2 Chronicles 19:9
in 2 Chronicles 19He commanded them, saying, “You must serve faithfully and wholeheartedly in the fear of the LORD.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he charged them, saying, Thus shall ye do in the fear of Jehovah, faithfully, and with a perfect heart.
KJV
And he charged them, saying, Thus shall ye do in the fear of the Lord, faithfully, and with a perfect heart.
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This verse in 2 Chronicles 19
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
Jehoshaphat appointed in Jerusalem
on 2 Chronicles 19:8-11
In Jerusalem Jehoshaphat appoints Levites, priests and heads of families as a second court, for cases sent up from the towns. He charges them to “serve faithfully and wholeheartedly in the fear of the LORD”. The charge ends, “Act resolutely; may the LORD be with the upright!”
This site's exposition
serve faithfully and wholeheartedly in the fear of the LORD
The charge to the Jerusalem court names three marks of the judges' service: the fear of the LORD, faithfulness, and a whole heart. Gill explains them as judging righteously and without favour, keeping the trust, and acting with sincerity toward God's glory and the good of the people.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
2 And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to king Jehoshaphat, Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the L ORD ? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the L ORD . 3 Nevertheless there are good things found in thee, in that thou hast taken away the groves out of the land, and hast prepared thine heart to seek God.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:94%@v2-3
And he charged them,.... The members of the court at Jerusalem: saying, thus shall ye do in the fear of the Lord, faithfully, and with a perfect heart; judge righteously and impartially, as men fearing God, true to the trust reposed in them, and sincere and upright in heart and actions, having nothing else in view but the glory of God, and the good of men.
"You trespass if you do not keep them from trespassing." (3.) They must act with resolution. "Deal courageously, and fear not the face of man; be bold and daring in the discharge of your duty, and, whoever is against you, God will protect you: The Lord shall be with the good. " Wherever he finds a good man, a good magistrate, he will be found a good God.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
between blood[shed] and blood[shed] between the bloodshed of an unintentional murder and an intentional one.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
10 Hebrew wordsEvery 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.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְצַ֥ו | vaytzav | and he commanded | H6680 → | 494 times |
| עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם | ʾaleihem | to them | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| לֵאמֹ֑ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| כֹּ֤ה | koh | thus | H3541 → | 577 times |
| תַעֲשׂוּן֙ | taasun | you will do ! | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| בְּיִרְאַ֣ת | beyirat | in [the] fear of | H3374 → | |
| יְהוָ֔ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| בֶּאֱמוּנָ֖ה | beemunah | in faithfulness | H530 → | 49 times |
| וּבְלֵבָ֥ב | uvelevav | and with a heart | H3824 → | 252 times |
| שָׁלֵֽם׃ | shalem | complete | H8003 → | 28 times |
וַיְצַ֥וand he commanded
vaytzavH6680 →494 times
עֲלֵיהֶ֖םto them
ʾaleihemH5921 →5755 times
לֵאמֹ֑ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
כֹּ֤הthus
kohH3541 →577 times
תַעֲשׂוּן֙you will do !
taasunH6213 →2628 times
בְּיִרְאַ֣תin [the] fear of
beyiratH3374 →
יְהוָ֔הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
בֶּאֱמוּנָ֖הin faithfulness
beemunahH530 →49 times
וּבְלֵבָ֥בand with a heart
uvelevavH3824 →252 times
שָׁלֵֽם׃complete
shalemH8003 →28 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach 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
2 Chronicles 19:7And now, may the fear of the LORD be upon you. Be careful what you do, for with the LORD our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery.”
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 32:4
He is the Rock, His work is perfect; all His ways are just. A God of faithfulness without injustice, righteous and upright is He.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Genesis 18:25
Far be it from You to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Will not the…
- Romans 2:11
For God does not show favoritism.
- Deuteronomy 10:17–18
For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, mighty, and awesome God, showing no partiality and accepting no bribe.
- Colossians 3:25
Whoever does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.
- Deuteronomy 32:4
Through
2 Samuel 23:3The God of Israel spoke; the Rock of Israel said to me, ‘He who rules the people with justice, who rules in the fear of God,
it leads to
- Exodus 18:21
Furthermore, select capable men from among the people—God-fearing, trustworthy men who are averse to dishonest gain. Appoint them over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.
- 2 Samuel 22:32
For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God?
- Psalms 72:2
May he judge Your people with righteousness and Your afflicted with justice.
- Exodus 18:21
About 2 Chronicles
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.