2 Chronicles 20:22

22 When they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set liers-in-wait against the children of `Ammon, Mo'av, and Mount Se`ir, who had come against Yehudah; and they were struck.

2 Chronicles 20:22 Meaning and Commentary

2 Chronicles 20:22

And when they began to sing and to praise
They sung more or less all the way they went, from the time they set out, but when they came nearer the enemy, they sung louder and louder: the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount
Seir, which came against Judah;
some take them to be their own ambushments, which they set for the destruction of Judah; but the Lord turned them against their own confederates, mistaking them for Jews; so the Vulgate Latin version,

``the Lord turned their ambushments against themselves;''
or rather these were angels, who appeared in the form of the Edomites, and so fell upon the Ammonites and Moabites: and they were smitten;
by them, many of them were destroyed; hence it follows,

2 Chronicles 20:22 In-Context

20 They rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Yehoshafat stood and said, Hear me, Yehudah, and you inhabitants of Yerushalayim: believe in the LORD your God, so shall you be established; believe his prophets, so shall you prosper.
21 When he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the LORD, and give praise in holy array, as they went out before the army, and say, Give thanks to the LORD; for his lovingkindness endures forever.
22 When they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set liers-in-wait against the children of `Ammon, Mo'av, and Mount Se`ir, who had come against Yehudah; and they were struck.
23 For the children of `Ammon and Mo'av stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Se`ir, utterly to kill and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Se`ir, everyone helped to destroy another.
24 When Yehudah came to the watch-tower of the wilderness, they looked at the multitude; and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the eretz, and there were none who escaped.
The Hebrew Names Version is in the public domain.