2 Chronicles 20:3

3 Forsooth Jehoshaphat was afeared by dread, and gave himself all for to pray the Lord, and preached fasting to all Judah. (And Jehoshaphat was filled with fear, and gave his all to pray to the Lord, and preached a fast for all of Judah.)

2 Chronicles 20:3 Meaning and Commentary

2 Chronicles 20:3

And Jehoshaphat feared
Exceedingly, as the Targum adds, not merely because of the number of his enemies, for he had forces enough to go forth against them, see ( 2 Chronicles 17:14-19 ) , but chiefly because the Lord had told him that wrath was upon him from him, ( 2 Chronicles 19:2 ) and he might fear that this was the time for the execution of it: and set himself to seek the Lord;
by prayer and supplication, with all seriousness, fervour, and constancy: and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah;
a day of humiliation and mourning for sin before the Lord; when they were ordered to abstain from bodily food and labour, that they might be fit and more at leisure for spiritual exercises.

2 Chronicles 20:3 In-Context

1 After these things the sons of Moab, and the sons of Ammon, and with them Idumeans, were gathered together, and they came to Jehoshaphat, for to fight against him. (And after these things the Moabites, and the Ammonites, and with them the Meunites, were gathered together, and they came to Jehoshaphat, to fight against him.)

2 And messengers came, and showed this to Jehoshaphat, saying, A great multitude of those places that be beyond the sea, and of Syria, is come against thee; and lo! they stand together in Hazazontamar, which is Engedi. (And messengers came, and told this to Jehoshaphat, saying, A great multitude from that place on the other side of the Dead Sea, yea, from Edom, hath come against thee; and lo! they stand together in Hazazontamar, which is Engedi.)

3 Forsooth Jehoshaphat was afeared by dread, and gave himself all for to pray the Lord, and preached fasting to all Judah. (And Jehoshaphat was filled with fear, and gave his all to pray to the Lord, and preached a fast for all of Judah.)

4 And Judah was gathered together for to pray (to) the Lord, and also all men came from their cities for to beseech him.

5 And when Jehoshaphat had stood in the midst of the company of Judah and of Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new large place of the temple, (And when Jehoshaphat had stood in the middle of the congregation of Judah and of Jerusalem, in the House of the Lord, in front of the new courtyard of the Temple,)