Page:The Books of Chronicles (1916).djvu/320

256 man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat in the forefront of them, to go again to Jerusalem with joy; for the had made them to rejoice over their enemies. And they came to Jerusalem with psalteries and harps and trumpets unto the house of the. And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of the countries, when they heard that the fought against the enemies of Israel. So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet: for his God gave him rest round about. And Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah: he was thirty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and five years in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. And he walked in the way of Asa his father, and turned not aside from it, doing that which was right in the eyes of the. Howbeit the high places were not taken away; neither as yet had the people set their hearts unto the God of their fathers. Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and last,

It is possible that the "valley of Jehoshaphat" mentioned by Joel (iii. [iv., Heb.] 2) is to be identified with the scene of Jehoshaphat's deliverance.

29. was on all] Rather, came upon all; cp. xiv. 14, xvii. 10.

the kingdoms of the countries] a characteristic phrase with the Chronicler; cp. xii. 8, xvii. 10 and 1 Chr. xxix. 30.

31—34 (= 1 Kin. xxii. 41—45).&emsp;

There are several variations of text between Kings and Chron. here; and in particular the Chronicler omits the statement that Jehoshaphat made peace with Israel.

31. reigned over Judah] In Kings, began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel. The Chronicler will not date the accession of a southern king by the year of an ungodly northern king.

32. of Asa his father] cp. xvii. 3 (note).

33. the high places] Precisely the contrary is asserted in xvii. 6, where see note. On the meaning of "high place" see the note on xv. 17.

neither as yet had the people set their hearts] cp. xii. 14. In Kings it is said particularly that the people sacrificed and burnt incense at the high places.