And Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead ,.... In the stead of Asa his father: and strengthened himself against Israel ; the ten tribes, by fortifying his cities, building castles, raising and keeping a large standing army, as the latter part of this chapter shows, and the next verse. read more
Jehoshaphat - and strengthened himself against Israel - The kingdoms of Israel and Judah were rivals from the beginning; sometimes one, sometimes the other, prevailed. Asa and Baasha were nearly matched; but, after Baasha's death, Israel was greatly weakened by civil contentions, and Jehoshaphat got the ascendancy. See 1 Kings 16:16-23 . read more
Jehoshaphat . In 2 Chronicles 20:31 and 1 Kings 22:41 , 1 Kings 22:42 we are told that Jehoshaphat was now thirty-five years of age. He must, therefore, have been born when Asa was in the sixth year of his reign, and presumably not under sixteen years of age. His reign extended to twenty-five years, i.e. from B.C. 914 to B.C. 889. The name signifies "whom God judges," or "pleads for." Ahab is now in the fourth year of his reign, and the symptoms he manifests ( 1 Kings 16:30-33 ... read more
Spiritual fortification. Jehoshaphat did well to "strengthen himself against Israel." One that ought to be in the closest possible relationship to us but that is formally separated from us and that is likely to be jealous of our power is most to be feared by us. The avowed enemy is not so hostile as the envious rival, as the unfriendly "neighbour." And there was nothing of untrustfulness in this procedure of the king's. Had he gone to Syria as his father did ( 2 Chronicles 16:2 ) for... read more
The accession of Jehoshaphat. I. THE DATE OF HIS CORONATION . 1 . The thirty-fifth year of his age. He was thus born in the sixth year of Asa's reign ( 2 Chronicles 16:14 ), during the ten years of quiet. His mother was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi ( 1 Kings 22:42 ). A man of mature years when he ascended the throne, he was better qualified to bear the load of responsibility his father's decease had, in God's providence, cast upon him. 2 . The fourth year of Ahab... read more
The first chapter of Jehoshaphat's career. Although to the end Jehoshaphat was neither an unfaithful king nor an unfaithful man, and certainly no apostate, yet the first chapter of his career reads the best. The mounting of the sun was fine, but clouds hung about the noonday sun, and the setting was not a sky of perfect western glory. The unfolding of the bud looked towards a perfect flower, but some blight seemed to visit it, and some worm was in the fruit. The three chief features of... read more
Jehoshaphat ascended the throne in the fourth year of Ahab 1 Kings 22:41, probably after that monarch had contracted his alliance with the royal family of Sidon, and before he was engaged in war with Syria. It was thus not unnatural that Jehoshaphat should begin his reign by strengthening himself against a possible attack on the part of his northern neighbor. read more
2 Chronicles 17:1. Jehoshaphat strengthened himself against Israel Against the king and people of Israel, who had molested the kingdom of Judah with wars all the days of Asa, after that sin of his, mentioned 2 Chronicles 16:2, &c. Ahab had now been three years upon the throne of Israel, an active, warlike prince. The vigour of the beginning of his reign falling in with the decay of the conclusion of Asa’s, it is probable the kingdom of Israel had of late gained ground of the kingdom... read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 2 Chronicles 17:1-9
Here we find concerning Jehoshaphat, I. What a wise man he was. As soon as he came to the crown he strengthened himself against Israel, 2 Chron. 17:1. Ahab, an active warlike prince, had now been three years upon the throne of Israel, the vigour of his beginning falling in with the decay of Asa's conclusion. It is probable that the kingdom of Israel had, of late, got ground of the kingdom of Judah and began to grow formidable to it; so that the first thing Jehoshaphat had to do was to make his... read more