Charles Ellicott Commentary 2 Chronicles 20

It came to pass after this also. — Rather, And it came to pass afterwards, that is, after the battle of Ramoth-Gilead, and Jehoshaphat’s reformation of law and religion.

And the children of Ammon, and with them other beside the Ammonites. — This is an attempt to get a reasonable sense out of a corrupted text. What the Hebrew says is: And the sons of Ammon, and with them some of the Ammonites.

So the Vulgate, “et filii Ammon et cum eis de Ammonitis.” Transpose a single Hebrew letter, and there results the intelligible reading: And the sons of Ammon, and with them the Maonites (Hebrew, Me’ûnîm. See on 1 Chronicles 4:41–42). The Maonites are mentioned again (2 Chronicles 26:7) in company with Arabs. They appear to have been a tribe, whose chief seat was Maon, on the eastern slopes of the chain of Mount Seir, after which they are called “sons,” or “inhabitants of Mount Seir” in 2 Chronicles 20:10; 2 Chronicles 20:22–23.

Accordingly Josephus (Antiquities ix. 1, § 2) calls them a multitude of Arabs.

The Septuagint reads: “And with them some of the Minaioi,” a name which possibly represents the me’înîm of the Hebrew text of 1 Chronicles 4:41. The Syriac version says, “and with them men of war;” and the Arabic, “brave men.”

Perhaps the expression rendered and with them—we’immahèm—is a relic of an original reading, and the Maonites; and the phrase some of the Ammonites (mçhâ’ammônîm), which follows, is merely a gloss on an obscure name by some transcriber.

Then some came who told. — And they (that is, messengers; Vulgate, “nuntii”) came and told.

Comes. — Is come.

The Sea. — The Dead Sea, east of which lay the territories of Ammon and Moab, while to the south of it, not far from Petra, was Maon.

On this side of Syria. — Hebrew, from Aram; and so the Septuagint and Vulgate. But Edom is probably the true reading—a name often confused with Aram. As the invaders marched around the southern end of the Dead Sea, they were naturally described as coming from Edom. The Syriac and Arabic versions have: from the other side of the Red Sea.

Hazazon-tamar. — See Genesis 14:7.

Engedi (Ain-jidy), midway on the western coast of the Dead Sea (see 1 Samuel 23:29), about thirty-six miles from Jerusalem. The Syriac and Arabic versions have Jericho for Hazazon-tamar (possibly meadow of palms). Jericho was also called “the city of palms.”

And Jehoshaphat. — And he was afraid (namely, at the news). And Jehoshaphat set his face, etc. Literally, put his face—a phrase used in Daniel 9:3 (compare 2 Kings 12:18), and implying resolved, determined.

To seek the Lord. —The Hebrew construction is that of 2 Chronicles 15:13 (le is here a sign of the accusative).

Proclaimed a fast. —An act of national self-humiliation, implying an admission of guilt, and intended to evoke the Divine pity and help. (Joel 2:12–17; 1 Samuel 7:6; Ezra 8:21.)

To ask. —Literally, to seek (baqqesh, a synonym of dârash. 2 Chronicles 20:2) from Jehovah; namely, help, which the Authorised Version rightly supplies.

Even out of all the cities of Judah. —Emphasising the fact that the gathering in the Temple represented the whole nation. Syriac and Arabic, “and even from the distant cities.”

And Jehoshaphat stood. — Compare to 2 Chronicles 6:12–13.

Judah and Jerusalem. — So 2 Chronicles 20:27. Jerusalem is in this way mentioned side by side with the country, as being by far the most important part of it. (See also the headings of Isaiah 1:2)

Before the new court. — This name, “the New Court,” only occurs here. It probably designates the “Great” (2 Chronicles 4:9) or outer court of the Temple, where the people assembled. Jehoshaphat stood facing the people, in front of the entrance to the Court of the Priests. Perhaps the court was called New, as having been recently repaired or enlarged. Syriac and Arabic: “before the new gate.”