2 Chronicles 19:6
in 2 Chronicles 19Then he said to the judges, “Consider carefully what you do, for you are not judging for man, but for the LORD, who is with you when you render judgment.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and said to the judges, Consider what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for Jehovah; and he is with you in the judgment.
KJV
And said to the judges, Take heed what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for the Lord, who is with you in the judgment.
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This verse in 2 Chronicles 19
Commentary
6 notes on this verseThe Lord - You represent God's person to whom judgment belongeth, you have your commission from God, and not from man only; and your administration of justice is not only for man's good, but also for God's honour and service.
This site's exposition
throughout all the fenced cities of Judah
on 2 Chronicles 19:5-7
The king sets judges in the land, city by city through the fenced cities of Judah, restoring an office David had appointed that had lapsed. His charge to them states the judiciary's charter: ye judge not for man, but for the Lord, who is with you in the judgment, and its ground is stated just as plainly, there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts. A court answerable to God rather than to litigants is the reform's whole logic before a single case is heard.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And said to the judges, take heed what you do,....
The means he prescribes to them for the keeping of them closely to their duty; and these are two:-- (1.) Great caution and circumspection: Take heed what you do,
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
he set judges in the land--There had been judicial courts established at an early period. But Jehoshaphat was the first king who modified these institutions according to the circumstances of the now fragmentary kingdom of Judah.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
Take heed what ye do - A very solemn and very necessary caution; judges should feel themselves in the place of God, and judge as those who know they shall be judged for their judgments.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
for you do not judge for man The meaning is: Do not think in your heart: What difference does it make if we pervert the law to declare our friends innocent and pervert the rights of the poor and favor the rich?
2 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
And he appointed judges When the seer told him, “good things were found in you, for you abolished the asheroth,” he approached the Sepher Torah [to see] whether he had abolished them properly.
for with the Lord your God there is neither injustice, favoritism, nor bribe-taking and He is with you in judgment; therefore, He does not wish you to commit injustice in judgment.
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
16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֣אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַשֹּֽׁפְטִ֗ים | hashofetim | the judges | H8199 → | 202 times |
| רְאוּ֙ | reu | consider | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| מָֽה־ | mah- | what? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| אַתֶּ֣ם | ʾatem | [are] you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| עֹשִׂ֔ים | ʾosim | doing | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| לֹ֧א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| לְאָדָ֛ם | leadam | for humankind | H120 → | 551 times |
| תִּשְׁפְּט֖וּ | tishpetu | you will judge | H8199 → | 202 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| לַיהוָ֑ה | layahweh | for Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| וְעִמָּכֶ֖ם | veimakhem | and with you | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| בִּדְבַ֥ר | bidvar | in a matter of | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| מִשְׁפָּֽט׃ | mishpat | judgment | H4941 → | 422 times |
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הַשֹּֽׁפְטִ֗יםthe judges
hashofetimH8199 →202 times
רְאוּ֙consider
reuH7200 →1300 times
מָֽה־what?
mah-H4100 →752 times
אַתֶּ֣ם[are] you
ʾatemH859 →1094 times
עֹשִׂ֔יםdoing
ʾosimH6213 →2628 times
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
לֹ֧אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
לְאָדָ֛םfor humankind
leadamH120 →551 times
תִּשְׁפְּט֖וּyou will judge
tishpetuH8199 →202 times
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
לַיהוָ֑הfor Yahweh
layahwehH3068 →6520 times
וְעִמָּכֶ֖םand with you
veimakhemH5973 →1050 times
בִּדְבַ֥רin a matter of
bidvarH1697 →1440 times
מִשְׁפָּֽט׃judgment
mishpatH4941 →422 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
Luke 12:15And He said to them, “Watch out! Guard yourselves against every form of greed, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
it leads to
- Hebrews 13:5
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said: “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.”
- 1 Timothy 6:6–10
Of course, godliness with contentment is great gain.
- Psalms 119:36–37
Turn my heart to Your testimonies and not to covetous gain.
- Proverbs 16:16
How much better to acquire wisdom than gold! To gain understanding is more desirable than silver.
- Proverbs 15:16
Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure with turmoil.
- Hebrews 13:5
Through
Leviticus 19:15You must not pervert justice; you must not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the rich; you are to judge your neighbor fairly.
it leads to
- Proverbs 24:23
These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judgment is not good.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Deuteronomy 1:17
Show no partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be intimidated by anyone, for judgment belongs to God. And bring to me any case too difficult for you, and I…
- Deuteronomy 27:19
‘Cursed is he who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless, or the widow.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’
- Proverbs 24:23
About 2 Chronicles
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; 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.