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2 Chronicles 13:14

in 2 Chronicles 13

When Judah turned and discovered that the battle was both before and behind them, they cried out to the LORD. Then the priests blew the trumpets,

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And when Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind them; and they cried unto Jehovah, and the priests sounded with the trumpets.

KJV

And when Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind: and they cried unto the Lord, and the priests sounded with the trumpets.

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This verse in 2 Chronicles 13

Commentary

4 notes on this verse

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

We hope they did this before they engaged in this war, but the distress they were in made them renew their prayers and quickened them to be importunate. God brings his people into straits, that he may teach them to cry unto him. Earnest praying is crying.

This site's exposition

Jeroboam caused an ambushment to come about behind them

on 2 Chronicles 13:13-14

While Abijah preaches, Jeroboam sends a detachment around behind Judah's line, and the trap closes with Judah caught before and behind, sprung before the sermon's appeal could be answered. Judah's response is the chapter's argument acted out: they cried unto the Lord, and the priests sounded with the trumpets, the same weapon of worship 2 Chronicles 20 puts in front of Jehoshaphat's army a generation later. Gill reads the trumpets as more than noise, a signal meant to remind the ranks that God stood with them despite the ambush at their backs.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

And when Judah looked back,.... On hearing a noise behind them: behold, the battle was before and behind; men were set in battle array, and the battle was begun, and an attack made upon them both ways: and they cried unto the Lord; for help against their enemies, and to deliver them out of their hands: and the priests sounded with the trumpets; to inspire them with cheerfulness, and to suggest to them that God was with them and they need not be afraid.

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

A panic might have ensued, had not the leaders "cried unto the Lord," and the priests "sounded with the trumpets"--the pledge of victory (Nu 10:9; Reassured by the well-known signal, the men of Judah responded with a war shout, which, echoed by the whole army, was followed by an impetuous rush against the foe. The shock was resistless.

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The words behind it

12 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.

  • וַיִּפְנ֣וּand they turned

    vaiyifnuH6437 →135 times

  • יְהוּדָ֗הJudah

    yehudahH3063 →819 times

  • וְהִנֵּ֨הand there!

    vehinehH2009 →843 times

  • לָהֶ֤ם[was] to them

    lahem

  • הַמִּלְחָמָה֙the battle

    hamilchamahH4421 →320 times

  • פָּנִ֣יםbefore

    panimH6440 →2123 times

  • וְאָח֔וֹרand behind

    veachorH268 →

  • וַֽיִּצְעֲק֖וּand they cried out

    vaiyitzakuH6817 →

  • לַיהוָ֑הto Yahweh

    layahwehH3068 →6520 times

  • וְהַכֹּ֣הֲנִ֔יםand the priests

    vehakohanimH3548 →750 times

  • מַחְצְרִ֖ים[were] blowing a trumpet

    machatzotzerimH2690 →6 times

  • בַּחֲצֹצְרֽוֹת׃on trumpets

    bachatzotzerotH2689 →29 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.

2 Chronicles 14:11Then Asa cried out to the LORD his God: “O LORD, there is no one besides You to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on You, and in Your name we have come against this multitude. O LORD, You are our God. Do not let a mere mortal prevail against You.”17 worksNumbers 10:9When you enter into battle in your land against an adversary who attacks you, sound short blasts on the trumpets, and you will be remembered before the LORD your God and saved from your enemies.6 works2 Chronicles 18:31When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “This is the king of Israel!” So they turned to fight against him, but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him. God drew them away from him.5 worksExodus 14:10As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up and saw the Egyptians marching after them, and they were terrified and cried out to the LORD.4 worksProverbs 8:12I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion.4 works2 Samuel 10:8–14The Ammonites marched out and arrayed themselves for battle at the entrance of the city gate, while the Arameans of Zobah and Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were by themselves in the open country.3 works
The other 5 cross-references, with their words ▾
Joshua 8:20When the men of Ai turned and looked back, the smoke of the city was rising into the sky. They could not escape in any direction, and the troops who had fled to the wilderness now became the pursuers.3 worksPsalms 50:15Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me.”3 worksJudges 20:33–43So all the men of Israel got up from their places and arrayed themselves at Baal-tamar, and the Israelites in ambush charged from their positions west of Gibeah.3 worksPsalms 91:5You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day,3 worksPsalms 81:3Sound the ram’s horn at the New Moon, and at the full moon on the day of our Feast.3 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

    Psalms 50:15

    Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me.”

    it leads to

    • Psalms 107:28

      Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distress.

    • Psalms 91:15

      When he calls out to Me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him and honor him.

    • Psalms 34:3–4

      Magnify the LORD with me; let us exalt His name together.

    • Zechariah 13:9

      This third I will bring through the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They…

    • Psalms 107:19

      Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress.

  • Through

    2 Chronicles 14:11

    Then Asa cried out to the LORD his God: “O LORD, there is no one besides You to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on…

    it leads to

    • Jeremiah 1:19

      They will fight against you but will never overcome you, since I am with you to deliver you,” declares the LORD.

    • 2 Corinthians 12:9–10

      But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of…

    • Psalms 22:5

      They cried out to You and were set free; they trusted in You and were not disappointed.

About 2 Chronicles

Solomon Receives the Queen of Sheba, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Solomon Receives the Queen of Sheba, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
2 Chronicles: the study guide →Read 2 Chronicles 13 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in 2 Chronicles 13 →