2 Chronicles 19:8 - Exposition

This and the following three verses close the immediate subject by stating with some emphasis the reform in the metropolis itself, of the "supreme tribunal," as it has been called ( Exodus 18:19 , Exodus 18:20 , Exodus 18:26 ; Deuteronomy 17:9 , Deuteronomy 17:10 , Deuteronomy 17:12 ), composed of Levites, priests, and chief of the fathers of Israel ; i.e. probably heads of the whole family that went by the same name. Of course every father was head of his own family, but only one (such as in modern times by primogeniture the eldest son) the representative head of the entire family, and under this expression is no doubt naturally set forth only those families that were of some relative consideration or distinction. For the judgment of the Lord, and for controversies. Considering the plainer distinction in the language of vex. 11, there can be no doubt that the words, "for the judgment of the Lord," do not intend simply to describe godly judgment, but point to dues payable to the Lord in some religious aspect: "Render to Caesar … and to God the things that are God's"; while the words, "and for controversies," point to the mutual strifes of the people. When they returned ; Hebrew, "and they returned." It has been proposed to remove this clause so as to begin the next verse with it (and so the Revised Version shows as a clause by itself, "And they returned to Jerusalem"), and, to make this fit the better, the word did in the first line of the verse is changed into "had." It is, however, possible to render the clause, "And they dwelt in Jerusalem,' which would make a far mere coherent sense, and would mark the permanence and stationariness of this chief court.