And Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned ,.... From Ramothgilead, after Ahab was slain: to his house in peace in Jerusalem ; to his palace there in safety, having narrowly escaped losing his life in the battle. read more
And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer ,.... The son of him that reproved Asa, for which he put him in prison, 2 Chronicles 17:7 , but that did not deter this his son from reproving Jehoshaphat: went out to meet him ; as he was returning: and said to King Jehoshaphat, shouldest thou help the ungodly ; such an one as Ahab, an idolater, murderer, and persecutor: and love them that hate the Lord ? his laws, worship, and ordinances, as he had; intimating, that he had done wrong, by... read more
Nevertheless, there are good things found in thee ,.... Principles of grace, righteousness, and holiness, faith, love, zeal, and other graces, true and genuine, from whence sprung many good works done by him: in that thou hast taken away the groves out of the land ; cut down the groves of trees, and destroyed the idols and images in them: and hast prepared thine heart to seek God ; through the grace of God his heart was disposed to serve and worship the Lord, and to seek his honour... read more
Returned to his house in peace - That is, in safety, notwithstanding he had been exposed to a danger so imminent, from which only the especial mercy of God could have saved him. read more
Jehu the son of Hanani - We have met with this prophet before; see the note on 1 Kings 16:7 . Therefore is wrath upon thee - That is, Thou deservest to be punished. And who can doubt this, who knows that he did help the ungodly, and did love them that hated Jehovah? And is not the wrath of God upon all those alliances which his people form with the ungodly, whether they be social, matrimonial, commercial, or political? read more
In peace . Compare the use of the phrase in verses 16 and 26, 27 of last chapter. The only peace in which it could be reasonably supposed Jehoshaphat returned to his house and the metropolis was that of freedom from war, and of present "assurance of his life." read more
The sovereign and the seer. I. UNDESERVED MERCY TO THE SOVEREIGN . ( 2 Chronicles 19:1 .) 1 . Jehoshaphat returns from Ramoth-Gilead. Having gone thither without the Divine sanction—indeed, against the Divine will—he might have been left there and not permitted to return. But God preserves the going out and coming in of his people ( Psalms 121:8 ), even when they walk not in his ways. 2 . Jehoshaphat returns to Jerusalem . Having left his capital and kingdom... read more
The third chapter in Jehoshaphat's career. In this chapter, regarded for the time in the light of a third chapter in the biography of Jehoshaphat, we are enabled to gauge, not altogether unsatisfactorily, his character as respects the measure of right and wrong in it, and of good and evil in himself. And we are reminded that— I. THERE IS SUCH A THING , MOST UNDENIABLY , AS THE PEACE OF PRESENT SAFETY , WITHOUT THAT WHICH FLOWS FROM CONSISTENT ... read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 2 Chronicles 19:1-4
Here is, I. The great favour God showed to Jehoshaphat, 1. In bringing him back in safety from his dangerous expedition with Ahab, which had like to have cost him dearly (2 Chron. 19:1): He returned to his house in peace. Notice is taken of this to intimate, (1.) That he fared better than he had expected. He had been in imminent peril, and yet came home in peace. Whenever we return in peace to our houses we ought to acknowledge God's providence in preserving our going out and our coming in.... read more