2 Chronicles 20:22

22 And when they began to sing praisings, the Lord turned the ambushments of them against themselves, that is, of the sons of Ammon, and of Moab, and of the hill of Seir, which went out to fight against Judah; and they were slain. (And when they began to sing their praises, the Lord turned their enemies? ambushes back against themselves, that is, against the Ammonites, and the Moabites, and those of the hill country of Seir, yea, all who went to fight against Judah; and they were killed.)

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 And when upon the morrow they had risen early, they went out by the desert of Tekoa; and when they had gone forth, Jehoshaphat stood in the midst of them, and said, Judah, and all the dwellers of Jerusalem, hear ye me; believe ye in the Lord your God, and ye shall be secure; believe ye to his prophets, and all prosperities shall come to you. (And when they had risen early the next morning, they went out by the wilderness of Tekoa; and when they had gone forth, Jehoshaphat stood in their midst, and said, Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, listen ye to me; believe ye in the Lord your God, and ye shall be secure; believe ye his prophets, and ye shall prosper.)

21 And he gave counsel to the people, and he ordained the singers of the Lord, that they should praise him in their companies, and that they should go before the host, and say with according voice, Acknowledge ye to the Lord, for he is good; for his mercy is without end. (And he consulted with the people, and he ordained the singers of the Lord, to praise him in their companies, and to go before the army, and to sing together with a loud voice, Praise ye the Lord, for he is good; for his love endureth forevermore.)

22 And when they began to sing praisings, the Lord turned the ambushments of them against themselves, that is, of the sons of Ammon, and of Moab, and of the hill of Seir, which went out to fight against Judah; and they were slain. (And when they began to sing their praises, the Lord turned their enemies? ambushes back against themselves, that is, against the Ammonites, and the Moabites, and those of the hill country of Seir, yea, all who went to fight against Judah; and they were killed.)

23 For why the sons of Ammon and of Moab rose together against the dwellers of the hill of Seir, to slay, and to do away them; and when they had done this thing in work, they were then also turned against themselves, and they fell down together by wounds, each slaying (the) other. (For the Ammonites and the Moabites rose up together against the inhabitants of the hill country of Seir, to kill them, and to do them away; and when they had done this thing, then they turned against each other, and they fell down wounded together, each killing the other.)

24 Certainly when Judah was come to the den, (or the cave,) that beholdeth, or is over against, the wilderness, he saw afar all the large country full of dead bodies, and that none was left, that might escape death. (And when the men of Judah came to the watch-tower, that overlooketh the wilderness, they saw all the countryside far and wide full of dead bodies, and that no one was left, who had escaped death.)