Chapter 1.
CONCERNING JEHOSHAPHAT AGAIN; HOW HE CONSTITUTED JUDGES AND,
BY GOD'S ASSISTANCE OVERCAME HIS ENEMIES.FJAJ 9.3
1. WHEN Jehoshaphat the king was come to Jerusalem, from the assistance
he had afforded Ahab, the king of Israel, when he fought with Benhadad,
king of Syria, the prophet Jehu met him, and accused him for assisting
Ahab, a man both impious and wicked; and said to him, that God was displeased
with him for so doing, but that he delivered him from the enemy, notwithstanding
he had sinned, because of his own proper disposition, which was good
Whereupon
the king betook himself to thanksgivings and sacrifices to God; after which
he presently went over all that country which he ruled round about, and
taught the people, as well the laws which God gave them by Moses, as that
religious worship that was due to him
He also constituted judges in every
one of the cities of his kingdom; and charged them to have regard to nothing
so much in judging the multitude as to do justice, and not to be moved
by bribes, nor by the dignity of men eminent for either their riches or
their high birth, but to distribute justice equally to all, as knowing
that God is conscious of every secret action of theirs
When he had himself
instructed them thus, and gone over every city of the two tribes, he returned
to Jerusalem
He there also constituted judges out of the priests and the
Levites, and principal persons of the multitude, and admonished them to
pass all their sentences with care and justice (1) These
judges constituted by Jehoshaphat were a kind of Jerusalem Sanhedrim, out
of the priests, the Levites, and the principal of the people, both here
and 2 Chronicles 19:8; much like the old Christian judicatures of the bishop,
the presbyters, the deacons, and the people.
And that if any of the people of his country had differences of great consequence,
they should send them out of the other cities to these judges, who would
be obliged to give righteous sentences concerning such causes; and this
with the greater care, because it is proper that the sentences which are
given in that city wherein the temple of God is, and wherein the king dwells,
be given with great care and the utmost justice
Now he set over them Amariah
the priest, and Zebadiah, [both] of the tribe of Judah; and after this
manner it was that the king ordered these affairs.FJAJ 9.4
2. About the same time the Moabites and Ammonites made an expedition
against Jehoshaphat, ,and took with them a great body of Arabians, and
pitched their camp at Engedi, a city that is situate at the lake Asphaltiris,
and distant three hundred furlongs from Jerusalem
In that place grows
the best kind of palm trees, and the opobalsamum.FJAJ 9.5
(2) Concerning
this precious balsam, see the note on Atiq. B. VIII. ch. 6. sect. 6.
Now Jehoshaphat heard that the enemies had passed over the lake, and had
made an irruption into that country which belonged to his kingdom; at which
news he was aftrighted, and called the people of Jerusalem to a congregation
in the temple, and standing over against the temple itself, he called upon
God to afford him power and strength, so as to inflict punishment on those
that made this expedition against them (for that those who built this his
temple had prayed, that he would protect that city, and take vengeance
on those that were so bold as to come against it); for they are come to
take from us that land which thou hast given us for a possession
When
he had prayed thus, he fell into tears; and the whole multitude, together
with their wives and children, made their supplications also: upon which
a certain prophet, Jahaziel by name, came into the midst of the assembly,
and cried out, and spake both to the multitude and to the king, that God
heard their prayers, and promised to fight against their enemies
He also
gave order that the king should draw his forces out the next day, for that
he should find them between Jerusalem and the ascent of Engedi, at a place
called The Eminence, and that he should not fight against them, but only
stand still, and see how God would fight against them
When the prophet
had said this, both the king and the multitude fell upon their faces, and
gave thanks to God, and worshipped him; and the Levites continued singing
hymns to God with their instruments of music.FJAJ 9.6
3. As soon as it was day, and the king was come into that wilderness
which is under the city of Tekoa, he said to the multitude, "that
they ought to give credit to what the prophet had said, and not to set
themselves in array for fighting; but to set the priests with their trumpets,
and the Levites with the singers of hymns, to give thanks to God, as having
already delivered our country from our enemies." This opinion of the
king pleased [the people], and they did what he advised them to do
So
God caused a terror and a commotion to arise among the Ammonites, who thought
one another to be enemies, and slew one another, insomuch that not one
man out of so great an army escaped; and when Jehoshaphat looked upon that
valley wherein their enemies had been encamped, and saw it full of dead
men, he rejoiced at so surprising an event, as was this assistance of God,
while he himself by his own power, and without their labor, had given them
the victory
He also gave his army leave to take the prey of the enemy's
camp, and to spoil their dead bodies; and indeed so they did for three
days together, till they were weary, so great was the number of the slain;
and on the fourth day, all the people were gathered together unto a certain
hollow place or valley, and blessed God for his power and assistance, from
which the place had this name given it, the Valley of [Berachah, or] Blessing.FJAJ 9.7
4. And when the king had brought his army back to Jerusalem, he betook
himself to celebrate festivals, and offer sacrifices, and this for many
days
And indeed, after this destruction of their enemies, and when it
came to the ears of the foreign nations, they were all greatly aftrighted,
as supposing that God would openly fight for him hereafter
So Jehoshaphat
from that time lived in great glory and splendor, on account of his righteousness
and his piety towards God
He was also in friendship with Ahab's son, who
was king of Israel; and he joined with him in the building of ships that
were to sail to Pontus, and the traffic cities of Thrace (3) What
are here Pontus and Thrace, as the places whither Jehoshaphat's fleet sailed,
are in our other copies Ophir and Tarshish, and the place whence it sailed
is in them Eziongeber, which lay on the Red Sea, whence it was impossible
for any ships to sail to Pontus or Thrace; so that Josephus's copy differed
from our other copies, as is further plain from his own words, which render
what we read, that "the ships were broken at Eziongeber, from their
unwieldy greatness." But so far we may conclude, that Josephus thought
one Ophir to be some where in the Mediterranean, and not in the South Sea,
though perhaps there might be another Ophir in that South Sea also, and
that fleets might then sail both from Phoenicia and from the Red Sea to
fetch the gold of Ophir.
but he failed of his gains, for the ships were destroyed by being so great
[and unwieldy]; on which account he was no longer concerned about shipping.
And this is the history of Jehoshaphat, the king of Jerusalem.FJAJ 9.8