2 Chronicles 20:1

1 After this, the armies of the Moabites, Ammonites, and some of the Meunites declared war on Jehoshaphat.

2 Chronicles 20:1 Meaning and Commentary

2 Chronicles 20:1

It came to pass after this also
After Jehoshaphat's return from Ramothgilead, and putting the civil and religious affairs of his people on a better footing, when he might have expected much peace and prosperity:

that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon;
both the descendants of Lot, see ( Psalms 83:8 ) ,

and with them other besides the Ammonites;
a great company of Arabians, according to Josephus ^F18; or "with the Meamonites", which the Targum understands of the Idumaeans or Edomites; and so do other interpreters, and which they conclude from ( 2 Chronicles 20:10 2 Chronicles 20:22 2 Chronicles 20:23 ) . Jarchi thinks the Amalekites are meant, who were of the race of Edom; but the notion of Kimchi seems best, that these are the people that are so called from the name of a place, Meon, and, by an inversion of letters, the same with the Meunim or Maonites, mentioned along with the Zidonians and Amalekites, ( Judges 10:12 ) and whom the Septuagint version here calls Minaeans; some ^F19 take them to be such who counterfeited the Ammonites in their apparel and gestures:

these came against Jehoshaphat in battle;
being instigated perhaps by the Syrians, who owed him ill will for assisting Ahab against them at Ramothgilead; for from that quarter they came, as the following verse shows.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F18 Antiqu. l. 9. c. 1. sect. 2.
F19 Weemse of the Moral Law, l. 2. c. 6. p. 161.

2 Chronicles 20:1 In-Context

1 After this, the armies of the Moabites, Ammonites, and some of the Meunites declared war on Jehoshaphat.

2 Messengers came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army from Edom is marching against you from beyond the Dead Sea. They are already at Hazazon-tamar.” (This was another name for En-gedi.)

3 Jehoshaphat was terrified by this news and begged the LORD for guidance. He also ordered everyone in Judah to begin fasting.

4 So people from all the towns of Judah came to Jerusalem to seek the LORD ’s help.

5 Jehoshaphat stood before the community of Judah and Jerusalem in front of the new courtyard at the Temple of the LORD .

Footnotes

• [a] As in some Greek manuscripts (see also 26:7 ); Hebrew repeats Ammonites.