2 Chronicles 17:1

1 Asa's son Jehoshaphat was the next king; he started out by working on his defense system against Israel.

2 Chronicles 17:1 Meaning and Commentary

2 Chronicles 17:1

And Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead
In the stead of Asa his father:

and strengthened himself against Israel;
the ten tribes, by fortifying his cities, building castles, raising and keeping a large standing army, as the latter part of this chapter shows, and the next verse.

2 Chronicles 17:1 In-Context

1 Asa's son Jehoshaphat was the next king; he started out by working on his defense system against Israel.

2 He put troops in all the fortress cities of Judah and deployed garrisons throughout Judah and in the towns of Ephraim that his father Asa had captured.

3 God was on Jehoshaphat's side because he stuck to the ways of his father Asa's early years. He didn't fool around with the popular Baal religion -

4 he was a seeker and follower of the God of his father and was obedient to him; he wasn't like Israel.

5 And God secured the kingdom under his rule, gave him a firm grip on it. And everyone in Judah showed their appreciation by bringing gifts. Jehoshaphat ended up very rich and much honored.