king of Judah, son of Asa, king of Judah, and Azabah,
daughter of Shilhi, ascended the throne at the age of thirty-five, and
reigned twenty-five years. He had the advantage over Baasha, king of
Israel; and he placed good garrisons in the cities of Judah and of
Ephraim, which had been conquered by his father. God was with him,
because he was faithful. He demolished the high places and groves. In
the third year of his reign he sent some of his officers, with priests
and Levites, through all the parts of Judah, with the book of the law,
to instruct the people. God blessed the zeal of this prince, who was
feared by all his neighbours. The Philistines and Arabians were
tributaries to him. He built several houses in Judah in the form of
towers, and fortified several cities. He generally kept an army of
eleven hundred thousand men, without reckoning the troops in his strong
holds. This number seems prodigious for so small a state as that of
Judah; but, probably, these troops were only an enrolled militia.
The Scripture reproaches Jehoshaphat for his alliance with Ahab, king of
Israel, 1 Kings xx; 2 Chronicles xviii. Some time after, he went to
visit Ahab in Samaria; and Ahab invited him to march with him against
Ramoth-Gilead. Jehoshaphat consented, but first asked for an opinion
from a prophet of the Lord. Afterward, he went into the battle in his
robe, and the enemy supposed him to be Ahab; but he crying out, they
discovered their mistake, and Jehoshaphat returned in peace to
Jerusalem. The Prophet Jehu reproved him for assisting Ahab, 2 Chron.
xix, 1, 2, 3, &c. Jehoshaphat repaired this fault by the good
regulations, and the good order, which he established in his dominions,
both as to civil and religious affairs, by appointing honest and able
judges, by regulating the discipline of the priests and Levites, and by
enjoining them to perform their duty with punctuality. After this, in
the year 3108, the Moabites, Ammonites, and other nations of Arabia
Petræa, declared war against Jehoshaphat, 2 Chron. xx, 1, 2, 3, &c. They
advanced to Hazaron-Tamar, otherwise Engedi. Jehoshaphat went with his
people to the temple, and put up prayers to God. Jahaziel, the son of
Zechariah, by the Spirit of the Lord, encouraged the king, and promised
that the next day he should obtain a victory without fighting.
Accordingly, these people being assembled the next day against Judah,
quarrelled, and killed one another; and Jehoshaphat and his army had
only to gather their spoils. This prince continued to walk in the ways
of the Lord; yet he did not destroy the high places, and the hearts of
the people were not entirely directed to the God of their fathers.
Jehoshaphat died after a reign of twenty-five years, and was buried in
the royal sepulchre; and his son, Jehoram reigned in his stead.
2. JEHOSHAPHAT, VALLEY OF. This valley is a deep and narrow glen, which
runs from north to south, between the Mount of Olives and Mount Moriah;
the brook Cedron flowing through the middle of it, which is dry the
greatest part of the year, but has a current of a red colour, after
storms, or in rainy seasons. The Prophet Joel, iii, 2, 12, says, “The
Lord will gather all nations in the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will
plead with them there.” Abenezra is of opinion, that this valley is the
place where King Jehoshaphat obtained a signal victory over the
Moabites, Ammonites, and Meonians of Arabia Petræa, 2 Chron. xx, 1, &c,
toward the Dead Sea, beyond the wilderness of Tekoah, which after that
event was called the valley of blessing, verse 26. Others think it lies
between the walls of Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives. Cyril, of
Alexandria, on Joel iii, says that this valley is but a few furlongs
distant from Jerusalem. Lastly, some maintain that the ancient Hebrews
had named no particular place the valley of Jehoshaphat; but that Joel
intended generally the place where God would judge the nations, and will
appear at the last judgment in the brightness of his majesty.
_Jehoshaphat_, in Hebrew, signifies “the judgment of God.” It is very
probable that the valley of Jehoshaphat, that is, of God’s judgment, is
symbolical, as well as the valley of slaughter, in the same chapter.
From this passage, however, the Jews and many Christians have been of
opinion, that the last judgment will be solemnized in the valley of
Jehoshaphat.
daughter of Shilhi, ascended the throne at the age of thirty-five, and
reigned twenty-five years. He had the advantage over Baasha, king of
Israel; and he placed good garrisons in the cities of Judah and of
Ephraim, which had been conquered by his father. God was with him,
because he was faithful. He demolished the high places and groves. In
the third year of his reign he sent some of his officers, with priests
and Levites, through all the parts of Judah, with the book of the law,
to instruct the people. God blessed the zeal of this prince, who was
feared by all his neighbours. The Philistines and Arabians were
tributaries to him. He built several houses in Judah in the form of
towers, and fortified several cities. He generally kept an army of
eleven hundred thousand men, without reckoning the troops in his strong
holds. This number seems prodigious for so small a state as that of
Judah; but, probably, these troops were only an enrolled militia.
The Scripture reproaches Jehoshaphat for his alliance with Ahab, king of
Israel, 1 Kings xx; 2 Chronicles xviii. Some time after, he went to
visit Ahab in Samaria; and Ahab invited him to march with him against
Ramoth-Gilead. Jehoshaphat consented, but first asked for an opinion
from a prophet of the Lord. Afterward, he went into the battle in his
robe, and the enemy supposed him to be Ahab; but he crying out, they
discovered their mistake, and Jehoshaphat returned in peace to
Jerusalem. The Prophet Jehu reproved him for assisting Ahab, 2 Chron.
xix, 1, 2, 3, &c. Jehoshaphat repaired this fault by the good
regulations, and the good order, which he established in his dominions,
both as to civil and religious affairs, by appointing honest and able
judges, by regulating the discipline of the priests and Levites, and by
enjoining them to perform their duty with punctuality. After this, in
the year 3108, the Moabites, Ammonites, and other nations of Arabia
Petræa, declared war against Jehoshaphat, 2 Chron. xx, 1, 2, 3, &c. They
advanced to Hazaron-Tamar, otherwise Engedi. Jehoshaphat went with his
people to the temple, and put up prayers to God. Jahaziel, the son of
Zechariah, by the Spirit of the Lord, encouraged the king, and promised
that the next day he should obtain a victory without fighting.
Accordingly, these people being assembled the next day against Judah,
quarrelled, and killed one another; and Jehoshaphat and his army had
only to gather their spoils. This prince continued to walk in the ways
of the Lord; yet he did not destroy the high places, and the hearts of
the people were not entirely directed to the God of their fathers.
Jehoshaphat died after a reign of twenty-five years, and was buried in
the royal sepulchre; and his son, Jehoram reigned in his stead.
2. JEHOSHAPHAT, VALLEY OF. This valley is a deep and narrow glen, which
runs from north to south, between the Mount of Olives and Mount Moriah;
the brook Cedron flowing through the middle of it, which is dry the
greatest part of the year, but has a current of a red colour, after
storms, or in rainy seasons. The Prophet Joel, iii, 2, 12, says, “The
Lord will gather all nations in the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will
plead with them there.” Abenezra is of opinion, that this valley is the
place where King Jehoshaphat obtained a signal victory over the
Moabites, Ammonites, and Meonians of Arabia Petræa, 2 Chron. xx, 1, &c,
toward the Dead Sea, beyond the wilderness of Tekoah, which after that
event was called the valley of blessing, verse 26. Others think it lies
between the walls of Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives. Cyril, of
Alexandria, on Joel iii, says that this valley is but a few furlongs
distant from Jerusalem. Lastly, some maintain that the ancient Hebrews
had named no particular place the valley of Jehoshaphat; but that Joel
intended generally the place where God would judge the nations, and will
appear at the last judgment in the brightness of his majesty.
_Jehoshaphat_, in Hebrew, signifies “the judgment of God.” It is very
probable that the valley of Jehoshaphat, that is, of God’s judgment, is
symbolical, as well as the valley of slaughter, in the same chapter.
From this passage, however, the Jews and many Christians have been of
opinion, that the last judgment will be solemnized in the valley of
Jehoshaphat.