2 Chronicles 20:10

And now, behold, the children of Ammon, and Moab, and Mount Seir, whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt,.... Charging them not to meddle with them, nor take any of their lands from them, Deuteronomy 2:5 , but they turned from them, and destroyed them not; in obedience to the divine command, when it was in their power to have done it.

20:1-13 In all dangers, public or personal, our first business should be to seek help from God. Hence the advantage of days for national fasting and prayer. From the first to the last of our seeking the Lord, we must approach him with humiliation for our sins, trusting only in his mercy and power. Jehoshaphat acknowledges the sovereign dominion of the Divine Providence. Lord, exert it on our behalf. Whom should we seek to, whom should we trust to for relief, but the God we have chosen and served. Those that use what they have for God, may comfortably hope he will secure it to them. Every true believer is a son of Abraham, a friend of God; with such the everlasting covenant is established, to such every promise belongs. We are assured of God's love, by his dwelling in human nature in the person of the Saviour. Jehoshaphat mentions the temple, as a token of God's favourable presence. He pleads the injustice of his enemies. We may well appeal to God against those that render us evil for good. Though he had a great army, he said, We have no might without thee; we rely upon thee.

2 Chronicles 20:10-11 . Whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade, &c. — Or give them any disturbance. He pleads the ingratitude and injustice of his enemies, and intimates that it would be for God’s glory to appear against them, and for the people whom they had so ill requited for the kindness shown them. We may comfortably appeal to God against those who render us evil for good. Behold how they reward us, to come and cast us out of thy possession — And seize our land for themselves, which indeed is thy land. Their crime was aggravated in this, that they made an attempt, not only upon the rights of the Israelites, but of God himself; whose land this was, which his people held of him as their Lord.

10 . mount Seir ] Here and in 2 Chronicles 20:23 in the enumeration of the allied peoples “Mount Seir” takes the place of the “Meunim” of 2 Chronicles 20:1 , yet no doubt the same contingent is meant. Mount Seir was indeed part of the territory of the Edomites, and the Meunim (Minaeans) were Arabians, but the two peoples were cognate and moreover were neighbours, so that Minaean invaders would probably bring along with them Edomite kinsmen in passing through Mount Seir. Mount Seir extended from the south of the Dead Sea to the head of the Gulf of Akaba. whom thou wouldest not etc.] Cp. Deuteronomy 2:4-5 ; Deuteronomy 2:9 ; Deuteronomy 2:19 ; see also Numbers 20:14-21 . but they turned ] R.V. but they turned aside . 2 Chronicles 20:10

The Maonites of 2 Chronicles 20:1 are here, and in 2 Chronicles 20:22-23 , called the "children" or inhabitants "of mount Seir." Hence, we may gather that they were a tribe of Edomites, the inhabitants, probably of a city Maon (now Ma'an) on the eastern side of the Wady el-Arabah.

(10) And (the children of) mount Seir. —The Maonites are here so called apparently, and thus identified as an Edomite people. (See on 2Chronicles 20:1 .) Whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade.—See the respective prohibitions (Deuteronomy 2:4; Deuteronomy 2:9; Deuteronomy 2:19.) Comp. also (Numbers 20:14-21) the king of Edom’s refusal of a passage through his territory (Judges 11:15, seq.) These tribes were recognised as the kindred of Israel, as being sons of Esau and sons of Lot. (The Syriac has “mount Gebel,” i.e., Gebāl, the name of a tribe living in the northern part of mount Seir, Psalm 73:8.)

6-12. And said, O Lord God of our fathers—This earnest and impressive prayer embraces every topic and argument which, as king and representative of the chosen people, he could urge. Then it concludes with an earnest appeal to the justice of God to protect those who, without provocation, were attacked and who were unable to defend themselves against overwhelming numbers.

ועתּה, and now, the contrary of this has occurred. Peoples into whose midst (בהם לבוא...אשׁר) Thou didst not allow Israel to come, i.e., into whose land Thou didst not allow Israel to enter when they came out of the land of Egypt, for they (the Israelites under Moses) turned from them and destroyed them not (cf. as to the fact, Numbers 20:14 .; Deuteronomy 2:4 ; Deuteronomy 9:19 ); behold, these peoples recompense us by coming to cast us out of our possession which Thou hast given us (הורישׁ, to give as a possession, as in Judges 11:24 ). There follows hereupon in 2 Chronicles 20:12 the prayer: "Our God, wilt Thou not judge," i.e., do right upon them, for we have not strength before (to withstand) this multitude? We know not what to do, sc. against so many enemies; but our eyes are turned to Thee, i.e., to Thee we look for help; cf. Psalm 123:2 ; Psalm 141:8 .