2 Chronicles 20:8

And they dwelt therein,.... From ages past, hitherto, since it was first given them, and they were put into the possession of it: and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name; a temple for his worship, honour, and glory, and for him to dwell in; and is a reason why it might be hoped he would protect them, especially when they prayed to him: saying; and he promised to hear and help them, as follows.

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.

20:14-19 The Spirit of prophecy came upon a Levite in the midst of the congregation. The Spirit, like the wind, blows where and on whom He listeth. He encouraged them to trust in God. Let the Christian soldier go out against his spiritual enemies, and the God of peace will make him more than a conqueror. Our trials will prove our gain. The advantage will be all our own, but the whole glory must be given to God.

2 Chronicles 20:8-9 . Have built thee a sanctuary — He does not mention this under an idea that they had merited any thing at God’s hand by building it, for only of his own they had given him; but considers it as such a token of God’s favourable presence with them, as had encouraged them to hope he would hear and help them, when in their distress they cried to him before that house. If when evil cometh upon us, the sword, judgment — Or rather, the sword of judgment, or of vengeance, that is, war, whereby thou judgest and punishest thy people for their sins.

Abraham thy friend - Historically, this is the first use of this remarkable expression, afterward repeated (marginal references). The ground of the expression is to be found principally in Genesis 18:23-33 , where Abraham spoke with God as a man with his friend (compare Exodus 33:11 ). 2 Chronicles 20:8, 2 Chronicles 20:9 The appeal recalls Solomon's prayer (marginal references), which God had formally accepted by sending down fire from heaven to consume the accompanying offering.

(8) And have built thee a sanctuary therein. — And built thee therein a sanctuary for thy name. “ A sanctuary for thy name” is a single expression. (Comp. 2Chronicles 6:5-8 , “that my name might be there.”) The name of Jehovah designates all that He is to Israel; His revealed character.

(17) Ye shall not need to fight. — It is not for you to fight. (Comp. 1Chronicles 5:1 ; 1Chronicles 15:2 .) In this.—Herein, in this instance. (Comp. for the phrase, 2Chronicles 19:2.) Set yourselves (i.e., “withstand,” 2Chronicles 20:6).—Station yourselves, take your stand. Here the next verb, stand ye still, seems added as an explanation, and is, perhaps, a marginal gloss. “Fear not: take your stand, and see the salvation of the Lord,” was the command of Moses to Israel at the Red Sea, just before the Great Deliverance (Exodus 14:13). (Comp. also the words of Psalm 46:8, “Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he hath made in the earth.”) The Lord with you.—Some explain the connection thus: “The Lord (who is) with you.” Iahveh ‘immdkhem may, perhaps, be compared with ‘immānû êl, “with us God” (Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah 8:8); it will then be a Divine title, suited to the present emergency. But, more probably, the stop should be at the Lord; and with you, O Judah and Jerusalem! is an elliptic expression, meaning “He is, or will be with you,” &c, as in 2Chronicles 19:6. (Comp. the refrain of Psalms 46, “The Lord of hosts is with us! The God of Jacob is our refuge.”)

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.

In this land they dwelt, and built Thee therein a sanctuary for Thy name; cf. 2 Chronicles 6:5 , 2 Chronicles 6:8 . לאמר, saying, i.e., at the consecration of this house, having expressed the confident hope contained in the following words ( 2 Chronicles 20:9 ). In this verse, the cases enumerated in Solomon's dedicatory prayer, in which supplication is made that God would hear in the temple, are briefly summed up. By referring to that prayer, Jehoshaphat presupposes that Jahve had promised that He would answer prayer offered there, since He had filled the temple with His glory; see 2 Chronicles 7:1-3 . The name שׁפות, which occurs only here, between דּבר and חרב, denotes in this connection a punitive judgment.