2 Chronicleschapter 17
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Summary
Chapter summary
Jehoshaphat strengthens himself against Israel and walks in the first ways of his father David, not seeking the Baalim, 'therefore Jehovah established the kingdom in his hand.' His signature act is an education program: in the third year he sends five princes, nine Levites, and two priests through the cities of Judah to teach, 'having the book of the law of Jehovah with them.' The result is national, the fear of Jehovah falls on the kingdoms round about so that they make no war, and the Philistines and Arabians bring tribute and flocks by the thousand. He builds castles and store cities, and the muster of his mighty men of valor in Jerusalem is counted by the hundred thousand. He waxed great exceedingly.
Context
History · Ezra — 2 Chronicles overview
- A. 1–6 Jehoshaphat's heart is lifted up in the ways of the LORD
- B. 7–11 Princes and Levites carry the law through every city
- C. 12–19 The mighty men of valor who waited on the king
The outline
A.Jehoshaphat's heart is lifted up in the ways of the LORDvv. 1 to 6
Read vv. 1 to 6 →B.Princes and Levites carry the law through every cityvv. 7 to 11
Read vv. 7 to 11 →C.The mighty men of valor who waited on the kingvv. 12 to 19
Read vv. 12 to 19 →
The world behind this chapter
2 Chronicles 17The history
The most unusual thing any king of Judah ever did is recorded in a single sentence here. In his third year Jehoshaphat sent five officials, nine Levites, and two priests through all the cities of Judah to teach — and they had the book of the law of the LORD with them. A state-funded travelling teaching mission, with the text itself carried from town to town, is without parallel in the ancient Near East.
It is worth pausing on what that meant practically. Scrolls were expensive and rare; most people never saw one. Bringing the scroll to the villages, rather than requiring the villages to come to the scroll, changed who could know the law.
The tribute list shows the result in political terms: the surrounding kingdoms brought gifts, the Philistines paid silver, and the Arabians brought seven thousand seven hundred rams and the same number of goats. Livestock tribute from desert peoples was normal, and the numbers say the flocks were huge.
The muster totals by commander are the standard summary of national strength, alongside store cities in Judah and garrisons in the towns of Ephraim his father had taken.
What it meant to them
This chapter described the first hearers' own institution. When Nehemiah gathered the people at the water gate, Ezra read from the book and the Levites went through the crowd giving the sense so that the people understood the reading.
The pattern — the book carried to the people, and Levites sent to explain it — was not an invention of the return. It had a king's precedent, and his reign was remembered as strong because of it.
Sources cited
- Roland de Vaux, Ancient Israel: Its Life and Institutions
- Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Chronicles
The text of this chapter
This page carries no textual note on 2 Chronicles 17. Where this site has examined a place the manuscripts differ, the examination is in the manuscripts room. Every place this site examines →
This page draws on Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory; John Wesley, Notes on the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary.