2Ch 17 | HCSB | STEP | His son Jehoshaphat became king in his place and strengthened himself against Israel .

2 Chronicles 17

Judah’s King Jehoshaphat

1 His son Jehoshaphat became king in his place ^a and strengthened himself against Israel. 2 He stationed troops in every fortified city of Judah ^b and set garrisons in the land of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim that his father Asa had captured. ^c

3 Now the Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he walked in the former ways of his father David. ^{▼▼Some Hb mss, LXX omit David} He did not seek the ^{▼▼Baal: A fertility god who was the main god of the Canaanite religion and the god of rain and thunderstorms; also the Hebrew word meaning "lord," "master," "owner," or "husband"}Baals 4 but sought the God of his father and walked by His commands, not according to the practices of Israel. ^f 5 So the Lord established the kingdom in his hand. Then all Judah brought him tribute, and he had riches and honor in abundance. ^g 6 His mind rejoiced in the Lord’s ways, and he again ^h removed the ^{▼▼high place(s): An ancient place of worship most often associated with pagan religions, usually built on an elevated location}high places and ^{▼▼Asherah(s): A Canaanite fertility goddess, who was the mother of the god Baal; also the wooden poles associated with the worship of her}Asherah poles from Judah. ^k

Jehoshaphat’s Educational Plan

7 In the third year of his reign, Jehoshaphat sent his officials – Ben-hail, ^{▼▼= Son of Power} Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah – to teach in the cities of Judah. ^m 8 The Levites with them were Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, ^{▼▼Some Hb mss, Syr, Tg, Arabic read Zechariah} Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tob-adonijah; the priests, Elishama and Jehoram, were with these Levites. 9 They taught throughout Judah, having the book of the Lord’s instruction with them. ^o They went throughout the towns of Judah and taught the people.

10 The terror of the Lord was on all the kingdoms of the lands that surrounded Judah, ^p so they didn’t fight against Jehoshaphat. 11 Some of the Philistines also brought gifts and silver as tribute to Jehoshaphat, and the Arabs brought him flocks: 7,700 rams and 7,700 male goats. ^q

Jehoshaphat’s Military Might

12 Jehoshaphat grew stronger and stronger. He built fortresses ^r and storage cities in Judah 13 and carried out great works in the towns of Judah. He had fighting men, brave warriors, in Jerusalem. 14 These are their numbers according to their ancestral families. For Judah, the commanders of thousands:

Adnah the commander and 300,000 brave warriors with him;
15 next to him, Jehohanan the commander and 280,000 with him;
16 next to him, Amasiah son of Zichri, the volunteer ^s of the Lord, and 200,000 brave warriors with him;
17 from Benjamin, Eliada, a brave warrior, and 200,000 with him armed with bow and shield;
18 next to him, Jehozabad and 180,000 with him equipped for war.

19 These were the ones who served the king, besides those he stationed in the fortified cities throughout all Judah. ^t