2 Chronicles 18:4
in 2 Chronicles 18But 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 verseThis site's exposition
Enquire, I pray thee, at
on 2 Chronicles 18:4-6
Jehoshaphat asks first for the word of the Lord before he asks for a battle plan, and Ahab answers with four hundred prophets who declare with one voice, Go up; for God will deliver it into the king's hand. Jehoshaphat is not satisfied and asks whether a prophet of the Lord remains besides these, the same suspicion of a court chorus this book records again at 20:20, when Jehoshaphat later tells his own army to believe the Lord's prophets rather than a flattering crowd. The scene runs word for word with 1 Ki 22:5-7, where its full weight already stands.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
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.
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 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֥אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יְהוֹשָׁפָ֖ט | yehoshafat | Jehoshaphat | H3092 → | 84 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| מֶ֣לֶךְ | melekh | [the] king of | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| דְּרָשׁ־ | derosh- | seek | H1875 → | 164 times |
| נָ֥א | na' | please | H4994 → | 404 times |
| כַיּ֖וֹם | khaiyom | as the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| דְּבַ֥ר | devar | [the] word of | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| יְהוָֽה׃ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
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.
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
1 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.”
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.”
- 2 Samuel 5:23
Through
2 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.”
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,…
- 2 Samuel 2:1
About 2 Chronicles
This page draws on John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.