improve the condition of the army (2Ch 16:1-14 and 2Ch 19:1-11).
Verses 41-42
1Ki 22:41-42 1Ki 22:41-44, which give the age of Jehoshaphat when he ascended the throne, and the duration and character of his reign, are also found with slight deviations in 2Ch 20:31-33, in the closing summary of the history of his reign.
Verse 43
1Ki 22:43 “He walked entirely in the way of his father Asa and departed not from it, to do what was well-pleasing to the Lord,” whereas Asa's heart had become more estranged from the Lord in the last years of his reign (see 1Ki 15:18.). - On the worship of the high places (1Ki 22:43), see at 1Ki 15:14.
Verse 44
He maintained peace with the king of Israel, i.e., with every one of the Israelitish kings who were contemporaneous with him, viz., Ahab, Ahaziah, and Joram, whereas hitherto the two kingdoms had assumed an attitude of hostility towards each other. Even if this friendly bearing towards Israel was laudable in itself, Jehoshaphat went beyond the bounds of what was allowable, since he formed a marriage alliance with the house of Ahab, by letting his son Joram marry a daughter of Ahab and Jezebel (2Ch 18:1).
Verses 45-46
The brave deeds (הגּבוּרה) which he performed include both his efforts to strengthen his kingdom, partly by raising fortifications and organizing the military force, and partly by instructing the people in the law and improving the administration of justice (2Ch 17:7-19 and 2Ch 19:4-11), and also the wars which he waged, viz., the expeditions already mentioned. - For 1Ki 22:46 see 1Ki 15:12.
Verse 47
1Ki 22:47 “There was (then) no (real) king in Edom; a vicegerent was king,” i.e., governed the country. This remark is introduced here merely on account of what follows, namely, to show how it was that Jehoshaphat was able to attempt to restore the maritime trade with Ophir. If we observe this connection between the verse before us and what follows, we cannot infer from it, as Ewald does (Gesch. iii. pp. 464 and 474ff.), that the Edomites with Egyptian help had forced from Rehoboam both their liberty and also their right to have a king of their own blood, and had remained in this situation till Jehoshaphat completely subjugated them again. (See the remarks on 1Ki 11:21-22.) All that can be gathered from 2 Chron 20 is, that the Edomites, in league with the Ammonites and other desert tribes, made an incursion into Judah, and therefore tried to throw off the supremacy of Judah, but did not succeed in their attempt.
Verses 48-50
The brief notice concerning Jehoshaphat's attempt to
