath and Mareshah and Ziph 9 and Adoraim and Lachish and Azekah 10 and Zorah and Aijalon and Hebron, which are in Judah and in Benjamin, fortified cities. 11 And he fortified the strongholds, and put captains in them, and stores of food, oil and wine. 12 And he put shields and spears in every city, and greatly strengthened them, having Judah and Benjamin on his side.

15 So the king did not listen to the people; for the turn of events was from God, that the LORD might fulfil his word which he spoke through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

13 And the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel from all their territories stood with him. 14 For the Levites left their pasture lands and their possessions, and came to Judah and Jerusalem;

16 And when all Israel saw that the king would

10:15 “Ahijah” – 1 Kings 11:29; 12:15. 10:16 2 Sam 20:1. 10:18 “Hadoram” – a variant of Adoniram. 11:1-4 1 Kings 12:21-24. Rehoboam’s folly was responsible for the division of the kingdom. Israel, the northern kingdom, was governed by a succession of evil monarchs. The nation did not have one good king. There is considerable material about them in 1 and 2 Kings, but very little in the books of Chronicles. The author of these books concentrated on a history of the kings of Judah. After about two hundred years Israel was destroyed by Assyria and the people taken into captivity. Judah, the southern kingdom, lasted for another 130 years when destruction and captivity came at the hand

of Babylon. Of Judah’s kings, several were godly men. 11:2 “Shemiah” – 12:15. 11:4 10:15. 11:5-23 Most of this material is not found anywhere else in the Bible. 11:13-14 Probably there were priests who put their material welfare first and stayed as ministers of Jeroboam’s idolatrous system of worship (1 Kings 12:28-33). Most of them, however, left their possessions and came to Judah rather than be unfaithful to the Lord. They considered God a greater inheritance than land and property (Num 18:20; Deut 10:9). Compare Luke 14:33; Heb 10:34; 1 Pet 1:4,5. 11:14 “Their possessions” – Lev 15:32-34;

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for Jeroboam and his sons had removed them from acting as priests for the LORD, 15 and he had ordained priests for himself for the high places, and for the demons, and for the calves which he had made. 16 And those out of all the tribes of Israel who had set their hearts to seek the LORD God of Israel came to Jerusalem, following the Levites, to sacrifice to the LORD God of their fathers. 17 So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong three years; for three years they walked in the way of David and Solomon.

year of king Rehoboam, because they had sinned against the LORD, that Shishak, king of Egypt, came up against Jerusalem, 3 with twelve hundred chariots, and sixty thousand horsemen; and the people who came with him from Egypt were innumerable: the Lubim, the Sukkiim, and the Ethiopians. 4 And he took the fortified cities which belonged to Judah, and came to Jerusalem.

5 Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and to the leaders of Judah, who were gathered together at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said to them, “Thus says the LORD, ‘You have forsaken me, and therefore I have also left you in the hands of Shishak.’”

18 And Rehoboam took for himself Mahalath, the daughter of Jerimoth, the son of David, as his wife, and Abihail, the daughter of Eliab, the son of Jesse. 19 These bore him children: Jeush and Shamariah and Zaham. 20 And after her he took Maachah, the daughter of Absalom, who bore him Abijah and Attai and Ziza and Shelomith. 21 And Rehoboam loved Maachah, the daughter of Absalom, above all his wives and his concubines (for he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and begot twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters).

6 So the leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves, and said, “The LORD is righteous.”

7 And when the LORD saw that they had humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, “They have humbled themselves, therefore I will not destroy them, but will grant them some deliverance. And my wrath will not be poured out on Jerusalem through Shishak. 8 Nevertheless they shall become his servants, so that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of other lands.”

22 And Rehoboam made Abijah the son of Maachah the chief and leader among his brethren, to make him king. 23 And he acted wisely, and dispersed all his children throughout all the regions of Judah and Benjamin, to every fortified city; and he gave them food in abundance. And he sought many wives for them.

9 So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took away the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king’s house. He took everything, and also carried away the gold shields which Solomon had made. 10 In their place king Rehoboam made bronze shields, and entrusted them into the hands of the chief of the guard, who guarded the entrance of the king’s house. 11 And whenever the king entered the house of the LORD, the guard came and carried

And it so happened, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom, and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of the LORD, and all Israel with him. 2 And it came about in the fifth

Num 35:2-5; Josh 21:1-3. 11:15 1 Kings 12:31; 13:33. “Demons” – see Deut 32:17; 1 Cor 10:20. 11:16 God had a remnant of people in the northern kingdom who rejected Jeroboam’s apostate religious system, and came to God’s appointed place of worship. 11:17 After 3 years they could see that spiritual conditions in the southern kingdom were deteriorating as they had in the northern kingdom (12:1,2; 1 Kings 14:22-24). 11:21 Deut 17:17; Gen 30:1; 2 Sam 3:2-5; 1 Kings 11:1. 11:23 He sent them away and gave them opportunities to enjoy themselves. He thus avoided a struggle for succession to the throne. 12:1-16 1 Kings 14:25-31. 12:1 “Forsook” – 1 Kings 14:22-24 describes their sin. After becoming strong did Rehoboam think he no longer needed God? Prosperity and security may be welcomed as the gifts of God, but it is at such times that many people forsake Him.

2 Chronicles (but not always – 10:16) this means the southern kingdom of Judah. 12:2 1 Kings does not give the reason for this attack by Shishak. More than once God sent enemy armies against His people to punish them for their sins (Lev 26:25; Deut 28:49; Jud 2:11-15; 1 Kings 11:14; 2 Kings 17:5-7; Isa 10:5,6; Jer 1:14-16). See also 14:6. 12:4 “Cities” – Rehoboam’s preparations for defense (11:5-12) came to nothing when God decided to punish Judah. Compare Ps 127:1. 12:5 “Shemaiah” – 11:2. “Therefore” – 15:2; Deut 28:15; Ps 18:25,26. 12:6,7 God loves to see proud man humbling himself and the arrogance of sinful man vanishing away – 1 Kings 21:29; Isa 2:11-18; 66:2; Jam 4:6. 12:8 “Know” – God wants His people to learn important truth through any disasters that may come on them. Observe that God indicates that He, and not Rehoboam, is the real king of Judah.

“All Israel” – here and often throughout

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them, and then brought them back to the guardroom.

me, Jeroboam, and all Israel! 5 Should you not know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David forever, to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt? 6 Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up and rebelled against his lord. 7 And vain men gathered around him, wicked men, and strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and inexperienced and could not withstand them.

12 And when he humbled himself, the wrath of the LORD turned from him, so that he did not completely destroy him; and also in Judah things went well.

13 So king Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem, and reigned. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. And his mother’s name was Naamah; she was an Ammonite. 14 And he did evil, because he did not prepare his heart to seek the LORD.

8 “And now you think to oppose the kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of David; and you are a great multitude, and there are with you golden calves, which Jeroboam made as gods for you. 9 Have you not expelled the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made priests for yourselves according to the custom of the nations of other lands? So that whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams, he can become a priest for those which are not gods.

15 Now the acts of Rehoboam, first and last, are they not written in the book of Shemaiah the prophet, and the book of Iddo the seer concerning genealogies? And there were continual wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam. 16 And Rehoboam slept with his ancestors, and was buried in the city of David; and his son Abijah reigned in his place.

10 “But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him; and the priests, who serve the LORD, are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites attend to their work; 11 and each morning and each evening they burn sacrifices and fragrant incense to the LORD. Also they arrange the Showbread on the pure table, and the gold lampstands with their lamps, to burn every evening. For we keep the charge of the LORD our God; but you have forsaken him. 12 And, see, God himself is with us as our commander, and his priests with signal trumpets to sound the alarm against you. O children of Israel, do not fight against the LORD God of your fathers; for you will not succeed.”

Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam, Abijah began to reign over Judah. 2 He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Michaiah; she was the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. And there was battles between Abijah and Jeroboam. 3 And Abijah drew up the battle lines with an army of valiant warriors, four hundred thousand chosen men. Jeroboam also drew up the battle lines against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, strong and brave men.

4 And Abijah stood up on Mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, “Hear

13 But Jeroboam had placed an ambush to come from their rear, so that they were in front of Judah

Jeroboam, than of His approval of Abijah. 13:4 “All Israel” – here means the northern kingdom. See 12:1. 13:5 “David” – 7:17,18; 1 Chron 17:13,14. “Salt” – Lev 2:13 (note); Num 18:19; 2 Kings 2:20. 13:6 1 Kings 11:26. 13:7 “Young” – actually Rehoboam was 41 years old when Jeroboam rebelled against him (12:13). 13:8 “LORD” – he is saying that the northern kingdom was not the kingdom of Jehovah, only Judah was.

12:12 “Humbled himself” – vs 6,7. “Well” – 19:3. In the midst of great evil God does not overlook the good, small as it may be. And He does not bring final and complete judgment and punishment until a people’s iniquity is full. Compare Gen 6:5-8; 15:16; Ps 10:1. 12:13 “To put his name” – 6:6. “Ammonite” – 1 Kings 14:21,31. 12:14 Here is given one of the principal reasons for the evil in the world. Compare Ps 14:2,3; etc. 12:15 9:29. 12:16 “Slept” – 1 Kings 2:10. 13:1-2 1 Kings 15:1,2,6. “Daughter” – in Hebrew the word may also indicate “granddaughter.” 13:4-12 Abijah was far from practicing what he preached (1 Kings 15:3,4). Like many, it seems he thought the form of religion was all that God required. His victory was more a sign of God’s disapproval of

“Golden calves” – 1 Kings 12:28. 13:9 “Priests” – 11:14; 1 Kings 12:31. “Not gods” – Ps 115:2-8; Is 37:19; Jer 2:11; 16:20; Gal 4:8. 13:10 This was not altogether true – see 1 Kings 15:3. 13:11 Ex 25:30-39; 29:38; Lev 24:5-9. They kept up the outward forms of worship. 13:12 Num 10:8-9.

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and the ambush was behind them. 14 And when Judah looked back, they saw the battle was in front and in the rear; and they cried out to the LORD, and the priests sounded with the trumpets. 15 Then the men of Judah gave a shout, and when the men of Judah shouted, it came about that God struck down Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. 16 And the children of Israel fled before Judah, and God delivered them into their hands. 17 And Abijah and his people killed them in a great slaughter, so five hundred thousand chosen men of Israel fell dead. 18 Thus the children of Israel were subdued at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied on the LORD God of their fathers.

years, because the LORD had given him rest.

7 Therefore he said to Judah, “Let us build these cities, and make walls around them, and towers, gates, and bars, while the land is still before us; because we have sought the LORD our God. We have sought him, and he has given us rest on every side.” So they built and prospered.

8 And Asa had an army of men who carried shields and spears, three hundred thousand from Judah, two hundred and eighty thousand from Benjamin who carried shields and drew bows. All these were strong and brave men.

9 Then Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a million, and three hundred chariots, and he came to Mareshah. 10 Then Asa went out against him, and they drew up the battle lines in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.

19 And Abijah pursued Jeroboam, and took cities from him: Bethel with its towns, and Jeshanah with its towns, and Ephraim with its towns. 20 And Jeroboam did not recover strength again in the days of Abijah, and the LORD struck him, and he died.

11 And Asa cried out to the LORD his God and said, “LORD, it is nothing for you to help, whether with many or with the powerless. Help us, O LORD our God, for we rest on you, and in your name we go against this multitude. O LORD, you are our God. Let not man prevail against you.”

21 But Abijah became powerful. And he married fourteen wives, and had twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters. 22 And the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways and his words, are recorded in the writings of the prophet Iddo.

12 So the LORD struck down the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah, and the Ethiopians fled. 13 And Asa and the people who were with him pursued them to Gerar. And the Ethiopians were overthrown, so that they could not recover; for they were destroyed before the LORD and before his army. And Judah carried away a very large amount of plunder. 14 And they struck all the cities around Gerar, for the fear of the LORD came on them. And they plundered all the cities, for there was a very large amount of plunder in them. 15 They also struck the livestock camps, and carried away large quantities of sheep and camels, and returned to Jerusalem.

So Abijah slept with his ancestors, and they buried him in the city of David; and his son Asa reigned in his place. In his days the land was quiet for ten years.

2 And Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God; 3 for he took away the altars of the foreign gods, and the high places, and broke down the images and cut down the idolatrous groves, 4 and commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers, and to obey the law and the commandments. 5 Also he took away the high places and the images out of all the cities of Judah; and the kingdom was peaceful under him. 6 And he built fortified cities in Judah; for the land had rest, and he had no war in those

And the Spirit of God came on Azariah, the son of Oded, 2 and he went out to meet Asa, and said to him, “Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you when you are

13:14 “Cried out” – 14:11; 1 Chron 5:20. 13:18 14:11; 16:7; 1 Chron 5:20; Ps 18:47; 22:5; Eph 6:10. 13:20 1 Kings 14:10,20. 13:22 9:29; 12:15. No man knows what became of these writings. 14:1 “Slept” – note at 1 Kings 2:10. 14:2,3 Notes at 1 Kings 15:11-14. 14:4 “Seek” – Asa was concerned with far more than the outward symbols of religion. 14:5 “High places” – note at 1 Kings 3:2. 14:6 “Rest” – throughout the historical books, after the land was conquered, we see that peace was a gift of God for righteous behavior, war was a punishment for national sin. See note at 12:2. 14:9 “Army of a million” – in Hebrew “an

army of a thousand thousands”, or “an army of thousands upon thousands.”

“Mareshah” – this happened after the 10 years of peace (v 1). Mareshah was a town on the plains to the southwest of Jerusalem. 14:11 13:14,15,18; 1 Sam 14:6; 17:45; Ps 44:5-8; 60:11,12; 108:12,13; 1 Cor 15:57. 14:14 “Fear” – 17:10; Gen 35:35; Deut 2:25; 11:25; 1 Chron 14:17. 15:1 “Spirit of God” – 20:14; 24:20; Num 11:25,26; Jud 15:14; 24:2; 1 Sam 10:10; 16:13; 1 Chron 12:18. 15:2 “With you when” – in other words God would not aid them in battle or give them peace and prosperity if they broke His covenant, despised His word, and turned

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with him; and if you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will forsake you. 3 Now for a long time Israel was without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without the law. 4 But when they in their trouble turned to the LORD God of Israel and sought him, he was found by them. 5 And in those times there was no peace to anyone who went out, or to anyone who came in, but there were great troubles to all the inhabitants of the countries. 6 And nation was destroyed by nation, and city by city; for God troubled them with every kind of distress. 7 Be strong therefore, and do not let your hands be weak; for your work will be rewarded.”

and with shouting and with trumpets and with cornets. 15 And all Judah rejoiced at the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart, and sought him with their whole desire; and he was found by them, and the LORD gave them rest all around.

16 And he also removed Maachah, the mother of Asa the king, from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove. And Asa cut down her idol, and crushed it and burned it at the brook Kidron. 17 But the high places were not taken away out of Israel. Nevertheless the heart of Asa was blameless all his days. 18 And he brought the things that his father had dedicated, and that he himself had dedicated, silver, and gold, and vessels into the house of God.

8 And when Asa heard these words, and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and put away the abominable idols out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had taken from the hill country of Ephraim, and repaired the altar of the LORD that was before the portico of the LORD.

19 And there was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of the reign of Asa.

In the thirty-sixth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah, and built Ramah, to prevent anyone going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah.

9 And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and those from Ephraim and Manasseh and from Simeon who had settled among them; for many defected to him out of Israel when they saw that the LORD his God was with him.

2 Then Asa brought silver and gold out of the treasuries of the house of the LORD and the king’s house, and sent it to Ben-Hadad king of Syria, who lived at Damascus, saying, 3 “There is a treaty between me and you, as there was between my father and your father. See, I have sent you silver and gold. Go, break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel, so that he will depart from me.”

10 So they gathered together at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa. 11 And at that time they offered to the LORD seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep from the plunder which they had brought. 12 And they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul, 13 that whoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman. 14 And they swore to the LORD with a loud voice,

4 And Ben-Hadad listened to king Asa, and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, and they attacked Ijon, and Dan, and Abel-maim, and all the store cities of Naphtali. 5 And it came about, when Baasha heard it, that he stopped the building of Ramah, and let his work cease. 6 Then Asa the king took along all Judah,

their backs on Him.

disrepair. Compare 1 Kings 18:30. 15:9 11:13-17. 15:11 14:13-15. 15:12 “Covenant” – Ex 19:5; Josh 8:30-35; 24:25; 1 Sam 11:14; 2 Chron 23:16; 29:10; 34:31. The nation Israel was a people in covenant relationship with God and their whole history depended on whether they obeyed the covenant. 15:13 “Put to death” – if the people would not seek Jehovah the true God, this would show their intention to follow other gods. According to the laws of God’s covenant with them the penalty for going after other gods was death – Ex 22:20; Deut 13:5-9. 15:16-18 1 Kings 15:13-15. 15:16 14:2-5; Ex 34:13; 14:2-5. 15:17 “Blameless” – in Hebrew “shalem”, meaning complete, full, whole, at peace, peaceful, perfect in covenant relationship, etc. 16:1-6 Notes at 1 Kings 15:16-22. “Abel-maim” (v 4) – also known as “Abel-Beth-Maacah.”

“Found by you” – a wonderful promise valid in all times to all people – 7:14; Ps 9:10; Isa 45:19; 55:6,7; Jer 29:13; Matt 7:7,8; Jam 4:8. 15:3 The priests had failed in their duties to teach the Word of God (Lev 10:10,11). For a considerable portion of Judah’s history there was a dearth of the word of God, written or spoken. Compare 1 Sam 3:1; Amos 8:11,12. 15:4 Deut 4:29. 15:5 Jud 5:6. 15:6 “Distress” – conditions that will prevail again before this age ends – Matt 24:7. 15:7 Josh 1:7,9; Ps 18:20; 58:11; Prov 14:14; Jer 31:16. 15:8 2 Chron 4:1; 8:12. “Idols” – apparently, the work begun in 14:3-5 had not been finished. “Altar” – 4:1; 8:12. While altars to other gods (14:3) were being used, the altar of the true God was allowed to fall into

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and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber which Baasha was using in building, and with them he built Geba and Mizpah.

cities of Judah, and set garrisons in the land of Judah, and in the cities of Ephraim which Asa his father had taken.

7 And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said to him, “Because you have relied on the king of Syria, and not relied on the LORD your God, the army of the king of Syria has escaped from your hands. 8 Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubim a huge army, with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet, because you relied on the LORD, he delivered them into your hands. 9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is perfect toward him. You have acted foolishly in this; therefore from now on you will have wars.”

3 And the LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the earlier ways of his father David, and did not seek out the Baals, 4 but sought the LORD God of his father, and walked in his commandments, and not according to the deeds of Israel. 5 Therefore the LORD established the kingdom in his hands. And all Judah brought tribute to Jehoshaphat, and he had riches and honour in abundance. 6 And his heart felt exalted in the ways of the LORD, and he removed the high places and idolatrous groves from Judah.

7 Also in the third year of his reign he sent his officials Ben-Hail and Obadiah and Zechariah and Nethaneel and Michaiah to teach in the cities of Judah. 8 And with them he sent the Levites Shemaiah and Nethaniah and Zebadiah and Asahel and Shemiramoth and Jehonathan and Adonijah and Tobijah and Tobadonijah, Levites; and with them the priests Elishama and Jehoram. 9 And they taught in Judah, and had the book of the law of the LORD with them, and they travelled about among all the cities of Judah, and taught the people.

10 Then Asa was angry with the seer, and put him in a prison; for he was enraged at him because of this thing. And at that same time Asa oppressed some of the people.

11 And, see, the acts of Asa, first and last, lo, they are written in the book of The Kings of Judah and Israel. 12 And in the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa became diseased in his feet. Though his disease was very severe, yet in his disease he did not seek the LORD, but the physicians. 13 And Asa slept with his ancestors, dying in the forty-first year of his reign. 14 And they buried him in his own tomb, which he had made for himself in the city of David, and laid him on the couch which was filled with perfumes and various kinds of spices prepared by the perfumer’s art; and they made a very great fire for him.

10 And the fear of the LORD fell on all the kingdoms of the lands that were around Judah, so that they did not make war against Jehoshaphat. 11 Also some of the Philistines brought presents and silver as tribute to Jehoshaphat, and the Arabians brought him flocks, seven thousand seven hundred rams and seven thousand seven hundred male goats.

12 And Jehoshaphat became very great, and he built forts and store cities in Judah. 13 And he had large supplies in the cities of Judah; and the warriors, strong and brave men, were in

And his son Jehoshaphat reigned in his place, and strengthened himself against Israel. 2 And he placed forces in all the fortified

16:7-8 Asa had every reason to trust in the Lord (v 8), but he now put more confidence in human means than in God. The result was his spiritual downfall. In his death he was honored for his faithfulness (v 14), but he had to pay for his unfaithfulness. It comes naturally to all men to trust in what they can see rather than in the unseen God. Let us rather follow the example of Paul in 2 Cor 4:18. 16:9 A great promise for us all. Compare Ps 33:13-19; Prov 15:3; Zech 4:10. 16:10 “Angry” – it is a terrible thing to be angry with those who tell us the truth. And it is not at all uncommon. See 1 Kings 18:16,17; 22:8; John 8:40; Acts 7:57,58; Gal 4:16. Let us rather be angry with those faults in us that makes the truth hard to bear. 16:11-14 1 Kings 15:23-24. 16:12 “Physicians” – Asa was not condemned for seeking help from physicians but for ignoring the Lord. It is sad that many Christians follow his bad example and, when

sick, do not think of God but only of medicines and doctors. Note on human remedies at 2 Kings 20:7. 16:13 “Slept” – 1 Kings 2:10. 16:14 “Fire” – Jer 34:5. 17:1 1 Kings 15:24; 22:41. 17:2 15:8. 17:3 2 Kings 18:3. “Baals” – note at Jud 2:11. 17:4 1 Kings 12:28-33. 17:6 “Idolatrous groves” – or “Asherah poles.” His father Asa had done the same thing – 14:3; 15:17. This suggests that after the good kings of Judah destroyed such things the people began to make them again. It required a constant effort to keep people from idolatry. 17:7-9 19:4-10; Lev 10:11. The teaching of the law was basic to the reform of Jehoshaphat, as it was under Josiah (34:14-32), and Ezra (Neh 8:1-9). There can be no true spiritual awakening and progress without the teaching of God’s Word. 17:10 14:14; 1 Chron 14:17.

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Jerusalem. 14 These are their numbers according to the houses of their fathers: from Judah, the commanders of thousands were Adnah the chief, and with him three hundred thousand strong and brave men; 15 and next to him was commander Jehohanan, and with him two hundred and eighty thousand; 16 and next to him was Amasiah the son of Zichri, who willingly offered himself to the LORD, and with him two hundred thousand strong and brave men; 17 and from Benjamin, Eliada a strong, brave man, and with him two hundred thousand men armed with bow and shield; 18 and next to him was Jehozabad, and with him a hundred and eighty thousand equipped for war.

officers, and said, “Bring quickly Micaiah the son of Imla.”

9 And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah, each of them, sat on his throne, clothed in his royal robes, and they sat in an open place near the entrance of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets prophesied before them. 10 And Zedekiah, the son of Kenaanah, had made iron horns for himself, and he said, “Thus says the LORD, ‘With these you will push Syria until they are destroyed.’”

11 And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, “Go up to Ramoth-Gilead, and prosper. For the LORD will deliver it into the hands of the king.”

19 These waited on the king, besides those whom the king put in the fortified cities throughout all Judah.

12 And the messenger who went to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, “Look, with one accord the words of the prophets are favorable for the king, so please let your word be like one of theirs, and speak favorably.”

Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honour in abundance, and he allied himself by marriage to Ahab. 2 And after some years he went down to Ahab at Samaria. And Ahab slaughtered a great many sheep and oxen for him, and for the people who were with him, and persuaded him to go up with him to Ramoth-Gilead.

13 And Micaiah said, “As the LORD lives, I will speak just what my God says.”

14 And when he was come to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-Gilead to battle, or shall I refrain?”

And he said, “Go up, and prosper; for they will be delivered into your hands.”

3 And Ahab, king of Israel, said to Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, “Will you go with me to Ramoth-Gilead?”

15 And the king said to him, “How many times shall I adjure you in the name of the LORD to tell me nothing but the truth?”

And he answered him, “I am as you are, and my people as your people, and we will be with you in the war.”

16 Then he said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And the LORD said, ‘These have no master; so let each one of them return to his house in peace.’”

4 And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire for the word of the LORD today.”

5 Therefore the king of Israel gathered together four hundred of the prophets and said to them, “Shall we go to Ramoth-Gilead to battle, or shall I refrain?”

17 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good about me, but disaster?”

18 Again Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the word of the LORD. I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing at his right hand and at his left. 19 And the LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel to go up and fall at Ramoth-Gilead?’ And one spoke saying this, and another saying that. 20 Then a spirit came and stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will entice him.’ And the LORD said to him, ‘How?’ 21 And he said, ‘I will go and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And the LORD said, ‘You will entice him, and also prevail. Go and do so.’

And they said, “Go up, for God will deliver it into the king’s hands.”

6 But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not here also a prophet of the LORD so that we might consult him?”

7 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man through whom we may consult the LORD, but I hate him, because he has never prophesied good about me, but always disaster. He is Micaiah, the son of Imla.”

And Jehoshaphat said, “May the king not say so.”

22 “Now therefore, see, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these prophets of yours,

8 And the king of Israel called for one of his

17:19 Verse 2; 11:5-12. 18:1-34 Notes at 1 Kings 22:1-35. 18:1 “Marriage” – throughout their history there had been frequent battles between Judah and Israel (13:2; 16:1; 1 Kings 15:6,16). Perhaps Jehoshaphat hoped to end this trouble by a marriage alliance with

the king of Israel. But because Ahab was an evil man this was an error which later had very sad results in Judah. See note at 1 Kings 22:2. God’s people should never do a wrong thing hoping that good may result from it. 18:4 1 Sam 23:2,4,9; 2 Sam 2:1.

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and the LORD has spoken disaster against you.”

And Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, returned to his house at Jerusalem in peace. 2 And Jehu, the son of Hanani, the seer, went out to meet him and said to king Jehoshaphat, “Should you help the ungodly, and love those who hate the LORD, and so bring wrath on you from the LORD’s presence? 3 Nevertheless, there are good things found in you, for you took away the idolatrous groves from the land, and prepared your heart to seek God.”

23 Then Zedekiah, the son of Kenaanah, came near, and struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, “Which way did the Spirit of the LORD go from me to speak to you?”

24 And Micaiah said, “Look, you will see on that day when you go into an inner room to hide yourself.”

25 Then the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah, and return him to Amon, the governor of the city, and to Joash, the king’s son, 26 and say, ‘Thus says the king, Put this fellow in prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I return in peace.’”

4 And Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem, and he went out again among the people from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim, and brought them back to the LORD God of their fathers. 5 And he appointed judges in the land throughout all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city, 6 and said to the judges, “Watch what you do, for you judge not for man but for the LORD, who is with you in the judgment. 7 Therefore now let the fear of the LORD be on you. Be careful what you do, for the LORD our God will have no part in evil or favoritism or taking bribes.”

27 And Micaiah said, “If you at all return in peace, then the LORD has not spoken through me.” And he said, “Listen, all you people.”

28 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth-Gilead. 29 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself, and go into the battle; but you put on your robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into the battle.

30 Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of the chariots who were with him, saying, “Do not fight with small or great, but only with the king of Israel.”

8 Moreover, in Jerusalem Jehoshaphat appointed some of the Levites and of the priests and of the chiefs of the fathers’ households of Israel, to pronounce the judgments of the LORD, and for controversies. They lived in Jerusalem. 9 And he charged them, saying, “You shall do so in the fear of the LORD, faithfully, and with a perfect heart. 10 And whatever case comes to you from your brethren who live in their cities, between blood and blood, between law and commandment, statutes and judgments, you must warn them not to trespass against the LORD, and so bring wrath on you and on your brethren. Do this, and you will not trespass.

31 And it happened, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, “It is the king of Israel.” Therefore they turned about to fight against him. But Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him, and God drew them away from him. 32 For it happened, when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him. 33 And some man drew a bow at random, and hit the king of Israel in a joint of the armour; therefore he said to his charioteer, “Turn around, and take me away from the army lines; for I am wounded.”

11 “And, see, Amariah, the chief priest, is over you in all the LORD’s matters; and Zebadiah, the son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah, in all the king’s matters. Also the Levites will be your officials. Act courageously, and the LORD will be with the good.”

34 And the battle increased that day. However the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot opposite the Syrians until evening; and at sunset he died.

– 12:12,14; 17:6. Note at Jud 3:7. 19:4 “Ephraim” – 15:8. The king was not content merely to send others (17:7-9). 19:6 Deut 1:16,17; 16:18-20; Ps 82. 19:7 “Fear of the LORD” – notes at Gen 20:11; Ps 34:11-14. “Iniquity. . .bribes” – Gen 18:25; Deut 10:17-18; 32:4; Rom 2:11; Col 3:25. 19:8 17:8-9. 19:9 2 Sam 23:3-4. 19:10 “Cities” – Deut 17:8. “Against the LORD” – Deut 9:16; 1 Sam 2:25; 12:23; Ps 51:4. 19:11 “The good” – a surprising number of people think God will be with them even if they do evil.

19:2 “Jehu” – 1 Kings 16:1. Jehu’s father had suffered at the hands of Jehoshaphat’s father because he rebuked him and told him the truth (16:7-10). This knowledge did not prevent Jehu from doing his duty. In every generation God needs men who will stand against wrong regardless of the consequences.

“Hate” – Ps 139:21. Compare 2 Cor 6:14-18. “Wrath” – Ps 90:7-11. 19:3 “Good” – 12:12; 1 Kings 14:13. God is a just judge who rebukes what should be rebuked, and commends what is good. His servants should follow Him in this.

“Idolatrous groves” – or “Asherah poles”

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And it happened after this that the children of Moab and the children of Ammon, and with them others besides the Ammonites, came to war against Jehoshaphat.

13 And all Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives and their children.

14 Then the Spirit of the LORD came on Jahaziel, the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the middle of the congregation, 15 and he said, “Listen, all Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you king Jehoshaphat. Thus says the LORD to you, ‘Do not be afraid or dismayed because of this large horde; for the battle is not yours, but God’s. 16 Tomorrow go down against them. Look, they will come up by the cliff of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel. 17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Take up your position, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, for the LORD will be with you.’”

2 Then someone came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, “A huge horde is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Syria; and, see, they are in Hazazon Tamar, that is, Engedi.” 3 And Jehoshaphat was afraid, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4 And Judah gathered together to ask the LORD for help. They came out of all the cities of Judah to seek the LORD.

5 And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new courtyard, 6 and said,

“O LORD God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? And do you not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? And are not power and might in your hands, so that no one is able to withstand you? 7 Are you not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of your friend Abraham forever? 8 And they have lived in it, and have built you a sanctuary in it for your name, saying, 9 ‘When disaster comes on us, like the sword, judgment, or plague, or famine, if we stand before this house, and in your presence (for your name is in this house) and cry out to you in our trouble, then you will hear and help.’

18 And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem prostrated themselves before the LORD, worshipping the LORD. 19 And the Levites of the children of the Kohathites, and of the children of the Korhites, stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with a very loud voice.

20 And they got up early in the morning, and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa; and as they were going out, Jehoshaphat stood and said,

10 “And now, see, 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 (but they turned from them and did not destroy them), 11 see, they reward us by coming to drive us out of your possession, which you have given us to inherit. 12 O our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power against this huge horde that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do. But our eyes are on you.”

“Hear me, O Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem. Believe in the LORD your God, and you will be established. Believe his prophets, and you will succeed.”

21 And when he had conferred with the people, he appointed singers for the LORD to praise the beauty of holiness as they went out before the army, and to say,

“Praise the LORD; for his mercy continues on forever.”

will instruct and help those who look to Him. 20:14 15:1; 24:20. 20:15-17 32:7,8; Ex 14:13,14; 1 Sam 17:47. There were times when God’s servants had to fight. At other times they watched God fight for them. 20:18 7:3; Gen 24:26; Ex 4:31. 20:20 “Believe” – Ps 4:5; 115:9; Isa 7:9; John 14:1.

20:2 “Sea” – the Dead Sea. 20:3 “Seek” – 18:4; 19:3. 20:5-12 This prayer is a good example of how a godly leader should look to God in time of danger and need, and rely on God alone. 20:6 25:8; Deut 4:39; 1 Chron 29:11,12; Dan 4:34,35. 20:7 “Drove out” – Josh 21:43-45. “Your friend Abraham” – Isa 41:8; Jam 2:23. 20:8 “Sanctuary” – 5:1; note at Ex 25:8. 20:9 6:20,28-30. 20:10 Num 20:21; Deut 2:4,9,19. 20:11 Compare with psalm 83. 20:12 “Judge them” – Jud 11:27. “Our eyes are on you” – Ps 25:15; 121:1-2; 123:2; Micah 7:7; Heb 12:2. Often God’s servants do not know what to do. But there is one who does know and who

“Prophets” – it is not possible to have faith in the one true God without believing the revelation He has given through His true prophets. We have this full revelation in the Bible. 20:21 “Praise” – he could praise, and cause others to praise, because he really believed the word God had spoken through the prophet in vs 15-17.

“Beauty of holiness” – Ps 29:2. Note on holiness at Lev 20:7.

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22 And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set an ambush against the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, and they were struck down. 23 For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, to kill and destroy them completely. And when they had finished with the inhabitants of Seir, each one helped to destroy another.

daughter of Shilhi. 32 And he walked in the way of his father Asa, and did not depart from it, doing what was right in the sight of the LORD. 33 However the high places were not taken away, for the people still had not prepared their hearts for the God of their fathers.

34 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and last, see, they are written in the book of Jehu, the son of Hanani, who is mentioned in the book of the kings of Israel.

24 And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked toward the horde, and saw that they were dead bodies fallen to the earth; and no one escaped. 25 And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away their plunder, they found among them a great quantity of riches and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away; and it was so much they spent three days gathering the plunder. 26 And on the fourth day they assembled in the valley of Berachah, for there they praised the LORD. Therefore the name of that place has been called the Valley of Berachah to this day.

35 And after this Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, allied himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, who acted very wickedly. 36 And he allied himself with him to have ships go to Tarshish. And they made the ships in Ezion Geber. 37 Then Eliezer, the son of Dodavah of Mareshah, prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, the LORD has destroyed your work.” And the ships were destroyed, so that they were not able to go to Tarshish.

Now Jehoshaphat slept with his ancestors, and was buried with his ancestors in the city of David. And Jehoram his son reigned in his place. 2 And he had brothers, Jehoshaphat’s sons Azaryahu and Jehiel and Zechariah and Azariah and Michael and Shephatiah. All these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel. 3 And their father gave them great gifts of silver and of gold and of precious things, with fortified cities in Judah, but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram, because he was the firstborn.

27 Then they returned, each man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat in front of them, to enter Jerusalem again with joy, for the LORD had caused them to rejoice over their enemies. 28 And they came into Jerusalem with lyres and harps and trumpets to the house of the LORD.

29 And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries, when they heard that the LORD fought against the enemies of Israel. 30 So the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God gave him rest all around.

4 Now when Jehoram took over the kingdom of his father, he strengthened himself and killed all his brothers with the sword, and also some of the leaders of Israel. 5 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. 6 And he walked in the way of

31 And Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Azubah. She was the

20:22-25 Here we see something of the results of faith expressed in songs of praise. 20:23 God caused this confusion in the ranks of Judah’s enemies. Compare Jud 7:22; 1 Sam 14:20. 20:26 “Berachah” – this is a Hebrew word meaning “praise.” They did not praise themselves or their skill in battle. They praised the only One who is ever fully worthy of it. 20:29 14:14; 17:10. 20:30 14:5-7; 15:15; 1 Chron 22:8,9,18. 20:33 “High places” – 17:6. He removed them early in his reign but when the people rebuilt them he let them remain. 20:35-37 1 Kings 22:48-49. Jehoshaphat had married his son Jehoram to Athaliah, daughter of Ahab (21:4-6; 2 Kings 8:17-18, 25-26). Although he had already been warned against an association with the house of Ahab and had accepted the warning (19:2-4), he now establishes a business association with Ahab’s wicked son Ahaziah. A tendency to bad alliances was

a weakness in Jehoshaphat’s character, as it has been in many people since. We should be on our guard against it (2 Cor 6:14-18). It can result in spiritual disaster. If we want God’s blessing on our projects they should be undertaken and carried forward in God’s way. 21:1 “Slept” – note at 1 Kings 2:10. 21:2 “Israel” – as often in 2 Chronicles this means the kingdom of Judah. 21:3 Here is another mistake of Jehoshaphat – Jehoram was the worst of his sons (v 13), but he chose Jehoram as his successor simply because he was his firstborn. In this he did not follow his great ancestor David, and because he did not he brought great trouble on Judah. 21:4-6 Here we see part of the sad fruit of Jehoshaphat’s blunder in arranging for his son to marry the daughter of Ahab. The son rejected all his father stood for and followed all his father hated. 21:6 “Ahab” – 1 Kings 16:30-33; 2 Kings 8:18.

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the kings of Israel, like the house of Ahab did, for he had Ahab’s daughter as his wife, and he did what was evil in the eyes of the LORD. 7 However the LORD would not destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that he had made with David, and since he promised to give a light to him and to his sons forever.

king’s house, and his sons and his wives also, so that there was no son left to him, except Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons.

18 And after all this the LORD struck him in his bowels with an incurable disease. 19 And it came about in process of time, at the end of two years, that his bowels fell out because of his sickness; so he died of severe diseases. And his people lit no fire for him, like the fire for his fathers.

8 In his days the Edomites revolted against the rule of Judah, and made a king for themselves. 9 Then Jehoram went out with his princes, and all his chariots with him, and he got up at night and attacked the Edomites who had surrounded him and the captains of the chariots. 10 So the Edomites have revolted against the rule of Judah to this day. At the same time Libnah also revolted against his rule, because he had forsaken the LORD God of his fathers.

20 He was thirty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years, and passed away to no one’s regret. However they buried him in the city of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.

And the inhabitants of Jerusalem made his youngest son Ahaziah king in his place, for the band of men who came with the Arabians to the camp had killed all the older ones. So Ahaziah, the son of Jehoram, king of Judah, reigned.

11 Moreover, he made high places in the mountains of Judah, and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves, and led Judah astray. 12 And a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, saying,

2 Ahaziah was forty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Athaliah. She was the daughter of Omri.

“Thus says the LORD God of your father David: ‘Because you have not walked in the ways of your father Jehoshaphat, or in the ways of Asa king of Judah, 13 but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and have made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem prostitute themselves, just as the house of Ahab prostituted itself, and also have killed your brothers, of your own father’s house, who were better than yourself, 14 look, the LORD will strike your people and your children and your wives and all your possessions with a great plague. 15 And you will have a severe illness through a disease of your bowels, day by day, until your bowels fall out because of the illness.’”

3 He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother was his advisor to behave wickedly. 4 Therefore he did evil in the sight of the LORD like the house of Ahab, for after the death of his father they became his counsellors to his destruction. 5 And he walked according to their counsel, and went with Jehoram, the son of Ahab, king of Israel, to war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth-Gilead. And the Syrians struck Joram, 6 and he returned to Jezreel to be healed of the wounds which were given him at Ramah, when he fought with Hazael, king of Syria. And Azariah, the son of Jehoram, king of Judah went down to see Jehoram the son of Ahab at Jezreel, because he was sick.

16 Moreover, the LORD stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and of the Arabians, who were near the Ethiopians, 17 and they came up to Judah and invaded it, and carried away all the possessions that were found in the

7 And by coming to Joram, the destruction of Ahaziah was from God. For when he had come, he

21:7 “House of David” – 2 Sam 7:12-17. “Light” – 2 Sam 21:17; 1 Kings 11:36; 15:4; 2 Kings 8:19; Ps 132:17. 21:8-10 Part of the penalty for Jehoram’s wickedness. 21:11 “Prostitute themselves” – Ex 34:15; Lev 20:5; Jer 2:20. 21:12 “Elijah” – 1 Kings chapters 17-20. “Father David” – in Hebrew the word “father” sometimes means ancestor. 21:13 1 Kings 16:30-33. 21:14 “Strike” – Deut 32:39-42; Ps 9:12; Gal 6:7,8. 21:16,17 War was often the penalty for disobedience to God’s covenant – note at 12:2. “Jehoahaz” – a variant of Ahaziah. In Hebrew the two names have the same

meaning – “Jehovah holds”, or “Jehovah possesses.” 21:19 “Fire” – 16:14. 21:20 “To no one’s regret” – it is a tragic thing to live so that no one is sad to see you die. Compare 35:24; Gen 50:3,10; 1 Kings 14:18. 22:1-6 2 Kings 8:24-29. 22:1 2 Chron 21:16-17. 22:2 “Omri” – 1 Kings 16:23-26. 22:3 “Wickedly” – there is little hope of a son turning out well when his own mother encourages him to sin (though all things are possible through the grace of God). 22:5 “Jehoram” – a variant of Joram (also vs 6,7). 22:6 “Ramah” – a variant of Ramoth. 22:7-9 The record of how Jehu destroyed

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went out with Jehoram against Jehu, the son of Nimshi, whom the LORD had anointed to destroy the house of Ahab. 8 And it came about when Jehu was executing judgment on the house of Ahab, and found the leaders of Judah, and the sons of the brothers of Ahaziah, who ministered to Ahaziah, that he killed them. 9 And he looked for Ahaziah, and they caught him (for he was hidden in Samaria), and brought him to Jehu. And when they had killed him, they buried him, saying “Because he is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the LORD with all his heart.” So there was no one of the house of Ahaziah who had power to retain the kingdom.

man with his weapons in his hand, and anyone else coming into the house shall be put to death. And you are to be with the king when he comes in and when he goes out.”

8 So the Levites and all Judah acted in accordance with everything that Jehoiada the priest commanded, and each one took his men who were to come in on the Sabbath, with those who were to go out on the Sabbath; for Jehoiada the priest did not dismiss the divisions. 9 Moreover, Jehoiada the priest handed over to the captains of hundreds the spears and large shields and small shields that had belonged to king David which were in the house of God. 10 And he placed all the people, each man having his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the temple to the left side of the temple, along by the altar and the temple, around the king.

10 But when Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal offspring of the house of Judah. 11 But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took Joash, the son of Ahaziah, and stole him away from among the king’s sons who were killed, and put him and his nurse in a bedroom. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of king Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest (for she was the sister of Ahaziah), hid him from Athaliah, so that she did not kill him. 12 And he was with them, hidden in the house of God, for six years, and Athaliah reigned over the land.

11 Then they brought out the king’s son, and put the crown on him, and gave him the Testimony, and made him king. And Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and said, “God save the king!”

12 Now when Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she came into the house of the LORD to the people, 13 and she looked, and, lo and behold, the king stood by his pillar at the entrance, and the leaders and the trumpeters by the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and sounding on trumpets, and the singers with musical instruments were leading the praise. Then Athaliah tore her clothes, and said, “Treason! Treason!”

And in the seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself, and took the captains of hundreds, Azariah the son of Jeroham, and Ishmael the son of Jehohanan, and Azariah the son of Obed, and Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri, into covenant with himself. 2 And they went about in Judah and gathered the Levites out of all the cities of Judah, and the chief of the fathers of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem. 3 And all the congregation made a covenant with the king in the house of God.

14 Then Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains of hundreds who were appointed over the army, and said to them, “Bring her out through the ranks, and put to death with the sword whoever follows her.” For the priest said, “Do not kill her in the house of the LORD.” 15 So they seized her, and when she had come to the entrance of the Horse Gate at the king’s house, they killed her there.

And he said to them, “See, the king’s son will reign, as the LORD has said about the sons of David. 4 This is what you are to do: a third of you, of the priests and of the Levites who come in on the Sabbath, will be the doorkeepers, 5 and a third part will be at the king’s house, and a third part at the Foundation Gate, and all the people will be in the courtyards of the house of the LORD, 6 and let no one come into the house of the LORD except the priests and those of the Levites who minister. They shall go in, for they are holy, but all the people shall keep the watch of the LORD. 7 And the Levites are to surround the king, each

16 And Jehoiada made a covenant between himself and all the people and the king, that they would be the LORD’s people. 17 Then all the people went to the house of Baal and broke it down, and broke his altars and his idols in pieces, and killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, before the altars.

18 Also Jehoiada placed the supervision of the house of the LORD under the authority of the priests, the Levites, whom David had assigned over the house of the LORD, to offer the burnt offerings of the LORD, as it is written in the law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, as it was

the house of Ahab is in 2 Kings chapters 9 and 10, Ahaziah’s death is in 9:21-28. 22:9 “They” – Ahaziah’s servants. 2 Kings 9:28. 22:10-12 Notes at 2 Kings 11:1-3. “Jehoshabeath” – also called Jehosheba.

23:1-21 Notes at 2 Kings 11:4-20. 23:1 “Jehoiada” – 22:11; 24:6. 23:3 7:18; 21:7; 2 Sam 7:12. 23:18 1 Chron 23:6,25-31; 25:1,2,6. 23:11 “Testimony” – a copy of the covenant, or the ten commandments.

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ordained by David. 19 And he placed the gatekeepers at the gates of the house of the LORD, so that no one who was unclean in any way could enter.

and all the people rejoiced, and brought the money in and deposited it in the chest, until they had finished. 11 Now it came about when the chest was brought to the king’s office by the hands of the Levites, and when they saw that there was much money, the king’s scribe and the high priest’s official came and emptied the chest, and took it and carried it back to its place. They did this day by day, and gathered a large quantity of money. 12 And the king and Jehoiada gave it to those who were doing the work of the service of the house of the LORD, and hired masons and carpenters to repair the house of the LORD, and also to those who worked in iron and bronze to repair the house of the LORD.

20 And he took the captains of hundreds and the leaders and the rulers of the people and all the people of the land, and brought down the king from the house of the LORD, and they came through the upper gate into the king’s house, and placed the king on the throne of the kingdom. 21 And all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet, after they had killed Athaliah with the sword.

Joash was seven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Zibiah. She was from Beersheba. 2 And Joash did what was right in the sight of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest. 3 And Jehoiada took two wives for him, and he became the father of sons and daughters.

13 So the workmen worked and the work was finished by them, and they restored the house of God to its original state, and strengthened it. 14 And when they had finished it, they brought the rest of the money into the presence of the king and Jehoiada, and with it articles were made for the house of the LORD, articles to use in the service, and to offer with, and spoons, and articles of gold and silver. And they offered burnt offerings at the house of the LORD continually all the days of Jehoiada.

4 And after this it came about that Joash decided to repair the house of the LORD. 5 And he gathered together the priests and the Levites, and said to them, “Go out to the cities of Judah, and gather money from all Israel to make annual repairs of the house of your God. And you are to do this matter quickly.” However the Levites did not do it quickly.

15 But Jehoiada became old, and was full of days when he died. He was a hundred and thirty years old when he died. 16 And they buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, both toward God, and toward his house.

6 And the king called for Jehoiada the chief priest, and said to him, “Why have you not required the Levites to bring in the collection out of Judah and out of Jerusalem, in accordance with the command of Moses the servant of the LORD and of the congregation of Israel, for the tabernacle of witness?”

17 Now after the death of Jehoiada the leaders of Judah came and bowed down to the king, and the king listened to them. 18 And they abandoned the house of the LORD God of their fathers, and served idolatrous groves and idols, and wrath came on Judah and Jerusalem because of this trespass of theirs. 19 Yet he sent prophets to them, to bring them back to the LORD, and they testified against them. But they would not listen.

7 For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken into the house of God, and also they had used the dedicated things of the house of the LORD for the Baals.

8 And at the king’s command they made a chest and set it outside at the gate of the house of the LORD. 9 And they made a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem, to bring in to the LORD the collection that Moses the servant of God had levied on Israel in the wilderness. 10 And all the leaders

20 And the Spirit of God came on Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada the priest, who stood above the people and said to them, “Thus says God: ‘Why are you breaking the commandments of the LORD,

23:19 1 Chron 9:22. 24:1-14 Notes at 2 Kings 11:21-12:16. 24:2 26:5. 24:6 Ex 30:12-16; 38:26; Matt 17:24. 24:7 “Athaliah” – 21:6,17; 22:2,3. She was Joash’s grandmother.

behind the throne of Judah for years. So at his death the people treated him like a king. 24:17 “Listened to them” – it seems that Joash was the sort of person easily influenced by others, whether the influence was good or bad. 24:18 “Idols” – Ex 34:12-14; Jud 2:10-13; 1 Kings 14:22,23. “Wrath” – notes at Num 25:3; Ps 90:7-11. 24:19 36:15,16; Jer 7:13,25; 25:3,4; 44:4-6. 24:20 “Spirit of God” – 15:1; 20:14; Gen 1:2; 1 Chron 12:18; 28:12.

“Baals” – note at Jud 2:11. 24:10 “Rejoiced” – 1 Chron 29:3,6,9,17; 2 Cor 9:7. 24:16 Joash was only 7 years old when he became king (v 1). He was the only one left alive in the royal house of David. Jehoiada was his instructor (see 2 Kings 12:2), and probably was the chief power

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and so not prospering? Because you have forsaken the LORD, he has also forsaken you.’”

2 And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, but not with a perfect heart. 3 Now it came about, when the kingdom was firmly in his power, that he killed his servants who had killed his father the king. 4 But he did not kill their children, but did as it is written in the law in the book of Moses, where the Lord commanded, saying, “The fathers shall not die for the children, nor shall the children die for the fathers, but each man shall die for his own sin.”

21 And they conspired against him, and pelted him with stones at the command of the king in the courtyard of the house of the LORD. 22 So Joash the king did not remember the kindness which Zechariah’s father Jehoiada had done him, but killed his son. And as he was dying, he said, “May the LORD see and take vengeance.”

23 And it happened at the end of the year, that the army of Syria came up against him, and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, and destroyed all the leaders of the people among the people, and sent all their plunder to the king of Damascus. 24 For the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men, and the LORD delivered a very great army into their hands, because they had forsaken the LORD God of their fathers. So they executed judgment against Joash. 25 And when they had left him (for they left him very sick), his own servants conspired against him because of the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest, and killed him on his bed, and he died. And they buried him in the city of David, but they did not bury him in the tombs of the kings.

5 Moreover Amaziah gathered Judah together, and made for them captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, according to the houses of their fathers, throughout all Judah and Benjamin, and he counted them from twenty years old and over, and found them to be three hundred thousand choice men, able to go out to war, who could handle spear and shield. 6 He also hired a hundred thousand strong and brave men out of Israel for a hundred talents of silver.

7 But a man of God came to him, saying, “O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for the LORD is not with Israel, that is, with all the children of Ephraim. 8 But if you do that and go, be strong for the battle, for God will make you fall before the enemy. For God has power to help or to throw down.”

26 And these are the ones who conspired against him: Zabad, the son of Shimeath an Ammonitess, and Jehozabad, the son of Shimrith a Moabitess. 27 Now concerning his sons, and the many prophecies against him, and the repairing of the house of God, see, they are written in the annals of the book of the kings. And Amaziah his son reigned in his place.

9 And Amaziah said to the man of God, “But what shall we do about the hundred talents which I have given to the army of Israel?”

And the man of God answered, “The LORD is able to give you much more than this.”

10 Then Amaziah separated them, that is, the army that had come to him out of Ephraim, to go back home. Therefore their anger burned hotly against Judah, and they returned home in great anger.

Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jehoaddan. She was from Jerusalem.

11 And Amaziah strengthened himself and led

“Zechariah” – Matt 23:35. This was not the author of the book of Zechariah. 24:21 Neh 9:26; Matt 23:34-35; Acts 7:58; Heb 11:36-38. In this world the best people often receive the worst treatment. 24:22 “Take vengeance” – Gen 9:5; Ex 21:23-25; Deut 19:21. Zechariah, under the law, cried out for justice. Stephen, under grace, cried out for mercy for his persecutors – Acts 7:60. Both were correct in their attitudes according to the times in which they suffered and died. Notes at Ps 35:8; 109:1. 24:23-26 2 Kings 12:17-21. The prayer of the dying prophet was answered in these severe and just ways. 24:24 Lev 26:25; Deut 28:25. 24:26 “Zabad” – a variant of Jozabad. “Shimrith” – a variant of Shomer. 25:1 “Began to reign” – an account of Amaziah’s reign is given also in 2 Kings 14:1-20. 25:2 “Not with a perfect heart” – this

accounts for the sinful failure of his later years (v 14). See 1 Kings 8:61; Ps 86:11; 119:113; Jam 1:8; 4:8. Amaziah was like his father Joash (2 Kings 14:3). 25:4 Deut 24:16. 25:6 One talent equals about 34 Kilograms. 25:7 “Man of God” – term meaning a prophet. “Israel” – Amaziah was wrong to hire soldiers from Israel. It showed a lack of trust in God. Compare 16:2-9. The name Ephraim is used in this verse to mean the whole northern kingdom of Israel. 25:8 2 Chron 14:11; 20:6. Courageous fighting alone would not bring victory. They had to fight in God’s way. Compare 1 Cor 9:24-26; 1 Tim 6:12; 2:5. 25:9 “Given to the army” – Amaziah was afraid that he would suffer material loss by obeying God. Many there are who care more for money than for doing the will of God.

“More than this” – Deut 8:18; Prov 10:22. 25:11 2 Kings 14:7.

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out his people, and went to the Valley of Salt, and struck down ten thousand of the children of Seir. 12 And the children of Judah carried away captive the ten thousand who were left alive, and brought them to the top of a rock, and threw them down from the top of the rock, so that they were all broken in pieces.

the hands of their enemies, because they sought after the gods of Edom. 21 So Joash, the king of Israel, went up, and they looked one another in the face, he and Amaziah king of Judah, at Beth Shemesh, which belongs to Judah. 22 And Judah was defeated before Israel, and each man of them fled to his tent. 23 And Joash, the king of Israel, took Amaziah, king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, at Beth Shemesh, and brought him to Jerusalem, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate, four hundred cubits. 24 And he took all the gold and the silver and all the articles that were found in the house of God with Obed Edom, and the treasures of the king’s house, hostages also, and returned to Samaria.

13 But the soldiers of the army which Amaziah sent back, so that they would not go with him to battle, attacked the cities of Judah from Samaria to Beth Horon, and struck down three thousand people in them, and took away much plunder.

14 Now it so happened, when Amaziah had come from the slaughter of the Edomites, that he brought the gods of the children of Seir and set them up to be his gods, and prostrated himself before them, and burned incense to them. 15 Therefore the anger of the LORD burned against Amaziah, and he sent a prophet to him, who said to him, “Why have you sought after the gods of the nation which could not deliver their own people out of your hands?”

25 And Amaziah, the son of Joash, king of Judah, lived fifteen years after the death of Joash, son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel. 26 Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, first and last, look, are they not written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel? 27 Now after the time that Amaziah turned away from following the LORD they conspired against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish; but they sent men to Lachish after him, and they killed him there. 28 And they brought him on horses and buried him with his ancestors in the city of Judah.

16 And it came about, as he talked with him, that the king said to him, “Have we appointed you a counsellor for the king? Stop! Why should you be struck down?”

Then the prophet stopped and said, “I know that God has decided to destroy you, because you have done this, and have not listened to my counsel.”

17 Then Amaziah, king of Judah, took advice and sent word to Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, “Come, let us look one another in the face.”

Then all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah. 2 He built Eloth, and restored it to Judah, after the king had slept with his ancestors.

18 And Joash, king of Israel, sent word to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, “The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage,’ and a wild beast that was in Lebanon passed by and trampled down the thistle. 19 You say, ‘Look,’ for you have defeated the Edomites, and your heart lifts you up to boast. Now stay at home. Why should you stir up trouble to your harm, that you should fall, you, and Judah with you?”

3 Uzziah was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jecoliah. She was from Jerusalem. 4 And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, in accordance with all that his father Amaziah did. 5 And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God; and as long as he sought the LORD, God caused him to prosper.

20 But Amaziah would not listen, for it came about from God, so that he might deliver them into

6 And he went out and fought against the Philistines, and broke down the wall of Gath, and

25:13 Verses 6,10. Part of the sad results of Amaziah’s error in hiring them in the first place. 25:14 Ex 20:1-5. 25:15 “Deliver” – Deut 32:37-39; see notes at 2 Kings 14:8-14. 25:16 “Stop” – see 16:10; 18:7; 24:21; 1 Kings 13:4; Jer 36:21-23; Matt 21:45,46; Luke 4:28,29; John 8:40; Acts 4:18; 7:57,58; 17:13. Wicked men are always trying to get God’s servants to stop declaring the word of God. They don’t seem to understand that by shutting the mouths of preachers they are not

destroying the truth. The truth of God will go on and they will be judged according to it. 25:17-24 Notes at 2 Kings 14:8-14. 25:20 Compare 22:7; 1 Kings 12:15. 25:25-28 2 Kings 14:17-20. 26:1-4 2 Kings 14:21-22; 15:1-3. Uzziah was also called Azariah (2 Kings 14:21; 15:1). 26:5 “Sought” – 15:2; Deut 4:29. Zechariah was put to death before Uzziah became king at the age of 16. So we see that Uzziah sought God while still a boy. 26:6 “Philistines” – notes at Gen 10:14; Jud 1:18.

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the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod, and built cities around Ashdod, and among the Philistines. 7 And God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians who lived in Gurbaal, and the Mehunim. 8 And the Ammonites gave tribute to Uzziah. And his fame extended to the border of Egypt, for he strengthened himself exceedingly.

were valiant men, 18 and they opposed Uzziah the king and said to him, “It does not belong to you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD, but to the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Go out of the sanctuary, for you have trespassed; and you will not have honour from the LORD God.”

9 Moreover, Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate and at the Valley Gate, and at the place where the wall turns, and fortified them. 10 Also he built towers in the desert, and dug many wells, for he had much livestock, both in the lowlands and in the plains, and also farmers, and vine dressers in the mountains and in Carmel, for he loved farming.

19 Then Uzziah was angry. And he had a censer in his hand to burn incense, and while he was angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead before the priests in the house of the LORD, beside the incense altar. 20 And Azariah, the chief priest, and all the priests, looked at him, and, see, he had leprosy on his forehead, and they hurried him out of there. Indeed, he himself hurried to get out, because the LORD had struck him.

11 Moreover, Uzziah had an army of fighting men who went out to war in bands, according to the number of their enrollment at the hand of Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the officer, under the hand of Hananiah, one of the king’s captains. 12 The complete number of the heads of the fathers’ households, of the brave fighters was two thousand six hundred. 13 And under their authority there was an army of three hundred and seven thousand five hundred, who waged war with great power, to help the king against the enemy. 14 And Uzziah prepared shields and spears and helmets and armour and bows and slings for hurling stones for them, throughout the whole army. 15 And in Jerusalem he made engines, invented by skillful men, to be on the towers and on the bulwarks, with which to shoot arrows and large stones. And his fame spread far around, for he was marvellously helped, until he became strong.

21 And Uzziah the king was a leper to the day of his death, and lived in a separate house, being a leper, for he was cut off from the house of the LORD. And his son Jotham was over the king’s house, judging the people of the land.

22 Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, first and last, Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, wrote down.

23 So Uzziah slept with his ancestors, and they buried him with his ancestors in the burial ground which belonged to the kings, for they said, “He is a leper”; and Jotham his son reigned in his place.

Jotham was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jerushah. She was the daughter of Zadok. 2 And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Uzziah did. However he did not enter the temple of the LORD. But the people still acted corruptly. 3 He built the upper gate of the house of the LORD, and he built extensively on the wall of Ophel. 4 Moreover, he

16 But when he became strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction, for he transgressed against the LORD his God, and went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense. 17 And Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him eighty of the LORD’s priests, who

26:16 “Lifted up” – with pride – Deut 32:15; Prov 16:18; 29:23; James 4:6.

To be angry when justly rebuked is a mark of pride.

“Altar of incense” – this was in the Holy Place in the temple and only the priests were permitted to enter there (Num 3:38; 18:1-7). Pride is often the reason why men are unfaithful to God and are determined to do things they have no business doing (Ps 10:4; etc). A frequent temptation of those in places of authority now is to think mistakenly that their position gives them special rights and privileges with God. 26:17 It took courage to rebuke a very powerful and determined king. God’s servants should have the boldness to stand against any leader who does wrong. 26:18 Ex 30:7-8; Num 16:40. “Incense” – only the priests were appointed to burn incense – Ex 30:7,8; Num 16:40. 26:19 “Angry” – 16:10; 24:20,21; 25:16.

“Leprosy” – note at Lev 13:1. God sometimes sent this disease in punishment to show His great displeasure. See Num 12:1-10; 2 Kings 5:25-27. 26:20-23 2 Kings 15:5-7. 26:21 “Separate house” – Lev 13:46; Num 5:2. This could mean in a house where he was relieved of responsibilities. 26:22 “Isaiah” – these events were not recorded in the book of Isaiah, but in some other writing of the same prophet. No man knows what has become of this writing. 26:23 “Slept” – note at 2 Kings 2:10. 27:1-9 2 Kings 15:32-38. 27:2 “Temple” – 26:16. “But the people” – several of the kings of Judah fought against false worship and removed idols from the land. But they could

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built cities in the mountains of Judah, and he built forts and towers in the forests.

Elkanah, who was next to the king. 8 And the children of Israel carried away captive two hundred thousand of their brethren, women, sons, and daughters, and also took away much plunder from them, and brought the plunder to Samaria.

5 He also fought with the king of the Ammonites, and prevailed against them. And that same year the children of Ammon gave him a hundred talents of silver, and ten thousand measures of wheat, and ten thousand of barley. The children of Ammon paid him the same amount both the second and third years.

9 But a prophet of the LORD was there whose name was Oded, and he went out before the army that came to Samaria and said to them, “Look, because the LORD God of your fathers was angry with Judah, he delivered them into your hands, and you have slaughtered them in a rage that reaches up to heaven. 10 And now you intend to keep the children of Judah and Jerusalem for male slaves and female slaves for yourselves. But are you not also guilty of sins against the LORD your God? 11 Therefore now listen to me, and send back the captives whom you have taken captive of your brethren. For the fierce wrath of the LORD is on you.”

6 So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways in the presence of the LORD his God.

7 Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all his wars and his ways, see, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. 8 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. 9 And Jotham slept with his ancestors, and they buried him in the city of David, and his son Ahaz reigned in his place.

12 Then some of the heads of the children of Ephraim, Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, and Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai, stood up against those who came from the war, 13 and said to them, “You shall not bring the captives in here, for we have already offended against the LORD, and you intend to add to our sins and to our guilt; for our guilt is great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel.”

Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem, but he did not do what was right in the sight of the LORD, as his father David had done. 2 For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and also made cast metal idols for the Baals. 3 Moreover, he burned incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burned his children in the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen whom the LORD had driven out before the children of Israel. 4 He also sacrificed and burned incense on the high places and on the hills and under every green tree.

14 So the armed men left the captives and the plunder before the leaders and all the congregation. 15 And the men who were named rose up and took the captives, and clothed all those who were naked among them with the plunder, and gave them clothes and footwear, and gave them things to eat and to drink, and anointed them, and carried all the feeble among them on donkeys, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brethren. Then they returned to Samaria.

5 Therefore the LORD his God delivered him into the hands of the king of Syria, and they defeated him, and carried away a large number of them captive and brought them to Damascus. And he was also delivered into the hands of the king of Israel, who defeated him in a great slaughter. 6 For Pekah, the son of Remaliah, killed a hundred and twenty thousand in Judah in one day, who were all valiant men, because they had forsaken the LORD God of their fathers. 7 And Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, killed Maaseiah, the king’s son, and Azrikam, the governor of the house, and

16 At that time king Ahaz send word to the kings of Assyria to help him, 17 for the Edomites had come again and defeated Judah, and carried away captives. 18 The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the lowlands and of the south of Judah, and had taken Beth-Shemesh, and Aijalon, and

not remove idolatry from the hearts of the people. They worked for reformation, but could not change sinful natures. 27:5 “A hundred talents” – one talent was about 34 kilograms.

28:5 “Defeated” – one of the ways in which God often punished His people when they were unfaithful to Him. 28:6 “Pekah” – 2 Kings 15:27-31. Evidently this happened before Pekah and the king of Aram unsuccessfully besieged Jerusalem – see 2 Kings 16:5; Isa 7:1-9. 28:10 “Slaves” – Lev 25:42-43. “Sins” – 2 Kings 15:27,28; 1 Kings 12:28-33. 28:15 Prov 25:21-22; Luke 10:25-37. 28:16 2 Kings 16:7. 28:17-19 God was teaching them part of the penalty for their sins.

“Measures” – in Hebrew “kors” – one cor was about 6 bushels. 27:6 26:5. 27:9 “Slept” – 2 Kings 2:10. 28:1-27 2 Kings chapter 16 also gives an account of Ahaz’s reign. See notes there. 28:3 Note at 2 Kings 16:3. “Hinnom” – a valley just outside the southern wall of Jerusalem.

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Gederoth, and Shocho with its villages, and Timnah with its villages, also Gimzo and its villages; and they lived there. 19 For the LORD brought Judah low because of Ahaz, king of Israel, for he promoted loose living in Judah, and trespassed greatly against the LORD. 20 And Tiglath-Pilneser, king of Assyria, came to him and troubled him, but did not strengthen him. 21 For Ahaz took away a part of the treasures from the house of the LORD and from the king’s house and from the leaders, and gave it to the king of Assyria. But he did not help him.

Hezekiah began to reign when he was twenty-five years old, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Abijah. She was the daughter of Zechariah. 2 And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done.

3 In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the LORD and repaired them. 4 And he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them together in the square on the east, 5 and said to them, “Hear me, you Levites. Now consecrate yourselves, and consecrate the house of the LORD God of your fathers, and carry the filthiness out of the Holy Place. 6 For our fathers have trespassed and done what was evil in the eyes of the LORD our God, and have forsaken him and have turned away their faces from the dwelling place of the LORD and turned their backs. 7 Also they have shut up the doors of the portico, and put out the lamps, and have not burned incense or offered burnt offerings at the holy place to the God of Israel. 8 Therefore the wrath of the LORD has been on Judah and Jerusalem, and he has handed them over to trouble, to astonishment, and to hissing, as you see with your eyes. 9 For, see, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity for this. 10 Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the LORD God of Israel, so that his fierce wrath may turn away from us. 11 My sons, do not be negligent now, for the LORD has chosen you to stand before him, to serve him, and to minister to

22 And in the time of his trouble this same king Ahaz trespassed even more against the LORD. 23 For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus, which had defeated him, and he said, “Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, I will sacrifice to them, so that they will help me.” But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel.

24 And Ahaz gathered together the articles of the house of God, and cut the articles of the house of God into pieces, and shut up the doors of the house of the LORD, and made altars for himself in every corner of Jerusalem. 25 And in every city of Judah he made high places to burn incense to other gods, and provoked the LORD God of his fathers to anger.

26 Now the rest of his acts and all his ways, first and last, look, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. 27 And Ahaz slept with his ancestors, and they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem, but they did not bring him into the tombs of the kings of Israel. And his son Hezekiah reigned in his place.

28:19 “King of Israel” – Ahaz was the king of Judah but the author of Chronicles by calling him the king of Israel is probably indicating his view that the people living in the kingdom of Judah (which included some people from the ten northern tribes) should be called Israel, not the northern kingdom. And we should not forget that the author was writing by inspiration of God’s Spirit. 28:20 “Tiglath-Pilneser” – 2 Kings 15:29; 1 Chron 5:26. The help the king of Assyria gave (2 Kings 16:9) was only temporary, and through this attempted alliance Judah became subject to Assyria. 28:21 2 Kings 16:8-9. 28:22 “Trouble” – trouble makes some people worse (Jer 5:3), but causes others to seek God (Ps 18:4-6; 116:3,4). What men do in times of trouble is an indication of their spiritual condition and character. 28:23 “He said” – it seems he forgot the whole history of the nation. Wickedness blinds men to the truth and causes them to put hope in the very things that will bring them to destruction. Compare Isa 28:15-19; 2 Thess 2:10-12.

28:25 See also 2 Kings 16:10-18. “Anger” – Num 25:3; Ps 90:7-11; etc. Not one good thing is said about Ahaz anywhere in the Bible, yet he could sound very pious – Isa 7:12. 28:27 “Slept” – note at 1 Kings 2:10. 29:1-2 2 Kings 18:1-3. Except for these opening verses none of the material in this chapter and the next is found in Kings. 29:5 “Consecrate” – 29:15,34; 36:6; Ex 19:14,15; 1 Chron 29:5. This meant separating themselves from all uncleanness and preparing themselves for God’s presence. Only such would be fit for the work of God. 29:6,7 28:24,25; 24:18,19; Isa 1:4. 29:8 “Wrath” – notes at Num 25:3; Ps 90:7-11; Deut 28:25; etc. “Hissing” – Isa 1:5-9. 29:9 28:5,17. 29:10 15:12; 23:16. God’s anger could be turned away only by repentance and renewal of the covenant to be His faithful people. Without this they could rightly expect only the curses of the broken covenant to come on them (Deut 28:15-18). 29:11 Num 3:6; 8:6,14.

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him, and burn incense.”

male goats for the sin offering before the king and the congregation, and they laid their hands on them, 24 and the priests killed them, and they made a sin-offering with their blood on the altar, to make atonement for all Israel. For the king commanded that the burnt offering and the sin offering should be made for all Israel.

12 Then the Levites rose up, Mahath the son of Amasai, and Joel the son of Azariah, of the sons of the Kohathites; and of the sons of Merari, Kish the son of Abdi, and Azariah the son of Jehalelel; and of the Gershonites, Joah the son of Zimmah, and Eden the son of Joah; 13 and of the sons of Elizaphan, Shimri, and Jeiel; and of the sons of Asaph, Zechariah, and Mattaniah; 14 and of the sons of Heman, Jehiel, and Shimei; and of the sons of Jeduthun, Shemaiah, and Uzziel.

25 And he placed the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, with lyres and with harps, according to the command of David and of Gad, the king’s seer, and of Nathan the prophet; for such was the command of the LORD through his prophets. 26 And the Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets.

15 And in accordance with the command of the king, by the words of the LORD, they gathered their brethren, and consecrated themselves, and came to cleanse the house of the LORD. 16 And the priests went into the inner part of the house of the LORD to cleanse it, and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of the LORD into the courtyard of the house of the LORD. And the Levites took it and carried it out to the brook Kidron. 17 Now they began the consecration on the first day of the first month, and on the eighth day of the month they came to the portico of the LORD’s temple. So in eight days they consecrated the house of the LORD, and on the sixteenth day of the first month they finished.

27 And Hezekiah commanded that the burnt offering be offered on the altar. And when the burnt offering began, the song of the LORD also began with the trumpets, and with the instruments ordained by David, king of Israel. 28 And all the congregation worshipped, and the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded, and all this continued until the burnt offering was finished.

29 And when they had finished offering, the king and all who were present with him bowed down and worshipped. 30 Moreover, Hezekiah the king and the leaders commanded the Levites to sing praise to the LORD with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshipped.

18 Then they went in to Hezekiah the king, and said, “We have cleansed all the house of the LORD, and the altar of burnt offering, with all its articles, and the table of Showbread, with all its articles. 19 Moreover, we have made ready and consecrated all the articles which king Ahaz threw away during his reign, in his transgression, and, see, they are before the altar of the LORD.”

31 Then Hezekiah responded and said, “Now you have consecrated yourselves to the LORD. Come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into the house of the LORD.” And the congregation brought in sacrifices and thank offerings, and whoever had a willing heart brought burnt offerings.

20 Then Hezekiah the king rose early, and gathered the rulers of the city, and went up to the house of the LORD. 21 And they brought seven bulls and seven rams and seven lambs and seven male goats as a sin offering for the kingdom, and for the sanctuary, and for Judah. And he commanded the priests, the sons of Aaron, to offer them on the altar of the LORD. 22 So they killed the bull, and the priests took the blood and sprinkled it on the altar. In the same way, when they had killed the rams, they sprinkled the blood on the altar. They also killed the lambs and sprinkled the blood on the altar. 23 And they brought out the

32 And the number of the burnt offerings which the congregation brought was seventy bulls, a hundred rams, and two hundred lambs. All these were for a burnt offering to the LORD. 33 And the consecrated things were six hundred oxen and three thousand sheep. 34 But the priests were too few, so that they could not skin all the burnt offerings. Therefore their brethren, the Levites, helped them until the work was finished, and until the other priests had consecrated themselves; for the Levites had been more conscientious in

29:15 Verse 5. 29:17 Careless, sinful leaders had allowed such filth to collect in the temple that it took 16 days to get rid of it. Sometimes Christians are as careless and sinful about the New Testament temples of God – their bodies and hearts (1 Cor 3:16,17; 6:18-20). 29:19 28:24. 29:21 “Sin offering” – notes at Lev 1:2. 29:22 “Blood” – Lev 4:18; 8:14. God’s New

Testament temple is purged by the blood of a far greater offering (Heb 9:14; 1 John 1:7). 29:23 “Laid their hands on them” – Lev 4:15. 29:24 Notes on atonement at Ex 29:33. 29:25,26 1 Chron 15:16; 23:5; 25:6. 29:27 “Burnt offering” – notes at Leviticus chapter 1. 29:29 “Worshipped” – 20:18. 29:30 “Asaph” – psalms 50,70-83. 29:31 “Thank offerings” – notes at Lev

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consecrating themselves than the priests. 35 And also there was an abundance of burnt offerings, with the fat of the peace offerings, and the drink offerings for every burnt offering.

their fathers, who therefore made them an object of horror, as you see. 8 Now do not be stiffnecked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the LORD and come to his sanctuary, which he has sanctified forever, and serve the LORD your God, so that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you. 9 For if you turn back to the LORD, your brethren and your children will find compassion before those who have taken them away captive, so that they may return to this land. For the LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if you turn back to him.”

So the service of the house of the LORD was set in order. 36 And Hezekiah rejoiced, and all the people, that God had prepared the people; for the thing was done suddenly.

And Hezekiah sent word to all Israel and Judah, and also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, to keep the Passover to the LORD God of Israel. 2 For the king and his officials, and all the congregation in Jerusalem, had agreed to keep the Passover in the second month. 3 For they had not been able to keep it at that time, because the priests had not consecrated themselves in sufficient numbers, nor had the people gathered together to Jerusalem. 4 And the arrangement pleased the king and all the congregation. 5 So they resolved to make a proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, that they should come to keep the Passover to the LORD God of Israel at Jerusalem, for they had not done so for a long time in the way in which it was written.

10 So the couriers travelled from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh to Zebulun, but the people laughed them to scorn and mocked them. 11 Nevertheless, some from Asher and Manasseh and from Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. 12 The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the officials commanded, by the word of the LORD.

13 And many people, a very great congregation, assembled at Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month. 14 And they rose up and took away the altars that were in Jerusalem, and they took away all the altars of incense, and threw them into the brook Kidron.

6 So the couriers went with the letters from the king and his officials throughout all Israel and Judah, in accordance with the command of the king, saying,

15 Then they killed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the second month, and the priests and the Levites became ashamed of themselves and consecrated themselves, and brought the burnt offerings into the house of the LORD. 16 And they stood in their place according to their custom, according to the law of Moses the man of God. The priests sprinkled the blood, which they received from the hands of the Levites. 17 For there were many in the congregation who were 7:12,13; Ps 50:14,15. 29:35 “Peace offerings” – notes at Leviticus chapter 3. 29:36 “Suddenly” – when there are willing and dedicated people the work of God can move forward very rapidly. 30:1 “To Ephraim and Manasseh” – this shows that there were still Israelites left in the north after the Assyrians conquered the northern kingdom and took some of the people into captivity. That event had occurred several years before the death of Ahaz.

“You children of Israel, turn back to the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and he will return to those of you who remain, who have escaped out of the hands of the kings of Assyria. 7 And do not be like your fathers and like your brethren who trespassed against the LORD God of

“Assyria” – 2 Kings 17:3-23. 30:7 Deut 28:25 had been fulfilled before their eyes only a few years before. 30:8 “Stiffnecked” – Ex 32:9; Deut 9:24; Acts 7:51.

“Wrath” – notes on Num 25:3; Ps 90:7-11; etc. 30:9 Ex 34:6,7; Deut 30:2,3; 1 Kings 8:50; Ps 106:46; Isa 55:7; Micah 7:18. 30:10 “Laughed them to scorn” – 36:16; Isa 28:22; Matt 27:39-43; 2 Pet 3:3,4. All too many men still consider God’s great truth and solemn appeals something to laugh at. 30:11 God always has His remnant of faithful people. Compare 1 Kings 19:18. 30:12 “One heart” – Ps 133; Jer 32:39; Ezek 11:19; Eph 4:3. 30:13 “Feast of Unleavened Bread” – Lev 23:6-8. 30:14 “Altars” – these were altars to false gods (28:24,25). 30:15 “Killed the Passover” – Ex 12:3. 30:16 35:10,15. 30:17 Ex 12:6; Deut 16:6.

“Passover” – see Exodus chapter 12; Lev 23:5. 30:2 “Second month” – see Lev 23:5; Num 9:10,11. 30:3 Ex 12:6,18; 2 Chron 29:17,34. 30:5 “Beersheba to Dan” – from the far north to the far south of the land originally occupied in the days of Joshua, including the territories of all the tribes of Israel. 30:6 “He will return” – 7:14; Jer 3:12-13; Hos 14:1-4; Jam 4:8.

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not consecrated, therefore the Levites were in charge of killing the Passovers for every one who was not clean, to sanctify them to the LORD. 18 For a large number of the people, many from Ephraim and Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Passover, contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “The good LORD pardon every one 19 who prepares his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers, even though he is not cleansed in accordance with the purification of the sanctuary.”

Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah and broke the idols in pieces and cut down the idolatrous groves and threw down the high places and the altars throughout all Judah and Benjamin, also in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned, each man to his possession, to their own cities.

2 And Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and the Levites according to their divisions, each man according to his service, the priests and Levites for burnt offerings and for peace offerings, to minister, and to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of the camp of the LORD. 3 Also he appointed the king’s portion of his possessions for the burnt offerings, for the morning and evening burnt offerings, and the burnt offerings for the Sabbaths and for the new moons and for the appointed feasts, as it is written in the law of the LORD. 4 Moreover, he commanded the people who lived in Jerusalem to give the portion of the priests and the Levites, so that they might be encouraged in the law of the LORD. 5 And as soon as the command went out, the children of Israel brought in an abundance of the firstfruits of grain, wine and oil and honey and of all the produce of the field, and they brought in the tithe of all things in abundance. 6 And as for the children of Israel and Judah who lived in the cities of Judah, they also brought in the tithe of oxen and sheep, and the tithe of holy things which were consecrated to the LORD their God, and placed them in heaps. 7 In the third month they began making the heaps, and finished them in the seventh month. 8 And when Hezekiah and the officials came and saw the heaps, they praised the LORD and his people Israel.

20 And the LORD listened to Hezekiah, and healed the people.

21 And the children of Israel who were present at Jerusalem kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great gladness, and the Levites and the priests praised the LORD day by day, singing with loud instruments to the LORD.

22 And Hezekiah spoke words of encouragement to all the Levites who taught the good knowledge of the LORD, and they ate throughout the feast for seven days, offering peace offerings, and making confession to the LORD God of their fathers.

23 And the whole assembly agreed to keep the feast for seven more days, and they kept it for seven more days with gladness. 24 For Hezekiah king of Judah gave a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep to the congregation, and the officials gave a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep to the congregation, and a great number of priests consecrated themselves. 25 And all the congregation of Judah, with the priests and the Levites, and all the congregation that came out of Israel, and the foreigners who came out of the land of Israel and who lived in Judah, rejoiced. 26 So there was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the time of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel, there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem. 27 Then the priests, the Levites, rose up and blessed the people, and their voice was heard and their prayer came up to his holy dwelling place, to heaven.

9 Then Hezekiah questioned the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps. 10 And Azariah, the chief priest, of the house of Zadok, answered him and said, “Since the people began to bring the offerings to the house of the LORD we have had enough to eat, and have plenty left over, for the

30:18 Ex 12:43-49; Num 9:10; 2 Chron 30:11. 30:19 They had faced the ridicule of fellow Israelites in the north (v 10), and came to Jerusalem for the first time in many years. They were not “clean” (for possible cause of uncleanness see Lev 5:2,3; 11:24; etc), but Hezekiah did not want to refuse them the privilege of taking part in the Passover. He reasoned rightly that seeking God and trying to have their hearts right with God was more important than perfectly following the prescribed ritual. Compare Isa 1:11-17; Matt 23:25-28. 30:22 “Peace offerings” – notes at Leviticus

chapter 3. 30:23 7:8,9. 30:27 “Blessed” – notes at Num 6:22-27. See also Gen 12:3; Deut 28:3-14; Ps 1:1,2. 31:1 2 Kings 18:4; Ex 23:24; 34:13. 31:2 “Divisions” – 1 Chron 23:28 - 24:1. 31:3 “Offerings” – Numbers chapters 28,29. 31:4 Num 18:8-13. Compare Neh 13:10. 31:5,6 Deut 12:5-19; 14:22-29. 31:7 Both the third and seventh months were festival months. See Leviticus chapter 23. 31:8 Such acts of obedience to God’s Word and love shown for His servants always result in praise and blessing. Compare 2 Cor 9:6-15. 31:10 Mal 3:8-12; Luke 6:38.

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LORD has blessed his people. And this great store is what is left over.”

of the house of God, and in the law and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.

11 Then Hezekiah commanded that rooms be prepared in the house of the LORD, and they prepared them, 12 and brought in the offerings and the tithes and the dedicated things faithfully. Cononiah the Levite was in charge of this, and Shimei his brother was next. 13 And Jehiel and Azaziah and Nahath and Asahel and Jerimoth and Jozabad and Eliel and Ismachiah and Mahath and Benaiah were overseers under the hand of Cononiah and Shimei his brother, at the command of Hezekiah the king; and Azariah was in charge of the house of God.

After these things and this faithful conduct, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, came and invaded Judah, and camped against the fortified cities, and planned to take them over for himself. 2 And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come, and that he intended to fight against Jerusalem, 3 he took counsel with his officials and his mighty men to stop the waters of the springs which were outside the city, and they helped him. 4 So many people gathered together, who stopped up all the springs, and the brook that ran through the middle of the land, saying, “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find abundant water?” 5 Also he strengthened himself, and built up all the wall that had been broken down and raised it up to the towers and built another wall outside, and repaired Millo in the city of David, and made a great many weapons and shields.

14 And Korah, the son of Imnah the Levite, the gatekeeper at the east gate, was over the freewill offerings of God, to distribute the offerings of the LORD, and the most holy things. 15 And next to him were Eden and Miniamin and Jeshua and Shemaiah, Amariah and Shecaniah, in the cities of the priests, in their appointed office, to give to their brethren by divisions, to the great as well as to the small.

6 And he appointed military officers over the people, and gathered them together to him in the square at the city gate, and spoke words of encouragement to them, saying, 7 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or dismayed because of the king of Assyria, or because of all the horde that is with him. For there is a greater power with us than with him. 8 With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people relied on the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

16 They distributed without regard to their genealogy, to males three years old and above, to every one who entered the house of the LORD, his daily portion for their service in their duties according to their divisions, 17 as well as to priests who were in the genealogy, by the house of their fathers, and the Levites twenty years old and above, in their duties by their divisions. 18 And in the genealogy were all their little ones, their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, throughout the whole congregation; for in their appointed office they consecrated themselves in holiness.

9 After this Sennacherib king of Assyria sent his servants to Jerusalem (but he himself besieged Lachish, and all his forces with him) to Hezekiah king of Judah, and to all Judah who were at Jerusalem, saying,

19 And as for the sons of Aaron, the priests, who were in the fields of the pasture lands of their cities, in each city, the men who were named, portions were given to all the males among the priests, and to all who were reckoned by genealogies among the Levites.

10 “Thus says Sennacherib, king of Assyria, ‘What are you trusting in, that you stay in the siege in Jerusalem? 11 Is not Hezekiah persuading you to give yourselves up to die by famine and by thirst, saying, “The LORD our God will deliver us out of the hand of the king of Assyria?” 12 Has not this same Hezekiah taken away his high places and

20 And Hezekiah did this throughout all Judah, and did what was good and right and true before the LORD his God.

21 And whatever work he began in the service

31:12 “Faithfully” – vs 15,18,20. How good it is in any time to have people who will be honest when put in charge of such things – men who will consider that to take for oneself what has been given to God is to steal from God, hinder the work of God, and to bring on oneself the anger of God. 31:19 Num 35:2-5; Josh 21:1-3. 31:21 “Prospered” – Deut 29:9. True devotion to God always seeks to obey Him, and to work for His glory. And such devotion will have its reward – Heb 6:10-12; Jam 2:14. 32:1 “Sennacherib” – this invasion took place

in the 14th year of Hezekiah’s reign – 701 B.C. (2 Kings 18:13; Isa 36:1). God permitted this invasion, not to punish Hezekiah (for he had not turned away from God), but to show Himself mighty on his behalf (v 22). The marvelous account of the deliverance of Jerusalem is told in more detail in 2 Kings 18:13 - 19:36, and Isa 36:1 - 37:37. 32:7 Josh 1:7,9; 1 Sam 14:6; 2 Kings 6:16; 1 Chron 22:13; 1 John 4:4. 32:8 Josh 10:42; 13:12; 20:17; Ps 20:7; Rom 8:31,37. 32:9-21 Notes at 2 Kings 18:17 - 19:37.

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his altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, saying, “You shall worship before one altar, and burn incense on it?”

hands of all others, and took care of them on every side. 23 And many brought gifts to the LORD at Jerusalem, and presents to Hezekiah, king of Judah, so that from then on he was exalted in the sight of all nations.

13 “‘Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the people of other lands? Were the gods of the peoples of those lands in any way able to deliver their lands out of my hands? 14 Who was there among all the gods of those nations that my fathers utterly destroyed, that could deliver his people out of my hands, that your God should be able to deliver you out of my hands? 15 Now therefore do not let Hezekiah deceive you, or persuade you in this manner. And do not believe him. For no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people out of my hands and out of the hands of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you out of my hand!’”

24 In those days Hezekiah became sick to the point of death, and prayed to the LORD, and the LORD spoke to him and gave him a sign. 25 But Hezekiah did not give a return for the benefit done to him, for his heart became proud. Therefore God’s wrath was on him, and on Judah and Jerusalem. 26 However, Hezekiah humbled the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the LORD did not come on them in the days of Hezekiah.

27 And Hezekiah had riches and honour in great abundance, and he made for himself treasuries for silver and for gold and for precious stones and for spices and for shields and for all kinds of desirable articles, 28 and storehouses for the produce of grain and wine and oil, and stalls for all kinds of animals, and sheepfolds for flocks. 29 Moreover, he made towns for himself, and had flocks and herds in abundance, for God had given him very many possessions.

16 And his servants spoke still more against the LORD God, and against his servant Hezekiah. 17 He also wrote letters to rail against the LORD God of Israel, and to speak against him, saying, “Just as the gods of the nations of other lands have not delivered their people out of my hands, so the God of Hezekiah will not deliver his people out of my hands.” 18 Then they called out with a loud voice in the Jews’ language to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to frighten them and to trouble them, so that they could take the city. 19 And they spoke against the God of Jerusalem, as against the gods of the people of the world, which were the work of the hands of man.

30 This same Hezekiah also stopped up the upper watercourse of the Gihon, and brought it straight down to the west side of the city of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all his works. 31 However, in the matter of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, those sent to him to inquire about the wonder that had been done in the land, God left him to test him, so that he might know all that was in his heart.

20 And for this reason Hezekiah the king, and the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz, prayed and cried out to heaven. 21 And the LORD sent an angel, who destroyed all the mighty men of valour and the leaders and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned in shame to his own land. And when he went into the house of his god, those who came from his own body killed him there with the sword.

32 Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and his goodness, look, they are written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, and in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. 33 And Hezekiah slept with his ancestors, and they buried him in the uppermost of the tombs of the sons of David, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem honoured him at his death. And his son Manasseh reigned in his place.

22 Thus the LORD saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hands of Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, and from the

32:19 Ps 115:2-8. Those who think that the God of Jerusalem, the God of Israel is the same as other gods are making a terrible mistake. See 1 Kings 18:21. If the God of Israel is the true God (and he has proved this again and again), then all other gods are false and worthless (Isa 44:6-9). 32:20 “Prayed” – 2 Kings 19:15-19. 32:21 The mistake Sennacherib made in v 19 cost him his army, his reputation, and his life. The total number killed by this one angel was 1,85,000 (Isa 37:36). 32:24 “A sign” – notes at 2 Kings 20:1-11. 32:25-30 These verses are not in the account in Kings and Isaiah. 32:25 “Became proud” – there were four

temptations to pride for Hezekiah – God showing such power on his behalf (v 22), the high regard other nations showed him (v 23), the miraculous sign God gave him (vs 24,31), and his great riches (vs 27-29). Even one of these is enough to make some men proud. Before them all even the good and faithful Hezekiah fell.

“God’s wrath” – notes at Num 25:3; Ps 90:7-11. Pride is one of the sins which anger God most – Prov 6:6-19; Isa 2:10-19. 32:26 “Humbled the pride” – Jer 26:18-19. Compare 34:27,28; Joel 2:13. 32:31 “To test him” – Gen 22:1; Ex 20:20; Deut 8:2,16; Ps 66:10-12; Jam 1:13,14. 32:33 “Slept” – note at 1 Kings 2:10.

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Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. 2 But he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, like the detestable deeds of the peoples whom the LORD had driven out before the children of Israel. 3 For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down, and he erected altars for the Baals, and made idolatrous groves, and worshipped all the starry host of the heavens and served them. 4 He also built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, “In Jerusalem my name will be forever.” 5 And he built altars for all the starry host of the heavens in the two courtyards of the house of the LORD. 6 And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom. Also he practiced sorcery and divination and used witchcraft, and dealt with mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger.

with hooks and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon. 12 And when he was in distress, he sought the face of the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, 13 and prayed to him, and the LORD heard his entreaty and listened to his supplication, and brought him back to Jerusalem to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD was God.

14 Now after this he built a wall outside the city of David, on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, as far as the entrance of the Fish Gate, and encircled Ophel and greatly increased its height, and put military officers in all the fortified cities of Judah.

15 And he took away the foreign gods and the idol out of the house of the LORD, and all the altars that he had built on the mountain of the house of the LORD and in Jerusalem, and threw them out of the city. 16 And he repaired the altar of the LORD, and sacrificed peace offerings and thank offerings on it, and commanded Judah to serve the LORD God of Israel. 17 Nevertheless, the people still sacrificed on the high places, but only to the LORD their God.

7 And he placed a carved image, the idol which he had made, in the house of God, of which God had said to David and to his son Solomon, “In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen above all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name forever. 8 And I will not again remove the foot of Israel out of the land which I have appointed for your fathers, so that they will be careful to do all that I have commanded them, according to the whole law and the statutes and the ordinances by the hand of Moses.” 9 So Manasseh led Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem astray to do worse than the peoples whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel.

18 Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and his prayer to his God, and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of the LORD God of Israel, look, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel. 19 His prayer also, and how God listened to his entreaty, and all his sins, and his trespass, and the places where he built high places, and set up idolatrous groves and cast metal idols, before he was humbled, see, they are written in the words of the seers. 20 So Manasseh slept with his ancestors, and they buried him in his own house. And Amon his son reigned in his place.

10 And the LORD spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they would not listen. 11 Therefore the LORD brought on them the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria. They took Manasseh

21 Amon was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. 22 But he did what was evil in the sight 33:1-10 2 Kings 21:1-10. See notes there. 33:6 “Through the fire” – note at 2 Kings 16:3. 33:11 “Hooks” – he treated him as God saw he should be treated for his wickedness. Compare 2 Kings 19:28; Ezek 29:4; 38:4; Amos 4:2. 33:12-17 Here is one of the most wonderful records of repentance in the whole Bible. Manasseh was the worst of all of Judah’s kings, perhaps among the very worst persons who ever lived. His repentance teaches that there is hope for any individual, no matter how far he or she may have gone into sin. See Isa 55:7; Ezek 18:21,22; Matt 21:31; 1 Tim 1:15,16. No one conscious of his (or her) sinful past and the evil and depravity of his nature should despair, but turn to God for grace and forgiveness. Manassah’s repentance, though it was of great benefit to him personally, was too late to bring lasting benefit to the nation. It took place at the end of his reign. He was able to make only a start at reformation before he

died, and Amon his son, brought up during his father’s godless years, restored all the idol worship his father had abandoned. 33:12 “Humbled himself greatly” – God loves to see humility in men as much as He hates to see pride (32:26; 7:14; 12:6,7,12; Ps 51:17; Isa 66:2). 33:13 Ps 86:15; 103:8; Isa 55:7,8; Micah 7:18,19; 1 Tim 1:15,16. 33:15,16 He proved by his deeds that his repentance was genuine. Prayer and tears are not enough to show that repentance is real. There must be an attempt to undo any evil done before repentance. See Matt 3:8; Luke 19:8; Acts 26:20; Jer 18:11.

“Thank offerings” – note at Lev 7:12,13. 33:18 “Book” – note at 1 Kings 14:19. 33:19 No man knows what has become of these records. 33:20 “Slept” – note at 1 Kings 2:10. 33:21-25 2 Kings 21:19-24. Oh, the folly of those who follow all the evil their fathers did and none of the good.

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of the LORD, as his father Manasseh had done. For Amon sacrificed to all the carved images which Manasseh his father had made, and served them, 23 and did not humble himself before the LORD, as his father Manasseh had humbled himself, but Amon trespassed more and more.

of Israel, and from all Judah and Benjamin, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 10 And they put it in the hands of the workers who had the oversight of the house of the LORD, and they gave it to the workers who were working in the house of the LORD, to repair and restore the house. 11 They gave it to the artisans and builders to buy cut stone and timber for joists, and for beams for the buildings which the kings of Judah had let fall into ruin.

24 And his servants conspired against him and killed him in his own house. 25 But the people of the land killed all those who had conspired against king Amon, and the people of the land made his son Josiah king in his place.

12 And the men did the work faithfully. And their overseers were Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites, of the sons of Merari; and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to supervise the work; and of the Levites, all who were skillful with musical instruments. 13 They were also over the carriers of loads, and oversaw all the workers in any kind of work; and among the Levites there were scribes and officials, and gatekeepers.

Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. 2 And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the ways of his father David, and declined neither to the right hand, nor to the left.

3 For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David, and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places and the groves and the carved images and the cast metal images. 4 And they broke down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and he cut down the images that were high over them, and he destroyed the groves and the carved images and the cast metal images, and made dust of them and scattered it on the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. 5 And he burned the bones of the priests on their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem. 6 And he did this in the cities of Manasseh and Ephraim and Simeon, as far as Naphtali, and in the ruins around them. 7 And when he had destroyed the altars and the groves, and had crushed the carved images into powder, and demolished all the idols throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem. 8 Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, after he had purged the land and the house, he sent Shaphan, the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah, the governor of the city, and Joah, the son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the house of the LORD his God.

14 And when they were bringing out the money that had been brought into the house of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found a book of the law of the LORD given through Moses. 15 And Hilkiah responded and said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the LORD.” And Hilkiah handed the book over to Shaphan.

16 And Shaphan carried the book to the king, bringing word back to the king, saying, “Your servants are doing all that was committed to them. 17 And they have gathered together the money that was found in the house of the LORD, and have delivered it into the hands of the overseers and into the hands of the workers.” 18 Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read it in the king’s presence.

19 And it came about, when the king heard the words of the law, that he tore his clothes. 20 And the king commanded Hilkiah and Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, and Abdon, the son of Micah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah, a servant of the king, saying, 21 “Go, inquire of the LORD for me, and for those who are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that has been found, for great is the wrath of the LORD that is poured out on us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD, to do all that is written in this book.”

9 And when they came to Hilkiah the high priest, they delivered the money that had been brought into the house of God, which the Levites who were the gatekeepers had gathered from the hand of Manasseh and Ephraim, and from all the remnant

34:1-2 2 Kings 22:1-2. 34:3-7 Notes at 2 Kings 23:4-20. 34:3 “Young” – 16 years old. 34:6 “Naphtali” – territory in the far north of Israel, west and north of the lake of Galilee. Josiah tried to bring reforms not only to Judah but to the whole land previously ruled by the northern kingdom of Israel. 34:7 2 Chron 31:1.

34:8-28 Notes at 2 Kings 22:3-20. 34:9 “Remnant of Israel” – 30:1. The Assyrians did not take the entire population into captivity when they conquered it in 722 B.C. Josiah ruled 640 – 609 B.C. 34:12 “Faithfully” – 31:12. 34:19 Rom 7:7. 34:20 “Abdon son of Micah” – also called Acbor son of Micaiah. 34:21 “Wrath” – Num 25:3; Ps 90:7-11.

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22 And Hilkiah, and those who had been appointed by the king, went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the second quarter), and they spoke to her about this.

covenant of God, the God of their fathers.

33 And Josiah took away all the abominations from the countries, that belonged to the children of Israel, and made all those who were present in Israel to serve the LORD their God. And all his days they did not turn away from following the LORD, the God of their fathers.

23 And she answered them, “Thus says the LORD God of Israel, Tell the man who sent you to me, 24 thus says the LORD, ‘See, I will bring disaster on this place, and on its inhabitants, all the curses that are written in the book which they have read in the presence of the king of Judah, 25 because they have forsaken me and have burned incense to other gods, provoking me to anger with all the works of their hands. Therefore my wrath will be poured out on this place, and will not be quenched. 26 And as for the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of the LORD, say this to him: Thus says the LORD God of Israel concerning the words which you have heard, 27 because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before God when you heard his words against this place and against its inhabitants, and humbled yourself before me and tore your clothes and wept before me, I have certainly heard you, says the LORD. 28 See, I will gather you to your fathers and you will be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes will not see all the disaster that I will bring on this place and on its inhabitants.’” So they brought word back to the king.

Moreover, Josiah kept a Passover to the LORD in Jerusalem, and they killed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month. 2 And he appointed the priests to their duties and encouraged them in the service of the house of the LORD, 3 and said to the Levites who taught all Israel, who were holy to the LORD, “Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel, built. It is not to be carried on your shoulders. Now serve the LORD your God and his people Israel, 4 and prepare yourselves according to the houses of your fathers, according to your divisions, according to the writing of David king of Israel, and according to the writing of his son Solomon.

5 “And stand in the holy place according to the divisions of the families of the fathers of your brethren, the people, and according to the divisions of the families of the Levites. 6 So kill the Passover, and consecrate yourselves, and prepare your brethren, so that they may do according to the word of the LORD through Moses.”

29 Then the king sent men and gathered all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem together. 30 And the king went up into the house of the LORD, and all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests and the Levites and all the people, great and small, and he read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant that had been found in the house of the LORD. 31 And the king stood in his place, and made a covenant before the LORD, to follow the LORD, and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes, with all his heart and with all his soul, to act in accordance with the words of the covenant which are written in this book.

7 And Josiah gave lambs and young goats from the flock to the people, all for the Passover offerings, for all who were present, to the number of thirty thousand, and three thousand bulls. These were from the king’s possessions.

8 And his officials willingly gave to the people, to the priests, and to the Levites. Hilkiah and Zechariah and Jehiel, rulers of the house of God, gave to the priests two thousand six hundred lambs and young goats, and three hundred oxen for the Passover offerings. 9 And Conaniah and Shemaiah and Nethaneel, his brethren, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad, heads of the Levites, gave to the Levites five thousand lambs and young goats, and five hundred oxen for the Passover offerings.

32 And he caused all who were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand with him. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the

10 So the service was made ready, and the priests stood in their place and the Levites in their 34:24 “Curses” – Deut 28:15-68. 34:27 “Humbled yourself” – 33:12. 34:29-32 2 Kings 23:1-3. 34:31 Compare 23:3,16; 29:10. 34:33 “Abominations” – the meaning is idols. They are detestable to God – 15:8; Jer 16:18; Ezek 5:11; 7:20.

(Zeph 1:1) reveal that it was not deep or long lasting. Compare 27:2. 35:1-19 2 Kings 23:21-23. 35:1 Ex 12:6; Lev 23:5; Num 9:2. 35:2 29:11. 35:3 “Who taught” – 17:7-9; Neh 8:7; Mal 2:7. “Ark” – evidently at some previous time the ark had been removed, probably during the reign of either Manasseh or Amon, Joshua’s predecessors. 35:4 8:14; 1 Chron 23:1-6. 35:6 Ex 12:3; 1 Cor 5:7.

“Children of Israel” – vs 6,9. “Fathers” – the reformation under Josiah was wide-spread and dealt well with the outward forms of false worship. But the books of Jeremiah (Jer 1:2), and Zephaniah

2 CHRONICLES 35:11 558

divisions, according to the king’s command. 11 And they killed the Passover, and the priests sprinkled the blood handed to them, and the Levites skinned the animals. 12 And they put the burnt offerings aside, so that they might give them in accordance with the divisions of the families of the people, to offer to the LORD, as it is written in the book of Moses. They did this also with the oxen. 13 And they roasted the Passover with fire in accordance with the ordinance, but the other holy offerings they boiled in pots and in cauldrons and in pans, and quickly divided them among all the people. 14 And afterwards they prepared for themselves and for the priests, because the priests, the sons of Aaron, were busy offering the burnt offerings and the fat until night. Therefore the Levites prepared for themselves, and for the priests, the sons of Aaron.

against Carchemish at the Euphrates, and Josiah went out against him. 21 But he sent ambassadors to him, saying, “What have I to do with you, king of Judah? I have not come against you today, but against the house with which I am at war, for God commanded me to hurry. Stop yourself from opposing God, who is with me, so that he does not destroy you.”

22 Nevertheless, Josiah would not turn away from him, but disguised himself, so that he might fight with him, and did not listen to the words of Necho from the mouth of God, and came to fight on the plain of Megiddo.

23 And the archers shot at king Josiah, and the king said to his servants, “Take me away, for I am severely wounded.” 24 So his servants took him out of that chariot and put him in the second chariot that he had, and brought him to Jerusalem. And he died, and was buried in one of the tombs of his fathers. And all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah.

15 And the singers, the sons of Asaph, were in their place, in accordance with the instruction of David and Asaph and Heman and Jeduthun the king’s seer. And the gatekeepers remained at each gate, not needing to leave their work, for their brethren the Levites prepared for them.

25 And Jeremiah lamented for Josiah. And all the singing men and the singing women speak of Josiah in their lamentations to this day. And they made them as an ordinance in Israel, and, see, they are written in the lamentations.

16 So all the service of the LORD was prepared the same day, to keep the Passover, and to offer burnt offerings on the altar of the LORD, in accordance with the command of king Josiah. 17 And the children of Israel who were present kept the Passover at that time, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days. 18 And no Passover like that had been kept in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet; nor did any of the kings of Israel keep such a Passover as that kept by Josiah and the priests and the Levites and all Judah and Israel who were present and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 19 This Passover was kept in the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah.

26 Now the rest of the acts of Josiah and his goodness, according to what is written in the law of the LORD, 27 and his deeds, first and last, see, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.

Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz, the son of Josiah, and made him king in his father’s place in Jerusalem.

2 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. 3 And the king of Egypt deposed him at Jerusalem, and levied a fine on the land of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.

20 After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Necho, king of Egypt came up to fight

35:11 “Sprinkled” – Lev 1:5,11; 3:2,8,13; Heb 12:24. 35:13 Ex 12:8-9. 35:14 “Fat” – Ex 29:13; Lev 3:3-5,16. 35:15 1 Chron 25:1; 26:12-19. 35:17 Ex 12:15; Lev 23:6-8. 35:18 30:5. The Passover celebration in Josiah’s reign exceeded even that which took place under Hezekiah’s leadership. 35:20 “Carchemish” – one of the most decisive battles of ancient times took place there in 605 B.C., four years after Josiah’s death (Jer 46:2). Necho was on his way to help the Assyrians against the Babylonians. 35:21 “The house with which I am at war” – Babylon.

have had no good reason to believe it. He may have reasoned that if God had anything to say to him God would use a prophet in Judah. 35:23,24 2 Kings 23:29,30. 35:25 Jeremiah’s high regard for Josiah is seen in Jer 22:15,16. No man knows what became of the laments he composed for him. The book of Lamentations is about the fall of Jerusalem several years later, and not about the death of Josiah. 36:1-21 Notes at 2 Kings 23:30 - 25:30; Jeremiah chapter 52. 36:1 Jer 22:11. Jehoahaz was also called Shallum. Three sons of Josiah – Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, and Zedekiah – succeeded Josiah. They were all evil men. Compare 1 Sam 8:1-3; 2 Sam 13:21. 36:3 “Egypt” – was the most powerful country in the area until the king of Egypt was defeated by the Babylonians four years later at

“God” – we are not told how Necho came to know God’s will in this matter. 35:22 Josiah did not believe the heathen king spoke a message from the true God, and may

559 2 CHRONICLES 36:23

4 And the king of Egypt made his brother Eliakim king over Judah and Jerusalem, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. And Necho took his brother Jehoahaz and carried him away to Egypt.

15 And the LORD God of their fathers sent word to them by his messengers, rising early and sending, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place. 16 But they mocked the messengers of God and despised his words and abused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD rose up against his people, until there was no remedy. 17 Therefore he brought on them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man or maiden, old man, or anyone stooped with age. He gave them all into his hands, 18 and all the articles of the house of God, large and small, and the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king and of his officials. He brought all these to Babylon. 19 And they burned the house of God, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem, and burned all of its palaces with fire, and destroyed all their valuable articles.

5 Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem, and he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD his God. 6 Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came up against him and bound him in chains to take him to Babylon. 7 Nebuchadnezzar also took away articles from the house of the LORD to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon.

8 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and his abominations which he did, and what was found in him, see, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. And his son Jehoiachin reigned in his place.

9 Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem. And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. 10 And at the turn of the year, king Nebuchadnezzar sent men and brought him to Babylon, with the valuable articles of the house of the LORD, and made his brother Zedekiah king over Judah and Jerusalem.

20 And he carried away to Babylon those who had escaped from the sword, where they became servants to him and to his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia. 21 This was to fulfil the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its Sabbaths. For as long as it lay desolate it kept the Sabbath, to fulfil seventy years.

11 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign, and reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. 12 And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD his God, and did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking words from the mouth of the LORD. 13 And he also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear allegiance by God, but he stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the LORD God of Israel. 14 Moreover, all the chief of the priests and the people committed many transgressions, following all the abominations of the nations, and polluted the house of the LORD which he had sanctified in Jerusalem.

22 Now in the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, so that the word of the LORD spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying,

23 “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The LORD God of heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has ordered me to build a house for him in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all his people, may the LORD his God be with him, and let him go up.”

Jer 7:26. 36:15 “Rising early and sending” – 24:19; Jer 7:13; 25:3-4; 35:15; 44:4.

Carchemish.

“Talents” – one talent was about 34 kilograms. 36:4 Jer 22:10-12. 36:5-8 For more about Jehoiachin see Jeremiah chapters 25,26,36. 36:6 “Nebuchadnezzar” – this happened after the battle of Carchemish (35:20; Jer 46:1,2). From that time, 605 B.C., Judah was subject to Babylon. 36:7 Dan 1:1,2. 36:10 Jer 37:1. “Brother” – actually his uncle. In Hebrew the words for “father”, “son”, “brother”, etc, were used for a variety of relationships. 36:11-16 2 Kings 24:18-20; Jer 52:1-3. 36:12 “Did not humble himself” – compare 33:12. “Jeremiah” – Jer 21:3-7. 36:13 “Swear” – Ezek 17:13. “Stiffened his neck” – Ex 32:9; Neh 9:29;

“Compassion” – Ex 34:6,7; Jud 2:18; Ps 103:8. 36:16 “Mocked” – note at 13:10. “Wrath” – notes at Num 25:3; Ps 90:7-11. “Until there was no remedy” – compare Prov 1:20-27; 29:1. 36:17 “He brought on them” – Jer 1:15; 5:15; 51:20; Hab 1:6. The movement of armies on the earth are not accidents of history, or events completely under the control of men.

“Chaldeans” – the Babylonians. 36:18,19 2 Kings 25:8-17; Jer 52:12-23. 36:20 “Servants” – Jer 27:6,7. “Persia” – Dan 5:25-31; Isa 44:28 - 45:4. 36:21 “Sabbaths” – Lev 25:4-7; 26:33-35; Jer 25:11-14; 29:10. 36:22-23 Ezra 1:1-3. See note there.

EZRA

Author:

According to ancient Jewish tradition Ezra wrote this book, Nehemiah, and both books of Chronicles. Ezra was a descendant of Phineas who was a grandson of Aaron (Ezra 7:1-5).

Date:

About 440 BC.

Theme:

The return of the Jews to Jerusalem and Judah; the rebuilding of the temple; the opposition faced by the Jews, their victory; the leadership of Zerubbabel and Ezra.

Contents:

The decree of Cyrus ..................................................................................... 1:1-4 First return of the exiles and what they brought .............................................. 1:5 - 2:70 Building the altar to the true God ................................................................... 3:1-6 Building of the temple begins ......................................................................... 3:6-13 Opposition to the building of the temple .......................................................... 4:1-24 The prophets Haggai and Zechariah,

the work begins again .......................................................................... 5:1,2 Further opposition........................................................................................ 5:3-17 Orders from King Darius to build the temple ..................................................... 6:1-12 Dedication of the completed temple ................................................................ 6:13-18 First Passover at Jerusalem after the exile ...................................................... 6:19-22 Ezra comes to Jerusalem ............................................................................... 7:1-10 The letter of King Artaxerxes to Ezra ............................................................. 7:11-26 Ezra praises God .......................................................................................... 7:27,28 Details concerning those returning with Ezra ................................................... 8:1-14 No Levites ................................................................................................... 8:15-20 Prayer for a safe journey.............................................................................. 8:21-23 Preparations for a dangerous journey, arrival in Jerusalem ............................... 8:24-36 Reforms under Ezra ..................................................................................... 9:1 - 10:17

Mixed marriages ...................................................................................... 9:1-4 Ezra’s prayer of confession ....................................................................... 9:5-15 The people confess their sin and obey Ezra ................................................ 10:1-17 The guilty ones ............................................................................................ 10:18-43

561 EZRA 2:18

Now in the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, so that the word of the LORD spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia, to make a proclamation throughout his whole kingdom, and also to put it in writing, saying:

knives, 10 thirty gold basins, four hundred and ten silver basins of a second kind, and a thousand other articles.

11 All the articles of gold and silver were five thousand four hundred. Sheshbazzar brought all of these up with the exiles who were brought up from Babylon to Jerusalem.

2 “Thus says Cyrus, king of Persia: The LORD God of heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has ordered me to build a house for him at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. 3 Whoever there is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and may he go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel (he is God), which is in Jerusalem. 4 And the men of any place where any survivor is living are to help him with silver and with gold and with goods and with livestock, besides the freewill offering for the house of God in Jerusalem.”

Now these are the people of the province who went up from the captivity of the exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away to Babylon, and who came back to Jerusalem and Judah, each one to his city. 2 These came with Zerubbabel: Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mizpar, Bigvai, Rehum, Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel:

3 The children of Parosh, two thousand one hundred and seventy-two; 4 the children of Shephatiah, three hundred and seventy-two; 5 the children of Arah, seven hundred and seventyfive; 6 the children of Pahath-Moab, of the children of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand eight hundred and twelve; 7 the children of Elam, a thousand two hundred and fifty-four; 8 the children of Zattu, nine hundred and forty-five; 9 the children of Zaccai, seven hundred and sixty; 10 the children of Bani, six hundred and forty-two; 11 the children of Bebai, six hundred and twenty-three; 12 the children of Azgad, a thousand two hundred and twenty-two; 13 the children of Adonikam, six hundred and sixty-six; 14 the children of Bigvai, two thousand and fifty-six; 15 the children of Adin, four hundred and fifty-four; 16 the children of Ater of Hezekiah, ninety-eight; 17 the children of Bezai, three hundred and twenty-three; 18 the

5 Then the heads of the fathers’ households of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites, all those whose spirit God had moved, rose up to go up to build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem. 6 And all those who were about them assisted them with articles of silver, with gold, with goods, and with livestock, and with valuable things, besides all that was given as a freewill offering. 7 Also king Cyrus brought out the articles of the house of the LORD which Nebuchadnezzar had brought from Jerusalem and had put in the house of his gods, 8 and Cyrus, king of Persia, brought them out by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and counted them out to Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah.

9 And this was the number of them: thirty gold dishes, a thousand silver dishes, twenty-nine

1:1 “First year” – 5:13,14; 6:3; 2 Chron 26:22,23; Jer 33:7-13. Cyrus was king of Persia (Iran) from 559 B.C., but in this verse the first year means the year beginning with his conquest of Babylon in 538 B.C.

four month journey (7:9; 8:21-23) of more than one thousand kilometers to Jerusalem, or the prospect of starting life again in a ruined city, or the insecurity of the unknown. It required a special work of God in their hearts to make them willing to go. 1:6 Many other Jews helped those willing to return to Jerusalem, even though they did not wish to go themselves. 1:7 5:14; 6:5; 2 Kings 24:13; 2 Chron 36:7,10; Jer 52:17-19. 1:8 “Sheshbazzar” – v 11; 5:14,16. Scholars dispute whether he was the same as Zerubbabel (2:2; 3:2,8; 4:2,3; 5:2). Zerubbabel was the civil leader of the people. 1:11 “Five thousand four hundred” – not all the gold and silver articles are listed in vs 9,10. 2:1-70 Neh 7:6-73. 2:1 2 Kings 24:14-16; 25:11; 2 Chron 36:20. 2:2 “Jeshua” – the same person as the Joshua of Hag 1:1 and Zech 3:1.

“Jeremiah” – Jer 25:11,12; 29:10. “Spirit of Cyrus” – God will always fulfill His word, and to do so will use the kings of the earth or any other instrument He pleases (v 5; Prov 21:1; Gen 50:20; etc). In the case of Cyrus, at least 150 years previously the Lord had foretold that He would use him to deliver His people (Isa 44:28 - 45:4). 1:2 “God of heaven” – note at Dan 2:18. “Given me” – this was true (Isa 45:1. Compare Dan 4:31,32). 1:4 “Survivor” – Jews scattered throughout the empire of Cyrus, principally in Babylonia. 1:5 “Levites” – Judah, Benjamin, and Levi composed the chief part of those carried away into exile by the Babylonians. Note on Levites at Num 1:47-51; 8:19.

“God had moved” – v 1; Ex 35:20-22; Haggai 1:14. Many of the Jews had settled down into the alien society of Babylon. They were not eager to face the difficulties of a

“Nehemiah” – not the Nehemiah of Neh 1:1 who came to Jerusalem later. “Mordecai” – not the same person who

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