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2 Chronicles 18:4

in 2 Chronicles 18

But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire first for the word of the LORD.”

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Inquire first, I pray thee, for the word of Jehovah.

KJV

And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Enquire, I pray thee, at the word of the Lord to day.

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This verse in 2 Chronicles 18

Commentary

3 notes on this verse

This site's exposition

Please inquire first

on 2 Chronicles 18:4-6

Jehoshaphat asks for the word of the LORD before any battle plan. Ahab brings four hundred prophets, and they answer with one voice, “Go up”, promising that God will hand the city to the king. Jehoshaphat still asks whether there is “a prophet of the LORD” they can consult.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament (1765)

proposed

Inquire, &c. - This we should do, whatever we undertake, by particular, believing prayer, by an unbiased consulting of the scriptures and our own consciences, and by a close regard to the hints of providence.

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

By particular believing prayer, by an unbiased consultation of the scripture and our own consciences, and by an observant regard to the hints of providence, we may make such enquiries and very much to our satisfaction.

The words behind it

11 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • וַיֹּ֥אמֶרand he said

    vaiyomerH559 →5305 times

  • יְהוֹשָׁפָ֖טJehoshaphat

    yehoshafatH3092 →84 times

  • אֶל־to

    ʾel-H413 →5510 times

  • מֶ֣לֶךְ[the] king of

    melekhH4428 →2525 times

  • יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לIsrael

    yisraelH3478 →2507 times

  • דְּרָשׁ־seek

    derosh-H1875 →164 times

  • נָ֥אplease

    na'H4994 →404 times

  • כַיּ֖וֹםas the day

    khaiyomH3117 →2304 times

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • דְּבַ֥ר[the] word of

    devarH1697 →1440 times

  • יְהוָֽה׃Yahweh

    yahwehH3068 →6520 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

11 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Jeremiah 21:2“Please inquire of the LORD on our behalf, since Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is waging war against us. Perhaps the LORD will perform for us something like all His past wonders, so that Nebuchadnezzar will withdraw from us.”5 works1 Samuel 23:2So David inquired of the LORD, “Should I go and attack these Philistines?” And the LORD said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah.”3 works1 Samuel 23:9–12When David learned that Saul was plotting evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod.”3 works2 Samuel 5:19So David inquired of the LORD, “Should I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand?” “Go,” replied the LORD, “for I will surely deliver the Philistines into your hand.”3 works1 Samuel 23:4Once again, David inquired of the LORD, and the LORD answered him: “Go at once to Keilah, for I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.”3 works2 Samuel 2:1Some time later, David inquired of the LORD, “Should I go up to one of the towns of Judah?” “Go up,” the LORD answered. Then David asked, “Where should I go?” “To Hebron,” replied the LORD.3 works
The other 5 cross-references, with their words ▾
2 Samuel 5:23So David inquired of the LORD, who answered, “Do not march straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the balsam trees.3 works1 Kings 22:5–6But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire first for the word of the LORD.”2 works2 Chronicles 34:26But as for the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, tell him that this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘As for the words that you heard,2 worksEzekiel 20:3“Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: Have you come to inquire of Me? As surely as I live, I will not be consulted by you, declares the Lord GOD.1 worksPsalms 27:4One thing I have asked of the LORD; this is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and seek Him in His temple.1 works

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    1 Samuel 23:2

    So David inquired of the LORD, “Should I go and attack these Philistines?” And the LORD said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah.”

    it leads to

    • 2 Samuel 5:23

      So David inquired of the LORD, who answered, “Do not march straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the balsam trees.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • 2 Samuel 5:19

      So David inquired of the LORD, “Should I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand?” “Go,” replied the LORD, “for I will surely deliver the Philistines into your hand.”

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • 1 Samuel 23:4

      Once again, David inquired of the LORD, and the LORD answered him: “Go at once to Keilah, for I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.”

    • 1 Samuel 30:8

      and David inquired of the LORD: “Should I pursue these raiders? Will I overtake them?” “Pursue them,” the LORD replied, “for you will surely overtake them and rescue the captives.”

  • Through

    2 Samuel 5:19

    So David inquired of the LORD, “Should I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand?” “Go,” replied the LORD, “for I will surely deliver the Philistines into your hand.”

    it leads to

    • 2 Samuel 2:1

      Some time later, David inquired of the LORD, “Should I go up to one of the towns of Judah?” “Go up,” the LORD answered. Then David asked, “Where should I go?” “To Hebron,” replied…

    • 1 Samuel 23:2

      So David inquired of the LORD, “Should I go and attack these Philistines?” And the LORD said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah.”

    • Proverbs 3:6

      in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.

    • Judges 20:28

      and Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, served before it.) The Israelites asked, “Should we again go out to battle against our brothers the Benjamites, or should we stop?” The LORD answered,…

About 2 Chronicles

Saphan Reading the Book of the Law to Josiah, Philip Galle, engraving after Maarten van Heemskerck, 1569, Royal Library of Belgium. Public domain.
Saphan Reading the Book of the Law to Josiah, Philip Galle, engraving after Maarten van Heemskerck, 1569, Royal Library of Belgium. Public domain.
2 Chronicles: the study guide →Read 2 Chronicles 18 →

This page draws on John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in 2 Chronicles 18 →