2 Chronicles Study Notes

1:1 At one point 1 and 2 Chronicles were bound together as one scroll, but here we come to a meaningful breaking point. The Chronicler starts afresh with his story, beginning by reviewing a number of details in the process. If we think of Chronicles as the "Gospel According to Ezra," then what follows in the reign of Solomon must be seen as an expression of God's grace because the Lord . . . was with Solomon and magnified him exceedingly. This story is not just about a competent king, but the God who supported him. As a consequence, Solomon strengthened his hold on the kingdom. Solomon, though conscious of the need for military preparation, was not a military man. He united the people in other ways, primarily by fortifying the kingdom and generating a number of building projects, not the least of which was the temple.

1:2 We are not given the text of Solomon's inauguration address, but the fact that he gave one shows his acumen as a leader. As he set out to celebrate his new reign, he made sure that representatives from the entire kingdom were involved in the celebration.

1:3-5 The Chronicler reminds us of the ambivalent situation regarding the sacred sites in Israel. The tabernacle, the central place of worship, was still in Gibeon. This included the altar made by Bezaleel in the time of Moses (Exod. 38:1-3). The brasen altar was actually a wooden altar covered with a bronze grate.

1:6 Solomon presented 1,000 offerings, following a practice established by David (1 Chron. 29:21). All of Solomon's sacrifices were burnt offerings, meaning that all the animals were consumed by fire. In order to carry out all these sacrifices within one day, dozens of animals must have been offered simultaneously.

1:10 In response to an open invitation from God (v. 7), Solomon asked for wisdom, demonstrating that he already had remarkable wisdom. Solomon was only about 20 years old. He had shown himself capable in asserting his leadership in eliminating Adonijah, his rival, and in uniting the priesthood in the person of Zadok (1 Kings 1–2).

1:11-12 God was pleased with Solomon's request, and added a bonus—riches, and wealth, and honour. To this day, the name of Solomon is synonymous with wisdom and wealth.

1:13 Solomon had honored the holy site that he was about to dismantle. The mention of the tabernacle emphasizes the contrast to the new order he was about to initiate (chap. 2).

1:14 This is the first of two listings of Solomon's wealth and military capability (9:13-28). In comparison, Pharaoh, in pursuing the Israelites at the exodus, had 600 chariots (Exod. 14:7) and Sisera of Hazor had 900 (Judg. 4:3). This is particularly noteworthy since Solomon was not known as a man of war.

1:15 Solomon's own wealth devalued some of the most precious resources of the ancient world. This state of affairs did not outlive Solomon's reign; his wealth apparently did not benefit the common people in the long run.

1:16-17 Solomon invested heavily in horses and chariots as a basis for increasing his own wealth. He bought horses from Egypt and Kue, a region in Turkey, and then sold them to the Hittites and the Syrians (see note at 1 Kings 10:28-29). Although these items are mentioned here as representative of Solomon's material success, they were also a violation of God's ordinance. The law stated that a future king should not acquire horses from Egypt or accumulate large amounts of silver (Deut. 17:16-17).

2:1 David assumed that Solomon would build the temple, and he made plans for this (1 Chron. 17:1). Solomon not only affirmed David's assumption in his own decisions, but he planned the temple and his own palace on a much more impressive scale than David's blueprints.

2:2 In verses 17-18, where the same list is repeated, we learn that the workers conscripted by Solomon were aliens living in Israel. At this time, Solomon did not force any Israelites to work on his building projects (10:4). The first part of the project was to construct the walls out of large blocks of stone. These stones were quarried in the mountain. By shaping this work off site, the laborers had more space to work on site, plus they reduced the weight of each block to its minimum, making transportation easier.

2:3 Despite all the materials that David had accumulated, Solomon needed more, particularly cedar wood. He also needed expert advice on how to work with these materials. So he consulted his father's old trading partner, King Huram (Hiram) of Tyre.

2:4 Huram was a shrewd trader. In proposing a business deal to Huram, Solomon made sure he was informed about the importance of this project. He put Huram on notice that if he cut corners with the materials he supplied, he would be offending the Lord Jehovah. Solomon's letter briefly described the functions of the temple.

2:5 Solomon emphasized to Huram that the greatness of God's house should exceed any other temple because God was greater than any other gods. If this statement was offensive to Huram, who worshipped his own gods, his response did not show it (v. 12).

2:6 In contrast to pagan gods whose presence was limited to their temples, Jehovah was not confined to this temple. He filled all of heaven and earth.

2:7 Solomon asked Huram for a craftsman who could work with metals as well as textiles and engraving. The color purple, considered the color of royalty, was one of the chief exports of the Phoenicians. Solomon specified that this craftsman would be in charge of laborers provided by David. Solomon did not want Huram to send a large labor force that might pose a military threat.

2:8-9 Not only did the Phoenicians have ready access to the wood that Solomon asked for, but they had more experience than the Israelites in working with it. Solomon sent Israelite servants to help with the labor and perhaps to assure the quality of the timber.

2:10 Tyre excelled in trade, but largely depended on other nations for food (Acts 12:20).

2:11-12 Huram's response showed he understood that he was not just dealing with Solomon but with Solomon's God. Huram's praise of the Lord should not be taken to mean that he was a true follower of God. People of that time generally believed that each nation had its own god who was effective for his people, but who would have no jurisdiction over other geographic areas (2 Kings 5:17). Huram probably sincerely applauded the God of the Israelites, though he thought Jehovah would have had no personal value to him as a non-Israelite.

2:13-14 King Huram proposed to send Solomon a man also named Huram, whom he called "my father" to honor him (cp. 2 Kings 2:12; 6:21; 13:14). Son of an Israelite mother and a Tyrian father, Huram was competent in all the skills specified by Solomon and presumably understood Israelite religion. Solomon was in ultimate control of the building project, and Huram, the Phoenician, was next in charge. A number of Israelite supervisors oversaw the large force of non-Israelites and their foremen.

2:16 The Phoenicians were among the early pioneers of seafaring. They were willing to risk the dangerous but efficient method of shipping logs as rafts along the Mediterranean coast.

2:17-18 On Solomon's forced laborers, see note at verse 2.

3:1 Mount Moriah was the place God had designated after David saw an angel and a plague was averted (1 Chron. 21).

3:2 Solomon began the actual building of the temple early in the fourth year of his reign. This means he had not waited long after his coronation to start gathering building materials.

3:3-4 Even though the temple became complex in its details, the basic plan was straightforward. The outline of the temple was a rectangle, 30 feet by 90 feet. Its entryway was a 30-foot tall porch that covered the entire width of the building. The most holy place, or holy of holies, was a 30-foot cube that constituted the far end, leaving a room 30 feet wide and 60 feet long as the holy place. This seems small, considering the crowds that would visit the temple, but sacrifices would be offered in the courtyard outside the temple. Only priests would enter the holy place, and then only twice a day—in the morning and in the evening—and only the high priest could enter the most holy place, only once a year.

3:5 The decorations of the holy place included palm trees. The use of botanical motifs went back to the tabernacle (Exod. 37:20). God wants us to appreciate the beauty He has instilled in His creation. Embellishment of sacred places with natural objects is wrong only when they become objects of worship or detract from the true worship of God.

3:8-9 The most holy place was covered with gold. Gold is very heavy, but it is also soft. The easiest way to maintain the gold on the ceiling (upper chambers) would have been to apply it to the beams before they were put in place. The golden nails must have been gilded nailheads on an iron core, or they could not have sustained hammer blows or held their place given the softness of gold.

3:10-13 On the back wall of the most holy place were two cherubims, each with two wings 7½ feet long, adding up to 30 feet in width, the exact width of the wall.

3:14 The curtain or vail became the highest expression of Phoenician art, with its fabric of many colors, including blue, and purple, and crimson.

3:15-17 The design of the temple followed that of the tabernacle, though the temple was constructed from more permanent material. Solomon did add two new structures—two pillars that were taller than the portico. Each of these pillars had a highly ornate capital, featuring a pomegranate motif. Pomegranates were a part of the decorative theme woven into the garments worn by priests (Exod. 28:33), so the pomegranate decorations symbolized the priestly function connected to the temple. The names of the pillars, Jachin and Boaz, signified faith in God, meaning "He will establish" and "strength is in Him."

4:1 The various fixtures that Solomon installed in the temple complex were outside the building in the courtyard. The most dominant item was the brass altar, which shared its dimensions with the most holy place, 30 feet by 30 feet. Because of its height (15 feet), it had a ramp that priests had to climb to perform sacrifices.

4:2-4 The water reservoir was half the width of the altar in diameter. Here is where priests washed their hands and feet before performing their duties (Exod. 30:18-21). Since the reservoir was 7½ feet high, there must have been steps all around it to give the priests access to the water. Perhaps that was a function of the 12 oxen decorations.

4:6 The large reservoir was reserved for the priests, but 10 smaller lavers were provided in which to wash the sacrificial animals.

4:8 The 100 gold basons were probably intended to hold incense and coals.

4:9 A number of details that must have been a part of the courtyard are not specifically mentioned here. It probably featured amenities for the priests as well as storage areas.

4:11 Finally the name of Huram, chief craftsman on the project, comes up, even though he had been in charge of the artwork and decorations (2:13-14). He left his stamp particularly on the smaller items, the various pots . . . shovels, and basons that would be used regularly at the altar. With these accomplishments, Huram finished the work for which he had been hired.

4:12-16 This inventory of all the items that Huram provided is a review of the things already mentioned, but this time with credit going to him.

4:17 The technique for making items out of bronze involved making clay molds, then filling them with hot molten metal, and removing the clay after the metal had cooled. This process required clay ground and a lot of water. It was easier to create these items next to the Jordan River and transport them up to Jerusalem than to try to make them on site where water was not as abundant.

4:19-22 Most of the furnishings inside the temple were also made of gold. This altar was intended for the twice-daily burning of incense, not for animal sacrifice. Even though there was a curtain in front of the most holy place, there were also sets of golden doors in front of it and at the entrance to the actual temple building.

5:1 David might have been disappointed if he had known that many of the valuable objects he commissioned for the temple courts and sanctuary (1 Chron. 28:12-18; 29:2-5) were relegated to the temple treasuries by Solomon.

5:2 The temple would serve as the only place of worship for all 12 tribes (Deut. 12:14). Therefore, it was appropriate for Solomon to have representatives of all the tribes present for the dedication ceremony. The most important aspect of this celebration was moving the ark of the covenant from the tent where David had stored it into the temple.

5:3 Solomon arranged for the temple dedication to occur during the feast (probably the Feast of Tabernacles). All Israelite men were supposed to be in Jerusalem for this celebration, now that a central sanctuary had been built (Exod. 23:17; Lev. 23:39-43). A large crowd of worshippers would thus take ownership of the temple right from the start.

5:4-6 This procession of the ark covered only a small distance, since it was moved from one part of Jerusalem to another. Simultaneously, a much longer procession carried the entire tabernacle from Gibeon up to Jerusalem, where it became integrated into the temple structure. The ark was carried by the proper people, the Levites, and in the proper manner, by threading two staves through rings on the ark and then hoisting it on their shoulders (Exod. 25:14).

5:7-9 More than a century earlier, the ark had been in the most holy place of the tabernacle. After that it had changed locations several times, but it had never been returned to its prescribed location in the tabernacle. Now finally the ark of the covenant resumed its proper place in the holy of holies. Once the ark was in its proper place, it was situated in such a way that the cherubims (3:10-13) created the impression of guarding the ark with their wings. The poles were too long to be confined to the holy of holies, so they jutted out into the sanctuary—though they were not visible from the courtyard. In the day the Chronicler wrote these words, the ark was no longer in the temple but the poles were, presumably as a symbol of the missing ark.

5:10 By this time only the two tables with the commandments were in the ark, but at one time it contained two other objects—a pot of manna and Aaron's rod that had sprouted miraculously (Heb. 9:4).

5:11 Solomon followed David's plan for the division of the priests into different courses, but all of the priests participated in the dedication service.

5:12-13 The descendants of the three chief musicians who had been divided between the tent of the ark in Jerusalem and the tabernacle in Gibeon were now reunited. Together with their clans, they started to make music. Everyone joined together in praising God because the temple was an expression of God's goodness and love for His people.

5:14 God approved of what the people had done, and He displayed His approval by revealing His glory through a cloud that filled the temple. There are three points of significance to the cloud and the momentary stoppage it forced on all activities. (1) It shows that God was pleased with the work the people had done. (2) It was a reminder that God's presence among His people is ultimately the focal point, not the many activities that the people carry out in worshipping God. (3) It brought the exodus to conclusion. Nearly 500 years earlier, the Israelites had followed God from point to point as they crisscrossed the desert for 40 years (1 Kings 6:1). During that time, God had shown Himself as a cloud during the day and as a pillar of fire at night (Exod. 13:21-22), always moving ahead of the people. Now, with the land possessed in its entirety and a temple in place, the conquest had finally been finished, and the cloud came to rest inside the sanctuary.

6:2 The Hebrew word translated habitation (zebul) often refers to an exalted place (Isa. 63:15; Hab. 3:11).

6:3-11 As the whole congregation stood to receive Solomon's blessings, he repeated the familiar story that led up to this point so everyone would understand the grace of God. The Lord had made a promise and now He had fulfilled it. It was He who had chosen David; and it was He who had designated Solomon as the temple builder.

6:12-13 Solomon had planned this moment by having a scaffold erected and assuming a public, reverent stance to pray. This way the people could hear him as he represented the people before the Lord.

6:14-17 Solomon thanked God that the first half of what the Lord had promised had taken place: the temple had been built, and the son of David was on the throne. Then he petitioned God to keep the second part of the promise: the perpetual dynasty of David's descendants as long as they remained faithful.

6:18-20 Solomon recognized that God was not confined to the temple. This was distinct from the common view in the ancient Near East that all deities were restricted to a particular location, such as a temple or a limited geographical region. In Israel's theology, the temple was a place where people could come to encounter the living God, but this living God was present everywhere.

6:21-39 Solomon asked the Lord to listen and to respond in various scenarios.

6:22-23 The first scenario involved a man who had done some wrong and who needed to clear his name or to bring about the end of his punishment by taking an oath in the temple. Solomon did not ask that a guilty person would be set free, but that justice would be done.

6:24-25 The second scenario was one that is illustrated throughout the rest of 2 Chronicles. It involved the Israelites turning away from God and as a consequence being defeated by an enemy. Solomon asked that when the people came to their senses and prayed in the temple, God would forgive their sins and give them back the land they had lost.

6:26-27 The third scenario implied that a drought in the land had been caused by the Israelites' turning away from the Lord. Again, Solomon's prayer was that God would respond to sincere prayer in the temple by sending rain.

6:28-31 The fourth scenario included a number of disasters. Solomon petitioned God to listen to the prayers by people in the temple, but he stipulated that the prayers must be sincere because God knew the human heart. The temple was not an automatic forgiving machine.

6:32-33 In the fifth scenario, Solomon made his request on behalf of every foreigner who might come to the temple to seek God. His prayer was that these foreigners would find their petitions answered, so God's name would be glorified among those who lived far away. Many ancient people believed their gods were restrained by their location. The god who responded to people from far away was a God who set Himself apart from the many false gods of the surrounding nations.

6:34-35 In the sixth scenario, Solomon asked God for help in battle. Solomon was not asking God for a blanket support of military adventurism, but for Jehovah's aid during those times when He would send them into war.

6:36-39 The seventh and last scenario would have been appropriate for the Chronicler and his contemporaries as they rebuilt the nation after the exile. The nation might be deported into a land far off. This possibility had already been mentioned by Moses (Deut. 28:33). Solomon asked that once the people repented and started to pray in the direction of the temple that the Lord would forgive them.

6:41-42 Solomon concluded his prayer by asking God to take over the temple so the priests, the saints, and he—the anointed king—might rejoice in the nearness of God. He prayed that God would bless Israel for the sake of the mercies (Hb chesed) of David, which could mean David's loyalty to God or God's loyalty to David. God did indeed do this for Solomon and many generations of Judah's kings (21:7; cp. 1 Kings 11:11-13; 15:4; 2 Kings 8:19; 19:34; 20:6).

7:1-2 Fire had come down from heaven once before on an offering at precisely the same spot where the temple stood—on David's sacrifice on the threshingfloor of Ornan (1 Chron. 21:25). This dramatic occurrence showed that God approved of what Solomon and the people had done. The glory of the Lord was a cloud and a light so bright that no one could stand in its presence (Ezek. 1:28; 10:4).

7:3 This display of God's glory was publicly visible, reminding everyone of God's reality and His faithful character. The praise of the worshippers focused on God, not the temple or the king.

7:4-6 The sacrifice of this many animals required rigorous organization. The priests had specific tasks at their designated areas, while the musicians provided background music, just as David had envisioned.

7:7 Sacrifices were supposed to be made on the brasen altar of the temple, but it was not large enough to accommodate them all. Solomon consecrated the courtyard for this occasion, and the animals were sacrificed right there on the ground.

7:8-9 Since the dedication of the temple also coincided with the feast of Tabernacles, many people were in Jerusalem for the celebration of this festival. Hamath is in the far north and the river of Egypt is the southern border of Israel, so people were there from the whole country. It is not often that a nation comes together in a celebration of joy, but it surely was the case here.

7:10 Finally after three weeks, Solomon declared the festivities over and sent everyone home to their tents. This expression does not mean that most Israelites were still living in tents rather than houses. This was a familiar figure of speech (10:16).

7:11 The total time for building the temple and the palace was 20 years (1 Kings 6:38–7:1).

7:12 Ten years earlier, Solomon had begun his reign by visiting the tabernacle at Gibeon (1:7). Just as the Lord had done at Gibeon, He appeared to Solomon by night. This time God confirmed everything that Solomon had prayed for.

7:13-16 This promise presupposes a very specific context. It was given to God's people, which are called by God's name, and it is a part of God's answer to Solomon's prayer. It refers to times when the Israelites will have become faithless to God and are enduring the consequences, whether it was a famine, an invasion, or even the deportation to another country. To be humble . . . pray . . . seek God, and turn from sin are four aspects of one attitude: repentance. If Israel would repent, He would forgive them and heal their spiritual relationship with Him associated with the promised land. Furthermore, as was established earlier, the prayer mentioned is specifically intended to refer to prayer in the temple or, if that is not possible, prayer said facing in the direction of the temple. This promise is given specifically to God's covenant people, and by itself it should not be applied to other nations or to the church. However, these verses reflect God's gracious nature, and on that basis we may draw out a more fundamental principle—that any person, regardless of race or geography, can come to the Lord with a repentant heart and find forgiveness (see 6:32-33; Joel 2:32; Acts 2:21; Rom. 10:13; 1 Cor. 1:2).

7:17-22 Solomon was confirmed as God's chosen king and the one whose offspring would continue the line of David on the throne. But if Solomon or his successors proved to be unworthy, a time might come when there was no longer a throne for David's offspring to occupy. Just as God was faithful in keeping His promise, He would also be faithful in carrying out His punishment for sin and rebellion. The Lord would not continue the kingdom if the kings refused to follow Him.

8:1 The building of the temple took seven years, and Solomon's palace another 13 (see 1 Kings 6:38–7:1).

8:2 A partial payment from Solomon to Huram for the building materials he provided consisted of 20 cities (villages by modern standards) to add to Huram's kingdom (1 Kings 9:10-14). These locations would have been of use to Huram only if they were affluent enough to pay taxes or could serve as military defenses. When Huram went to visit his new acquisitions, he discovered they were worthless little hamlets, so he gave them back to the king of Judah. Solomon was willing to invest in these locations by having them rebuilt and resettled.

8:3 In contrast to his father David, Solomon undertook few military campaigns. One exception was his seizure of Hamath-zobah. In David's time Tou, king of Hamath, had surrendered to David and paid a tribute (1 Chron. 18:9-10). Apparently a new government of that city had rebelled against Israel, so Solomon took it over and erected storage facilities there. This city was on the northern edge of the promised land, a natural destination for caravans crossing the desert between Mesopotamia and Lebanon.

8:4 Now all Solomon needed to do to take control of the trade across the Syrian Desert was to claim an oasis located halfway along the caravan route. Tadmor was such a location. By establishing it along with Hamath, Solomon dominated all the trade to and from Mesopotamia.

8:5-6 Solomon continued with his nationwide building program by fortifying the route leading up to Jerusalem. The cities of lower and upper Beth-horon were garrisons intended to keep invaders from reaching the capital city.

8:7-9 God's strict command to Joshua years before was that all Canaanites were to be eliminated (Josh. 6:21), but the Israelites had not completely followed through on capturing all the territory until David conquered Jerusalem, the last bit of Canaanite-owned soil. There were still survivors, and these people now made up Solomon's tribute (forced labor) for his construction projects. Children of Israel were not supposed to become slaves. However, they did have to work for Solomon, and his requirements grew increasingly stringent.

8:11 In contrast to the record of 1 Kings, the Chronicler does not dwell on Solomon's shortcomings or his many marriages. He does mention Solomon's wife who was the daughter of Pharaoh, though only to emphasize that out of respect for the holiness of the ark and the facilities that David had erected, Solomon moved his Egyptian wife to quarters outside Jerusalem. Although the Chronicler does not condemn Solomon at this point, it is still impossible not to realize that Solomon, while observing every part of the ceremonial law by never missing a daily sacrifice, simultaneously undercut the law by importing idolatry right into his marriage bed. In 1 Kings 11:6 we learn that Solomon even participated in pagan sacrifices in order to please his wives.

8:12-15 Solomon fulfilled all the requirements associated with the temple to the letter, including the offerings . . . every day and all the various mandatory celebrations. He strictly maintained the division of labor and the shifts that had been ordered by his father, King David, before him.

8:17-18 The cities of Ezion-geber and Eloth were located at the southernmost end of Israel on the shore of the Red Sea. These locations made it possible for Solomon to carry on trade with the people on the Arabian Peninsula and possibly beyond. But Solomon had no ships and the Israelites knew nothing about sailing. On the other hand, King Huram was the ruler of a seafaring people who were busy carrying on trade throughout the Mediterranean Sea, but if the Phoenicians wanted to establish trade relations with Arabia, they had to sail all the way through the Mediterranean down the west coast of Africa, around the Cape of Good Hope and back up north all the way along the east coast of Africa to Arabia. In short, Solomon had convenient harbors but no ships, while Huram had ships but no convenient harbor. They were able to work together and haul in huge amounts of gold. The location of Ophir is unknown. Solomon considered the gold his personal property, so it was stored in his palace (9:15). The people eventually revolted against the king's practices (10:16). The hard labor imposed by Solomon might have been more acceptable if it had resulted in nationwide economic benefits.

9:1 Sheba is identical with the ancient kingdom of Saba, located in what is today Yemen at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. This was a thriving kingdom, strategically located between the more distant parts of Asia and the Middle East, thus able to profit from the trade between the two areas. When the combined fleet of Solomon and Huram began to commute regularly between Arabia and Israel, Saba's economy may have been affected adversely because the two kings were able to eliminate Saba's role as a middleman. The queen of Sheba had heard many stories about this king who was noted for his wealth and wisdom. She made this long, arduous journey to meet Solomon face to face, to learn his secrets of statecraft, and presumably to be on the right side of any potential conflict. She attempted to impress this king who had more wealth than he could ever use by bringing him even more riches.

9:2-4 Solomon was able to answer all her questions and to explain many things to her. By the time the queen had seen everything of Solomon's material glory, as well as the extravagance of the temple and its rituals, it took her breath (spirit; Hb ruach) away. Solomon's intent to build a temple that demonstrated God's superiority to all other gods (1:5) had been accomplished.

9:5-9 The queen acknowledged that the report she had heard about Solomon did not come close to the reality she saw. She was unaware of the unrest among Solomon's subjects that would reach a climax in the next chapter (and which is elaborated in 1 Kings 11:26-40). She only saw the glorious side of the kingdom and even gave the Lord credit for having arranged Solomon's reign. To show her appreciation for the king, she gave him gold . . . spices . . . and precious stones.

9:10-11 Algum, more commonly called almug, was one of several types of sandalwood known for its fragrance. It could be burned like incense.

9:12 The presents of the queen of Sheba to Solomon turned out to be an investment. The king gave her presents that went beyond what she had brought.

9:13-16 Solomon, as we have seen (2:18; 8:7-8), used slave labor for his building projects and even instituted forced labor among the Israelites (10:4). He hoarded the accumulating amount of gold and devised an ingenious method of storing it by molding it into large shields (targets) and small shields that covered the walls of his palace. People could admire it, but he had quick access to it if he needed it.

9:17-22 The Chronicler sees Solomon's wealth and his splendor as evidence of God's blessing (1:12). His acquisitions included ornate furniture and exotic animals, most coming to him as profit from his partnership with Huram. Even the grandiose attitude that permeates this description was supposed to demonstrate to the Gentile world the reality of Jehovah's blessings of His king. But this does not mean that Solomon's policies, such as those that led to the devaluation of precious metals, were wise over the long haul. The overabundance of silver and gold in Jerusalem probably created a shortage in other lands, and it was only a short time before someone attempted to restore balance (12:9).

9:23-24 Even Solomon's legendary wisdom led to an increase in his wealth. Some of this wisdom has been preserved for us in the books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. Of particular note given Solomon's extraordinary wealth, at the end of his life that was so devoted to material acquisitions, he said, "vanity of vanities; all is vanity" (Eccl. 1:2).

9:25-28 On Solomon's accumulation of horses and chariots, see note at 1:16-17.

9:29-31 The Chronicler applies his standard summary of the life and rule of a king to Solomon, just as he had done for David (1 Chron. 29:26-30). If we compare Solomon's final notice with David's, we see that Solomon's obituary carries neither praise nor condemnation. Even though the Chronicler did not dwell on Solomon's shortcomings as the writer of 1 Kings did, he was certainly aware of them. He chose to focus on Solomon the temple builder rather than on Solomon the man. The temple that he built was of greater significance than the king himself.

10:1 Some of the kings throughout the rest of 2 Chronicles have similar names. Some of these kings appear under different names in 1 and 2 Kings. For this reason whenever a king is mentioned for the first time from this point on, we will give a quick summary of his identity.

Rehoboam: First king of Judah; son of Solomon; the king under whom the united kingdom split into the north (Israel) and the south (Judah). Initially there seemed to be little doubt in anyone's mind that Rehoboam should become the next king. He was the son of Solomon, and everyone knew that the descendants of David should occupy the throne. There seemed to be little question about Rehoboam's readiness for the kingship at 41 years old, so all Israel went to Shechem for his coronation.

10:2 Jeroboam: First king of Israel (where Israel refers only to the northern kingdom); leader in the revolt of the 10 northern tribes against Rehoboam; instituted official idol worship in the north. From the tribe of Ephraim, at one time he had been the leader of Solomon's labor force in Jerusalem (1 Kings 11:26-40). One day when he was outside the city walls, the prophet Ahijah approached him and told him that he would be king over the 10 northern tribes (1 Kings 11:29ff.). Realizing that he had now been officially designated as a future traitor and that Solomon would execute him, Jeroboam fled to Egypt and remained there for the rest of Solomon's reign. As soon as Jeroboam heard about the impending coronation of Rehoboam, he made his way back from exile in Egypt to join the assembly.

10:3-4 Jeroboam's talent for leadership was known to the people, who immediately appointed him to be their spokesman and to convey to Rehoboam their desire for a reduction in forced labor.

10:5-7 King Solomon had been known for his wisdom and his ability to decide difficult questions (1 Kings 3:28). His son, however, was unable to decide how to respond to this simple request. First he went to the older counselors, those who had served Solomon. They replied with the obvious answer: when you are confronted with an ultimatum from the populace and your entire kingdom is at stake, and you have it in your power to give in to the ultimatum with little difficulty, give the people what they ask for.

10:8-10 Rehoboam did not like the advice of the elders, so he consulted his peers, who are identified as young men (a comparative term, since they were roughly the same age as Rehoboam; see note at v. 1). They were in their forties, and they had been forced to wait for a long time to have any influence in the kingdom. These younger men saw the opportunity to assert themselves, and they suggested to Rehoboam that he speak sharply to the people. They coached their befuddled ruler into repeating an absurd saying that would have alienated even a person who had meant to support Rehoboam.

10:11 The word that is literally scorpions designates barbed whips—a common instrument of discipline in the ancient Near East.

10:14 The king made the exact abusive speech that his younger advisers had programmed him to give (v v. 10-11).

10:15 The Chronicler makes it clear to his readers that in the final analysis Rehoboam was only carrying out what God had already prophesied through the prophet Ahijah—that Rehoboam would lose almost all of his kingdom. Thus, even though Rehoboam was responsible for his actions, he was fulfilling what God had planned as punishment for Solomon's and Israel's unfaithfulness (1 Kings 11:33).

10:16 When the people (all Israel) realized that Rehoboam was not willing to listen to their reasonable request, they turned their backs on him and went home (to their tents; see note at 8:17-18).

10:17 Rehoboam did not lose all his territory, but his kingdom was restricted to the tribe of Judah. Technically, this region also encompassed the area of Simeon, but this tribe had been assimilated into Judah over the centuries (though not entirely; see 1 Chron. 4:41). The tribe of Benjamin, once the fiercest opponent of the house of David, was now also fully integrated into Judah.

10:18-19 Still at Shechem, Rehoboam thought he could force the rebellious people to submit to him. He assigned Hadoram, his minister of forced labor (tribute), to call the Israelites back to their duty. The people of the northern tribes expressed their dissatisfaction with rocks and killed their would-be supervisor. Rehoboam managed to escape, but the kingdom was split for good.

11:2-4 God had brought about the split of the kingdom as a punishment. This was not time for a civil war; the people of Judah and Benjamin needed to go home and settle in under the new conditions. The Chronicler mentions Jeroboam as head of the north, leaving it to the reader to infer that Jeroboam had indeed been crowned as king of the 10 northern tribes.

11:5-12 Solomon had created large fortifications all over his kingdom, but many of those installations now belonged to the northern kingdom. Rehoboam needed to establish a smaller circle of cities for defence around Jerusalem. Cities that previously had not been that important, such as Beth-lehem, now became crucial defensive posts. Not only did Rehoboam see to it that they were physically fortified, but also that each of those places had a leader, supplies, and weapons. Having started off on the wrong foot, Rehoboam attempted to make up for his blunder by making sure that what remained of his kingdom was not vulnerable to attack.

11:13-16 Meanwhile, Jeroboam in the north was faced with a serious problem of his own. The mind-set of the people over whom he was supposed to rule made it almost impossible for him to be an effective king. He had broken away from Rehoboam and Jerusalem, but the temple was in Jerusalem, and the priests and Levites were still loyal to the temple. Prior to the building of the temple by Solomon, it was permissible for priests to perform sacrifices anywhere in the country, but the priests were not willing to return to that practice, and Jeroboam did not permit priests of the Jerusalem-bound religion to officiate in his new territory. From all over the northern kingdom, they migrated to Jerusalem to participate in the true worship of the Lord. Thus, under Jeroboam's direction, the new kingdom of the north was rooted in idolatry right from the beginning. Jeroboam replaced the worship of God with the worship of devils and two golden calves, one in the northern section of his kingdom at Dan, and the other in the south close to the border with Judah at Beth-el. He also installed a new priesthood of those who were willing to serve these idols rather than the Lord. There were many laypersons within the northern tribes who were committed to serving the Lord, and they also relocated to Jerusalem so they could worship at the temple as the law required.

11:17 During the first three years, both kingdoms looked inward to strengthen themselves. The south rallied around the temple and the service of the Lord, while the north focused on the cult of idolatry instigated by Jeroboam.

11:18-21 Rehoboam had eighteen wives, many of them from within his wider circle of blood relations. Mahalath was his half cousin, Abihail was his great aunt, unless some intervening generations have not been mentioned. His favorite wife, Maachah (also called Michaiah), was probably Absalom's granddaughter by his son or son-in-law Uriel (13:2). She would become influential in leading the people into idolatry.

11:22-23 There was one matter in which Rehoboam proved to be a wiser ruler than either David or Solomon. Both of his predecessors had left their sons in Jerusalem, where they had been given important titles but not much responsibility. Having spent the first 41 years of his life in such a limbo, Rehoboam made sure that his sons had a meaningful purpose. He put them in charge of many of the newly fenced cities and sought out many wives for them.

12:1 All Israel in this context refers to residents of the kingdom of Judah, since the northern kingdom had already adopted Jeroboam's idolatry as the new state religion.

12:2-3 No sooner had Rehoboam fallen away into idolatry than Shishak, the new pharaoh of Egypt, mobilized his forces for an invasion of Judah (as well as Israel, as documented in his own records). Egypt had stayed in the background for a long time, having to deal with internal problems as well as several military setbacks over the last two centuries. In the thirteenth century, Ramesses II had set out on a disastrous attempt to subject the Hittites in the north to his rule, but he barely escaped with his army. This fact did not keep his subjects in Egypt from celebrating him as if he had achieved a major victory—for them it was a matter of national pride to put a positive spin on events. Egypt and the Hittites had seriously weakened each other, and Mesopotamia was gripped by a contest for power between Assyria and Babylonia. God had used these factors to enable David and Solomon to achieve great power. Furthermore, a while after Ramesses' misadventure, the Philistines had attempted to invade Egypt. Even though Egypt managed to hold them off, this episode left them weaker still. Solomon had married the daughter of a pharaoh whose entire dynasty ended with him. Now there was a new family of rulers, headed up by Shishak, known to history as Sheshonk I. Shishak was a Libyan. He was able to take control of the Egyptians as well as the adjoining people such as the Lubims (Lybians), the Sukkiims (a nation related to the Libyans), and the Ethiopians.

12:4 In spite of all the work that both Solomon and Rehoboam had put into fortifying the cities of Judah, these efforts did not keep away the pharaoh whom God had sent as punishment for the sins of the kingdom.

12:5-6 When the prophet Shemaiah (11:2) explained to King Rehoboam that his sin was the cause of this invasion, he and the people repented. Some subsequent kings, when confronted with their sin, did not listen to God, and thus received the full consequences of their sin.

12:9 Shishak's army arrived in Jerusalem and helped themselves to all the treasures that David and Solomon had collected. The gold shields, so conveniently stored on the walls of Solomon's palace, became easy objects for the Egyptian army to carry off (see note at 9:13-16). Yet just as Shemaiah had predicted, Shishak did not destroy Jerusalem. This unusual action fits with Shishak's own records of this military excursion. He listed in an inscription 41 cities that he captured and decimated, but Jerusalem was not among them.

12:10-11 Having lost the gold shields, Rehoboam replaced them with brass shields and gave them more protection than he ever did to his father's legacy. He had been humiliated several times as he attempted to emulate his father. Now we see a little bit of self-assertion shining through this gesture.

12:12 Shishak's invasion was a lesson in humility. Shishak had apparently collected enough wealth to be satisfied. Despite the setback of the Egyptian invasion, on the whole life in Judah went well.

12:13-14 The customary death notice for Rehoboam is negative. On balance, despite his repentance and God's rescue, Rehoboam was considered an evil king who did not follow the law of the Lord.

13:1 Abijah: Second king of Judah, son of Rehoboam, father of Asa, miraculous victor over an army of the northern kingdom. Jeroboam was still ruler over the northern kingdom. Despite all the shortcomings of many of the kings of Judah, and even though God would take drastic measures to correct them in the future, the line of David continued on the throne until the exile. There was one brief interruption when Athaliah usurped the throne (22:10), but even then the rightful heir was alive and eventually installed. In contrast, the northern kingdom saw no dynasty longer than five kings, and in many cases there was no succession at all.

13:2 On Abijah's mother Michaiah (also called Maachah), see note at 11:18-21.

13:3 Paradoxically, the Chronicler keeps track of the size of the army for each king, but only to make the point that in the final analysis, the size of the army did not matter. Jeroboam not only had an army twice as large as Abijah's, but he was able to establish his tactical array so the army of Judah was practically trapped. The site of this battle was in the hill country of Ephraim, an area north of Jerusalem in the area straddling the two kingdoms.

13:4 Only in the context of the parallel account in 1 Kings 15 does Abijah's action take on its full significance. In that passage we see that Abijah was an idolater who cared little for the Lord or His laws. The moment that we see depicted here in Chronicles, when Abijah briefly relied on the Lord in a time of great need, is an exception, but it illustrates the Chronicler's affirmation that God protects the people who rely on Him. This particular case in point began with Abijah standing up and publicly repudiating Jeroboam and his entire army, an action that exposed him to great danger.

13:5 Abijah reminded everyone that God had promised the kingdom to David and his descendants for ever. A covenant of salt refers to a binding promise that cannot be broken (Num. 18:19); the term may be derived from the Middle Eastern practice of two parties reassuring each other of their goodwill by consuming a bit of salt together.

13:6-7 Abijah depicted Rehoboam as a helpless youngster who was deceived by the manipulative Jeroboam. This made it sound as though the split of Solomon's kingdom was brought about by Jeroboam, who had schemed to grasp the throne.

13:8 Addressing the soldiers of Jeroboam, Abijah pointed to their action as another act of rebellion against God and the descendants of David. The golden calves they were carrying with them into battle were evidence of their idolatry.

13:9 Abijah combined Jeroboam, the instigator, and his soldiers a generation later in his accusation. Both they and their usurper king shared the guilt for having banished the true priests and substituting their own priesthood. The description of how one could become a priest by paying the going price of a young bullock and seven rams was intended to raise doubts in the soldier's minds about the wisdom of this practice.

13:10-12 In contrast, Abijah pointed out that he and his kingdom had retained the true priests of God, the descendants of Aaron, and that they were worshipping the true God. He mentioned the rituals of the temple, hoping that these references would induce the soldiers to understand that by having discarded their true legacy in favor of Jeroboam's contrivances, they were pursuing a lost cause.

13:13-18 While Abijah was attempting to persuade the northern army to abandon the fight, his enemies sent soldiers into the rear of his army to close the trap. The army of Judah cried unto the Lord, fought with desperation, and God took it from there. They killed more than half of Jeroboam's army, but the Chronicler makes it clear that it was the Lord who was responsible for the victory.

13:19-20 Abijah and his army not only routed Jeroboam, but they also captured the town of Beth-el—the southern sanctuary for Jeroboam's golden calves. For Jeroboam, this was the beginning of the end. God judged him severely, and after he died, his son Nadab was assassinated after only two years on the throne (1 Kings 13–14; 15:25-28).

13:21 Abijah's reign was brief as well, but he remained powerful.

13:22 The story of the prophet Iddo is not known to us.

14:1 In light of the single event of Abijah's life that the Chronicler highlights, Abijah received a neutral death notice. He was buried on Mount Zion in the vicinity of David's tomb.

Asa: Third king of Judah; son of Abijah; devoted to God, but closed himself off from God at the end of his life. The years given for the kings' reigns make it clear that at times there was some overlap, when the father had already elevated his son as co-regent with him, just as David did with Solomon for a short while (1 Chron. 29:22). Thus, the ten years of quiet could include the latter years of Abijah's reign and the first years of Asa's reign.

14:2-3 Asa receives high praise from the Chronicler. He took away all the objects of idol worship and exhorted the people to obey God. High places were places of worship to various gods. Many, but not all, were pagan. Frequently sites for idolatry are called "high places," as in this passage (11:15), but the expression is also used for places dedicated to Jehovah, the true God. Groves (Asherah poles) were dedicated to the Canaanite goddess Asherah. The Canaanites believed that Asherah was the wife of the high god El and the mother of the main god Baal. Worshipping at her sacred wooden poles was supposed to produce fertility for crops and animals.

14:6-7 Encouraged by the time of peaceful rest, Asa set about redoing the fortifications throughout the land. He showed greater understanding than Rehoboam of the value of these fortifications. He told the people that they remained on the land because they had sought the Lord. Without the Lord's protection, the walls would be useless.

14:8-10 Asa's army was even larger than that of Abijah; the 400,000 warriors had grown to 580,000. Unfortunately, this huge number still put him at a disadvantage when Zerah the Ethiopian came calling with an army of one million men and 300 chariots. Instead of concealing himself behind his newly built fortifications, Asa and his smaller army marched out to confront Zerah in the vicinity of Mareshah, a town in western Judah.

14:11 Asa knew the odds were against him, but he had evidently learned from his father's success against Jeroboam's army. He cried unto the Lord for help. The king believed the outcome of the battle would not be determined by a mere man.

14:12 Once again, it was the Lord who won the battle, with Asa and his army serving as His instruments.

14:13-15 Zerah and his huge army had advanced this far because they had received support from the people of Gerar and the cattle-raising nomads in the vicinity. The army of Judah plundered all the cities around Gerar.

15:1-2 Azariah the son of Oded is one of many prophets who make brief appearances in the books of 1 and 2 Chronicles. He came with a message of encouragement for Asa to continue his devotion to the Lord.

15:3-7 Azariah reminded Asa of the cycles when the people had abandoned God, were punished (particularly by means of invasions of foreign armies), returned to God, enjoyed God's blessings, and once again abandoned Him. The prophet's intent was to praise Asa and to motivate him to continue what he was doing.

15:8 It is not clear when this event occurred. It is possible that this passage is an elaboration of the introduction to Asa in 14:2, but we cannot rule out that Asa had not completely followed through on his earlier attempts at reform and that Azariah's message led him to become more aggressive in his purge of idolatry.

15:9-11 The people responded favorably to Asa's reforms, including further defections from the north (see note at 11:13-16). They held a major feast of sacrifice in the temple, which the king had renovated (15:8). The animals that were offered came from the spoil of Asa's earlier victory (14:13-15).

15:12-15 Everyone took an oath of allegiance to the Lord, and they did so joyfully and voluntarily. This oath included an automatic death penalty for anyone who would not seek the Lord. The Lord rewarded their zeal and genuine repentance with rest (Deut. 4:29; 1 Sam. 7:3); God reserves the right to ignore insincere repentance (Ps. 66:18; Prov. 1:28-31; 21:27; Jer. 11:9-11).

15:17 This verse illustrates the difference between high places that were pagan sites and those that were used for worship of Jehovah (see note at 14:2-3). The high places that Asa did not remove were dedicated to the true God.

15:19 While Asa honored God, things went well for him and the kingdom.

16:1 Baasha: Third king of Israel; began his own dynasty; defeated by Asa of Judah. In the northern kingdom, Jeroboam's son Nadab had been replaced by Baasha, who decided to go to war against the southern kingdom. The first step in his strategy was to block access to Jerusalem by fortifying the town of Ramah. Baasha had also formed an alliance with Ben-hadad, king of Syria in Damascus. This meant that once Asa was cut off from the outside world, it would be an easy thing to capture Jerusalem.

16:2-6 Asa emptied the treasuries of the temple and bribed Ben-hadad of Damascus to break his treaty with Baasha of Israel. The king of Damascus not only complied willingly, but even sent his soldiers into Israel to compensate themselves for the booty they missed by not attacking Jerusalem. Asa was able to destroy Baasha's blockade and assert his dominance over his northern border area again.

16:7-9 Asa made a serious misjudgment in thinking that the Lord would be pleased if he did God's work for Him. Rather than reaping praise for his diplomatic achievement, Asa was rebuked for his actions by Hanani. This prophet reminded the king that God wanted Asa to depend on Him and not on his own cleverness or on help from pagans. After Asa defeated the superior forces of the Ethiopians and the Lubims he should have known that God rewards devotion with deliverance.

16:10 This was more than Asa could handle. His ego had been bruised, so he put the prophet Hanani in prison and abused other people. He had forgotten his earlier assertion that a mere mortal could not hinder God (14:11).

16:11-12 So the glorious reign of Asa, who had acted for God so effectively, came to a sour end. When he developed a serious disease in his feet, he avoided turning to the Lord and sought healing by physicians instead. His sin was not in turning to physicians, but in failing to ask God how he should proceed and to rely on God for the outcome (Jer. 17:5).

16:14 Despite his faithlessness at the end, Asa received a glorious burial. The reference to odours and spices may indicate that his death was due to diabetes, which could have brought on gangrene in his feet. The great burning was not cremation, but a tribute of honor from the people (cp. 21:19).

17:1 Jehoshaphat: Fourth king of Judah; son of Asa; thoroughly devoted to God, but made disastrous alliances with Ahab and Ahaziah of Israel.

17:2 Despite his dubious victory over Baasha, Asa had to endure further wars at the end of his reign (16:9). His son Jehoshaphat, who succeeded him on the throne, reworked all the fortifications and placed forces in the older locations as well as in the newly captured cities of Ephraim.

17:3-6 Jehoshaphat was one of the outstanding kings of Judah. He stood for all the things that should characterize a king of Judah, and the Chronicler praises him almost as much as David, Solomon, and (later on) Hezekiah. Since his father Asa had lost his grip on the kingdom in his later years, Jehoshaphat had to purge the land of high places and groves (Asherah poles).

17:7-9 An important part of David's original plan in assigning duties to the Levites was a contingent of teachers throughout the country (1 Chron. 26:29-32), but this proved impossible once the kingdom was divided. Jehoshaphat revived this idea and designated certain Levites as itinerant teachers.

17:10-11 The Lord rewarded Jehoshaphat's single-minded commitment by causing the neighboring kingdoms to fear Judah; some even voluntarily brought tribute.

17:14-19 There was another increase in the size of the army of Judah. Rehoboam's army had numbered 180,000; Abijah had 400,000 soldiers; Asa's army numbered 580,000. The grand total for Jehoshaphat's army was 1,160,000 men of valour in mobile units, not counting those garrisoned in the fenced cities.

18:1 Ahab: Sixth king of Israel, son of Omri; made Baal worship the state religion of the northern kingdom (1 Kings 16:31); formed an alliance with Jehoshaphat of Judah. Jehoshaphat, who needed no one's help to achieve greatness, acted as though he depended on other people for success. He contracted a marriage between his son Jehoram and Athaliah, daughter of Ahab and Jezebel.

18:2 Ahab's father, Omri, had built Samaria and made it the new capital of the northern kingdom. Jehoshaphat decided to pay Ahab a visit, and the king received him in grand style, even performing many sacrifices in Jehoshaphat's honor. Ahab's devotion to Baal was no secret, and thus Jehoshaphat was compromising his devotion to the Lord.

18:3-4 At Ahab's initiative, Jehoshaphat agreed to combine their armies to fight the Syrians. As an afterthought, Jehoshaphat asked that they consult the word of the Lord on whether this was really the Lord's will.

18:5 Ahab had 400 prophets on his payroll. These prophets, who were servants of Baal, were well-schooled in declaring whatever King Ahab wanted to hear, so they encouraged him to go ahead with his plans.

18:6 Conferring with false prophets was not what Jehoshaphat had in mind, so he asked if a prophet of the Lord was available. This was an astounding request because prophets of Jehovah were not welcome at the court of Ahab and Jezebel.

18:10 Word had come to the prophets of Baal that what the king of Judah wanted to hear was the word of Jehovah. One of their leaders, Zedekiah, decided to add a visual touch to his prophecy. He decorated himself with a symbol of Baal, a set of horns of iron, and began to act out the Lord's supposed prediction of Ahab's success in battle.

18:12-13 The court messenger wanted to avoid controversy and did not want to offend the king, so he encouraged Micaiah to go along with the crowd. As a true prophet, Micaiah knew he must speak the message God gave him (Num. 22:18; 2 Cor. 2:17; Gal. 1:10; 1 Thess. 2:4).

18:14-15 There may have been a sarcastic tone in Micaiah's first statement, because Ahab detected that it was not the truth.

18:16 Putting sarcasm aside, Micaiah stated that he saw all Israel scattered on the hills as sheep that have no shepherd, implying that Ahab would be killed in the battle.

18:18-24 Micaiah also stated that Ahab's court prophets were the instruments of a spirit sent by God with the specific intention of leading Ahab into destruction with a lie. While God does not lie, He does permit lying spirits to deceive those who refuse to believe the truth (2 Thess. 2:9-12). In the end, God also sent Micaiah with the truth, so Ahab had a choice whom to believe. Zedekiah questioned Micaiah's divine authority by slapping him and accusing him of infringing on Zedekiah's right to speak for Jehovah. Micaiah replied that the matter would be settled on the day that Zedekiah, confronted by the defeat of Ahab's army, would try to protect himself by hiding in a toilet. The Chronicler did not record the precise confirmation of this prophecy.

18:27 Micaiah publicly announced he would submit to the test of a true prophet: whether his prediction came to pass (Deut. 18:21-22).

18:29 Ahab, knowing that the Syrians wanted to kill him, made it look like Jehoshaphat was the only king on the battlefield. His superstition may have led him to think that a disguise could avert what was prophesied. It is hard to understand why Jehoshaphat would go along with this plan, unless he had already let Ahab have the upper hand in their relationship; see note at 1 Kings 22:4-5.

18:30-32 The Syrians did, in fact, have orders to single out Ahab. Since Jehoshaphat was the only visible king, they focused on him and almost killed him. Jehoshaphat cried out to the Lord. God graciously caused the Syrians to back off by letting the Syrian chariot captains recognize that Jehoshaphat was not Ahab, their intended target.

18:33-34 One lone Syrian archer shot a random arrow. The Hebrew could also be taken to mean that he "simply" shot or that he was merely doing what a good soldier should do. This arrow not only hit Ahab but penetrated the joints of his armor, something even the best archer was unlikely to achieve on purpose. When Ahab died at sunset, Micaiah, the prophet of Jehovah, had been vindicated, and Zedekiah, the prophet of Baal, had been repudiated.

19:1-3 Jehoshaphat was able to return safely to Jerusalem where he had to face God's evaluation of what he had just done. Just as Asa, his father, had been greeted by the prophet Hanani, now Jehu the son of Hanani scolded Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. It was wrong for Jehoshaphat to team up with a king who was not a worshipper of God. But because Jehoshaphat was a good king who had gone further than any other in purging the land of idolatry, he would not have to face serious judgment as his father did.

19:4 Another difference between Asa and Jehoshaphat is that Jehoshaphat did not turn against the prophet who had declared God's anger to him but resumed his reforms.

19:5-7 In appointing regional judges, Jehoshaphat reminded them of two things: that God would be watching them, and that God was the model for impartiality. Jehoshaphat was not merely pragmatic in his governing but led the country in spiritual matters as well.

19:8-11 Jehoshaphat also carried out judicial reform in Jerusalem. Some of these judges were Levites and priests and thus were accountable only to the Lord. Their supervisor was not the king but Amariah the chief priest. They would serve as an appeals court for the regional judges. Zebadiah . . . the ruler of the house of Judah, along with the Levites, was to be the final authority in cases that involved the king himself.

20:1 With the northern kingdom of Israel occupied in war against the Syrians, the countries east of the Jordan River and the Dead Sea decided to invade Judah. The other enemy may have been the Mehunims (26:7), who lived in Edom.

20:2 By the time the word of this invasion got to Jehoshaphat, the army had come as far as En-gedi, about 50 miles from Jerusalem on the west shore of the Dead Sea.

20:3-4 Jehoshaphat had learned to rely on the Lord and had taught his people the same. Earlier we saw that the total number of men in Jehoshaphat's army was 1,160,000. This was an enormous army, but Jehoshaphat was aware that neither the size of an army nor the depth of fortifications could protect him without the Lord's intervention.

20:5-9 In a public prayer in front of the temple, Jehoshaphat reaffirmed Solomon's prayer and God's response to it. This was precisely one of the scenarios that Solomon had envisioned (6:34): the kingdom was being invaded by a foreign power. On behalf of all the people, Jehoshaphat pleaded with the Lord for deliverance.

20:10-12 Jehoshaphat included in his prayer the events of long ago, when the Israelites had first come to the promised land. The Ammonites and Moabites had refused to allow the Israelites to pass through their territory (Num. 22:4). At the time the Israelites had not sought revenge against them; now Jehoshaphat appealed to God to judge them for their belligerence.

20:14-17 God caused a priest to prophesy. He told the king to walk out to the place of confrontation with his army and to stand there and watch as God brings victory (Exod. 14:13).

20:18-19 Jehoshaphat believed that Jahaziel had spoken God's message. A number of Levites took the lead, and a meeting called to deal with a serious crisis turned into a praise and worship service.

20:21 The next day, as the army set out to march toward En-gedi, the only issue left to solve was what songs to sing and in which key. As they marched, one refrain kept coming up: Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth for ever. This same chorus was the theme song during the transport of the ark to Jerusalem (1 Chron. 16:34) and at the temple dedication (2 Chron. 5:13; 7:3,6).

20:22-23 There were three separate armies that did not know one another. They may have split up in order to arrive at their destination quickly. Suddenly, these armies heard what they took to be shouting—which was actually praising. In their God-ordained confusion they destroyed each other.

20:24-26 When Jehoshaphat's parade of musical soldiers arrived at the battlefield, there was nothing left to do but to gaze at it in amazement, to plunder the enemy, and to praise God for this miraculous victory. Thus, this site was called "The valley of Praise."

20:28 Music and praise continued to characterize the army under Jehoshaphat's spiritual leadership.

20:29-30 Word of the miraculous nature of this victory spread quickly. Due to Jehovah's reputation, no nation had any interest in picking a fight with Jehoshaphat or the kingdom of Judah. Thus, God's victory brought peace and prosperity.

20:32-33 The Chronicler gives Jehoshaphat high marks. No king since David had been as zealous in abolishing idolatry and false worship. But despite his exemplary spiritual leadership, not all the people's hearts had been changed, so some high places still remained.

20:35-37 Ahaziah: Seventh king of Israel, son of Ahab and Jezebel; succeded by his brother Jehoram (22:5). Jehoshaphat again tied himself to the northern kingdom by making a contract with Ahaziah king of Israel to build ships, which they would then send to Tarshish (possibly Spain). The best place to construct these ships appeared to be Ezion-geber, at the very tip of the Red Sea, not the Mediterranean coast. Once again, God did not allow Jehoshaphat to get away with such compromise. He sent a prophet named Eliezer to condemn Jehoshaphat's sin. As punishment, a storm came up and all the ships were destroyed.

21:1 Jehoram: Fifth king of Judah; son of Jehoshaphat; promoted Baal worship; brought calamity on Judah; also spelled "Joram" (see notes at 22:1; 2 Kings 1:17). In the next few chapters, we speed through several generations. Because the reigns end early, the kings get younger and younger, leading up to Athaliah usurping the throne of Judah when the next rightful heir was only one year old. Jehoshaphat was about 18 years old when Jehoram was born. Jehoshaphat ascended the throne at 35 and ruled for 25 years. His son Jehoram ruled for eight years. Jehoram's son Ahaziah became king at age 22 but reigned for only one year. When Ahaziah died he left behind a one-year-old heir-apparent.

21:2-6 Jehoshaphat may have thought that by having his son Jehoram marry the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel (v. 6), Jehoram might eventually become ruler of a kingdom that was once again united, and thus perhaps return all Israel to the worship of God and obedience to the law. But rather than being a new David, Jehoram became the personification of Ahab in Judah. Together with Athaliah, his wife, Jehoram began to refashion the kingdom of Judah so it would look just like the northern kingdom, where Baal was supreme and assassination was the preferred method of changing government. As soon as Jehoram had full grasp of the southern kingdom, he proceeded to kill all his brethren and anyone else who might have some claim on the throne.

21:7 The only reason the Lord did not destroy Jehoram was that He graciously continued to fulfill His promise that a descendant of David would always be on the throne of Judah (see note at 6:41-42).

21:8-9 The Edomites had suffered defeat during the time of Jehoram's father, Jehoshaphat. When they realized that Jehoram was not worshipping the same powerful God as Jehoshaphat had done (see v. 10; cp. 20:29), they declared their independence from Judah and reestablished their own government. Jehoram set out to attack the insurgent Edomites, crossing into their territory with bulky chariots and a large force, but God was not on his side. He quickly found himself surrounded.

21:10 The report that the Edomites revolted . . . unto this day shows that Jehoram's mission was unsuccessful. Also, the citizens of Libnah refused to follow Jehoram because he had abandoned Jehovah. Not everyone turned a blind eye to the disaster into which Jehoram was taking his country.

21:11 Jehoram kept busy installing places of idol worship throughout Judah. The statement that he caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit fornication can be both literal and symbolic. In a symbolic sense, the people were committing spiritual adultery; in the literal sense, many of the pagan practices involved sexual lewdness. While it is the king's duty to provide spiritual leadership and he is held responsible when his people are led astray, ultimately the people are also responsible for their own actions. People can always refuse to follow a wicked king, as the people of Libnah proved (v. 10; cp. Acts 4:18-20).

21:12-15 Since Jehoram was Ahab's son-in-law, it is not surprising that the prophet Elijah—Ahab's long-standing opponent—chastised Jehoram for the same behavior for which he had rebuked Ahab. Elijah's letter mentioned Jehoram's many sins and promised a swift and harsh punishment. Just as Jehoram eliminated his brothers, now Jehoram's household would be eliminated.

21:16-17 It had not been long since the Philistines and their Arab neighbors had come calling on Jehoshaphat of Judah (17:11) to bring tribute. Now they came calling again, but this time they took back the tribute and everything else in the king's house. They killed all of Jehoram's sons except Jehoahaz (who is subsequently called Ahaziah) and all his wives except Athaliah, the one who shared responsibility for this catastrophe.

21:18-20 Just as Elijah had predicted, Jehoram contracted a horrible disease in his bowels from which he eventually died. None of his subjects mourned his departure. He was not accorded a ceremonial fire of honor (cp. 16:14), and he was not buried alongside other kings of Judah.

22:1 Ahaziah: Sixth king of Judah; son of Jehoram and Athaliah; killed when Jehu annihilated the house of Ahab. Despite the people's dissatisfaction with Jehoram, when he died they acclaimed his son Ahaziah as the next king.

In order to make sense out of the events in this section, one must recognize the duplication of the names of the kings in the southern and northern kingdoms. In the northern kingdom of Israel, Ahab had two sons, Ahaziah and Jehoram. When Ahab died, his son Ahaziah succeeded him, and he in turn was succeeded by his brother, Jehoram. In the southern kingdom of Judah, Jehoshaphat was succeeded by his son Jehoram, and his successor was his son (and Jehoshaphat's grandson), Ahaziah, also called Jehoahaz (21:17). Thus, the successions in the north were Ahab, Ahaziah, Jehoram; in the south they were Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, Ahaziah.

22:2-4 Ahaziah of Judah was just as evil as his father Jehoram. His mother Athaliah received a large share of the blame by misleading him. Because of the family connection to the house of Ahab, Ahaziah received advice from his relatives in the northern kingdom. Ahaziah followed the practices of the northern kingdom, including idolatry and violence.

22:5-6 Just as Jehoshaphat had gone with Ahab of Israel to Ramoth-gilead to fight against the Syrians, so Azariah of Judah went along with Jehoram of Israel to the same place for the same purpose. The result was almost identical. Jehoram was seriously wounded.

Jehoram (also called Joram): Eighth king of Israel, son of Ahab, brother of Ahaziah; killed by Jehu after he and Ahaziah of Judah fought against Hazael of Syria; last king of the house of Ahab in Israel.

22:7-9 Jehu: Ninth king of Israel; began a new dynasty when he eliminated the house of Ahab; killed Ahaziah of Judah as a part of his purge.

God had decided to put an end to the dynasty of Ahab, and his chosen instrument for this task was Jehu, who led the revolution against the house of Ahab and became king himself. Ahaziah of Judah was caught up in this revolution and was executed.

22:10 Athaliah: Usurper of the throne of Judah; daughter of Jezebel and Ahab; wife of Jehoram; executed in Jehoiada's plot to reinstall Joash as king.

Who would fill the vacant throne of Judah? There were some male heirs who were toddlers, but of course they were unable to rule the country. Athaliah, Ahaziah's mother, leaped at the chance and made herself queen of Judah. She had no legitimate claim to the throne because she was not descended from David. She followed her husband's earlier practice and killed anyone who had a claim to the throne, even her own grandchildren.

22:11-12 Still, there was one heir whom Athaliah was not able to eliminate. Joash was a baby, having been born about the time of Ahaziah's accession. Ahaziah's sister Jehoshabeath and her husband Jehoiada the high priest raised Joash in seclusion in the temple for six years.

23:1-2 Jehoiada waited patiently for six years before he carried out his plan to overthrow Athaliah. He made sure he had the military leaders on his side as well as the Levites and the prominent families. As they gathered in Jerusalem, it was evident that Athaliah did not have much support from the people.

23:4-7 Jehoiada gathered a revolutionary force that was powerful, disciplined, and well prepared. He made it appear as though the priests and Levites were carrying on with their usual duties, with the normal one-third of the total work force serving in the temple. At the same time, the other Levites were in the immediate vicinity, half of them at the nearby king's house and half at one of the major gates. The armed troops were in the courtyards, but Jehoiada insisted that the sanctity of the temple not be violated. The presence of the military would assure that nothing happened to Joash.

23:9 The temple contained an arsenal of weapons that had been stored there since the time of David. Thus, the soldiers were able to walk into the temple precinct unarmed, but they received weapons as soon as they entered.

23:11 Then they brought in Joash and began to acclaim the child as king. The testimony may have been a copy of the Torah, perhaps Deuteronomy, but it may also have been a copy of the agreement that Jehoiada had made with all the leaders acknowledging Joash as the rightful king. God save the king is literally, "May the king live!"

23:13 The pillar was apparently where coronations traditionally took place (Judg. 9:6; 2 Kings 11:14; 23:3). Athaliah probably would not have recognized little Joash, so she concluded that someone was committing treason.

23:14 Jehoiada did not want to desecrate the temple by killing her there.

23:16-17 Jehoiada would speak for the child king while he was too young to make decisions. On behalf of the king, he and the people agreed to return to the Lord. They went to the temple of Baal, the main center of worship during the time of Jehoram, Ahaziah, and Athaliah. They destroyed the building, the altars, the idols, and the priest.

23:18-19 Jehoiada restored order to the temple, following the plans outlined years before by David. He made sure that sacrifices would be conducted and that the joyful music David had made a part of the daily operation of the temple would be heard once again.

23:20-21 Jehoiada and his co-conspirators escorted young Joash to the royal palace and placed him on the throne. The word quiet is the same word used in Judges when the nation was at peace, with no threats (Judg. 3:11; cp. Job 3:26; Isa. 32:17; Jer. 30:10). Athaliah had been a source of conflict.

24:1-2 Joash: Seventh king of Judah; son of Ahaziah; installed while still a boy by Jehoiada when he dethroned Athaliah; obeyed God as long as Jehoiada was alive, but turned to evil as soon as Jehoiada died. The forty years of Joash's reign matched the length of David's reign, but since Joash started at such an early age, it took him only into midlife.

24:4 Upon reaching adulthood, Joash decided it was time for the temple to be repaired and renovated. It had been largely ignored for many years.

24:5 One wonders why Levites, whose jobs depended on the temple, had not made gathering money a greater priority before Joash became king.

24:6-7 Jehoiada, as chief, was supervisor of the Levites. Joash called him to account for the lack of speed by those who reported to him. As Joash issued this reprimand to Jehoiada, he appealed to those things that were closest to Jehoiada's heart—compliance with the law and the purity of the temple. The king stated that the collection for the temple had been instituted through Moses (Exod. 30:14) and that many of the dedicated things, or furnishings of the temple, had been stolen and used for the worship of the Baals.

24:8-10 Jehoiada did not send the Levites from town to town to collect the money. Instead, he sent them out to require the people to come to Jerusalem and deposit money in a chest that Joash had placed at the gate of the temple. This plan worked.

24:14 When all the construction work was done and the workers had been paid, there was enough money left over to replace the temple utensils so sacrificial rituals could be carried out efficiently and with dignity.

24:15-16 Jehoiada the high priest, Joash's adviser, died at the age of 130 years. He was buried with honor normally accorded only to kings.

24:17-18 The people who won Joash's confidence had authority in various parts of Judah. They apparently preferred the old system, influenced by the kings of Israel. Like Rehoboam, Joash followed bad advice (10:8). They persuaded the king to abandon the Lord and to return to the idolatry that Joash along with Jehoiada had attempted to root out. The wrath of God cut into their prosperity (v. 20).

24:19 God did not give up on Joash but conveyed His will by way of prophets. Yet the king continued to support and encourage false worship.

24:20-22 Jehoiada's son Zechariah made a speech confronting the people with their idolatry. The king enlisted a number of functionaries who stoned Zechariah to death in the courtyard of the temple. As he died, he invoked God's vengeance on the faithless king. To this day, the tomb of Zechariah can be seen outside Jerusalem in the Kidron Valley. It was this Zechariah to whom Jesus referred when He accused the leaders of His day of hypocrisy (Luke 11:47-51).

24:23-24 Up to this point, Jehoshaphat and Ahaziah of Judah had participated in the northern kingdom's war against the Syrians. But there had been no direct conflict between Judah and Syria since the time Asa bought off Ben-hadad. Now this situation changed. With a weak and confused King Joash on the throne, and absent the Lord's protection, the Syrians were able to conquer Jerusalem with a small force and carry off valuables again.

24:25 The Syrians despised Joash so much that they left him to die after he was severely wounded. His servants took advantage of the situation and killed him as he was lying defenseless on his bed. Joash was buried unceremoniously outside the usual location for kings.

24:26 The two servants who assassinated Joash were Gentiles, sons of an Ammonitess and a Moabitess, respectively. Even these outsiders would not tolerate the king's evil actions.

25:1-4 Amaziah: Ninth king of Judah, son of Joash; turned from God to idol worship. Amaziah's reign was mediocre. Even though he had a basic commitment to the Lord and to God's law, he was not able to resist the lure of idolatry or the temptation to go to war unnecessarily. Amaziah executed the two men who had killed his father, but he did not follow the usual practice of executing an entire family (22:10; 2 Kings 10:11), killing only the men and not their children (Deut. 24:16).

25:5-6 The nation of Edom had rebelled against Judah's control during the reign of Jehoram (21:8). Now Amaziah decided to bring the Edomites back in line, and he gathered an army for this purpose. This was the first serious military excursion by Judah since Jehoram's attempts to reconnect Edom. The army that Amaziah put together was also the smallest since the division of the kingdom. Even Abijah was able to muster 400,000 men, while Jehoshaphat's army numbered over one million. Amaziah could only conscript 300,000 soldiers. He felt that this was not enough, so he hired 100,000 mercenaries from the northern kingdom of Israel. Once again a king of Judah allied himself with armed forces from Israel, though this time he did it in his own cause and at the hefty cost of 7,500 pounds of silver, paid in advance.

25:7-10 A prophet appeared on the scene to issue a warning from God to the king. He told Amaziah that if he took the northern soldiers on his venture, he would ensure defeat. Amaziah was flabbergasted that the Lord expected him to waste all that silver, but when the prophet told him that this amount was tiny compared to what God could provide for him, he consented and released the soldiers, expecting them to go home since they had already been paid. The mercenaries, perhaps hoping for a large amount of plunder, did not see it that way. They grew angry. Before they returned home they attacked a number of cities of Judah. They helped themselves to plunder to compensate themselves for what they had missed by not participating in the war against Edom (v. 13).

25:13 After being paid and released (see note at v v. 7-10), the irate mercenaries collected spoil within Judah. It is hard to understand how northern troops could plunder cities of Judah starting from Samaria. Perhaps Samaria is another name for Migron in Judah. Another possibility is that the troops were released immediately after mustering in Samaria, and they worked their way south from there into Judah. Beth-horon is northwest of Jerusalem.

25:14-15 Amaziah's next action is virtually unfathomable. A common mind-set in the ancient world was that the gods of a particular nation would help their people in battle. If they won, the gods were thought to be stronger than the gods of their enemies; but if they lost, then their gods were regarded as weak and unable to protect their own army. Amaziah had just won over the Edomites, and he did so after he had fulfilled God's ultimatum when the prophet assured him of victory on that basis. But incredibly, Amaziah took the gods of the people whom he had defeated and started to worship them. As a follower of Jehovah, he should have known that these idols were impotent and unreal because they had not protected the Edomites and therefore that it was a waste of time to worship them.

25:16 When God sent another prophet to rebuke the king, Amaziah reacted defensively and threatened to kill the prophet (cp. 32:25-26), but the prophet managed to get in the last word and told Amaziah his destruction was assured.

25:17 Joash: Twelfth king of Israel; son of Jehoahaz; defeated Amaziah of Judah in response to Amaziah's challenge; also spelled "Jehoash." Once again, it is essential to keep track of the names of the kings because of the duplication of names in the northern and southern kingdoms. Jehoahaz of Israel was the son of Jehu, who had killed Ahab and made himself king of Israel. Joash was Jehoahaz's son. Joash was the king of Israel contemporary with Amaziah of Judah. When Amaziah had returned home after his campaign against Edom and had learned of the damage done by the mercenaries from the north, he called for a show-down with Joash (though it would be difficult to prove that he was responsible for the way these men had behaved).

25:18-20 Amaziah had acquired an inflated sense of his military prowess, so when Joash tried to talk him out of going to war, Amaziah persisted with his plan to invade the northern kingdom. The Chronicler once again makes it clear that in the final analysis, this foolish action by the king was a part of God's plan to bring about his downfall (cp. 10:15; Judg. 14:4; 2 Sam. 17:14).

25:21-24 When Joash realized that Amaziah was not going to let up, he marched with his army into Judah, and Amaziah got the opportunity for a military confrontation that he had wanted. Joash decimated the army of Judah and captured Amaziah. The Jehoahaz referred to here (v. 23) is Amaziah's grandfather, usually called Ahaziah who, again, is not identical with the northern king of the same name. Joash used Amaziah as a hostage to allow him to head straight to Jerusalem, where he destroyed 200 yards of the city wall and then plundered all the valuables from the palace and the temple, as well as taking hostages. Obed-edom stems from the name of the Levite on whose property the ark of the covenant was stored after David's first unsuccessful attempt to move it to Jerusalem (2 Sam. 6:10). Subsequently, he played in the musical ensemble when the ark was moved again, and he was made a guard of one of the gates of the temple while his sons were put in charge of the storehouse (1 Chron. 26:15). Apparently from that time on the storehouse was named "Obed-edom" in honor of this man, and thus it was by this name that the Chronicler referred to it as he described Jehoash's plundering.

25:25-28 Amaziah continued as king for many years, but just as his father Joash had done, he lost the confidence of his people. Eventually, because of an assassination plot against him, he had to flee Jerusalem and seek safety in the town of Lachish, but his pursuers caught up with him there and killed him. At least he was accorded a proper burial in the royal tombs in Jerusalem.

26:1 Uzziah: Tenth king of Judah; called Azariah in 2 Kings 15; son of Amaziah; devoted to God, but was struck with a serious skin disease when he attempted to burn incense to God in the temple. When Uzziah became king of Judah at age sixteen, it was probably as a co-regent during the time when his father Amaziah was held captive by King Joash of Israel, and then later when Amaziah was fleeing for his life from his assassins. Uzziah learned the lessons that his predecessor had refused to accept and became a godly and righteous king. His long reign of 52 years, though limited by being a co-regent for the first part and being in seclusion with a disease in the second part, was generally a time of peace and prosperity in the land.

26:2 One of the first things Uzziah did was to rebuild the seaport of Eloth, at the northern tip of the Red Sea. This meant that Judah was once again a player among the major powers and had access to the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. This move, perhaps not of grand consequence in itself, signaled that Judah was once again a force to be reckoned with.

26:5 This Zechariah, not the son of Jehoiada (24:20) or the prophet who has a book of the Bible named after him, fulfilled in some ways the same role for Uzziah as Jehoiada had done for Joash (24:2). When Zechariah died, Uzziah also weakened in his commitment to the Lord. Still, Uzziah's eventual waywardness occurred within the context of his worship of the Lord; he never strayed into idolatry.

26:6-10 For several hundred years, extending from the time of the judges through the time of Saul and David, the Philistines had been the main focus of Israel's military involvements. Then, after David had defeated them decisively, they remained in the background for a while. They appeared again during the time of Jehoshaphat when they presented tribute to the king in Jerusalem, and then again during the reign of Ahaziah when they invaded Jerusalem and carried off much treasure. Now Uzziah reasserted Judah's dominance over the Philistines by capturing their cities and destroying their walls. Uzziah was also able to bring back into line certain Arabians, the Mehunims (Edomites), and the Ammonites. He not only fortified strategic corners in Jerusalem, but he also established settlements in the country, laying claim to the land not by military occupation but by agricultural development.

26:11-15 Uzziah had a different philosophy about the army than his predecessors. In the past, the idea had been to accumulate more and more men, so that the army of Judah grew from 180,000 under Rehoboam to over one million at the time of Jehoshaphat. Instead of drastically increasing the size of his army, Uzziah had roughly the same number of men at his disposal as his father (307,500). But he organized them into more flexible divisions, and he made sure they had effective weapons. As a result, he became well-known and strong. The Chronicler emphasizes that this was because he was marvellously helped. The Lord undergirded all his efforts.

26:16 Although Uzziah did not commit idolatry, he still overstepped the authority that God had denied to any person who was not a descendant of Aaron of the tribe of Levi. He went into the holy place and burned incense, something that only a priest was allowed to do.

26:17-18 It was not an easy matter to call the king to account for his wrongdoing, but a priest, Azariah, and 80 of his colleagues did just that. They confronted the king and told him that what he was about to do was wrong. Even if God did not punish him, He would certainly not grant honour for his worship.

26:19-21 Uzziah already had the censer in his hand. Rather than listen to the priests, he became furious and continued. Immediately God punished him by having leprosy break out on his forehead. The king dropped what he was doing and allowed himself to be led out of the temple into seclusion for the rest of his life. Though he was still officially the king, his son Jotham was placed in charge of the day-to-day duties of king.

The reinterment funerary inscription of King Uzziah discovered in the nineteenth century. The translated Aramaic writing states: "Hither were brought the bones of Uzziah, King of Judah. Do not open." The inscription dates to the first century b.c. when Herod ordered all cemeteries to be moved outside the walls of Jerusalem, except for those of the Jewish kings. King Uzziah, who had been struck by God with a skin disease (26:16-21), was reinterred under Herod in the royal tombs, and this inscription was placed to mark the grave and act as a warning to looters.

26:23 Uzziah received a proper royal burial, though his tomb may have been separated from those of the previous kings because of the unclean condition caused by his skin disease.

27:1 Jotham: Eleventh king of Judah; son of Uzziah; devoted to God but not influential. Jotham's reign did not have a great impact on his kingdom. Much of his time on the throne overlapped with the reign of his father, Uzziah, though Uzziah was in isolation (see note at 26:19-21).

27:2 The Chronicler gives Jotham a good report card for his personal faith. He followed the example of his father, but he restrained himself from Uzziah's arrogance and did not violate the sanctity of the temple. However, Jotham did not purify the land of idolatry or compel the people to return to God.

27:3 Jotham took advantage of the peace that he inherited to reinforce the wall of Jerusalem and to carry out improvements on the temple.

27:5-6 Jotham continued his father's policy of controlling the Ammonites and carried out a successful military excursion against them. This garnered him a large amount of silver and grain for several years. As usual, these items are mentioned by the Chronicler not so much for their own sake but to show Jotham's obedience and God's reward for his faithfulness.

27:7-9 Jotham was a good king who came to the throne early, maintained the kingdom in good condition, was taken for granted by his people, and wound up not leaving much of a legacy. He received an appropriate royal burial, yet his reign served as a transition into a dark time for the kingdom of Judah.

28:1-4Ahaz: Eleventh king of Judah; son of Jotham; confirmed idol worshipper; submitted voluntarily to Assyria. There was always some idolatry among the people, and there were always some people who remained true to the Lord, but in the earlier days, the decadent kings associated with the family of Ahab encountered some resistance among the people. By the time of Joash, the people were increasingly ignoring the religion of the king. By the time Ahaz took over the throne, the people and their king had become confirmed idol worshippers. Ahaz took the worship of the Baals to the point of burning his own children as an offering.

28:5-8Pekah: Eighteenth and next-to-last king of Israel; scored a major victory over Judah, but released all of his prisoners in response to God's command. In the usual cause-and-effect sequence that characterizes the book of 2 Chronicles, Ahaz of Judah had forsaken the Lord so he was defeated by the king of Damascus, who carried away a number of hostages. Furthermore, Pekah, king of the northern kingdom of Israel, also defeated Ahaz of Judah. Again the Chronicler's assessment is that this happened because the people of Judah had forsaken the Lord. Out of Judah's army, 120,000 were killed. This probably meant that Ahaz was left with less than half of his original army. Additionally, Ahaz lost his son, his chief of staff, and his prime minister. Pekah's army also took a huge number of people as hostages and transported them to the capital city of Samaria in Israel. The Chronicler reminds us that Israel and Judah were brethren, even though they were mortal enemies at this time.

28:9-11 Once again a prophet appeared. He confronted the returning victorious army with some basic facts about God's divine law. Their slaughter of their fellow Hebrews was not acceptable. Israelites were never to enslave other Israelites, but this is what Pekah was planning to do. Oded reminded the king of Israel that he too was guilty of sins and could justly face similar punishment.

28:12-15 Some leaders of the northern kingdom realized the seriousness of the mistake they were about to make. The army of Israel abandoned the hostages, and some other people were put in charge of making sure they returned to Judah. These captives were given food and clothes, and some even received asses on which they could ride back as far as Jericho, where they were freed.

28:16-21 Ahaz of Judah found himself under increasing pressure. The nation had already been defeated by Syria and the northern kingdom; now the Edomites and the Philistines returned to do damage. But rather than turning to the Lord for help, Ahaz tried to solve his problems by asking Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria, to protect him (see note at 2 Kings 15:19-20). He offered the Assyrian king all his possessions and everything from the temple. Tiglath-pileser III did defeat Damascus (which he had planned to do anyway). Then he marched to Jerusalem and helped himself to more property.

28:22-23 Ahaz decided to pursue still another solution. Since the Syrians had defeated him earlier, the king concluded that the gods of Damascus must be strong, so he worshipped them (see note at 25:14-15). This was another futile move.

28:24-25 Ahaz seemed to become angry at God. His solution for dealing with these ineffective false gods was to empty the temple of the true God, shut up its doors, and continue to proliferate idolatrous worship sites. These were utterly irrational actions, but we can understand them a little bit more by calling on the description of some of the events recorded in Isaiah 7–8. Ahaz had placed himself in a state of war against God; regardless of the consequences, he was not about to let God win. The prophet Isaiah had specifically warned Ahaz against making this unreliable alliance with the Assyrians. When Ahaz rejected the admonition, Isaiah even gave him the opportunity to ask for a sign from God, to verify that God would protect him.

In a thoroughly hypocritical display of false piety, Ahaz responded to Isaiah by saying that he would never be so presumptuous as to ask for a sign from God. But Isaiah did not leave it alone. He said to Ahaz that if he were not going to ask for a sign, one would still be provided for him. He told him of the coming of a child (Isa. 7:14) who would grow up in a time of famine—referring to the consequences brought about soon by Ahaz's actions, but who would also represent God's presence with His people, thereby telescoping into the far future by predicting the coming Saviour (Matt. 1:23). This meant to Ahaz that God was going to actively oppose his efforts. So when the supposed alliance with Assyria did not work out, just as Isaiah had predicted, Ahaz blamed Isaiah's God.

28:26-27 The Chronicler's obituary of Ahaz is brief; the facts have spoken for themselves.

29:1-2Hezekiah: Twelfth king of Judah; son of Ahaz; devoted to God; protected miraculously from Sennacherib of Assyria. Just as it looked as if things were so bad they could never be set right again, Hezekiah became king and led Judah in returning to God. With the highest compliment the Chronicler could pay a king, he compared Hezekiah to David because of his pursuit of righteousness.

29:3 Soon after becoming king, Hezekiah opened the doors of the temple again and undid the damage that Ahaz had caused.

29:4 Hezekiah knew that if he wanted to undertake a reformation, he would have some willing allies whom he could count on for support: the priests and Levites, who had gone unemployed during Ahaz's last years.

29:5 Hezekiah instructed them to clean the temple physically and to cleanse it spiritually.

29:8-9 Hezekiah saw that Judah's unfaithfulness had brought on the curse that had been predicted (Deut. 28:15,25; 1 Kings 9:6-9).

29:10 Hezekiah intended to restore the covenantal relationship that Judah was supposed to have with God.

29:11 Hezekiah appealed to the professional pride of the priests and Levites.

29:12 The Chronicler continues to draw a parallel between Hezekiah and David by mentioning the names of the leading Levites and the various divisions of the tribe they represented, as established by David (1 Chron. 23:6). The Kohathites included the division of Aaron, who made up the priesthood. The Merarites and Gershonites, descended from two other sons of Levi, were the guards, workers, musicians, and assistants to priests in the various duties associated with the temple.

29:13-14 The descendants of David's three main musicians—Asaph . . . Heman, and Jeduthun—participated in this renewal (1 Chron. 25:1).

29:15-17 Before the priests could do anything in the temple, they first had to sanctify themselves so they would be in a state of spiritual and ritual purity. Otherwise, they would contaminate the temple as they were trying to cleanse it. Once they had taken care of this, they could remove all the things that did not belong there, particularly whatever was associated with idolatry. The Kidron Valley was used as a garbage dump where trash was burned (15:16; cp. 2 Kings 23:4,6). They worked methodically by starting at the gate and moving toward the holy place and the holy of holies.

29:20-24 Hezekiah began the services in the temple with a sin offering, the type of sacrifice that was intended to atone for unwitting violations of the law (Lev. 4:3-34). There were seven of each animal as a symbol of completeness. He and the priests followed the rules as given by God to Moses. Hezekiah did not usurp the privileges of the priests, but he did participate in the actual ceremony by laying his hands on the heads of the sacrificial animals, signifying that as the king he was looking to the Lord for forgiveness.

29:25-26 Hezekiah followed the precedents that had been established by David. He particularly saw to it that the music that had played such an important role for David was made a part of temple worship.

29:27 Next to be offered was the burnt offering, the sacrifice that expressed a person's total devotion to the Lord (Lev. 1:1-17). As soon as the offering began, the musicians joined in.

29:30 These songs of praise by David and Asaph might have been the same as some of our psalms.

29:31 Now that the temple and the priests were ready, Hezekiah called for a sacrificial feast by the priests and the public. The different types of sacrifices were offered to God, including thank offerings. Burnt offerings signified devotion to God. Those who had willing hearts were able to offer these sacrifices, pledging their faithfulness to the Lord.

29:34 Killing and sacrificing these animals was hard work. Not enough priests were in a state of purity to be able to get it all done. Levites, who did not have priestly privileges, were called upon to do everything short of actually offering the sacrifices on the altar. They were able to assist by slaughtering and skinning animals.

29:36 Hezekiah's revival started on the inside and then moved outward. He did not begin by smashing idols and then compelling the people to come to the temple, possibly against their will. He began with the restoration of the temple and a service of renewal and devotion. He made sure that right from the beginning there was music. After he had gone through the initial ceremony with the priests, he invited anyone who cared to do so to join in the joyful celebration, and the people complied. The revival became contagious. Hezekiah had not just reinstituted some ancient rules, but God had prepared the people so their hearts were changed. Just a short while before, everyone had been forced to share in the anger and misery of Ahaz. Now there was a brand new excitement, for it had come about suddenly.

30:1 The Assyrians had conquered Israel, so there was no longer any Israelite king to enforce separation from Judah. This enabled Hezekiah to invite everyone—citizens of Judah and Israel alike—to come to Jerusalem and participate in the passover he was planning.

30:2-5 The passover was prescribed to be observed the first month every year, but that did not allow enough time for preparations, so the Passover observance was postponed until the second month. The law had a provision that it could be held a month later if necessary (Num. 9:9-11). Beer-sheba to Dan encompasses all of Judah and Israel.

30:6-11 The invitation to people from the northern kingdom to come to Jerusalem for the Passover expressed God's gracious willingness to extend compassion to those who repent and turn again unto the Lord. It met with mixed results (see note at v. 1). Some mocked the messengers and declined the invitation, but a few people decided to make the trip to Jerusalem for the Passover.

30:14 The Kidron Valley was where garbage was dumped and burned.

30:15-17 The priests and the Levites who had been reluctant to participate became ashamed and sanctified themselves in order to return to their duties. Still, there was a shortage of purified priests, so the division of responsibilities by which Levites assisted the priests continued.

30:18-20 Many people from the north did not realize that before they were allowed to eat the passover lamb or the unleavened bread, they had to go through personal purification. When King Hezekiah prayed for the people who had accidentally contaminated the feast, God did not hold it against them, and the occasion remained joyous.

30:21 Once again, the Chronicler emphasizes that joyful music was an important part of the celebration.

30:23-24 Hezekiah and a number of his officials contributed numerous animals to be offered as sacrifices. This eased the economic burden on some members of the congregation, and also contributed to the gladness of the celebration, so by popular acclaim it was extended for another week.

30:25 Even the strangers—some of the foreign people who had just been resettled into the former northern kingdom by the Assyrian conquerors—came to Jerusalem and took part in the celebration. This added an evangelistic aspect to the festival.

30:26 The Chronicler states that Hezekiah's reign represented the revival of the kingdoms of David and Solomon. Hezekiah was a righteous man who was devoted to the Lord. He was the first king since Solomon to have positive influence over all of Israel since, with the conquest of the northern kingdom by Assyria, there was no longer a divided kingdom.

30:27 When God heard them, it fulfilled the petition Solomon had made at the dedication of the temple (6:21).

31:1 After this lengthy Passover feast, the people demonstrated their renewed devotion by going throughout the area to destroy all the idols, pagan altars, and groves (Asherah poles). They even went into the territory of the former northern kingdom—referred to as Ephraim and Manasseh—to carry out this purge.

31:2-3 When Hezekiah had finished establishing the priestly rotation, going back to the instructions laid down by David, a practical problem needed to be solved. Who would supply the animals for the sacrifices every morning and evening until this became a routine practice, with the people providing these sacrifices? The king himself contributed the sacrificial animals during this interim period.

31:4-6 Another problem was how to support the priests and the Levites who had returned to Jerusalem to officiate in the temple on a regular basis. David's work schedule was based on the concept that most of these people would live in various parts of the kingdom, support themselves, and spend only one month a year in Jerusalem on temple duty. Hezekiah implemented a regular portion from all the people for the priests and Levites so they would be able to work in the temple without having to worry about supporting themselves. Upon Hezekiah's order, everyone contributed to this fund, providing a tithe of all their crops and livestock. This effort included people from both Israel and Judah.

31:16-19 It was necessary to pay close attention to the genealogies of the priests and Levites so all who were entitled to participate received their share.

31:20-21 What Hezekiah accomplished was more than just a superficial redirection of the people to God and the temple. He managed to get grassroots support for his program. The people took a real interest in what was going on with the temple and the worship of the Lord. Because of his good work, Hezekiah was rewarded by God, and he prospered.

32:1 Hezekiah's faith in God was put to the test when Sennacherib king of Assyria invaded Judah. Before attacking Jerusalem, Sennacherib intended to demolish all the cities of Judah and make off with whatever plunder he could seize.

32:2-5 Sennacherib's strategy gave Hezekiah a chance to prepare for the impending siege of the capital city. In addition to rebuilding and strengthening the city wall, he made sure the Assyrians would not have access to the region's water supply. He closed off all access to the springs and streams outside the city and built a tunnel that permitted his own people to get to the water (v. 30).

32:6-8 Hezekiah organized his army thoroughly. Then he called the people together and reminded them that Assyria was no match for the strength of Jehovah. The first sign of God's supernatural intervention was seen almost immediately in that the people rested on the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

32:9-12 Sennacherib's propaganda minister came to Jerusalem and addressed the people from outside the city walls. This spokesman brought up a clever argument based on his own perceptions. Many people of the ancient Near East believed that each city and each nation had its own gods and that these gods had the responsibility to protect their own people. Any military confrontation was construed as a battle between gods, and the winner was thought to have the stronger gods. The Assyrian speaker observed that Hezekiah had destroyed sites outside the temple devoted to worship of Jehovah. He taunted the people and asked how they could expect help from a God whose worship sites had just been eliminated by the king who was now asking them to trust in that God. It seemed to the Assyrian that Hezekiah had acted against his own deity and his own country. But of course what Hezekiah had actually done was to remove the illegitimate worship sites and restore centralized worship at the temple in Jerusalem as God had ordained it.

32:13-15 The Assyrian spokesman continued his argument that the Assyrians were stronger than any of the gods of the lands they had so far encountered. It was statistically unlikely that Judah's God would deliver them.

32:16-19 Additional representatives of Assyria joined in to ridicule the notion that the people of Jerusalem could expect help from God. They spoke of God as the God of Hezekiah, trying to drive a wedge between the people, the king, and Jehovah. Some of the Assyrians were even able to speak directly in Hebrew to the people, conveying their propaganda about the superiority of the Assyrian gods.

32:20-22 The parallel passages of this event (2 Kings 18; Isa. 36–37) provide a lengthier description of the verbal exchanges as well as more detailed information about the events surrounding this siege. For the Chronicler, the crucial thing was that Hezekiah, who received encouragement from Isaiah, trusted in God and received a miraculous reward. An Assyrian army of 185,000 gathered around Jerusalem, but the Lord went to work on behalf of his anointed. In one night the entire army was annihilated, and Sennacherib was forced to withdraw and return to his homeland where he was eventually assassinated by his own sons.

32:23 Hezekiah's victory at the hand of the Lord did not go unnoticed. Many people came to the temple to bring offerings. Among them were people from other nations who also brought valuable presents for the king. This brought international respect to Hezekiah, Jerusalem, Judah, and Jehovah.

32:24 Again, 2 Chronicles provides a shorter version of this event than the reports in 2 Kings and Isaiah. Hezekiah became sick to the death, but God heard his plea and gave him 15 more years of life. The Lord provided confirmation of this promise by the miraculous sign of having a shadow cast by the sun move backwards (2 Kings 20:1-11).

32:25-26 The pride for which Hezekiah was rebuked occurred when he received visitors from Babylon and showed them all his treasures (v. 31; 2 Kings 20:12-19). The king did not react defensively when he was corrected on this point (cp. 2 Chron. 25:16), but humbled himself before God and became obedient.

32:27-31 As the Chronicler summarizes Hezekiah's reign, we are reminded of the time of Solomon. Hezekiah was able to acquire riches, he carried out building projects (specifically the reworking of Jerusalem's water supply), he received ambassadors who had heard about his success, and the country flourished.

32:32-33 Hezekiah received a good evaluation by the Chronicler, and he was mourned by all Judah. He was buried with honour among the former kings of Judah.

33:1-6 Manasseh: Thirteenth king of Judah; son of Hezekiah; extreme idol worshipper; repented while in exile in Assyria; promoted worship of God upon return to Jerusalem. Since Manasseh was only twelve years old when he came to the throne, he would not have been alive at the time of the miraculous victory over the Assyrians. Furthermore, much of his early life was the time when Hezekiah's pride stood in the way of full devotion to the Lord, thus setting a negative example for Manasseh. Finally, when we consider that Manasseh reigned for 55 years, we can get away from the idea that the complete reversal associated with his reign occurred almost all at once. Nevertheless, this king not only undid everything good that Hezekiah had done, but he brought the entire kingdom to a new low in idolatry and disobedience. He rebuilt all the sites for idol worship; he burned his children as pagan sacrifices; he immersed himself in the occult; and ultimately he brought the entire nation down with him.

33:7-9 Manasseh even brought idols into the temple. The summary statement that they did worse evil than the heathen the Lord had driven out of Canaan is a horrifying assessment. When God made a covenant with David and Solomon, He made a three-way connection between His dwelling in the temple in Jerusalem, the people dwelling in the promised land, and obedience to the law. If Manasseh led the people in disobedience and displaced God from His temple, then they would be dispossessed from the promised land, just like the Canaanites before them.

33:11-13 The ultimate punishment that God had always held out as a possibility now came to pass. Manasseh was captured and carried off to Babylon by the king of Assyria. The parallel passage in 2 Kings 21 does not mention this exile and humiliation, nor does it say that he repented and returned to the Lord. It was a sincere repentance that God honored, so Manasseh was able to return to Jerusalem and take up his duties as king once again.

31:14-17 Manasseh attempted to undo all the damage he had caused. He repaired the destruction that had been wrought by the Assyrian invasion; he purified the temple; he removed the idols; he reinstituted regular sacrifices; and he instructed the people to serve the Lord. They did restrict their worship to Jehovah, but did not return to legitimate worship at the temple.

33:18-20 Manasseh's death notice includes references to the sources for the events that are related in 2 Kings as well as for this particular record of his repentance. He was not buried in the area reserved for kings but was laid to rest in his own house.

33:21-25Amon: Fourteenth king of Judah; son of Manasseh; idol worshipper; assassinated by his officials. Whatever repentance or reform Manasseh attempted did not carry over to his son and successor, Amon. He picked up where his father had left off before his repentance, going back into idolatry. But with Amon there was no mid-life repentance. His servants assassinated him after he had reigned for two years. The people were probably outraged by the assassination, so they had Amon's killers executed.

34:1 Josiah: Fifteenth king of Judah; son of Amon; became king as a boy; carried out a thorough reform. Josiah came to the throne when he was only eight years old, but even at an early age he showed better judgment than many older kings.

34:2 Josiah received a good evaluation from the Chronicler. Like all the other good kings before him, he is compared to David.

34:3-5 Josiah did not come to faith in God immediately. In contrast to Joash, he did not have an older person to guide him in this direction. When he was 16 years old (in the eighth year of his reign), he decided to become a worshipper of God. Four years later he began to assert his will by removing the various idols from the land and abolishing all pagan places of worship. He desecrated the graves of past idolaters and defiled the pagan altars.

34:6-7 Josiah not only abolished the sites for idolatry in Judah, but he cut down those in the area of the northern tribes as well.

34:8 The Levites and priests had maintained their identity and had returned to work toward the end of Manasseh's reign. When Josiah issued orders for the repair of the temple, they were available and ready to make their contributions to Josiah's reform movement.

The Reign of Josiah

34:11 The Chronicler reminds the readers that the destruction of the temple, while often carried out by invaders, was ultimately the fault of the kings of Judah.

34:12-13 Some Levites were placed in supervisory positions as overseers while others carried out clerical tasks for the construction project. Some apparently contributed to the effort by playing musick.

34:14 The book of the law that Hilkiah found was probably one or more scrolls containing the entire Pentateuch—the books of Moses from Genesis through Deuteronomy.

34:18-21 When Shaphan, the king's secretary, started to read what was in the book, the king was overcome with dread because he knew that Judah had not kept the word of the Lord for a long time and severe punishment was likely. Josiah wanted specific guidance from the Lord about what he should do.

34:22 Hilkiah and other royal officials consulted a prophetess named Huldah to determine God's perspective on the situation. As is normal in Chronicles, Huldah's genealogy is given. Other female prophets in the OT include Miriam (Exod. 15:20) and Deborah (Judg. 4:4). The college is literally the "second," probably a district in a newer part of Jerusalem.

34:24-25 Huldah told them that God's punishment was inevitable, just as the book of the law predicted. There had been too many generations of wickedness in Judah.

34:27-28 But because of Josiah's attitude of repentance and his willingness to obey God, the calamity would not happen until after his death. The prophetess inserted saith the Lord into her prophecy to assure her hearers she was not speaking her own thoughts, but the very words of God.

34:29-32 King Josiah called a major convocation. Leaders and Levites as well as all the common people of Jerusalem came and heard the public reading of Scripture. The king publicly made a personal covenant with God that he would follow the Lord, and he compelled the crowd to follow him in this commitment.

34:33 Josiah continued to purge the land of idols. He also fulfilled his royal responsibility to present a model for the people to follow in their service to God.

35:1 The revival started by the king turned into a massive celebration of the passover (see note at 30:1). In contrast to the Passover under Hezekiah's reforms, Josiah was able to celebrate this festival on its normal day—during the first month (see note at 30:2-5).

35:3 This verse is the last time the ark of the covenant is mentioned in the OT. We do not know where it ended up after this. Josiah's explanation to the Levites that they no longer needed to carry the ark on their shoulders reflects the fact that they learned about this practice when they read the newly discovered book of the law (Exod. 25:14; 1 Chron. 15:15), and they may have been holding it on their shoulders ever since. The other possibility is that Manasseh had made the Levites remove the ark when he desecrated the temple and made them carry it in procession on special occasions. Josiah reassured them that the ark would once again have a proper, permanent resting place in the temple.

35:4-6 Josiah implemented David's and Solomon's work schedule for the priests and Levites in the temple. He also arranged the distribution of the food so everyone could partake of the passover properly.

35:7-9 Theoretically all families celebrating the Passover should have brought their own sacrificial animals, but the economics of the day made this impossible. Thus the king and his rulers, including the high priest Hilkiah and the Levites, supplied a large number of animals for this purpose.

35:10-14 In these verses the Chronicler documents that Josiah carried out to the letter the commandments of the Torah about sacrificial offerings. The Levites made ready so that, even while they continued working, they and the priests received portions of the feast along with all the people.

35:15 Josiah also implemented David's musical procedures, with the musicians from the lines of Asaph, and Heman, and Jeduthun contributing to the celebration. Porters were stationed at the temple to ensure ritual purity and physical protection. As with themselves and the priests, Levites made sure that the gatekeepers on duty enjoyed their share of the feast.

35:18 The Chronicler declared this was the greatest Passover celebration since the kingship was first established in the days of Samuel. Perhaps the last good Passover celebration was when Israel first entered the promised land (Josh. 5:10-11; cp. 2 Kings 23:22). No king of Judah or Israel had celebrated so well. This evaluation may be a reference to the precise attention to the proper procedures, or to the joyful participation of the Levites, priests, gatekeepers, Israelites, and all the common people of Jerusalem. It was a true restoration of the ancient tradition, incorporating all the appropriate guilds and procedures.

35:20 The three superpowers of that time—Assyria, Babylonia, and Egypt—were about to fight for world supremacy. Egypt and Assyria had formed an alliance against the Babylonians. Necho, the pharaoh of Egypt, had assembled a large army and was heading to Carchemish in Mesopotamia to join the fight against Babylon.

35:21 Pharaoh Necho of Egypt was not an enemy of Judah. He had no intention of conquering Judah. Nevertheless, Josiah marched out to meet the Egyptian army in battle. Ominously, the Chronicler does not say that Josiah inquired of God whether he should fight.

35:22-24 Josiah confronted Necho on the large plain of Megiddo. To protect himself from any personal revenge by Necho, he disguised himself. But the king was mortally wounded by an arrow. He was transported to Jerusalem where he died. It is ironic that Josiah, one of the best kings of Judah, was killed in a manner remarkably similar to Ahab, perhaps the worst king of Israel (18:29-34).

35:25-27 Josiah's obituary contains many positive words, which makes his premature and unnecessary death all the more tragic. Though Jeremiah wrote lamentations for Josiah, they are different from the ones preserved in in our biblical book of Lamentations.

36:1 Jehoahaz: Sixteenth king of Judah; son of Josiah; deposed and deported by Pharaoh Necho. The Chronicler states that the common people (people of the land) of Judah made Jehoahaz their next king. The point of this emphasis is the difference between the people's choice for a king and Necho's imposition of a king to his liking three months later.

36:2-3 The battle of Carchemish was won by Babylonia, reducing the power of both Assyria and Egypt. Thus, when Necho returned through Judah, he tried to make sure that the new king would not cause trouble as Josiah had done. He deposed Jehoahaz after he had reigned for only three months. According to 2 Kings 23:32, Jehoahaz was about to perpetuate the same evil as some of the earlier kings. Although his deportation did not help the kingdom of Judah last much longer, it was no loss to the kingdom that Necho carried him off into exile and replaced him with his brother Eliakim (2 Chron. 36:4). Necho also fined Judah 7,500 pounds of silver and 75 pounds of gold.

36:4 Jehoiakim: Seventeenth king of Judah; son of Josiah; installed by Pharaoh Necho of Egypt; pursued evil. After reimbursing himself for his trouble with a tribute of gold and silver (v. 3), Necho placed Eliakim on the throne. He changed his name to Jehoiakim, thereby associating his new vassal more closely with the God he supposedly served (with "Jeho" being a reference to Jehovah), rather than using the more generic reference to God (El). Either version means "God raises up," an ironic name for this godless king.

36:5-8 Jehoiakim was an evil king, committing idolatry and opposing the word from God that came to him by the prophet Jeremiah (Jer. 36:10-26). He was eventually carried off by Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon, along with a number of young men from leading families in Jerusalem. This was the first of three deportations, the one in which Daniel and his friends were relocated to Babylon (Dan. 1:1-3).

The Cyrus Cylinder, written in cuneiform, was discovered in 1879 in Nineveh, Iraq, by Hormuzd Rassam. It is now in the British Museum. The cylinder contains inscriptions in which Cyrus gives credit to the Babylonian god Marduk for choosing him and enabling him to conquer Babylon. The inscriptions express Cyrus's policy of allowing captive peoples, such as the Jews, to return to their homelands.The biblical writers saw God's hand in these world events (36:22-23; Ezra 1:2-4; Isa. 44:24-28; 45:1).

36:9-10Jehoiachin: Eighteenth and next-to-last king of Judah; son of Jehoiakim; deposed and deported by Nebuchadnezzar. Jehoiachin wound up having just ten days longer on the throne than Jehoahaz, but this was sufficient time for him to further aggravate Nebuchadnezzar. The king of Babylon returned to Jerusalem, collected more treasures, and carried a group back to Babylon into exile. This was the second deportation, which included the prophet Ezekiel (Ezek. 1:1). The next king, Zedekiah, is called his brother; this should be interpreted as "kinsman" in this case. Zedekiah, Jehoahaz, and Eliakim/Jehoiakim were all sons of Josiah (v. 1; Jer. 36:1; 37:1), and Jehoiachin was Jehoiakim's son, making Zedekiah Jehoiachin's uncle.

36:11-14Zedekiah: Nineteenth and last king of Judah; son of Josiah; uncle of Jehoiachin; refused to submit to Nebuchadnezzar and witnessed the destruction of Jerusalem. Zedekiah thought he could get away with rebelling against Nebuchadnezzar, hoping that Egypt would come to his aid. But he was mistaken. He also brought Jerusalem and what little there was left of his kingdom to spiritual poverty, leading even the priests and Levites into false worship.

36:15-17 After God had graciously offered the people of Judah many opportunities to repent, He finally sent Nebuchadnezzar to eradicate Jerusalem and carry the people off to Babylon. When individual kings repented, God repeatedly provided a remedy (lit "healing"; 7:14; 30:20), but the accumulation of wrath against evil finally reached the tipping point. This passage is similar to the comment the Chronicler made about some of the northern tribes (1 Chron. 5:25-26).

36:21 The book of Jeremiah records his prophecy that, due to Judah's wickedness, the Babylonians would conquer Judah and deport its inhabitants.

36:22-23 This story was not yet over. The Babylonians were eventually conquered by Cyrus king of Persia. Cyrus believed the gods of foreigners who were exiled in his territory could cause harm in the future. Thus, he decreed that all the foreign gods in Babylon and Persia should be transported back to their places of origin and that the people who worshipped them should return and build new temples for these deities. The Jews correctly saw Cyrus as God's instrument in issuing this command. A pagan king's orders allowed them to return to their homeland and rebuild the temple of the Lord.

2 Chronicles Cross-References

a 1:1 1 Kings 2:46

bGen. 39:2

c1 Chron. 29:25

d 1:2 1 Chron. 27:1

e 1:3 1 Kings 3:4; 1 Chron. 16:39; 21:29

f 1:4 1 Sam. 6:2,17; 1 Chron. 15:1

g 1:5 Exod. 27:1-2; 38:1-2

hExod. 31:2

i 1:6 1 Kings 3:4

j 1:7 1 Kings 3:5-6

k 1:8 1 Chron. 28:5

l 1:9 1 Kings 3:7-8

m 1:10 1 Kings 3:7-8

nNum. 27:17; Deut. 31:2

o 1:11 1 Kings 3:11-13

p 1:12 ch. 9:22; 1 Chron. 29:25; Eccl. 2:9

q 1:14 ch. 9:25; 1 Kings 4:26; 10:26, etc.

a 1:15 ch. 9:27; 1 Kings 10:27; Job 22:24

b 1:16 ch. 9:28; 1 Kings 10:28-29

c 2:1 1 Kings 5:5

d 2:2 ver. 18; 1 Kings 5:15

e 2:3 1 Chron. 14:1

f 2:4 ver. 1

gExod. 30:7

hExod. 25:30; Lev. 24:8

iNum. 28:3,9,11

j 2:5 Ps. 135:5

k 2:6 ch. 6:18; 1 Kings 8:27; Isa. 66:1

l 2:7 1 Chron. 22:15

m 2:8 1 Kings 5:6

n 2:10 1 Kings 5:11

a 2:11 ch. 9:8; 1 Kings 10:9

b 2:12 1 Kings 5:7

cGen. 1-2; Ps. 33:6; 102:25; 124:8; 136:5-6; Acts 4:24; 14:15; Rev. 10:6

d 2:14 1 Kings 7:13-14

e 2:15 ver. 10

f 2:16 1 Kings 5:8-9

g 2:17 As ver. 2; ch. 8:7-8; 1 Kings 5:13,15-16; 9:20-21

h1 Chron. 22:2

i 2:18 As ver. 2

j 3:1 1 Kings 6:1, etc.

kGen. 22:2,14

l1 Chron. 21:18; 22:1

m 3:3 1 Kings 6:2

n 3:4 1 Kings 6:3

o 3:5 1 Kings 6:17

a 3:10 1 Kings 6:23, etc.

b 3:14 Exod. 26:31; Matt. 27:51; Heb. 9:3

c 3:15 1 Kings 7:15-21; Jer. 52:21

d 3:16 1 Kings 7:20

e 3:17 1 Kings 7:21

f 4:1 Exod. 27:1-2; 2 Kings 16:14; Ezek. 43:13,16

g 4:2 1 Kings 7:23

h 4:3 1 Kings 7:24-26

i 4:5 See 1 Kings 7:26

j 4:6 1 Kings 7:38

k 4:7 1 Kings 7:49

lExod. 25:31,40; 1 Chron. 28:12,19

a 4:8 1 Kings 7:48

b 4:9 1 Kings 6:36

c 4:10 1 Kings 7:39

d 4:11 See 1 Kings 7:40

e 4:12 1 Kings 7:41

f 4:13 See 1 Kings 7:20

g 4:14 1 Kings 7:27,43

h 4:16 1 Kings 7:14,45

i 4:17 1 Kings 7:46

j 4:18 1 Kings 7:47

k 4:19 1 Kings 7:48-50

lExod. 25:30

m 4:20 Exod. 27:20-21

n 4:21 Exod. 25:31, etc.

o 5:1 1 Kings 7:51

p 5:2 1 Kings 8:1, etc.

q2 Sam. 6:12

r 5:3 1 Kings 8:2

sSee ch. 7:8-10

a 5:10 ch. 6:11; Deut. 10:2,5

b 5:12 1 Chron. 25:1

c1 Chron. 15:24

d 5:13 Ps. 136; See 1 Chron. 16:34,41

e 5:14 ch. 7:2; Exod. 40:35

f 6:1 1 Kings 8:12, etc.

gLev. 16:2

a 6:6 ch. 12:13

b1 Chron. 28:4

c 6:7 2 Sam. 7:2; 1 Chron. 17:1; 28:2

d 6:11 ch. 5:10

e 6:12 1 Kings 8:22

f 6:14 Exod. 15:11; Deut. 4:39; 7:9

g 6:15 1 Chron. 22:9

h 6:16 ch. 7:18; 2 Sam. 7:12,16; 1 Kings 2:4; 6:12

iPs. 132:12

j 6:18 ch. 2:6; Isa. 66:1; Acts 7:49

a 6:26 1 Kings 17:1

b 6:28 ch. 20:9

c 6:30 1 Chron. 28:9

d 6:32 John 12:20; Acts 8:27

e 6:36 Prov. 20:9; Eccl. 7:20; James 3:2; 1 John 1:8

a 6:41 Ps. 132:8-10,16

b1 Chron. 28:2

cNeh. 9:25

d 6:42 Ps. 132:1; Isa. 55:3

e 7:1 1 Kings 8:54

fLev. 9:24; Judg. 6:21; 1 Kings 18:38; 1 Chron. 21:26

gch. 5:13-14; 1 Kings 8:10,11 Ezek. 10:3,4

h 7:2 ch. 5:14

i 7:3 ch. 5:13; Ps. 136:1

jch. 20:21; 1 Chron. 16:41

k 7:4 1 Kings 8:62-63

l 7:6 1 Chron. 15:16

mch. 5:12

n 7:7 1 Kings 8:64

o 7:8 1 Kings 8:65

pJosh. 13:3

q 7:10 1 Kings 8:66

r 7:11 1 Kings 9:1, etc.

a 7:12 Deut. 12:5

b 7:13 ch. 6:26,28

c 7:14 James 4:10

dch. 6:27,30

e 7:15 ch. 6:40

f 7:16 ch. 6:6; 1 Kings 9:3

g 7:17 1 Kings 9:4, etc.

h 7:18 ch. 6:16

i 7:19 Lev. 26:14,33; Deut. 28:15,36-37

j 7:21 Deut. 29:24; Jer. 22:8-9

k 8:1 1 Kings 9:10, etc.

l 8:4 1 Kings 9:17, etc.

a 8:7 1 Kings 9:20, etc.

b 8:10 See 1 Kings 9:23

c 8:11 1 Kings 3:1; 7:8; 9:24

d 8:13 Exod. 29:38; Num. 28:3,9,11,26; 29:1, etc.

eExod. 23:14; Deut. 16:16

f 8:14 1 Chron. 24:1

g1 Chron. 25:1

h1 Chron. 9:17; 26:1

i 8:17 1 Kings 9:26

j 8:18 ch. 9:10, 13; 1 Kings 9:27

a 9:1 1 Kings 10:1, etc.; Matt. 12:42; Luke 11:31

b 9:10 ch. 8:18

c1 Kings 10:11, almug-trees

a 9:25 ch. 1:14; 1 Kings 4:26; 10:26

b 9:26 1 Kings 4:21

cGen. 15:18; Ps. 72:8

d 9:27 ch. 1:15; 1 Kings 10:27

e 9:28 ch. 1:16; 1 Kings 10:28

f 9:29 1 Kings 11:41

g1 Kings 11:29

hch. 12:15; 13:22

i 9:30 1 Kings 11:42-43

j 10:1 1 Kings 12:1, etc.

a 10:2 1 Kings 11:40

b 10:15 1 Sam. 2:25; 1 Kings 12:15,24

c1 Kings 11:29

a 10:19 1 Kings 12:19

b 11:1 1 Kings 12:21, etc.

c 11:2 ch. 12:15

d 11:14 Num. 35:2

ech. 13:9

f 11:15 1 Kings 12:31; 13:33; 14:9; Hos. 13:2

gLev. 17:7; 1 Cor. 10:20

h1 Kings 12:28

a 11:16 See ch. 15:9; 30:11,18

b 11:17 ch. 12:1

c 11:20 She is called Michalah, the daughter of Uriel, ch. 13:2; 2 Kings 15:2

d 11:22 See Deut. 21:15-17

e 12:1 ch. 11:17

f1 Kings 14:22-24

g 12:2 1 Kings 14:24-25

h 12:3 ch. 16:8

i 12:5 ch. 11:2

jch. 15:2

a 12:6 James 4:10

bExod. 9:27

c 12:7 1 Kings 21:28-29

d 12:8 See Isa. 26:13

eDeut. 28:47-48

f 12:9 1 Kings 14:25-26

gch. 9:15-16; 1 Kings 10:16-17

h 12:10 2 Sam. 8:18

i 12:13 1 Kings 14:21

jch. 6:6

k 12:15 ch. 9:29; 13:22

l1 Kings 14:30

m 12:16 1 Kings 14:31, Abijam

n 13:1 1 Kings 15:1, etc.

o 13:2 See ch. 11:20

a 13:4 Josh. 18:22

b 13:5 2 Sam. 7:12-13,16

cNum. 18:19

d 13:6 1 Kings 11:26; 12:20

e 13:7 Judg. 9:4

f 13:8 1 Kings 12:28; 14:9; Hos. 8:6

g 13:9 ch. 11:14-15

hExod. 29:35

i 13:11 ch. 2:4

jLev. 24:6

kExod. 27:20-21; Lev. 24:2-3

l 13:12 Num. 10:8

mActs 5:39

n 13:15 ch. 14:12

o 13:18 1 Chron. 5:20; Ps. 22:5

a 13:19 Josh. 15:9

b 13:20 1 Sam. 25:38

c1 Kings 14:20

d 13:22 ch. 12:15

e 14:1 1 Kings 15:8, etc.

f 14:3 ch. 15:17; See 1 Kings 15:14

gExod. 34:13

h1 Kings 11:7

i 14:9 ch. 16:8

jJosh. 15:44

k 14:11 ch. 13:14; Exod. 14:10; Ps. 22:5

l1 Sam. 14:6

m1 Sam. 17:45; Prov. 18:10

n 14:12 ch. 13:15

a 14:13 Gen. 10:19; 20:1

b 14:14 ch. 17:10; Gen. 35:5

c 15:1 ch. 20:14; 24:20; Num. 24:2; Judg. 3:10

d 15:2 James 4:8

ever. 4,15; ch. 33:12-13; 1 Chron. 28:9; Jer. 29:13; Matt. 7:7

fch. 24:20

g 15:3 Hos. 3:4

hLev. 10:11

i 15:4 Deut. 4:29

j 15:5 Judg. 5:6

k 15:6 Matt. 24:7

l 15:8 ch. 13:19

m 15:9 ch. 11:16

n 15:11 ch. 14:15

och. 14:13

p 15:12 ch. 34:31; 2 Kings 23:3; Neh. 10:29

q 15:13 Exod. 22:20

rDeut. 13:5,9,15

s 15:15 ver. 2

t 15:16 1 Kings 15:13

a 15:17 ch. 14:3,5; 1 Kings 15:14, etc.

b 16:1 1 Kings 15:17, etc.

cch. 15:9

d 16:7 ch. 19:2; 1 Kings 16:1

eIsa. 31:1; Jer. 17:5

f 16:8 ch. 14:9

gch. 12:3

h 16:9 Job 34:21; Prov. 5:21; 15:3; Jer. 16:17; 32:19; Zech. 4:10

i1 Sam. 13:13

j1 Kings 15:32

k 16:10 ch. 18:26; Jer. 20:2; Matt. 14:3

l 16:11 1 Kings 15:23

m 16:12 Jer. 17:5

n 16:13 1 Kings 15:24

a 16:14 Gen. 50:2; Mark 16:1; John 19:39-40

bch. 21:19; Jer. 34:5

c 17:1 1 Kings 15:24

d 17:2 ch. 15:8

e 17:4 1 Kings 12:28

f 17:5 1 Sam. 10:27; 1 Kings 10:25

gch. 18:1; 1 Kings 10:27

h 17:6 ch. 15:17; 19:3; 20:33 1 Kings 22:43

i 17:7 ch. 15:3

j 17:9 ch. 35:3; Neh. 8:7

k 17:10 Gen. 35:5

l 17:11 2 Sam. 8:2

m 17:16 Judg. 5:2,9

n 17:19 ver. 2

a 18:1 ch. 17:5

b2 Kings 8:18

c 18:2 1 Kings 22:2, etc.

d 18:4 1 Sam. 23:2,4,9; 2 Sam. 2:1

e 18:13 Num. 22:18,20,35; 23:12,26; 24:13; 1 Kings 22:14

a 18:20 Job 1:6

b 18:22 Job 12:16; Isa. 19:14; Ezek. 14:9

c 18:23 Jer. 20:2; Mark. 14:65; Acts 23:2

d 18:26 ch. 16:10

a 19:2 1 Sam. 9:9

bPs. 139:21

cch. 32:25

d 19:3 ch. 17:4,6; See ch. 12:12

ech. 30:19; Ezra 7:10

f 19:6 Deut. 1:17

gPs. 82:1; Eccl. 5:8

h 19:7 Deut. 32:4; Rom. 9:14

iDeut. 10:17; Job 34:19; Acts 10:34; Rom. 2:11; Gal. 2:6; Eph. 6:9; Col. 3:25; 1 Pet. 1:17

j 19:8 ch. 17:8; Deut. 16:18

k 19:9 2 Sam. 23:3

l 19:10 Deut. 17:8, etc.

mNum. 16:46

nEzek. 3:18

o 19:11 1 Chron. 26:30

pch. 15:2

q 20:2 Gen. 14:7

rJosh. 15:62

s 20:3 ch. 19:3

tEzra 8:21; Jer. 36:9; Jon. 3:5

a 20:6 Deut. 4:39; Josh. 2:11; 1 Kings 8:23; Matt. 6:9

bPs. 47:2,8; Dan. 4:17,25,32

c1 Chron. 29:12; Ps. 62:11; Matt. 6:13

d 20:7 Gen. 17:7; Exod. 6:7

ePs. 44:2

fIsa. 41:8; James 2:23

g 20:9 ch. 6:28-30; 1 Kings 8:33,37

hch. 6:20

i 20:10 Deut. 2:4,9,19

jNum. 20:21

k 20:11 Ps. 83:12

l 20:12 1 Sam. 3:13

mPs. 25:15; 121:1-2; 123:1-2; 141:8

n 20:14 ch. 15:1; 24:20; Num. 11:25-26; 24:2

o 20:15 ch. 32:7; Exod. 14:13-14; Deut. 1:29-30; 31:6,8

p 20:17 Exod. 14:13-14

qch. 15:2; 32:8; Num. 14:9

r 20:18 Exod. 4:31

s 20:20 Isa. 7:9

t 20:21 1 Chron. 16:29

u1 Chron. 16:34; Ps. 136:1

vch. 5:13; 7:3,6; 1 Chron. 16:41

w 20:22 Judg. 7:22; 1 Sam. 14:20

a 20:27 Neh. 12:43

b 20:29 ch. 17:10

c 20:30 ch. 15:15; Job 34:29

d 20:31 1 Kings 22:41, etc.

e 20:33 See ch. 17:6

fch. 12:14; 19:3

g 20:34 1 Kings 16:1,7

h 20:35 1 Kings 22:48-49

i 20:37 1 Kings 22:48

jch. 9:21

k 21:1 1 Kings 22:50

a 21:5 2 Kings 8:17, etc.

b 21:6 ch. 22:2

c 21:7 2 Sam. 7:12-13; 1 Kings 11:36; 2 Kings 8:19; Ps. 132:11, etc.

d 21:8 2 Kings 8:20, etc.

e 21:11 ver. 13; Lev. 17:7; 20:5

f 21:13 ver. 11

gExod. 34:15; Deut. 31:16

h1 Kings 16:31-33; 2 Kings 9:22

iver. 4

j 21:15 ver. 18-19

k 21:16 1 Kings 11:14,23

l 21:17 ch. 24:7

a 21:18 ver. 15

b 21:19 ch. 16:14

c 22:1 See ver. 6; ch. 21:17; 2 Kings 8:24, etc.

dch. 21:17

e 22:2 See 2 Kings 8:26

fch. 21:6

g 22:5 2 Kings 8:28, etc.

h 22:6 2 Kings 9:15

i 22:7 ch. 10:15; Judg. 14:4; 1 Kings 12:15

j2 Kings 9:21

k2 Kings 9:6-7

l 22:8 2 Kings 10:10-11

m2 Kings 10:13-14

n 22:9 2 Kings 9:27, at Megiddo in the kingdom of Samaria

och. 17:4

p 22:10 2 Kings 11:1, etc.

a 22:11 2 Kings 11:2, Jehosheba

b 23:1 2 Kings 11:4, etc.

c 23:3 ch. 6:16; 7:18; 21:7; 2 Sam. 7:12; 1 Kings 2:4; 9:5

d 23:4 1 Chron. 9:25

e 23:6 1 Chron. 23:28-29

f 23:8 See 1 Chron. 24-25

g 23:11 Deut. 17:18

a 23:13 1 Chron. 25:8

b 23:15 Neh. 3:28

c 23:17 Deut. 13:9

d 23:18 1 Chron. 23:6,30-31; 24:1

eNum. 28:2

f 23:19 1 Chron. 26:1, etc.

g 23:20 2 Kings 11:19

h 24:1 2 Kings 11:21; 12:1, etc.

i 24:2 See ch. 26:5

j 24:5 2 Kings 12:4

k 24:6 2 Kings 12:7

lExod. 30:12-14,16

a 24:6 Num. 1:50; Acts 7:44

b 24:7 ch. 21:17

c2 Kings 12:4

d 24:8 2 Kings 12:9

e 24:9 ver. 16

f 24:11 2 Kings 12:10

g 24:14 See 2 Kings 12:13

h 24:18 1 Kings 14:23

ich. 19:2; 28:13; 29:8; 32:25; Judg. 5:8

j 24:19 ch. 36:15; Jer. 7:25-26; 25:4

k 24:20 ch. 15:1; 20:14

lNum. 14:41

mch. 15:2

n 24:21 Matt. 23:35; Acts 7:58-59

o 24:23 2 Kings 12:17

a 24:24 Lev. 26:8; Deut. 32:30; Isa. 30:17

bLev. 26:25; Deut. 28:25

cch. 22:8; Isa. 10:5

d 24:25 2 Kings 12:20

ever. 21

f 24:27 2 Kings 12:18

g2 Kings 12:21

h 25:1 2 Kings 14:1, etc.

i 25:2 ver. 14; See 2 Kings 14:4

j 25:3 2 Kings 14:5, etc.

k 25:4 Deut. 24:16; 2 Kings 14:6; Jer. 31:30; Ezek. 18:20

l 25:5 Num. 1:3

m 25:8 ch. 20:6

n 25:9 Prov. 10:22

a 25:11 2 Kings 14:7

b 25:14 See ch. 28:23

cExod. 20:3,5

d 25:15 Ps. 96:5

ever. 11

f 25:16 1 Sam. 2:25

g 25:17 2 Kings 14:8-9, etc.

h 25:20 ch. 22:7; 1 Kings 12:15

iver. 14

a 25:23 See ch. 21:17; 22:1,6

b 25:25 2 Kings 14:17

c 26:1 2 Kings 14:21-22; 15:1, etc.

d 26:5 See ch. 24:2

eGen. 41:15; Dan. 1:17; 2:19; 10:1

f 26:6 Isa. 14:29

g 26:7 ch. 21:16

a 26:8 ch. 17:11; 2 Sam. 8:2

b 26:9 2 Kings 14:13; Neh. 3:13,19,32; Zech. 14:10

c 26:16 Deut. 32:15

dch. 25:19; Deut. 8:14

eSo 2 Kings 16:12-13

f 26:17 1 Chron. 6:10

g 26:18 Num. 16:40; 18:7

hExod. 30:7-8

i 26:19 Num. 12:10; 2 Kings 5:27

a 26:20 As Esther 6:12

b 26:21 2 Kings 15:5

cLev. 13:46; Num. 5:2

d 26:22 Isa. 1:1

e 26:23 2 Kings 15:7; Isa. 6:1

f 27:1 2 Kings 15:32, etc.

g 27:2 2 Kings 15:35

h 27:9 2 Kings 15:38

i 28:1 2 Kings 16:2

j 28:2 Exod. 34:17; Lev. 19:4

kJudg. 2:11

l 28:3 2 Kings 23:10

mch. 33:6; Lev. 18:21; 2 Kings 16:3

a 28:5 Isa. 7:1

b2 Kings 16:5-6

c 28:6 2 Kings 15:27

d 28:8 ch. 11:4

e 28:9 Ps. 69:26; Isa. 10:5; 47:6; Ezek. 25:12,15; 26:2; Obad. 10, etc.; Zech. 1:15

fEzra 9:6; Rev. 18:5

g 28:10 Lev. 25:39,42-43,46

h 28:11 James 2:13

i 28:15 ver. 12

j2 Kings 6:22; Prov. 25:21-22; Luke 6:27; Rom. 12:20

kDeut. 34:3; Judg. 1:16

l 28:16 2 Kings 16:7

a 28:18 Ezek. 16:27,57

b 28:19 ch. 21:20

cExod. 32:25

d 28:20 2 Kings 15:29; 16:7-9

e 28:23 See ch. 25:14

fJer. 44:17-18

g 28:24 See ch. 29:3,7

h 28:26 2 Kings 16:19-20

i 29:1 2 Kings 18:1

jch. 26:5

k 29:3 See ver. 7; ch. 28:24

a 29:5 ch. 35:6; 1 Chron. 15:12

b 29:6 Jer. 2:27; Ezek. 8:16

c 29:7 ch. 28:24

d 29:8 ch. 24:18

e1 Kings 9:8; Jer. 18:16; 19:8; 25:9,18; 29:18

f 29:9 ch. 28:5-6,8,17

g 29:10 ch. 15:12

h 29:11 Num. 3:6; 8:14; 18:2,6

i 29:15 ver. 5

j1 Chron. 23:28

k 29:19 ch. 28:24

l 29:21 Lev. 4:3,14

m 29:22 Lev. 8:14-15,19,24; Heb. 9:21

a 29:23 Lev. 4:15,24

b 29:24 Lev. 14:20

c 29:25 1 Chron. 16:4; 25:6

dch. 8:14; 1 Chron. 23:5; 25:1

e2 Sam. 24:11

fch. 30:12

g 29:26 1 Chron. 23:5; Amos 6:5

hNum. 10:8,10; 1 Chron. 15:24; 16:6

i 29:27 ch. 23:18

j 29:29 ch. 20:18

k 29:31 Lev. 7:12

l 29:34 ch. 35:11

mch. 30:3

nPs. 7:10

o 29:35 Lev. 3:16

pNum. 15:5,7,10

a 30:2 Num. 9:10-11

b 30:3 Exod. 12:6,18

cch. 29:34

d 30:6 Jer. 4:1; Joel 2:13

e2 Kings 15:19,29

f 30:7 Ezek. 20:18

gch. 29:8

h 30:8 Deut. 10:16

ich. 29:10

j 30:9 Ps. 106:46

kExod. 34:6

lIsa. 55:7

m 30:10 ch. 36:16

n 30:11 ver. 18,21; So ch. 11:16

o 30:12 Php. 2:13

pch. 29:25

q 30:14 ch. 28:24

r 30:15 ch. 29:34

s 30:17 ch. 29:34

t 30:18 ver. 11

a 30:18 Exod. 12:43, etc.

b 30:19 ch. 19:3

c 30:21 Exod. 12:15; 13:6

d 30:22 ch. 17:9; 35:3; Deut. 33:10

eEzra 10:11

f 30:23 See 1 Kings 8:65

g 30:24 ch. 35:7-8

hch. 29:34

i 30:25 ver. 11,18

j 30:27 Num. 6:23

k 31:1 2 Kings 18:4

l 31:2 1 Chron. 23:6; 24:1

m1 Chron. 23:30-31

n 31:3 Num. 28-29

o 31:4 Num. 18:8, etc.; Neh. 13:10

pMal. 2:7

a 31:5 Exod. 22:29; Neh. 13:12

b 31:6 Lev. 27:30; Deut. 14:28

c 31:10 Mal. 3:10

d 31:12 Neh. 13:13

e 31:15 Josh. 21:9

f 31:17 1 Chron. 23–24,27

g 31:19 Lev. 25:34; Num. 35:2

hver. 12:13-15

i 31:20 2 Kings 20:3

j 32:1 2 Kings 18:13, etc.; Isa. 36:1, etc.

a 32:5 Isa. 22:9-10

bch. 25:23

c2 Sam. 5:9; 1 Kings 9:24

d 32:7 Deut. 31:6

ech. 20:15

f2 Kings 6:16

g 32:8 Jer. 17:5; 1 John 4:4

hch. 13:12; Rom. 8:31

i 32:9 2 Kings 18:17

j 32:10 2 Kings 18:19

k 32:11 2 Kings 18:30

l 32:12 2 Kings 18:22

m 32:13 2 Kings 18:33-35

n 32:15 2 Kings 18:29

o 32:17 2 Kings 19:9

p2 Kings 19:12

q 32:18 2 Kings 18:28

r2 Kings 18:26-28

s 32:19 2 Kings 19:18

t 32:20 2 Kings 19:15

a 32:20 2 Kings 19:2,4

b 32:21 2 Kings 19:35, etc.

c 32:23 ch. 17:5

dch. 1:1

e 32:24 2 Kings 20;1; Isa. 38:1

f 32:25 Ps. 116:12

gch. 26:16; Hab. 2:4

hch. 24:18

i 32:26 Jer. 26:18-19

j2 Kings 20:19

k 32:29 2 Chron. 29:12

l 32:30 Isa. 22:9,11

m 32:31 2 Kings 20:12; Isa. 39:1

nDeut. 8:2

o 32:32 Isa. 36–39

p2 Kings 18–20

q 32:33 2 Kings 20:21

rProv. 10:7

s 33:1 2 Kings 21:1, etc.

t 33:2 ch. 28:3; Deut. 18:9

a 33:3 ch. 30:14; 31:1; 32:12; 2 Kings 18:4

bDeut. 16:21

cDeut. 17:3

d 33:4 ch. 6:6; 7:16; Deut. 12:11; 1 Kings 8:29; 9:3

e 33:5 ch. 4:9

f 33:6 ch. 28:3; Lev. 18:21; Deut. 18:10; 2 Kings 23:10; Ezek. 23:37,39

gDeut. 18:10-11

h2 Kings 21:6

i 33:7 2 Kings 21:7

jPs. 132:14

k 33:8 2 Sam. 7:10

l 33:11 Deut. 28:36; Job 36:8

mPs. 107:10-11

n 33:12 1 Pet. 5:6

o 33:13 1 Chron. 5:20; Ezra 8:23

pPs. 9:16; Dan. 4:25

q 33:14 1 Kings 1:33

rch. 27:3

s 33:15 ver. 3,5,7

t 33:16 Lev. 7:12

u 33:17 ch. 32:12

v 33:18 1 Sam. 9:9

a 33:20 2 Kings 21:18

b 33:21 2 Kings 21:19, etc.

c 33:23 ver. 12

d 33:24 2 Kings 21:23-24

e 34:1 2 Kings 22:1, etc.

f 34:3 ch. 15:2

g1 Kings 13:2

hch. 33:17,22

i 34:4 Lev. 26:30; 2 Kings 23:4

j2 Kings 23:4

k 34:5 1 Kings 13:2

l 34:7 Deut. 9:21

m 34:8 2 Kings 22:3

n 34:9 See 2 Kings 12:4, etc.

a 34:13 1 Chron. 23:4-5

b 34:14 2 Kings 22:8, etc.

c 34:22 2 Kings 22:14

a 34:29 2 Kings 23:1, etc.

b 34:31 ch. 6:13; 2 Kings 11:14; 23:3

c 34:33 1 Kings 11:5

dJer. 3:10

e 35:1 2 Kings 23:21-22

fExod. 12:6; Ezra 6:19

g 35:2 ch. 23:18; Ezra 6:18

hch. 29:5,11

i 35:3 ch. 30:22; Deut. 23:10; Mal. 2:7

jSee ch. 34:14

kch. 5:7

l1 Chron. 23;26

m 35:4 1 Chron. 9:10

n1 Chron. 23-26

och. 8:14

p 35:5 Ps. 134:1

q 35:6 ch. 29:5, 15; 30:3,15; Ezra 6:20

r 35:7 ch. 30:24

a 35:10 Ezra 6:18

b 35:11 ch. 29:22

cSee ch. 29:34

d 35:12 Lev. 3:3

e 35:13 Exod. 12:8-9; Deut. 16:7

f1 Sam. 2:13-15

g 35:15 1 Chron. 25:1, etc.

h1 Chron. 9:17-18; 26:14, etc.

i 35:17 ch. 30:21; Exod. 12:15; 13:6

j 35:18 2 Kings 23:22-23

k 35:20 2 Kings 23:29; Jer. 46:2

l 35:22 So 1 Kings 22:34

m 35:24 2 Kings 23:30

a 35:24 Zech. 12:11

b 35:25 Lam. 4:20

cSee Matt. 9:23

dJer. 22:20

e 36:1 2 Kings 23:30, etc.

f 36:5 2 Kings 23:26,37

g 36:6 2 Kings 24:1

hSee 2 Kings 24:6; Jer. 22:18-19

i 36:7 2 Kings 24:13; Dan. 1:1-2; 5:2

j 36:9 2 Kings 24:8

k 36:10 2 Kings 24:10-17

lDan. 1:1-2; 5:2

mJer. 37:1

n 36:11 2 Kings 24:18; Jer. 52:1, etc.

a 36:13 Jer. 52:3; Ezek. 17:15,18

b2 Kings 17:14

c 36:15 Jer. 25:3-4; 35:15; 44:4

d 36:16 Jer. 5:12-13

eProv. 1:25,30

fJer. 32:3; 38:6; Matt. 23:24

gPs. 74:1; 79:5

h 36:17 Deut. 28:49; 2 Kings 25:1, etc.; Ezra 9:7

iPs. 74:20; 79:2-3

j 36:18 2 Kings 25:13, etc.

k 36:19 2 Kings 25:9; Ps. 74:6-7; 79:1,7

l 36:20 2 Kings 25:11

mJer. 27:7

n 36:21 Jer. 25:9,11-12; 26:6-7; 29:10

oLev. 26:34-35,43; Dan. 9:2

pLev. 25:4-5

q 36:22 Ezra 1:1

rJer. 26:12-13; 29:10; 33:10-11,14

sIsa. 44:28

t 36:23 Ezra 1:2-3

The Second Book of the
Chronicles

Outline of 2 Chronicles

2 Chronicles Study Notes

2 Chronicles Cross-References

The Second Book of theChronicles

Outline of 2 Chronicles

2 Chronicles Study Notes

2 Chronicles Cross-References

The Second Book of the
Chronicles