2 Chronicles 20:20
in 2 Chronicles 20Early in the morning they got up and left for the Wilderness of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood up and said, “Hear me, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Believe in the LORD your God, and you will be upheld; believe in His prophets, and you will succeed.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem: believe in Jehovah your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.
KJV
And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.
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This verse in 2 Chronicles 20
Commentary
6 notes on this verseBelieve in the Lord your God - “Believe in the Word of the Lord your God, and believe in his law, and believe in his prophets; and ye shall prosper.” Here the Word and the revelation are most pointedly distinguished; the Word being used personally.
This site's exposition
believe in His prophets
Jehoshaphat gives one charge: “Believe in the LORD your God, and you will be upheld; believe in His prophets, and you will succeed”. The Hebrew of the first clause plays on one root, as Isaiah 7:9 does, where believing and being upheld share it.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
That is true courage which faith inspires a man with; nor will any thing contribute more to the establishing of the heart in shaking times than a firm belief of the power, and mercy, and promise of God. The heart is fixed that thus trusteth in the Lord, and is kept in perfect peace. In our spiritual conflicts, this is the victory, this is the prosperity, even our faith.
And they rose early in the morning,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Tekoa (2Sa 14:2 note) lay on the borders of the desert which skirts the highlands of Judaea toward the east. The town was built on a hill of a considerable height.
Modern Voices1 voice
King Jehoshaphat and Judah won a great victory by acting on the word of the prophet. The spoils from the dead army brought great prosperity and peace, and all nations feared them after God fought for Judah.
The words behind it
20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּשְׁכִּ֣ימוּ | vaiyashkimu | and they rose early | H7925 → | 65 times |
| בַבֹּ֔קֶר | vaboker | in the morning | H1242 → | 214 times |
| וַיֵּצְא֖וּ | vaiyetzeu | and they went out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| לְמִדְבַּ֣ר | lemidbar | to [the] wilderness of | H4057 → | 270 times |
| תְּק֑וֹעַ | tekoa' | Tekoa | H8620 → | |
| וּבְצֵאתָ֞ם | uvetzetam | and when went out they | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| עָמַ֣ד | ʾamad | he stood | H5975 → | 521 times |
| יְהוֹשָׁפָ֗ט | yehoshafat | Jehoshaphat | H3092 → | 84 times |
| וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| שְׁמָע֗וּנִי | shemauni | listen to me | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| יְהוּדָה֙ | yehudah | O Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
| וְיֹשְׁבֵ֣י | veyoshevei | and [the] inhabitants of | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| יְרוּשָׁלִַ֔ם | yerushalim | Jerusalem | H3389 → | 643 times |
| הַאֲמִ֜ינוּ | haaminu | trust | H539 → | 106 times |
| בַּיהוָ֤ה | bayahweh | in Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֵיכֶם֙ | ʾeloheikhem | God your | H430 → | 2601 times |
| וְתֵ֣אָמֵ֔נוּ | veteamenu | so you may be established | H539 → | 106 times |
| הַאֲמִ֥ינוּ | haaminu | trust | H539 → | 106 times |
| בִנְבִיאָ֖יו | vinviav | in prophets his | H5030 → | 314 times |
| וְהַצְלִֽיחוּ׃ | vehatzlichu | and succeed | H6743 → | 65 times |
וַיַּשְׁכִּ֣ימוּand they rose early
vaiyashkimuH7925 →65 times
בַבֹּ֔קֶרin the morning
vabokerH1242 →214 times
וַיֵּצְא֖וּand they went out
vaiyetzeuH3318 →1067 times
לְמִדְבַּ֣רto [the] wilderness of
lemidbarH4057 →270 times
תְּק֑וֹעַTekoa
tekoa'H8620 →
וּבְצֵאתָ֞םand when went out they
uvetzetamH3318 →1067 times
עָמַ֣דhe stood
ʾamadH5975 →521 times
יְהוֹשָׁפָ֗טJehoshaphat
yehoshafatH3092 →84 times
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙and he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
שְׁמָע֗וּנִיlisten to me
shemauniH8085 →1159 times
יְהוּדָה֙O Judah
yehudahH3063 →819 times
וְיֹשְׁבֵ֣יand [the] inhabitants of
veyosheveiH3427 →1079 times
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֔םJerusalem
yerushalimH3389 →643 times
הַאֲמִ֜ינוּtrust
haaminuH539 →106 times
בַּיהוָ֤הin Yahweh
bayahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם֙God your
ʾeloheikhemH430 →2601 times
וְתֵ֣אָמֵ֔נוּso you may be established
veteamenuH539 →106 times
הַאֲמִ֥ינוּtrust
haaminuH539 →106 times
בִנְבִיאָ֖יוin prophets his
vinviavH5030 →314 times
וְהַצְלִֽיחוּ׃and succeed
vehatzlichuH6743 →65 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
Romans 8:31What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
it leads to
- Psalms 118:6
The LORD is on my side; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?
- Jeremiah 1:19
They will fight against you but will never overcome you, since I am with you to deliver you,” declares the LORD.
- Psalms 56:11
in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?
- 1 John 4:4
You, little children, are from God and have overcome them, because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.
- Isaiah 54:17
No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their vindication is from Me,” declares the…
- Psalms 118:6
Through
Hebrews 11:6And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.
it leads to
- Proverbs 8:17
I love those who love me, and those who seek me early shall find me.
- Jeremiah 29:13–14
You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
- Matthew 6:33
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.
- Proverbs 8:17
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies4
On this verse
On this chapter
About 2 Chronicles
Who and where
3 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonPatriarchsJudahJacob's fourth son who pledges himself for Benjamin; the tribe that carries the scepter to Shiloh (49:10) and the line to Christ (…
- PlaceJerusalemJerusalemThe city David took from the Jebusites and made his capital, where Solomon built the temple, where Christ was crucified and rose,…
- PlaceJudean hill countryTekoaJudean town on the wilderness edge south of Bethlehem; home of Amos the herdman (Amos 1:1) and the wise woman of 2 Samuel 14.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bishop Bill Hamon, 2020: The Year of the Prophets (The Elijah List); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil, The Books of the Chronicles and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.