2 Chronicles 20:3

3 Shaken, Jehoshaphat prayed. He went to God for help and ordered a nationwide fast.

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 Some time later the Moabites and Ammonites, accompanied by Meunites, joined forces to make war on Jehoshaphat.

2 Jehoshaphat received this intelligence report: "A huge force is on its way from beyond the Dead Sea to fight you. There's no time to waste - they're already at Hazazon Tamar, the oasis of En Gedi."

3 Shaken, Jehoshaphat prayed. He went to God for help and ordered a nationwide fast.

4 The country of Judah united in seeking God's help - they came from all the cities of Judah to pray to God.

5 Then Jehoshaphat took a position before the assembled people of Judah and Jerusalem at The Temple of God in front of the new courtyard