2 Chronicles 17

Authored by: Traditional
17:1
וַיִּמְלֹךְ יְהוֹשָׁפָט בְּנוֹ תַּחְתָּיו וַיִּתְחַזֵּק עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל׃
And Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead, and strengthened himself against Israel.
17:2
וַיִּתֶּן־חַיִל בְּכָל־עָרֵי יְהוּדָה הַבְּצֻרוֹת וַיִּתֵּן נְצִיבִים בְּאֶרֶץ יְהוּדָה וּבְעָרֵי אֶפְרַיִם אֲשֶׁר לָכַד אָסָא אָבִיו׃
And he placed forces in all the fortified cities of Judah, and set garrisons in the land of Judah, and in the cities of Ephraim, which Asa his father had taken.
17:3
וַיְהִי יְהוָה עִם־יְהוֹשָׁפָט כִּי הָלַךְ בְּדַרְכֵי דָּוִיד אָבִיו הָרִאשֹׁנִים וְלֹא דָרַשׁ לַבְּעָלִים׃
And the LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David, and sought not unto the Baalim;
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17:4
כִּי לֵאלֹהֵי אָבִיו דָּרָשׁ וּבְמִצְוֺתָיו הָלָךְ וְלֹא כְּמַעֲשֵׂה יִשְׂרָאֵל׃
but sought to the God of his father, and walked in His commandments, and not after the doings of Israel.
17:5
וַיָּכֶן יְהוָה אֶת־הַמַּמְלָכָה בְּיָדוֹ וַיִּתְּנוּ כָל־יְהוּדָה מִנְחָה לִיהוֹשָׁפָט וַיְהִי־לוֹ עֹשֶׁר־וְכָבוֹד לָרֹב׃
Therefore the LORD established the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah brought to Jehoshaphat presents; and he had riches and honour in abundance.
17:6
וַיִּגְבַּהּ לִבּוֹ בְּדַרְכֵי יְהוָה וְעוֹד הֵסִיר אֶת־הַבָּמוֹת וְאֶת־הָאֲשֵׁרִים מִיהוּדָה׃
And his heart was lifted up in the ways of the LORD; and furthermore he took away the high places and the Asherim out of Judah.
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17:7
וּבִשְׁנַת שָׁלוֹשׁ לְמָלְכוֹ שָׁלַח לְשָׂרָיו לְבֶן־חַיִל וּלְעֹבַדְיָה וְלִזְכַרְיָה וְלִנְתַנְאֵל וּלְמִיכָיָהוּ לְלַמֵּד בְּעָרֵי יְהוּדָה׃
Also in the third year of his reign he sent his princes, even Ben-hail, and Obadiah, and Zechariah, and Nethanel, and Micaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah;
2
17:8
וְעִמָּהֶם הַלְוִיִּם שְׁמַעְיָהוּ וּנְתַנְיָהוּ וּזְבַדְיָהוּ וַעֲשָׂהאֵל ושמרימות [וּשְׁמִירָמוֹת] וִיהוֹנָתָן וַאֲדֹנִיָּהוּ וְטוֹבִיָּהוּ וְטוֹב אֲדוֹנִיָּה הַלְוִיִּם וְעִמָּהֶם אֱלִישָׁמָע וִיהוֹרָם הַכֹּהֲנִים׃
and with them the Levites, even Shemaiah, and Nethaniah, and Zebadiah, and Asahel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehonathan, and Adonijah, and Tobijah, and Tob-adonijah, the Levites; and with them Elishama and Jehoram, the priests.
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17:9
וַיְלַמְּדוּ בִּיהוּדָה וְעִמָּהֶם סֵפֶר תּוֹרַת יְהוָה וַיָּסֹבּוּ בְּכָל־עָרֵי יְהוּדָה וַיְלַמְּדוּ בָּעָם׃
And they taught in Judah, having the book of the Law of the LORD with them; and they went about throughout all the cities of Judah, and taught among the people.
17:10
וַיְהִי פַּחַד יְהוָה עַל כָּל־מַמְלְכוֹת הָאֲרָצוֹת אֲשֶׁר סְבִיבוֹת יְהוּדָה וְלֹא נִלְחֲמוּ עִם־יְהוֹשָׁפָט׃
And a terror from the LORD fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were round about Judah, so that they made no war against Jehoshaphat.
1
17:11
וּמִן־פְּלִשְׁתִּים מְבִיאִים לִיהוֹשָׁפָט מִנְחָה וְכֶסֶף מַשָּׂא גַּם הָעַרְבִיאִים מְבִיאִים לוֹ צֹאן אֵילִים שִׁבְעַת אֲלָפִים וּשְׁבַע מֵאוֹת וּתְיָשִׁים שִׁבְעַת אֲלָפִים וּשְׁבַע מֵאוֹת׃
And some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat presents, and silver for tribute; the Arabians also brought him flocks, seven thousand and seven hundred rams, and seven thousand and seven hundred he-goats.
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17:12
וַיְהִי יְהוֹשָׁפָט הֹלֵךְ וְגָדֵל עַד־לְמָעְלָה וַיִּבֶן בִּיהוּדָה בִּירָנִיּוֹת וְעָרֵי מִסְכְּנוֹת׃
And Jehoshaphat waxed great exceedingly; and he built in Judah castles and cities of store.
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17:13
וּמְלָאכָה רַבָּה הָיָה לוֹ בְּעָרֵי יְהוּדָה וְאַנְשֵׁי מִלְחָמָה גִּבּוֹרֵי חַיִל בִּירוּשָׁלִָם׃
And he had many works in the cities of Judah; and men of war, mighty men of valour, in Jerusalem.
17:14
וְאֵלֶּה פְקֻדָּתָם לְבֵית אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם לִיהוּדָה שָׂרֵי אֲלָפִים עַדְנָה הַשָּׂר וְעִמּוֹ גִּבּוֹרֵי חַיִל שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת אָלֶף׃
And this was the numbering of them according to their fathers’houses: of Judah, the captains of thousands: Adnah the captain, and with him mighty men of valour three hundred thousand;
17:15
וְעַל־יָדוֹ יְהוֹחָנָן הַשָּׂר וְעִמּוֹ מָאתַיִם וּשְׁמוֹנִים אָלֶף׃
and next to him Jehohanan the captain, and with him two hundred and fourscore thousand;
17:16
וְעַל־יָדוֹ עֲמַסְיָה בֶן־זִכְרִי הַמִּתְנַדֵּב לַיהוָה וְעִמּוֹ מָאתַיִם אֶלֶף גִּבּוֹר חָיִל׃
and next to him Amasiah the son of Zichri, who willingly offered himself unto the LORD, and with him two hundred thousand mighty men of valour;
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17:17
וּמִן־בִּנְיָמִן גִּבּוֹר חַיִל אֶלְיָדָע וְעִמּוֹ נֹשְׁקֵי־קֶשֶׁת וּמָגֵן מָאתַיִם אָלֶף׃
and of Benjamin: Eliada a mighty man of valour, and with him two hundred thousand armed with bow and shield;
17:18
וְעַל־יָדוֹ יְהוֹזָבָד וְעִמּוֹ מֵאָה־וּשְׁמוֹנִים אֶלֶף חֲלוּצֵי צָבָא׃
and next to him Jehozabad, and with him a hundred and fourscore thousand ready prepared for war.
17:19
אֵלֶּה הַמְשָׁרְתִים אֶת־הַמֶּלֶךְ מִלְּבַד אֲשֶׁר־נָתַן הַמֶּלֶךְ בְּעָרֵי הַמִּבְצָר בְּכָל־יְהוּדָה׃
These were they that waited on the king beside those whom the king put in the fortified cities throughout all Judah.
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@RosaryRider66

Teaching the law as government policy

Why does Jehoshaphat send officials specifically to teach the law throughout the towns of Judah, treating religious education as a formal government initiative? It's an unusual detail not really paralleled elsewhere in these books. Teaching, apparent...

Practical & Devotional
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@Rashi

Rashi on II Chronicles 17:7

<b>Ben Hail</b> That was his name. Others explain: he sent to his officers, every officer a valiant man. But I have difficulty with this interpretation because, if so, it should have only said, “Obadiah.” The fact that it says, “to Obadiah” proves th...

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