2 Chronicles 25:8

8 "But if you do go, do it, be strong for the battle; yet God will bring you down before the enemy, ¹for God has power to help and to bring down."

2 Chronicles 25:8 Meaning and Commentary

2 Chronicles 25:8

But if thou wilt go, do it, be strong for the battle
An ironical expression; if thou wilt not be advised, take them with thee, and try what thou canst do; exert all thy courage, and use thy military skill, and mark the issue:

God shall make thee fall before the enemy;
notwithstanding the number of thy troops, and those of thy auxiliaries; though some take them to be spoken seriously, and read the words, "but go thou"; that is, alone, without the hired troops, and fight boldly and courageously; or otherwise "God shall make thee fall"

for God hath power to help and to cast down;
to help with a few, and to cast down with many; to help without the hired Israelites, and to cast down with them.

2 Chronicles 25:8 In-Context

6 He hired also 100,000 valiant warriors out of Israel for one hundred talents of silver.

7 But a man of God came to him saying, "O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for the LORD is not with Israel nor with any of the sons of Ephraim.

8 "But if you do go, do it, be strong for the battle; yet God will bring you down before the enemy, for God has power to help and to bring down."

9 Amaziah said to the man of God, "But what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the troops of Israel?" And the man of God answered, "The LORD has much more to give you than this."

10 Then Amaziah dismissed them, the troops which came to him from Ephraim, to go home; so their anger burned against Judah and they returned home in fierce anger.

Cross References

• 1. 2 Chronicles 14:11; 2 Chronicles 20:6

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "cause to stumble"
• [b]. Lit "cause to stumble"