{"commentary":{"id":"jamieson-fausset-brown","name":"Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary","website":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamieson-Fausset-Brown_Bible_Commentary","licenseUrl":"https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/","licenseNotes":null,"licenseNotice":null,"englishName":"Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary","language":"eng","textDirection":"rtl","sha256":"db3d4c8b3c1f32ef9d1430a57392e02bda3a17aac1f9bbe398461de021a3cb13","availableFormats":["json"],"listOfBooksApiLink":"/api/c/jamieson-fausset-brown/books.json","listOfProfilesApiLink":"/api/c/jamieson-fausset-brown/profiles.json","numberOfBooks":66,"totalNumberOfChapters":1187,"totalNumberOfVerses":17056,"totalNumberOfProfiles":0,"languageName":"English","languageEnglishName":"English"},"book":{"id":"2CH","commentaryId":"jamieson-fausset-brown","name":"2 Chronicles","commonName":"2 Chronicles","introduction":"THE FIRST AND SECOND BOOKS OF CHRONICLES were also considered as one by the ancient Jews, who called them \"words of days,\" that is, diaries or journals, being probably compiled from those registers that were kept by the king's historiographers of passing occurrences. In the Septuagint the title given them is Paraleipomenon, \"of things omitted,\" that is, the books are supplementary because many things unnoticed in the former books are here recorded; and not only the omissions are supplied, but some narratives extended while others are added. The authorship is commonly ascribed to Ezra, whose leading object seems to have been to show the division of families, possessions, &c., before the captivity, with a view to the exact restoration of the same order after the return from Babylon. Although many things are restated and others are exact repetitions of what is contained in Kings, there is so much new and important information that, as JEROME has well said, the Chronicles furnish the means of comprehending parts of the New Testament, which must have been unintelligible without them. They are frequently referred to by Christ and the Apostles as forming part of \"the Word of God\" (see the genealogies in Mat. 1:1-16; Luk. 3:23-38; compare Ch2 19:7 with Pe1 1:17; Ch2 24:19-21 with Mat 23:32-35). \n\n\n\nNext: 2 Chronicles Chapter 1\n\n","order":14,"numberOfChapters":36,"sha256":"f291b9c58d20a01f9f30f2a2ba69c9ee6ed83a9049a1f843fb4191bd81958391","firstChapterNumber":1,"firstChapterApiLink":"/api/c/jamieson-fausset-brown/2CH/1.json","firstChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"jamieson-fausset-brown","book":"2CH","chapter":1},"lastChapterNumber":36,"lastChapterApiLink":"/api/c/jamieson-fausset-brown/2CH/36.json","lastChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"jamieson-fausset-brown","book":"2CH","chapter":36},"totalNumberOfVerses":257},"chapter":{"number":17,"content":[{"type":"verse","number":3,"content":["he walked in the first ways of his father David--He imitated the piety of his great ancestor in the early part of his reign before he made those unhappy lapses which dishonored his character. \n\nand sought not unto Baalim--a term used for idols generally in contradistinction to the Lord God of his father.\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":4,"content":["and not after the doings of Israel--He observed with scrupulous fidelity, and employed his royal influence to support the divine institutions as enacted by Moses, abhorring that spurious and unlawful calf-worship that now formed the established religion in Israel. Being thus far removed, alike from gross idolatry and Israelitish apostasy, and adhering zealously to the requirements of the divine law, the blessing of God rested on his government. Ruling in the fear of God, and for the good of his subjects, \"the Lord established the kingdom in his hand.\"\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":5,"content":["all Judah brought . . . presents--This was customary with the people generally at the beginning of a reign (Sa1 10:27), and with the nobles and high functionaries yearly afterwards. They were given in the form of voluntary offerings, to avoid the odious idea of a tax or tribute.\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":6,"content":["his heart was lifted up in the ways of the Lord--Full of faith and piety, he possessed zeal and courage to undertake the reformation of manners, to suppress all the works and objects of idolatry (see on Ch2 20:33), and he held out public encouragement to the pure worship of God.\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":7,"content":["HE SENDS LEVITES TO TEACH IN JUDAH. (Ch2 17:7-11)\n\nAlso in the third year of his reign he sent to his princes, . . . to teach in the cities of Judah--The ordinary work of teaching devolved on the priests. But extraordinary commissioners were appointed, probably to ascertain whether the work had been done or neglected. This deputation of five princes, assisted by two priests and nine Levites, was to make a circuit of the towns in Judah. It is the first practical measure we read of as being adopted by any of the kings for the religious instruction of the people. Time and unbroken opportunities were afforded for carrying out fully this excellent plan of home education, for the kingdom enjoyed internal tranquillity as well as freedom for foreign wars. It is conformable to the pious style of the sacred historian to trace this profound peace to the \"fear of the Lord having fallen on all kingdoms of the lands that were round about Judah.\"\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":9,"content":["the book of the law--that is, either the whole Pentateuch or only the book of Deuteronomy, which contains an abridgment of it.\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":11,"content":["Also some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat presents, and tribute silver--either they had been his tributaries, or they were desirous of securing his valuable friendship, and now made a voluntary offer of tribute. Perhaps they were the Philistines who had submitted to the yoke of David (Sa2 8:1; Psa 60:8). \n\nthe Arabians--the nomad tribes on the south of the Dead Sea, who, seeking the protection of Jehoshaphat after his conquest of Edom, paid their tribute in the way most suitable to their pastoral habits--the present of so many head of cattle.\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":14,"content":["HIS GREATNESS, CAPTAINS, AND ARMIES. (Ch2 17:12-19)\n\nthese are the numbers--The warriors were arranged in the army according to their fathers houses. The army of Jehoshaphat, commanded by five great generals and consisting of five unequal divisions, comprised one million one hundred and sixty thousand men, without including those who garrisoned the fortresses. No monarch, since the time of Solomon, equalled Jehoshaphat in the extent of his revenue, in the strength of his fortifications, and in the number of his troops.\n\n\n\n\nNext: 2 Chronicles Chapter 18\n\n"]}],"introduction":"JEHOSHAPHAT REIGNS WELL AND PROSPERS. (Ch2 17:1-6)\n\nJehoshaphat . . . strengthened himself against Israel--The temper and proceedings of the kings of Israel rendered it necessary for him to prepare vigorous measures of defense on the northern frontier of his kingdom. These consisted in filling all the fortresses with their full complement of troops and establishing military stations in various parts of the country, as well as in the cities of Mount Ephraim, which belonged to Jehoshaphat (Ch2 15:8).\n\n"},"thisChapterLink":"/api/c/jamieson-fausset-brown/2CH/17.json","thisChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"jamieson-fausset-brown","book":"2CH","chapter":17},"nextChapterApiLink":"/api/c/jamieson-fausset-brown/2CH/18.json","nextChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"jamieson-fausset-brown","book":"2CH","chapter":18},"previousChapterApiLink":"/api/c/jamieson-fausset-brown/2CH/16.json","previousChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"jamieson-fausset-brown","book":"2CH","chapter":16},"numberOfVerses":8}