8 Moreover in Jerusalem H3389 did Jehoshaphat H3092 set H5975 of the Levites, H3881 and of the priests, H3548 and of the chief H7218 of the fathers H1 of Israel, H3478 for the judgment H4941 of the LORD, H3068 and for controversies, H7379 when they returned H7725 to Jerusalem. H3389
And with them he sent Levites, H3881 even Shemaiah, H8098 and Nethaniah, H5418 and Zebadiah, H2069 and Asahel, H6214 and Shemiramoth, H8070 and Jehonathan, H3083 and Adonijah, H138 and Tobijah, H2900 and Tobadonijah, H2899 Levites; H3881 and with them Elishama H476 and Jehoram, H3088 priests. H3548 And they taught H3925 in Judah, H3063 and had the book H5612 of the law H8451 of the LORD H3068 with them, and went about H5437 throughout all the cities H5892 of Judah, H3063 and taught H3925 the people. H5971
Hearken H8085 now unto my voice, H6963 I will give thee counsel, H3289 and God H430 shall be H1961 with thee: Be thou for the people H5971 to God-ward, H4136 H430 that thou mayest bring H935 the causes H1697 unto God: H430 And thou shalt teach H2094 H853 them ordinances H2706 and laws, H8451 and shalt shew H3045 them the way H1870 wherein they must walk, H3212 and the work H4639 that they must do. H6213 Moreover thou shalt provide H2372 out of all the people H5971 able H2428 men, H582 such as fear H3373 God, H430 men H582 of truth, H571 hating H8130 covetousness; H1215 and place H7760 such over them, to be rulers H8269 of thousands, H505 and rulers H8269 of hundreds, H3967 rulers H8269 of fifties, H2572 and rulers H8269 of tens: H6235 And let them judge H8199 the people H5971 at all seasons: H6256 and it shall be, that every great H1419 matter H1697 they shall bring H935 unto thee, but every small H6996 matter H1697 they shall judge: H8199 so shall it be easier H7043 for thyself, and they shall bear H5375 the burden with thee. If thou shalt do H6213 this thing, H1697 and God H430 command H6680 thee so, then thou shalt be able H3201 to endure, H5975 and all this people H5971 shall also go H935 to their place H4725 in peace. H7965 So Moses H4872 hearkened H8085 to the voice H6963 of his father in law, H2859 and did H6213 all that he had said. H559 And Moses H4872 chose H977 able H2428 men H582 out of all Israel, H3478 and made H5414 them heads H7218 over the people, H5971 rulers H8269 of thousands, H505 rulers H8269 of hundreds, H3967 rulers H8269 of fifties, H2572 and rulers H8269 of tens. H6235 And they judged H8199 the people H5971 at all seasons: H6256 the hard H7186 causes H1697 they brought H935 unto Moses, H4872 but every small H6996 matter H1697 H1992 they judged H8199 themselves.
If there arise a matter H1697 too hard H6381 for thee in judgment, H4941 between blood H1818 and blood, H1818 between plea H1779 and plea, H1779 and between stroke H5061 and stroke, H5061 being matters H1697 of controversy H7379 within thy gates: H8179 then shalt thou arise, H6965 and get thee up H5927 into the place H4725 which the LORD H3068 thy God H430 shall choose; H977 And thou shalt come H935 unto the priests H3548 the Levites, H3881 and unto the judge H8199 that shall be in those days, H3117 and enquire; H1875 and they shall shew H5046 thee the sentence H1697 of judgment: H4941 And thou shalt do H6213 according to the sentence, H6310 H1697 which they of that place H4725 which the LORD H3068 shall choose H977 shall shew H5046 thee; and thou shalt observe H8104 to do H6213 according to all that they inform H3384 thee: According to the sentence H6310 of the law H8451 which they shall teach H3384 thee, and according to the judgment H4941 which they shall tell H559 thee, thou shalt do: H6213 thou shalt not decline H5493 from the sentence H1697 which they shall shew H5046 thee, to the right hand, H3225 nor to the left. H8040 And the man H376 that will do H6213 presumptuously, H2087 and will not hearken H8085 unto the priest H3548 that standeth H5975 to minister H8334 there before the LORD H3068 thy God, H430 or unto the judge, H8199 even that man H376 shall die: H4191 and thou shalt put away H1197 the evil H7451 from Israel. H3478 And all the people H5971 shall hear, H8085 and fear, H3372 and do no more presumptuously. H2102
And the priests H3548 the sons H1121 of Levi H3878 shall come near; H5066 for them the LORD H3068 thy God H430 hath chosen H977 to minister H8334 unto him, and to bless H1288 in the name H8034 of the LORD; H3068 and by their word H6310 shall every controversy H7379 and every stroke H5061 be tried:
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 2 Chronicles 19
Commentary on 2 Chronicles 19 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 19
2Ch 19:1-4. Jehoshaphat Visits His Kingdom.
1-4. Jehoshaphat … returned to his house in peace—(See 2Ch 18:16). Not long after he had resumed the ordinary functions of royalty in Jerusalem, he was one day disturbed by an unexpected and ominous visit from a prophet of the Lord [2Ch 19:2]. This was Jehu, of whose father we read in 2Ch 16:7. He himself had been called to discharge the prophetic office in Israel. But probably for his bold rebuke to Baasha (1Ki 16:1), he had been driven by that arbitrary monarch within the territory of Judah, where we now find him with the privileged license of his order, taking the same religious supervision of Jehoshaphat's proceedings as he had formerly done of Baasha's. At the interview here described, he condemned, in the strongest terms, the king of Judah's imprudent and incongruous league with Ahab—God's open enemy (1Ki 22:2)—as an unholy alliance that would be conducive neither to the honor and comfort of his house nor to the best interests of his kingdom. He apprised Jehoshaphat that, on account of that grave offense, "wrath was upon him from before the Lord," a judgment that was inflicted soon after (see on 2Ch 20:1-37). The prophet's rebuke, however, was administered in a mingled strain of severity and mildness; for he interposed "a nevertheless" (2Ch 19:3), which implied that the threatened storm would be averted, in token of the divine approval of his public efforts for the promotion of the true religion, as well as of the sincere piety of his personal character and life.
4. he went out again through the people—This means his reappointing the commissioners of public instruction (2Ch 17:7-9), perhaps with new powers and a larger staff of assistants to overtake every part of the land. The complement of teachers required for that purpose would be easily obtained because the whole tribe of Levites was now concentrated within the kingdom of Judah.
2Ch 19:5-7. His Instructions to the Judges.
5-7. he set judges in the land—There had been judicial courts established at an early period. But Jehoshaphat was the first king who modified these institutions according to the circumstances of the now fragmentary kingdom of Judah. He fixed local courts in each of the fortified cities, these being the provincial capitals of every district (see on De 16:18).
2Ch 19:8-11. To the Priests and Levites.
8. set of the Levites … priests, and of the chief of the fathers of Israel—A certain number of these three classes constituted a supreme court, which sat in Jerusalem to review appellate cases from the inferior courts. It consisted of two divisions: the first of which had jurisdiction in ecclesiastical matters; the second, in civil, fiscal, and criminal cases. According to others, the two divisions of the supreme court adjudicated: the one according to the law contained in the sacred books; the other according to the law of custom and equity. As in Eastern countries at the present day, the written and unwritten law are objects of separate jurisdiction.